Message [Disavowal of polytheists, explaining the duties of Muslims and the problems of the Muslim world]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

"Whoso migrateth for the cause of Allah will find much refuge and abundance in the earth, and whoso forsaketh his home, a fugitive unto Allah and His messenger, and death overtaketh him, his reward is then incumbent on Allah." «1»

" Praise is to God for His bounties. May His blessings and peace be upon His prophets, especially the best and the last of them, and His chosen servants, especially the last of them, the promised Savior, may our souls be sacrificed for his steps."

No pen or tongue and no speech or writing can thank the perpetual bounties and blessings showered upon all creation by the Maker, who, with His Light, gave the bounty of existence to the worlds, the hidden and the manifest, the concealed and the visible. With His Grace, and through His blessed prophets and messengers, He revealed to us that" Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth". By revealing Himself, He unveiled His Beauty, for" He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden." Through His Books, the scriptures revealed to His messengers, from Adam to Abraham and from Abraham to Muhammad- upon whom be His peace and benedictions- He taught us the way of attaining perfection and annihilation in the Absolute Perfection. He showed us the journey towards God, in such verses as" whoso goes forth from his house an emigrant toward God", and showed us how to behave with His friends and the believers as well as with His enemies, the arrogant and the infidels, in such verses as" Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, and those who are with him and who are tough on unbelievers and merciful among themselves."

We thank Him a thousand times for making us a part of the ummah of the Seal of Prophets, Muhammad (s), the best and the noblest of His creation- may God's peace and benedictions be upon him and his progeny.

Thanks to Him for making us followers of the Glorious Qur'an, the greatest and the sublimest of all sacred scriptures, which encompasses all merits and excellences and which has been preserved from the mischief of every devil, man and jinn, and He has guaranteed its purity, declaring," Indeed We have sent down the remembrance and verily We shall protect it." So it is a scripture to which not one word was added nor from which one word was lost. It is a sacred book which informs us about the continuous conflict between the great prophets of God and the world's arrogant and greedy pillagers throughout the course of history. It tells us about the Prophet's (s) practice toward idolaters, tyrants, pagans and, above all, hypocrites. It is an enduring lesson about a continuing conflict and valid for all times and regions.

We read in this book:" Say: If your fathers, and your sons, and your brothers, and your wives, and your tribe, and the wealth ye have acquired, and merchandise for which ye fear that there will be no sale, and dwellings ye desire are dearer to you than Allah and His messenger and striving in His way: then wait till Allah bringeth His command to pass. Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk." «2» These words are addressed to those who are either inclined to compromise their principles or outright hypocrites. It stresses the need to sacrifice life and property and suffer privation and loss for the sake of a higher struggle. It is significant that in the above verse, out of all duties, jihad in the way of God has been mentioned as being second only to the love of God and the Prophet. Jihad for the divine cause surmounts all other religious duties, for it protects and safeguards the very basis of the faith. We are also warned that in case of failure to fulfill this duty we shall face dire consequences. We may suffer disgrace, slavery, and destruction of Islamic and human values. Whatever we hold dear and are afraid to lose- the lives of our young and old and the freedom of our family- may be doomed to destruction. All such calamities may befall us if we fail to carry out the duty of jihad, especially in the form of defense- something in which we are involved presently. This verse of the Holy Qur'an is a relevant warning in this regard:" Let those who conspire to evade orders beware lest grief or painful punishment befall them." «3» And what could be more trying than the grievous efforts of the enemies of Islam, especially during the present era, to eradicate the genuine Islam, to establish tyrannical governments and to demolish the nations'" crop and cattle" through ill-intentioned advisors. (reference to Qur'an 2:205) - something which the Iranian people have suffered in the past and which the oppressed people of Iraq continue to face?

Endless praise and thanks to the Almighty, the Supreme Lord, with whose Grace the call of Islam reverberates in farthest corners of the globe at a moment when the honored pilgrims from Iran are heading toward the Temple of Love and the Shrine of the Loved One- toward God and His magnificent Prophet (s), with its spiritual banner having been hoisted in its various corners. The world's eyes have become fixed on this land of Imam Mahdi, the Greatest saint of God. The ill-wishers and the deviate predicted the fall of the Islamic Republic within three months or a year to console themselves and their masters. They dreamt of the fall of the Islamic Republic every night and day. However, their infamy has traveled into every nook and cranny. This dear Islamic country of Iran is more stable than ever before and this great nation is more steadfast than ever before. Its armed forces are stronger than ever before, and its young and old are more determined than ever before. Its sacred centers of learning supervised religious authorities and scholars- may God increase the number of their like- are more enterprising than ever before. The bonds of cooperation between the theological centers and the universities are stronger than ever before. The three powers of the state have greater vitality than ever before. Their maturity with respect to political, cultural and military aspects is unprecedented. On the other hand, the enemies of the Islamic Republic- who are in reality the enemies of Islam and the country's independence- are weaker and more wretched than ever before. The castles of imperialists are shakier than ever before and the Black House is more widely disreputed than ever before. The bewilderment and anxiety of the rich in their palaces and the humbug of the world media, which reflects the former's bewilderment, is more conspicuous than ever before.

In such circumstances, it is necessary for the world's Muslims and the oppressed people to make a conscious use of this opportunity. All the Islamic sects as well as all factions of the oppressed people should deliver themselves from the slavery of the superpowers in a joint effort.

Here, I call your attention to the following points:

1. The declaration of dissociation and disaffection with respect to the polytheists is an essential principle of monotheism and an essential dimension of Hajj. This spirit of disavowal with polytheists should be firmly demonstrated during the days of Hajj rituals in the from of massive rallies. The Iranian and non-Iranian pilgrims are recommended to coordinate with the Hajj officials and my special Hajj representative, Hujjat al-Islam Karroubi, participate in all the ceremonies held by the side of the Holy House and raise the shattering cry of disavowal with polytheists and pagans of global imperialism led by the infamous America. They should not neglect giving expression to their hatred and disgust with the enemies of God and His creatures.

What is true religiosity and piety except declaring loyalty and attachment to Truth and proclaiming disaffection and disgust with falsehood? The sincerity of the monotheist's love of Truth is never complete without the demonstration of disgust with polytheists and hypocrites. And what place is more proper for it than the Ka`bah, the very house of purity, peace and the sanctuary of the masses? Every kind of aggression, injustice, exploitation, slavery and every inhuman or unmanly trait is negated in word and act. It is here that all the idols are broken and all false gods and authorities rejected through the renewal of the covenant signified by the verse:" Am I not your Lord?" «4» It is here that we should revive the memory of the most significant of the Prophet's political moves, as brought to mind by this verse of the Sourah al-Bara`ah:" And a proclamation from Allah and His messenger to all men on the day of the Greater Pilgrimage that Allah is free from obligation to the idolaters, and (so is) His messenger." «5»

The Sunnah of the Prophet (s) and the declaration of disaffection and dissociation are not things of the past. In fact, this declaration of disavowal is not to be confined merely to the Hajj; rather, the Muslims should fill the entire world with their cries proclaiming the love of God and their disgust with His enemies, without paying any attention to the evil insinuations and whispers of the devils and the deviates who aim to create doubts. They should not neglect this sacred and universal anthem of Islam even for a moment. It is certainly deeply disturbing for the enemies of the world's people and the globe's predators. They have resorted to all kinds of tricks and ruses and put on every kind of masks. Accordingly, they turn to pseudo-clerics and court clerics, to mercenaries and yes-men of governments, to nationalists and hypocrites, and strive to disarm Muslims through misleading interpretations and fallacious arguments. They stop at nothing to undermine the integrity and determination of the people of the Prophet Muhammad (s).

