Source: Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1,
Tehran, in
Persian 1430 gmt 21 Mar 98
Excerpts from the Friday prayer sermon delivered by the speaker of the
Assembly of Experts, Ayatollah Ali Akbar Meshkini-Qomi, in Qom on 20th
March,
broadcast by Iranian TV on 21st March
In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate...
[The first Shi'i Imam Ali, said:] Nobody has the right to interfere
[with my leadership] since I have been elected by experts... Everybody, even in the most
remote areas, should accept this [leadership]...
If the experts [Assembly of Experts] reached consensus on the
leadership of a person and someone said that he did not accept this [his
leadership], then
he should be made to change his mind by reasoning with him. And if he still did not
accept, then he should be sorted out with a sword. [Chants of slogans in support]
I apologize for taking your time to explain these points. Your time is
very precious and I respect you and your time. But, sometimes we see that certain issues
are being raised or written about in the country which might result in the blood of our
dear martyrs being wasted. I should say something about this. We see a group of people,
who have been given pens to write, call into question the meaning of the absolute
leadership [of the supreme jurisconsult, Persian: rahbari-ye motlaqeh]. Once upon a time,
I explained the meaning of absolute, but they did not seem to have understood it. Once
again they have said: Why should leadership be forever? Leadership should be for a limited
period of time. Three or four years as a leader is enough for one person.
Leadership is one of the most dignified aspects of the issue of imamate
[being an imam]. If what they say is right, then we shall also say that Imam Sadiq was an
imam for a few years and that was enough. Similarly, the prophet was also a messenger for
a few years in Mecca, that is enough for him. Similarly, we shall even say that God has
been God since time immemorial and that was enough for Him. Such people come up with a
different plan every day. Then they distort things, saying that the Guardian Council's
supervisory role should be abolished. They want the Guardian Council to just sit idly
by,
watching people go to the Majlis and say nothing about it. They want the road to the
Majlis to be left open so that everyone who wants to enter the Majlis can do so
freely.
This is the Majlis, the Majlis which has been formed thanks to the immaculate blood of
100,000, 150,000 martyrs being spilt. These people's blood has been spilt for
God.
Leadership is a divine issue. I am not speaking about the person of the leader [Khamene'i], even though he is the
leader, we accept his leadership and pay our respect to him. [Chants of: God is
great, Khamene'i is the leader]
Another point is at issue here. The issue is that our foreign enemies
and those who unfortunately follow them inside the country, have focused their attention
on our constitution. They have realized that our constitution has 177 articles all of
which are based on one principle... All of the country and its laws revolve around the
issue of leadership. That is why they are attacking the leader from various
directions...
They want to say that leadership only belongs to God. But they are wrong. Leadership is
ours. People such as Ali and those like him should be leaders. O nation, God has granted
us a divine government after one thousand and a few hundred years. Please listen. God has
granted us a divine government at a special time, in a special land called Iran, and the
government of the hidden imam [12th Shi'i Imam Mahdi] has been set up...
The Imam Khomeini
education and research Institute (1.3.1998)
(Imaminfo News Service)
The Imam Khomeini education and research Institute which is one of the
institutions affiliated with the Qom Theological Center, was established by special decree
of supreme leader of the Islamic revolution, the Grand Ayatollah Imam Khomeini.
It is now administered under the auspices of the Grand Ayatollah Imam
Khamene’i and directed by sophisticated scholar and philosopher, Ayatollah Mohammad
Taqi Misbah Yazdi. It endeavors to train intellectuals with the knowledge of human
sciences to research and systematize the Islamic Sciences and disseminate them to the
world.
They now are in Internet under:
http://www.qabas.net
