In the first days a very great difficulty was encountered in Qum from the viewpoint of safety and security which was that the Imam would not agree that an armed revolutionary guard follow behind him. He would always say that, “I don’t want an armed guard.” Considering that at night the Imam would visit the homes of the martyrs and the theologians and the threat was extremely great. The residents of Qum too upon hearing that the Imam was to cross one of the streets or lanes would all pour out of their homes and gather round his car. They would even climb onto the roof of his car so that neither the driver nor the Imam could recognize where they were going. Nevertheless the Imam would state: “Nobody should follow me. The people shall guard me.”
I do not want an armed guard