Indeed, there are some ignorant and sanctimonious persons who would say that such demonstrations and declaration of disavowal violate the sanctity of the Ka`bah, the House of God. They would say that the Hajj is meant for worship and that it is not a forum for political struggle. Some shameless `ulama' would possibly argue that struggle, declaration of disavowal and clash are acts of worldly people and that becoming entangled in political matters during the days of Hajj is below the dignity of `ulama'. However, these and other such arguments are nothing but insinuations prompted secretly by the world devourers. It is the duty of the Muslims to fight them with all their might and means and defend the genuine divine values. They should rise to defend the interests of the Muslim world and close their ranks for this holy struggle. They should no longer allow the ignorants and those whose hearts are dead and who follow the Devil to create fissures in their ranks or make inroads on the ideology and honor of Muslims.

Wherever they are, especially by the side of the Holy Ka`bah, Muslims should join the armies of God. The honored pilgrims to the worthiest and the most sacred land of love, the land of awakening and struggle, should march to an even loftier Ka`bah- like Imam al-Husayn (`a), the Doyen of Martyrs, who changed the garb of the pilgrimage with that of war, who exchanged the circumambulation of the House for that of the Master of the House, and who turned from the ablution with the Zamzam water to bathing in the blood of martyrdom. Let them transform this community into undefeatable people and an impregnable structure, «6» resistant to the incursions of the superpowers of the East and the West. To be certain, the message of Hajj is nothing except the fact that Muslims should formulate a program for inner spiritual struggle as well as one for the outer struggle against the forces of polytheism and apostasy.

In any case, the declaration of disavowal in Hajj is a renewal of the covenant to wage the struggle and an exercise for organizing the ranks of the strugglers for continuing the battle against disbelief, polytheism and idolatry. It is not a matter of mere slogans; it is the proclamation of a program for the struggle and a starting point for organizing the forces of God in their battle against the forces of the Devil and the devilish people. It is the most preliminary lesson of the school of monotheism. If Muslims cannot declare disavowal with the enemies of God in the House of God and of people were else, then, shall they do it? If the Sanctuary and the House, the Holy Mosque and the prayer niche are not secure grounds providing safety and support to the defenders of the honor of the House and the prophets of God, where else shall they find safety and security?

Hence, the declaration of disavowal is the first step in the struggle. To continue the struggle through its next stages is also our duty. It requires proper programs in every age and period. We must see what should be done in an age like ours in which the leaders of disbelief and polytheism have endangered the very existence of monotheism, having made the national, cultural, religious and political entity of nations a plaything of their lust. Should we sit back at home, carry out a misleading analysis of the situation with a complete disregard for the dignity of human beings, propagate the spirit of weakness and impotence, thus practically submit to the Devil's yoke and that of his progeny, and discourage society from advancing toward true monotheism, the highest goal of man? Is it right for us to imagine that the struggle of the prophets of God against idolatry was limited to lifeless images of wood and stone? Is it right to imagine- we seek refuge in God from it- that such great prophets as Abraham were foremost when it came to breaking idols, but were absent from the scene when it came to struggle against tyrants?

Abraham's iconoclasm, his struggle and battles against Nimroud (Nimrod) and the worshippers of the sun, moon and stars were all preludes to a great migration. All his migrations, wanderings and hardships, the choice of an arid valley (of Mecca) for settling his family, the sacrifice of Isma`il represent a prelude to the ultimate prophetic mission in the course of which the last of the messengers repeats the words of the founders of the Ka`bah from the first to the last. He conveys the everlasting message in the immortal words:" And surely I dissociate myself with what you associate [with God]." «7»

If we admit an interpretation other than this, we should suppose that idols and idolatry no longer exist in the present era. But are there any sensible people who fail to recognize the modern types of idolatry in their highly subtle and deceptive forms, or remain unaware of the sway of such pagan temples as the Black House over the Muslim countries and over the life and dignity of Muslims and the people of the Third World?

Today, our cry of disavowal against polytheists and pagans is in fact a cry against injustice. It is the call of a people pushed to the point of extinction by the encroachment of the superpowers of the East and the West, with America at their fore. It is the cry of a people whose homeland and resources have been looted and devastated.

Our cry of disavowal is the cry of the oppressed and aggrieved people of Afghanistan. It is regrettable that Russia did not heed my warning about Afghanistan and invaded that Muslim country. I have touched on the subject on many occasions and again reiterate: Leave the people of Afghanistan alone! They can determine their own destiny and secure their own independence without the guardianship of the Kremlin or America. Definitely, they will not submit to any foreign domination after withdrawal of the foreign forces from their country. They will break America's leg if it tries to put its foot into their country with intent of interference.

Our cry of disavowal is the cry of the Muslims of Africa and the cry of our brothers and sisters who are being scourged by the racist barbarians for the sole crime of being black.

Our cry of disavowal is the cry of the people of Lebanon, Palestine and all other countries which are victims of the greed of the superpowers of the East and the West, particularly America and its protege, Israel. Their resources have been plundered and the lackeys of the superpowers have been imposed upon them. The superpowers have stretched their claws thousands of miles across toward their lands and encroached upon their frontiers from land and sea.

Out cry of disavowal is the cry of the protest of all peoples who can no longer bear the Pharaonic dominance of America and who will not allow their screams of anger and hatred to be muffled forever in their throats, for they have resolved to live and die freely and to voice the cry of generations.

Our cry of disavowal is a call to defend the faith and dignity of nations, their resources and wealth. It is a distress call of nations whose hearts have been cut into pieces by the daggers of apostasy and hypocrisy.

Our cry of disavowal represents the protest of the poor and the deprived, the hungry, the barefooted and the destitute whose earnings of toil and day-and-night labor are stolen by international thieves and hoarders of riches, who greedily suck the blood of poor nations and devour the toiling peasants and workers in the name of capitalism, socialism or communism. They have transplanted the vital arteries of the world economy onto themselves and deprived the world's people even a minimum of their rights.

Our cry of disavowal is the cry of a people for which all the forces of apostasy and arrogance lie in ambush. Their bows and arrows have been aimed toward the Qur'an and the Prophet's progeny. Yet, it is impossible that the people of Muhammad (s) - those who have drunk from the life-giving spring of `Ashoura' and await the ultimate inheritance of the earth by the righteous- should submit to a humiliating death in the slavery of the East or the West. It is out of question that Khomeini should ever remain silent before the assaults of the devilish polytheists and the infidels who violate the sanctity of the Holy Qur'an, that of the Prophet's progeny the people of the Prophet (s) and the followers of Abraham, the Hanif (`a) and stay a passive observer of the scenes of humiliation and contempt of Muslims.

As for myself, I offer my humble life and blood for the cause of the sacred duty to defend Muslims and await the great victory of martyrdom. Let the superpowers and their stooges rest assured that even if Khomeini were to be left alone on this path, he will continue to struggle against apostasy, injustice, polytheism and idolatry. With God's assistance and alongside volunteers from the Muslim world and the barefooted ones who drive the tyrants mad, I will deny be world devourers and their agents, who insist on continuing their injustice and oppression sleep and peace.

Yes, our slogan" Neither the East nor the West"- the principal motto of this Islamic Revolution, staged in the midst of the world of the hungry and the oppressed- outlines the policy of true non-alignment, a policy that would be espoused by all Muslim countries and those countries which in near future, with divine help, will accept Islam as the sole ideology capable of delivering humanity. We will not recede a single step from this policy. The Muslim countries and the Muslims of the world should rely neither on the West, represented by Europe and America, nor on the East, represented by the Soviet Union. They should rely on God, His Prophet (s) and the Imam of the Time (`a). To be certain, turning away from this International Islamic policy amounts to the rejection of the ideals of Islam and betrayal of the Prophet (s) and the Imams (`a). It would ultimately lead to the destruction of our nation and country and all other Muslim countries. Let no one imagine that this slogan is of a passing nature. No! It is an everlasting and enduring political criterion for our people, for the Islamic Republic, and for all the world's Muslims. This, because the first condition of reaching the path of divine blessing is dissociation and disaffection with respect to the path of the deviate. It is a principle which needs to be implemented in all Muslim societies and at all levels.

