Rafsanjani, (Heads the Guardian Council which can remove Khomeini), spoke at length regarding the people and their relationship to the power of the government – the transcript follows:
13:51 He begins (as is the custom) by mentioning the upcoming religious dates of significance (e.g., the death of the seventh Shi’a Imam)
13: 52 May all the oppressors who make innocent people bleed be a witness to eternal condemnation
[the chants begin again]
13:53 I asked you, I pleaded for you to let me speak.
[more chants]
13:54 Rafsanjani condemns China. People chanted “Death to China” . He asks that people stop their chants.
13:55 China has a rational government. It must look at how it can benefit from its relations with the Islamic world. We hope that we will no longer be witness to such atrocities towards Muslims in China or anywhere else in the world.
13:55 But coming to our own problems. We started off very well in the competition. Everything went well and smoothly.
13:56 People became very hopeful. Everything was set for a glorious day. This glory was due to the people. They were the ones who went to the ballot box. And we must be grateful to them.
13:57 I so very much wish that that path had been continued. But unfortunately, that was not the case. I will now elaborate. We must first see what we [probably the ruling establishment] were after. This is coming from a person who was always by the Imam[Khomeini’s] side [he is referring to himself]. For 60 years. The Imam was always after the people. After getting their approval and their participation. This was the art of the Imam which made him so successful. It took the Imam less than 20 years to get the people to come to the streets.
13:58 These people, the ones who were behind the Imam, broke the back of the Shah and brought him to his knees.
13:59 After the victory of the revolution too, we worked on a daily basis with the Imam. Imam would always say that if the system is not backed by the people, nothing would stand.
14:00 The Imam would always quote the prophet [Muhammad] who would say to Ali [Mohammad’s successor]: leave the people if they do not want you.
14:02 He is speaking of the Imam’s command to Bazargan to form a temporary government. But the Imam tells him to keep it short to pave the way for the constitution.
[loud chants]
14:03 We agreed that you will stop chanting. If we do not have the votes of the people behind us, we will have nothing. The guardian council, the expediency council, EVERYONE gets their le14:04 Without Islam, without a republic, we have nothing. Ali [Imam Ali, the prophet’s successor] waited 19 years until the people came for him.
[more chants]
14:05 Stop chanting.
14:06 Why did the elections come to this? Before the election, near the end, some people doubted what was going to happen. Maybe because of the way the broadcasting corporation behaved.
14:07 Rafsanjani: Some are chanting and I can’t make out what they say. But I am speaking what you want to hear. I want unity too.
14:08 I have never acted across party lines, and now too we must search for unity to find a way out of our quandary.
14:09 I have some suggestions. I have spoken to some members of the the expediency council and the assembly of experts about them too.
14:10 We must bring back the trust of the people. First of all, everyone must accept the law. The people, the parliament, everyone.
14:11 We must create a condition so that everyone can speak. We must speak logically. And a part of this is on the shoulders of the broadcasting corporation.
14:12 The guardian council did not make good use of the extra fives days given to them by the leader.
14:13 We do not need people in prison for this. Let’s allow them to return to their families.
[More chants of Allah o Akbar]
14:14 We must join hands with those who have incurred great loss and try to lesson their pain.
14:15 We must give freedom to the press within the confines of the law.
[not a word of the government]
14:15 We are all members of the same family. We must remain friends and allies. Why have we gone so far as to pain some of our marajeh [top religious leaders]?
14:16 I hope this sermon will pave a way out of this current situation. A situation that can be considered a crisis.
14:17 The sermon is finished.
14:18 Two chants can be heard: the blood in our veins is a gift to our leader and Hashemi, Hashemi, may god keep you safe.
Outside the University (where the prayers are held) Khomeini supporters were chanting “Death to America”, with opposition voiced countering “Death to Russia” – Tear gas was fired, and Khomeini forces hit those listening to the prayers service and protesting with batons and pipes – Crowds were chanting: "Hashemi- SOKOOT koni Khamenei" (Hashemi if you remain silent you are like Khomeini) as the prayer has finished, those who are protesting are leaving messages via social networks such as Twitter – it is apparent that, although Rafsanjani may have placed the cards on the table against Khomeini, he did so with the thought in mind that the Ayatollahs might still control the country –that said, those inside the protest, are seeking freedom from the Theocracy, and the establishment of a secular, Democratic Iran (this has been trending for weeks).
It is as if many of those outside the university (where the attacks continued), were looking for Rafsanjani to take more action against Khomeini, rather than discuss the situation (as is the case in most revolutions), that said, the process of revolution and reform of a government is a slow process - Rafsanjani understands this – which may be why he was attempting to assuage the people – while scolding the regime – with visible emotion – the end of the Imams Revolution brings the beginning of the Persian Revolution for a free, secular, Iran. Those protestors in Iran are young, educated, and come from a variety of Religious Backgrounds (extremley important) - therefore, they are not as easy to "lead" as those in many neighboring Islamic states who have been brainwashed for years to the point where they will strap on a bomb for a Religious Cause.
Date to watch 30 Tir.
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