After participating in the disavowal rally and declaring their solidarity with the brave Iranian people, the Muslims should deliberate about casting out the colonialists from their countries, about expelling the militia of Satan and removing the military of the East and the West from their homelands. They should not allow the world's predators to make use of their means and facilities in order to assault other Muslim countries. It is a matter of great shame and utter disgrace for Muslim countries and their rulers that aliens should be able to find their way into the secret and military establishment of Muslims.

The Muslims should not be dismayed by the noisy humbug and hollow propaganda drums and trumpets of the world media, for the castles of the military and political power of imperial arrogance are already in the process of falling apart like a feeble spider's web.

The Muslims of the world should think about educating and informing the mercenary heads of some states, either by admonishment or through intimidation, and wake them up from their heavy sleep, which invites their own destruction and that of the interests of their Muslim nations. These docile stooges should be fully alerted. The people themselves should be keenly vigilant of the danger of the hypocrites and lackeys of imperialists and not sit back indifferently watching the defeat of Islam, devastation of the resources of Muslims and violation of their sanctities.

The Muslims must deliberate about the liberation of Palestine and declare to the world their aversion and disapproval of the attempt to compromise and negotiate the destiny of its people by the infamous mercenary leaders who, in the name of Palestine and the aspirations of the people of its usurped lands, have brought them nothing but devastation and distress. These traitors should not be permitted to blemish the honor and prestige of the heroic people of Palestine with their negotiations and diplomatic trips. It is because these pseudo-revolutionary wretches, having sold away themselves, have taken recourse to America and Israel with the excuse of liberating Quds.

How astonishing that ever since that tragic carnage and usurpation of Palestine, the silence and complicity of the heads of Muslim countries and their compliance with the usurper Israel have increased day by day. Now, there is not even any echo of those slogans and the earlier bombast about liberating Quds. If the government and people of a country like Iran which is repulsing the invader and under economic sanctions, rises to the support of the Palestinian people, they are immediately condemned. That a single day of the year should be designated as" Quds Day" makes them panicky. They seem to imagine that passage of time has transformed the ugly character of Israel and Zionism, and that the bloodthirsty Zionist wolves have abandoned their designs of capturing Muslim lands from the Nile to the Euphrates.

The honorable authorities of Iran, its people and the people of all Muslim countries will not give up their struggle to uproot that vicious tree. With God's help, we must collect the scattered Islamic forces and pool together the spiritual energies of the people of Muhammad (s) and the means of the Muslim countries from nuclei of the resistance of the Hizbullah throughout the world. In this way Israel can be made to repent for its criminal past and the usurped lands of Muslims can be recovered from the clutches of the Zionists.

I have warned repeatedly before and after the revolution and once more I repeat the warning against the danger of the cancerous tumor of Zionism in the body of the Muslim world. I further announce my own unsparing support, as well as that of the Iranian people and government, for the struggle of Muslim nations and youths for Quds' liberation. I thank the dear youths of Lebanon who have brought honor and pride to the Muslim community and disrepute to the world devourers. I pray for the success of all the dear ones who strike against the Israeli interests inside and around the occupied territories by relying on the weapon of faith and jihad. I assure them that the Iranian people will not abandon them. Rely on God and trust the spiritual potential of Muslims and attack the enemy with the weapons of piety, jihad, patience and forbearance, for:" If you help God, He will assist you and make your feet firm." «8»

2. Since war is the top concern of our country, on the brink of decisive victory of the Iranian people over the crumbling Ba`athist regime, the world devourers have launched a worldwide campaign to confuse the worldwide public opinion and to make us appear war-mongers despite all the aggressions and crimes perpetrated by Saddam's regime against the backdrop of the silence of international bodies. Possibly, the ploy may mislead less-informed people about the facts. To enlighten the oppressed nations, especially the honored pilgrims, I would like to mention some points in this regard:

Since the beginning of the war until the present time the world did not address us in the language of justice and impartiality. The day when Saddam and the Ba`ath Party vainly and foolishly attacked our country with the purpose of overthrowing the young Islamic Republic of Iran and Saddam tore up international treaties and personally led the land, air and naval attacks, devastating completely not one or two towns or villages but razing to the ground dozens of major towns and hundreds of villages, killing infants in the arms of their mothers and committing such shameful atrocities that no pen or tongue can describe, and the time when Saddam ignited the flames of war in the Persian Gulf, threatening the security of all the Muslim countries in the region, none of the self-styled lovers of peace ever tried to stop him, nor anyone of them tried to bring pressure on him to restrain him. No one rose in defense of the oppressed peoples of Iran and Iraq. No one asked Saddam, who had initiated the war, for what sin or crime should the Iranian people be massacred, for what sin should millions of men and women young and old, be rendered homeless, their homes, their labor of dozens of years and the capital of a nation in industry and agriculture, factories, and farms, be destroyed, burnt to ashes and thrown to the wind. Was it a crime of ours that we were Iranians? Were we blamed for being Persians? Were we held guilty for our past border disputes?

There was no such thing. Today, everybody knows that our real crime, from the viewpoint of the world-devourers and aggressors was that we supported Islam and had replaced a tyrannical monarchy with an Islamic republic. Our crime was reviving the Sunnah of the Prophet (s) and putting into practice the commands of the Holy Qur'an. We were guilty of calling all the Muslims, the Shi`ites and the Sunnis, to unite for the purpose of resisting the plots of global paganism. Our guilt was our support for the deprived people of Palestine, Afghanistan and Lebanon and closing Israel's embassy in Iran. Our crime was that we declared war against the cancerous tumor of Israel and the world Zionism and vowed to support the rights of the struggle of the deprived people of Africa struggling against racism. Our guilt was that we annulled all the enslaving agreements signed by the infamous Pahlavi regime with America, the world-devourer.

What crime could be more heinous in the sight of the world devourers and their irresolute servants than that of him who speaks of the sovereignty of Islam and calls Muslims to independence, dignity and resistance against injustice and encroachment?

However, we did not discover the truth of this matter for the first time in the course of the imposed war. We have known it all along since the early days of our struggle, from the 15 th Khordad (June 5,1963), until the victory of the Revolution on Bahman 22 (February 11,1979). We have understood it well that we should pay a heavy price for achieving the great Islamic and divine ideals. We knew that we should offer precious martyrs for these ideals. World-devourers will not allow us to rest in peace. They use their stooges inside the country and abroad to make nocturnal assaults and shed the blood of our dear ones whose blood flow in alleys and on the pavements of streets and all along our frontiers. This was exactly what happened.

When America heard the cry of our people in the support of Islam on the 15 th of Khordad and when, for the first time, American pride, the pride of dominant superpower, was injured by protests against the legal immunity of its personnel in Iran, it realized the authority and power of the `ulama' and noted the determination and iron will of the people of Iran to acquire freedom and independence and to establish Islamic rule. Accordingly, it ordered its irresolute, treacherous and mean servant, Muhammad-Rida Khan, to strife the cry of our nation for Islam. He was made to commit himself to do away with everyone who opposed American presence.

We all saw how those obedient traitors did not hesitate for a moment in executing their odious mission. In the name of a God-entrusted mission, in the name of freedom and the march of the nation toward" the gates of the great civilization," they raised huge piles of the dead of this nation and the blood of our dear ones- of our youth who sought God and the Prophet (s) and shouted the cries of" God is the Greatest"- stained the doors and walls of our country, from Faydiyyah Theological School to the university and from there to the streets and bazaars and from there to the mosques and prayer niches. At a time when the Shah's hangmen clipped the leaves of the blessed tree of freedom and broke its branches, all the world-devourers, through an orchestrated, international propaganda, portrayed the Shah as a suave and progressive monarch, as a patron of freedom, and the Muslims as reactionaries and their Islamic demands as retrogressive and black.

In continuation of this policy of suppression, Iran often assumed those aspects of Karbala' in which crimes in the style of Yazid were often repeated on the ninth and the tenth days of Muharram. Yet, our country became a peaceful island of stability for America, though a desolation and a graveyard for its people. On the return to my dear country, in a speech at the Behesht-e Zahra' cemetery, I remarked that the Shah had devastated our country and made our graveyards flourish. But who was the Shah and whose orders did he carry out? Had he acted alone, by his own degenerate and disastrous will, perhaps our ordeal would have ended with his departure. But who does not know that the Shah was a servant and an agent of America. Our martyrs and dear ones were the blood-money and victims which had been given for the sake of Iran's freedom.

The Shah had accomplished a task entrusted to him by his masters and, took the revenge of America on Islam and Muslims to the extend he could, while America, the real director of the drama, remained behind the stage. America feared true Islam and was panicked by the possibility of a general uprising leading to the establishment of a just Islamic rule.

At first, after the revolution, America imagined that the nationalists, the Munafiqin (MKO), and other lackeys of the right and the left, would soon be able to steer the course of the revolution and the general administration of the country in the direction of its interests. For some days it adopted a carrot and stick policy. While drawing up plans of a coup d'etat, it mounted political pressures and, at the same time, kept promoting elements friendly to America. In addition, it launched a character-assassinat campaign against the revolution and genuine revolutionaries.

But once again, God was kind to us. With the epic takeover of the US spy-den, the people of Iran renewed their declaration of disavowal against the US and its stooges. When this happened, the US put the same saber that it had once entrusted to Muhammad Rida Khan into the hands of the drunken brute, Saddam.

What did Saddam do? Did he not do the same thing that the Shah had done before the Revolution? Had the Shah not filled our graveyards with our precious freedom fighters? Did Saddam, who enjoyed greater power and leeway, do something else? Had the Shah not sold over our country to America? Did Saddam, in yet another way, not attempt to hand over our country to America?

I once remarked that it will take more than twenty years- if we are given the opportunity to do so- to rebuild the devastation left behind by the Shah, with the combined and determined efforts of the people and the government. The same applies to the devastation brought about by Saddam. It will take more than twenty years to rebuild what he has destroyed.

The honorable people of Iran, the Muslims of the world and all those who fight for freedom, should know that if they want to stand on their own feet without inclining toward the left or the right and independently of any power or superpower, they must be prepared to pay a very heavy price for freedom and independence.

The experience of the Islamic Revolution in Iran was achieved at a great cost: thousands of martyrs and wounded people whose blood was spilt, thousands of homes that were destroyed, the crops and harvests that were burnt to ashes, the many lives that were lost in bomb explosions and bombing of civilian areas, the captivity of the sons of Islam and the revolution in the prisons of the Ba`athist executioners of Iraq and a thousand kinds of economic and other sorts of pressures and intimidations.

The Iranian people have experienced victory over the global paganism in the midst of debris fallen over their children in sleep. With sacrifice and struggle they have insured the survival of their revolution and country. This is the experience that we shall export, and transfer these results of the struggle against oppressors to other fighters of the way of righteousness, without in the least expecting anything from them in return. Undoubtedly, the outcome of such a transfer of revolutionary know-how would bring nothing less than the blossoms of victory, independence and implementation of the laws of Islam for the enslaved nations.

All Muslim intellectuals, with full consciousness and awareness, should set out on a mission of transforming the worlds of capitalism and communism, journey which is full of ups and downs. All freedom fighters, with insight and eloquence should demonstrate to the oppressed people of the Third World the procedure of hitting the big powers and the superpowers in the face, especially the United States of America.

I declare with confidence that Islam will humble the superpowers and strip them away of their honor and dignity. Islam will remove all the big obstacles in its way, within and without its frontiers, and one by one it will capture all the key positions throughout the world.

The noble Iranian people must bear in mind that what they have done, the men and women, is so worthy that if Iran is leveled to the ground hundreds of times and rebuilt with the ingenuity and effort of their dear children, they have not lost much. Rather, they have earned the blessing of the eternal company of God's saints, and have left behind an immortal legacy, and the world will be envious of their station. Blessed are you!

Firmly and decisively, I declare to the entire world that if the world-devourers venture to stand against our religion, we will stand against all of them and will not rest until their complete destruction. Either we shall attain freedom, or achieve the greater freedom of martyrdom. In the same way, that we brought our revolution to victory without the assistance and consent of even a single country, organization or world forum, as we fought the war assistance, we will traverse the remaining path with all its ups and downs, with trust in God Almighty, single-handedly and were able to defeat the aggressors without help from any foreign country carry out our duty. At the end, we shall either shake hands jubilantly and celebrate the global victory of Islam, or all of us shall turn to eternal life and martyrdom and embrace death with dignity. In both the cases, the victory is ours, and we do not neglect to pray to God under any circumstance.

O God, show us favor and make this Islamic revolution of ours the beginning point of the collapse of the castles of oppression and tyranny and the setting point of the star of the aggressors throughout the world and bless all nations with the fruits and bounties of the leadership and inheritance of the world by the oppressed and the barefooted. «9»

Now, in the light of this explanation, it is up to the Muslims make a judgment about the war, and they should consider for what objective we have been subjected to assault and aggression and for what purpose we have offered martyrs to the realm of divinity. It is up to them to discover the evil intentions which made Saddam launch his aggression and the kind of motives that lie behind the world's overt and covert support for him. Moreover, the aggressors, up to the present time, have never been short of weapons and military, economic and political aid. The world's big powers have continuously armed the Ba`athists, with a new excuse every day, with the best and the most modern of military equipment and arms. Yet, they have refused to deliver us even the military equipment, for which they have received cash payment beforehand and which are the legitimate property of our people.

In spite of that all, it is a matter of pride for us that we have been victorious in this drawn-out and unequal way by relying solely on the weapon of our faith and trust in God Almighty and the prayers of the Imam of the Age, the Baqiyyat Allah (`a), may God facilitate his early appearance, and by relying on our own self-confidence and the courage of our brave men and heroic women.

We thank God that the war did not burden us with the favor of any power, country or superpower, to whom we would have been indebted. Our people, with their ingenuity and initiative, with their trust and reliance on Holy God, struggling alone and without sympathy or assistance from anyone, have overcome most of the planning of war operations, of mobilization, or training of troops and meeting military requirements, achieving miraculous breakthroughs in industry, installation of factories, changes in production lines, manufacture and invention of dozens of advanced and sophisticated military equipments and all that without the help of any foreign expertise.

Now that we are close to secure a decisive victory and are about to take our last step, the hitherto unheard call of peace struck our ears, a cry which arose from the castles of the tyrants and the war-mongers. They raised a deafening, worldwide clamor and began to lament and mourn for peace! Overnight, they became defenders of human liberty and security and loudly began to lament over the blood of the youth of Iran and Iraq and the destruction of their human and material resources!

Now, what has happened that the imperialists led by the US have suddenly have turned into sympathizers of nations? What has turned the war-mongers and the professional igniters of the flames of war and conflict, the executioners of the century, to start believing in human dignity and peaceful coexistence? What has made them abandon their unquenchable bloodthirstiness, which is innate in capitalist and communist cultures? What made them sheathe their daggers with which they have pierced the hearts of nations?

Is it a reality or a fraud? Is not it tantamount to the nightly attacks and injustice of those who once saw war advisable and now see peace expedient? By their peace-mongering, do not the world-devourers intend to stop us from delivering our finishing blow? Do not they by such means, protect their own interests through a mixed international policy of war and peace formulated by their fossilized and fiendish brains, thus practically taking the sovereignty, security and the life and economic entity of the world's nations into their hand? Definitely and most certainly, the insistence of the world-devourers and their effort to impose peace on the Iranian people is rooted in such a way of thinking. Even if we set these considerations aside, the very question as to who truly wants peace and who is the real war-mongers is contestable in the first place.

Is Saddam really regretful about his past crimes, aggressions and his cruelties? Does he repent for his deeds and apologize for the treachery with Muslim nations and countries- a treason which has weakened their power of defense? Does his peace-seeking arise from a genuine sympathy for nations and a true awakening or realization?

Yet, in view of all these treacheries of him and all that devastation caused by him it is almost impossible to imagine that there is any trace of conscience, awareness and human feeling left in him. That wounded viper has wound itself around the rope of peace-seeking only due to its helplessness and desperation.

It is surprising how some, who claim to possess good sense and political farsightedness, devise plans, tamper with the verses of the Qur'an, and invoke the Sunnah of the Prophet( s )to divert the Muslims from the path of dignity and stop our people from the honor of jihad. We thank God that He has given understanding, awareness and maturity to our people so that such insinuations do not affect them. Instead, they consider such ignorant and childish arguments as the proof of the feeble-mindedness and lack of faith of their authors. So, they laugh at them.

What sensible man would abandon fighting with a half-dead enemy of his ideology, country and society when all the conditions are in his favor and all the necessary means are available to him, and when he has already given thousands of previous sacrifices to reach that point, and would give the enemy another chance to recuperate and attack his country at another opportune time? Is the honor of a few days' rule in this world worth such an indignity and infamy?

At the outset of the aggression, the world suggested to us that we should accept Saddam's supremacy and his demands in order to escape further attacks, and bow down to his high-handed demands to avoid further losses. Even today, in continuation of the same policy, yet in another language- that of bombing civilian areas, use of chemical weapons, attacks on oil tankers, civil aircrafts and passenger trains- the same proposal is set before us to submit to the unjust and aggressive rule of the Saddamites. Now, it is clear to all the enlightened people of the world that Saddam has not abandoned his beastly and predatory nature in the least but, with the massive support of the world-devourers and the silence of international bodies and organizations, has turned into a wounded beast intent upon carrying the flames of war into the other countries of the region, especially of the Persian Gulf.

In view of such conditions, I warn all the heads of the Persian Gulf states and all the superpowers of the East and the West, especially America and the Soviet Union, to avoid interference and adventurism and to abstain from hasty decisions. I advise the American people not to compromise their intelligence and will in the most important of international policy issues and political and military matters by wholly delegating decision-making to such people as Reagan; for Reagan has lost the power of decision-making, especially in political issues, and needs the assistance of sensible and thoughtful people to save the American people from a holocaust.

I advise the rulers of the Persian Gulf states not to invite further indignity for themselves and their people for the sake of an agent who is politically, militarily and economically bankrupt. I recommend them not to disclose their weakness further by seeking shelter under American protection and not to ask the wolf's assistance to protect their own interests. The moment their interests require, the superpowers will not hesitate to sacrifice these governments and their other old and loyal friends. For them, friendship and enmity, service and loyalty have no intrinsic value or worth. Their sole criterion is their interests and they do not conceal it. In fact, it will be good if some of the slavish heads of the Muslims states ask their masters- the gods of power, wealth and deceit- not to speak so often of their interests in the Persian Gulf, because the matter is one to which the region's people are extremely sensitive." What interests," they will ask," have America, France and Britain in the Persian Gulf which need to be protected even at the cost of military intervention and war?"

Of course, our own policy regarding the Persian Gulf has been clear and straightforward from the beginning. The security of the Persian Gulf is of great importance to the Islamic Republic of Iran. That is why, despite the availability of all kinds of means- naval, air and land facilities- and the ability to close the Strait of Hormuz and inflict damages on commercial shipping, oil tankers, oil refineries, oil-export facilities, and ports of the region, it has followed, until now, a policy of patience aimed at confining the extent of the war. It has not gone further than putting up limited show of its power and presence by acts of retaliation. The world has perceived the fact that insecurity in the Gulf is not just to Iran's disadvantage. Otherwise, if the most powerful of the powers and the superpowers- America for instance- mobilize all its naval, air and intelligence facilities, as well as those of its allies in the region to escort a single ship and secure its safe passage, they would be unable to do so without injury and loss and would get drowned in a whirlpool of insecurity.

With all its worldwide pageantry, propaganda and clamor and despite the dispatching of dozens of reporters and cameramen to the region to cover the news of the success of its evil plans, God, with His invisible means, prepared the background of America's disgrace and puts the spiritual grandeur of the standard of" There is no god except Allah" and its supremacy over the ensign of apostasy. Thus does He gladden the hearts of His servants.

It would be much better for Reagan and the American government to refrain from plunging into the mined waters of their Persian-Gulf policy, which has sounded the trumpet of their disrepute throughout the world. Let them refrain from mounting the steed of illusion and ignorance which has thrown down its rider into dust dozens of times. At least, let them confine their bluffs of strength and their pseudo-power to their stooges- such as Kuwait- and desist from causing greater embarrassment to them by adding to its own defeats and disgraces. They should rest assured that further horseplay in the Persian Gulf region will turn into a hotbed of uncalled-for danger and crisis for themselves. Now, if the world has prepared itself for an oil crisis and the breakdown of all economic, commercial and industrial equations, we are also ready. We have prepared ourselves fully for the occasion and everything is set for the operation.

America must understand this point that military intervention in the Persian Gulf is not an experiment. It is a great trap and a dangerous game.

We, and all the Muslims of the Persian Gulf region, consider the presence of the superpowers a prelude to aggression and assault on the Muslim countries and the Islamic Republic of Iran in a bid to achieve reprieve for Saddam.

The world's Muslims, alongside the Islamic Republic of Iran should strengthen their resolve and determination to give a shattering blow to America and to witness, following it, the blossoming of freedom, tawhid and Imamah in the world of the Holy Prophet (s).

However, it is necessary once again to remind the heads of the Persian Gulf states that the creation of doubts and magnification of the danger of Islam, the revolution, and the Islamic Republic of Iran in the minds of the countries of the region are old stunts of the world-devourers, aimed on the one hand, to prevent the formation of an atmosphere of mutual understanding and peaceful cooperation between nations and, on the other hand, to aggravate the nations' reliance on the West.

The Islamic Republic of Iran, in accordance with its principles of promotion of Islamic unity and support of the interests of Muslim countries and peoples, is prepared to assist them in their difficulties. It is ready to use its power and influence to repulse any kind of political and military onslaughts on the part of global arrogance and to present a powerful and precise program for repelling the political domination of the East and the West. But, we are certain, any progress in this matter will be slow so long as Saddam and the Ba`ath Party continue to be there. It is because he is afraid of the cooperation between Iran and other Muslim countries and of unity and coordination between Muslim peoples to the same extent as the superpowers.

In any case, our insistence on continuing the war until the ouster of Saddam and the dirty Ba`ath Party of Iraq, and until our other fair and just conditions are met, is a religious duty and a divine obligation, to which we shall never turn our backs. God willing, when the desired conditions actualize, in cooperation with other Muslim countries, we shall evolve a sound infrastructural policy of cooperation between all the Muslim countries and peoples. In its shadow the people's interests will be safe from the danger of aggressors and adventurers. Those who entertain any plans of attacking Muslims countries will take lesson from the fate of the Saddamites and will refrain from provoking the wrath of the nations.

Today, without any doubt, the destiny of all Muslim countries and nations has become tied up with our fate in this war. The Islamic Republic of Iran has reached a stage where its victory is considered the victory of all the Muslims, and, God forbid, its defeat would result in the defeat and humiliation of all the believers. To abandon a nation, a country and a great ideology in the middle of the road, would be an act of treachery to human aspirations and to the Prophet (s) of God. Therefore, this country's war fever will not subside without Saddam's fall, and God willing, we are not very far from that goal.

We thank God that our people, government and officials, the army, guard corps, volunteer forces, and the valiant sections of society are in a state of perfect alert. All of them are undaunted warriors and the disciples of the school of love and martyrdom. They have been prompted and adept in defusing the plots of the imperialists and their fifth column. Now they are advancing to open, with God's assistance, the final gates to victory. In addition to their superior presence in the Persian Gulf, its islands and coasts, and in the western and southern regions, they are engaged in mobilizing and organizing the oppressed people of Iraq, the latter being the most important of our goals. It is because we have declared, right from the early days of the war, that Iran has no greedy intentions regarding Iraqi territories and that the people of Iraq are free to determine their own destiny and to select the form of regime they want. In fact, we would prefer that they choose the kind of government they want before the toppling of the Ba`athist regime at the hands of the Islamic combatants in warfronts. And thank God that the vanguard of this great movement has already emerged.

At any rate, let the superpowers and the supporters of the crumbling regime of Iraq rest assured that expanding the dimensions of the conflict, and exerting pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran by creating fake and artificial worldwide currents of a political, diplomatic nature and in the press, or interference of a military or non-military nature in the Persian Gulf, or magnification of the problems, instigating disagreement and dispute and broadcasting false and fruitless analyses will not make us abandon our goal: the fall of Saddam and the Ba`athist Party of Iraq and the punishment of the aggressor. By the grace of God, we will continue to withstand all the world's pressures and sanctions in order to achieve this great objective, and will never tire of fighting in the path of God. The great people of Iran stand steady and steadfast on the heights of martyrdom and sacrifice, and with each day, their dynamism and determination to continue on the path becomes greater.

Of course, there are the westernized and the cowards who talk of people becoming tired of the war and the war reaching a deadlock. But they are the very people who have been absent from the scene of defense from the first day. Until today, they have not done anything to support or serve the heroic combatants who defend their homeland, nor they possess the capacity to be a member of the armies of God in the future. Their humbug is meant only to please and console their masters and, in their feeble minds, to change the people's mind about the war, or, at least, make those who live abroad believe that the people, officials, army, IRGC, and volunteer forces are all tired of the war or that there are differences among them about its continuation. However, by God's grace, there are no differences in our Islamic Republic with regard to political and ideological matters of principle. All our officials are determined to crush the enemy until the establishment of pure tawhid among all the Muslim nations, so that, in not very distant future, Islam is victorious throughout the world.

We thank God that the country of the Holy Prophet (s) has until today raised millions of youth volunteering to go to warfronts and seek martyrdom. Nothing except the good pleasure of God will gladden the hearts of our people. That is why they relish sacrificing their property, their lives and their sons in the way of God. The criterion of superiority among them is piety and surpassing others in good deeds. They hate highhandedness as well as the ancient and modern forms of pagan exhibitionism.

I consider myself the servant of such a people, and it is a matter of pride for me. I consider all these blessings a result of the kindness of the Prophet (s), the mercy for the worlds and the seal of the messengers. I invite the people and the youth of all Islamic countries to discover these embodiments of merit and piety and to familiarize themselves and establish brotherly relations with them.

I would like to use this opportunity to remind our country's officials that no criterion of value is superior to that of taqwa (piety) and jihad in the way of God. The preeminence of this divine criterion should be always present in selections and promotions, while determining priorities in the allocation of facilities and in appointments to offices and in the general administration of the country. This criterion should ultimately replace all other conventional standards and all other wrong distinctions of material or personal nature. The criterion of piety must be sovereign, whether in wartime or in times of peace; for the distinction based on taqwa is one which has been bestowed by God on the pious. It is not sufficient for this distinction to be made in words: it should be built into the laws and regulations of the country and be embodied in the very practice, faith, attitude, and approach of the society. The rights of those who have borne hardships, have gone to the fronts, the families of the martyrs, prisoners of war, the wounded and the untraceable- in a word the rights of the barefooted, the oppressed and the slum-dwellers- should have priority over those who have sat back in their homes and mosques, the wealthy and the well-to-do, those who refrain from going to the warfronts and detest jihad, taqwa and the Islamic system. The honor and value of the pioneers of this holy movement which is the war of the deprived against the affluent should be kept alive and passed down to the future generations. We should try our best lest the newcomers and those who make religion a means of worldly gain may defile the anti-kufr and anti-poverty character of our revolution and bring the authorities the disrepute of being defenders of the interests of the wealthy and the ungodly- those who sit back comfortably in their luxurious houses without any worries and, untouched by the people's hardships, are indifferent spectators of all the tragedies, pains and sufferings of those who form the firm pillars of this revolution: the barefooted and the deprived. Such people should not be allowed to occupy key positions, for they will sell this revolution overnight and bring the hardships and endeavors of the nation to naught; because they have not seen the long and painful part of the journey that lies behind us. They have not seen the heads and chests that were slit open by ungodly hands, and have been unaware of the distress and forlornness of our warriors; they have never sensed the restlessness and pain of the mujahidoun who accepted all risks to fight the encroachment of the foreign powers.

3. The respected clergy, officials and heads of the Hajj caravans- considering the great responsibility they have shouldered of leading and guiding the honored pilgrims, and taking into account the exceptional conditions of the Islamic Republic of Iran- should employ all their ability and effort in ensuring a correct and disciplined performance of the Hajj. With patience and without any expectations, they should teach the honored pilgrims the rituals and different issues of Hajj, drawing up suitable plans and keeping in view the different backgrounds of persons, their education and level of literacy. They must not neglect the constructive role of Hajj and the profound and lasting effect that it leaves on the lives of human beings, because in its spiritually charged atmosphere the heart becomes ready for the change and the acceptance of righteousness. Hence, a serious effort should be made to abstain from exercising personal judgment, particularly in the legal issues and rituals of Hajj. The legal issues of Hajj must be explained with knowledge and certainty, and, in cases of necessity, by referring to informed persons or legal sourcebooks, because in Hajj rituals the new problems that come up are numerous. And, God forbid, a wrong or incomplete explanation may invalidate a ritual performed, causing hardship and inconvenience to the honored pilgrims.

The clergymen, while giving a clear and precise explanation of the rites, should abstain from problem-mongering and over-cautiousness which may put pilgrims in a state of doubt and over-caution, because obsession with doubts about the programs, rites, worship, and prayers causes boredom and inattention to obligatory things.

The Hajj is the most opportune time for the clergy to establish contacts with the intellectuals and the `ulama' of Muslim countries. Despite the extreme fear of world arrogance and some rulers of Muslim states of such meetings and contacts and their attempts to obstruct them, the Islamic Republic of Iran has considered it desirable to utilize this opportunity in a programmed manner for the exchange of views and ideas and for finding solutions to the problems of Muslim societies. Given this opportunity, the honorable clergy and the public relations officials of Hajj should play an effective role in disseminating the revolutionary experience and explaining the Iranian policies in the light of the Qur'anic commands and the preeminent role of the `ulama' in leading the people and society.

It is unfortunate that in Muslim countries most of the people, even `ulama', are unaware of the effective, constructive and decisive role they can play in current and international affairs. Under the influence of materialistic ideas, they have been led to imagine that spirituality has lost its power in an age of technological, industrial and scientific advancements, and that, God forbid, Islam has lost the power to govern their countries. Thank God, the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran under the leadership of `ulama' proved this idea wrong. Their vitality and power became obvious despite all the obstructionism and conspiracies hatched by the East and the West and the resentment and hostility of their agents. I invite all the Islamic `ulama', thinkers and intellectuals throughout the world to visit Iran, as when opportunity permits, to study its present conditions and compare them with those of the past when the monarchy had transformed it into a westernized country devoid of Islamic values, and Iran was on the way of becoming a bastion of crusade against Islam and a base for the destroying all relics of prophethood from Islamic culture and history. They will also see the present Iran, whose laws and regulations are based on revelation and Islamic principles. It has been cleansed, as far as possible, of every trace of kufr, shirk, open offence against God, despite the sinister chorus of the hypocrites, the leftists, the rightists, and the nationalists, who in the early days of the victory of the Revolution intended to capture the minds of the people and seize power; it was God's grace that their plots were disclosed.

Islamic laws and programs are in the process of being implemented throughout the country from the battlefields to centers of scientific research, universities, and theological centers; from the legislative assembly, which deals with every kind of civil and military legislation, to the executive, which deals with the most complex of administrative and executive problems of a big country at war and with a population of more than 50 million and faced with trade embargo; from the judiciary, with its duty of enforcing divine penal laws- and in fact the burden of maintaining the security of the life, honor, property and character of a revolutionary society- to the high commands of the army and the security forces, with their duties of maintaining the security of the country's borders and internal security, as well as having to defuse hundreds of various kinds of plots, prevent sabotage and crime by the hypocritical and anti-revolutionaries, prevent theft, murder, drug-abuse, prostitution and other forms of indecencies. All these affairs are administered under the leadership of committed `ulama', with the blessing of the brilliant laws of Islam and the Book of the Holy Prophet, Muhammad ibn `Abdullah (s, and by following the guidance of the Imams (`a). We thank God that we have saved our country from all forms of dependence by reliance on the verses of the Scripture revealed by God.

Of course, we still have a long way to go before all the laws and regulations of Islam are implemented fully at all levels of society. But, with God's assistance, we will persevere in our endeavors and will practically prove to all the westernized and the easternized- the self-alienated, who have been dismayed by the call of return to Islam and the declaration of trust in the Qur'an- how the fountainhead of the wisdom of the Divine Book and the guidance of Islam can give life to a society.

All these were blessings which followed in the wake of the `ulama''s involvement in politics and their ijithad. «10» The Iranian clergy did not confine themselves to sermonizing or explaining the daily rites; by venturing into the major political issues of their country and the world, they could demonstrate the administrative capability and power of the `ulama' of Islam. This leaves no place for an excuse for the quietists according to the sacred knowledge that have acquired, use it for worldly gain.

It is surprising how many of the `ulama' and clergy of Muslim countries, being insensitive to the spiritual thirst of nations, are unaware of their momentous role and their divine and historic mission in an age when humanity is in great need of the spiritual, illuminating laws of Islam and its spiritual message. They are not only insensitive to the craving of human societies for divine values, but they also underestimate their own spiritual power and potential. Disregarding all the tumult and pageantry of a dominant scientific-materiali culture that rules over the contemporary mind, the Islamic scholars, preachers, Friday prayer leaders and intellectuals can bring the world under the sovereignty of the Qur'an, by becoming united, by realizing their responsibilities, and discharging the solemn duty of leading and guiding the people, and put an end to the present corruption, exploitation and humiliation of Muslims, and prevent the devils, the big and small- especially America- from making nests in Muslim countries.

Instead of propagating humbug, through divisive speeches and writings, and praising tyrants and despots- activities which discredit Islam in the eyes of the oppressed and create disunity and dissent in Muslim ranks- they should devote their energies to propagation and implementation of the luminous laws of Islam and its teachings, using this boundless ocean for establishing the honor of Muslims and achieving enduring prestige for the Muhammadan ummah.

Is it not a matter of great shame for the `ulama' of Muslim countries that despite the fact that we possess such a scripture as the Holy Qur'an and such laws as the luminous laws of Islam, in addition to the Sunnah of the Prophet (s) and the Imams (`a), pagan legislation should be enforced in the Muslim countries under their control? Is it not a matter of shame for them that policies dictated by the evil lords of wealth, power and deceit and- the real enemies of Islam- should be implemented in Islamic countries and policy-makers in Kremlin and Washington should determine rules of procedures and codes of behavior for them?

The `ulama' of Muslim lands and countries should discuss and exchange ideas about solving the problems and difficulties of Muslims and ridding them of despotic rule. They must stand firm for the defense of Muslim interests and against the degenerate cultural onslaughts of the East and the West which have devastated many generations. They should warn their countrymen of the danger of forgetting their own identity under the spell of the pageantry of the East and West. They should sound the alarm of the danger of neo-colonialism for their peoples and governments, and make them aware of the deviltries of the superpowers, which instigate wars and stage carnage of Muslims throughout the world.

Let me emphasize again that the world today is thirsty- thirsty of the luminous teachings and laws of Islam. No one among the `ulama' and clergy has any excuse any more before God. For when the youth of Muslim countries have advanced to the frontiers of martyrdom for the sake of the defense of their religious sanctities, having accepted all risks for ousting aggressors, such as imprisonment, torture and death- as in the case of the brave and militant Muslims and the good Hizbullah of Lebanon and other countries, who have put up brave resistance and wage jihad against aggressors- there remains absolutely no room for any excuse for keeping silent or practicing quietism and pointless dissimulation.

If the committed `ulama' and clergy of Islam abstain today from immediate action, it will be too late tomorrow. Of course, we do realize the solitude and isolation of some of the committed `ulama' in their own cities and countries, surrounded as they are by bayonets and subject to pressures, intimidations and illegal verdicts of mercenary court-divines. But we remind all those good people, who are engulfed on all sides by the pressure of tyrants, of the divine admonition:" Say: I give you but one admonition, that you rise up for Allah's sake, by twos and singly, and then reflect" «1» So rise up for the sake of God and do not be afraid of isolation and solitude.

Mosques are the best bulwarks, and congregation and Friday prayers make the most proper platform for organizing Muslims and for articulating their interests. Today, although governments and stooges of the superpowers have risen for a pitched battle against Muslims and, like the Indian government, engage in massacre of innocent and freedom-loving Muslims, but they dare not close mosques and the places of worship of Muslims indefinitely. They cannot extinguish the flame of passion and awareness of the Muslim millions. And even if they close our mosques and ban the religious and political activities of the `ulama', such victimization of Islam will result in calling greater attention toward the `ulama' and increase the number of their followers.

Is it not the case that God has taken a pledge with the learned to the effect that they should not remain silent in front of the tyranny of tyrants and criminals? Are not the `ulama' the proofs of the prophets on earth? If this is true, it is the duty of the `ulama', intellectuals and scholars to heed the distress call of Islam and to rescue it from its present state of helpless solitude. Let them not put up with this humiliation and indignity any more. Let them shatter the idol of the imposed dominance of the world-devourers into pieces. Let them, with political insight and acumen, reveal their bright and powerful face and drive out the double-faced pseudo-`ulama'- those who barter their faith for worldly gain and use their learning for divisive ends- from their midst. They should not permit the evil `ulama', the sycophants of tyrants, to occupy the seat of spiritual leadership of Islamic peoples and impose themselves on the people, exploiting in this way the spiritual prestige of the `ulama' of Islam.

The committed `ulama' of Islam should speak out about the great danger posed to Islamic societies by mercenary `ulama' and court mullahs, for it is these deluded wretches who seek to justify the rule of despots and the tyrants affiliated with imperialist arrogance, and prevent the oppressed from demanding their lawful rights. It is they who, when ordered to give verdicts, affirm the charges of corruption and apostasy against freedom fighters and those who struggle against blasphemy. May God rescue all Islamic peoples from the evil and injustice of these ignorant faith-sellers.

Another one of the most important duties of committed `ulama' and fuqaha' jurists is to put up serious opposition to the two oppressive and degenerate cultural and economic systems of the East and the West: communism and capitalism. These diseases have already assumed epidemic proportions, afflicting all nations and practically bringing with them a new kind of slavery. As a consequence, the majority of societies have in their day-to-day matters become dependent on the gods of wealth and power, and deprived of any kind of say in decision-making with respect to any problem of the world economy. Despite their abundant natural resources, fertile lands, forest, sea, water, and mineral resources, they have become captives of poverty and destitution. The communists and capitalists, by establishing warm and intimate relations with the world-devourers, have deprived the common people not only of all kinds of initiative, but also the very right to existence. By creating monopolies and multinational corporations, they have practically captured the arteries and veins of the world economy, controlling all the channels of export, mineral extraction, distribution, supply and demand, and even control of commodity prices and banking. By means of fake theories and contrived research studies, they have convinced the oppressed world masses that they must accept life under their hegemony; that there is no way for the survival of the barefooted except surrender to poverty; that it is a natural law of creation inherent in human society that the majority should starve and die in the hope of a morsel while a few should live in luxury and waste, stifling themselves by gluttony.

In any case, this is a calamity which afflicts humanity and has been brought about by the world-devourers. Unfortunately, the Muslim countries have become its victims due to weak and affiliated governments. Now, it is the duty of `ulama', Muslim scientists and experts to formulate and present creative schemes and programs to replace the unwholesome economic order that prevails throughout the Muslim world, taking into account the interests of the deprived and the destitute, so that the world's oppressed and Muslims are relieved of distress and poverty.

However, realization of Islamic objectives, especially its economic goals in the world, and counteracting the sick economic system of western capitalism and that of eastern communism, is not possible without realization of the sovereignty of Islam in all aspects. Even after the establishment of a just system and an Islamic rule- as in the case of the Islamic Republic of Iran- the complete obliteration of their harmful effects would perhaps require considerable time. Nevertheless, the presentation of plans and exposition of the economic policy of Islam, which aligns itself with the interests of the deprived classes and supports the expansion of public cooperation and fights concentration of wealth, is in itself a gift and glad tidings of man's emancipation from poverty and destitution. The fact that under Islamic rule the wealthy and rich have no privileges and enjoy no priority over the poor will indeed pave the way for the blossoming and development of latent and repressed capabilities and talents of the barefooted. The principle that the rich are not allowed to influence the government authorities and administrators of an Islamic state by their financial power, or permitted to flaunt their wealth as a matter of pride and superiority over others, or allowed to impose their demands and views on the needy and hardworking classes, is itself the biggest factor that mobilizes the people to take an active part in their country's affairs, inclines them toward sublime morals and values, and makes them shun degradation and sycophancy. Even the rich are thereby discouraged from imagining that their wealth and means indicate their higher standing before God.

In a word, superiority in an Islamic system is associated with taqwa not with wealth or power. All officials, administrators, leaders, and scholars in a system of just rule are duty-bound to mix, associate and be on friendly terms with the poor and needy to a greater extent than with the rich and affluent. This association and identification with the needy and barefooted has been a great distinction of the saints. Its great advantage is that it shatters the doubts and misleading suggestions of the deviants. Thank God that in the Islamic Republic of Iran the grounds of this outlook are in the process of being laid. It is with such an outlook that the honorable authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, despite the severity of economic blockades and diminishing incomes, have devoted all their efforts to fighting poverty. It is a great wish of all, the government and the people, that poverty and deprivation will some day be completely eradicated from society and our patient and proud countrymen will enjoy material and spiritual welfare.

It would be a sad day when our policies and politicians want to reject the deprived and favor the rich and when the rich enjoy greater attention and prestige. This is in fact contrary to the practice of the prophets, of the Commander of the Faithful, and of all the Imams (`a). The genuine `ulama' have been, and should forever remain, for it has been a matter of pride and a blessing for our country and revolution and for our `ulama' that the have risen in the support of the barefooted and have revived the slogan of the defense of the rights of the oppressed.

Since getting rid of poverty and deprivation is our ideology, essential to our philosophy and way of life, the world-devourers have been intent on causing trouble for us in this regard, too .. To disable our government officials, they intensified the degree of blockades which they had put on our country. They poured out their fear, hostility and vengeance toward this historic movement of the people in the form of thousands of political and economic plots. There is no doubt that the world-devourers are as much afraid of the spirit of Islamic economics and its zealous support for the barefooted as they are of our people's love of martyrdom and all the other values which encourage the spirit of self-denial and self-sacrifice. Obviously, the further the country advances on the path of liquidation of poverty and defense of the rights of the deprived, the more will the world-devourers despair of us and the more will the world's nations attracted toward Islam. The honorable `ulama' should always keep this basic principle in view, and safeguard this more-than-a-thousand old of being a shelter for the underprivileged. They should also keep reminding the officials and people that we must never forget the sincere and ungrudging support of the underprivileged for Islam and the revolution and we must not fail to respond gratefully.

Of course, it is quite clear that all strata of our society have a share in this revolution and have participated in all phases of the struggle for the sake of God and in order to fulfill their divine duty. God is the ultimate goal, and let them not stain their divine and lofty ideals with materialistic considerations. Let shortages not make them quit the scene of struggle, because he who sacrifices his life and property for the sake of God is not to be frustrated by his belly and worldly temptations. Our duty and that of all the officials is to serve the people and to partake in their joys and sorrows. I cannot think of any better way of serving and worshipping God than rendering service to the deprived and underprivileged.

True, when the barefooted and slum-dwellers, the low-income strata of our society, have proved their loyalty and devotion to Islam by sacrificing for the sake of God their lives and that of their youth and beloved ones and everything they had, and by being present in the scene of the struggle, why should we not be proud of the opportunity to serve those righteous brave men and those sincere devotees of God?

I would like to reiterate that a single hair of such slum-dwellers and those martyr-givers is superior to and worthier than all the palaces of the world and their occupants.

While thanking the `ulama' and the government for their services to the deprived classes, I would like to mention a last point in the way of a humble request and fatherly reminder. This pertains to the importance of simple and ascetic life for committed `ulama' and clergymen. At a time when God has favored the `ulama' and clergy and entrusted to them the affairs and administration of a big country and charged them with the pursuance of the mission of the prophets, let them not depart from the lifestyle befitting `ulama'. They should abstain from inclining toward worldly pomp and adornments, for they are below the dignity of the clergy and injurious to the honor and credibility of the system of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Let them beware that no disease or danger is more harmful, in the world and the hereafter, for `ulama' than temptation for material comforts and worldliness. Thank God that the committed clergy of Islam have passed the test of ascetic and simple living, but they have to be careful lest the sworn enemies of Islam- who, God willing, would never succeed- may find the smallest pretext to smear the good name of the bearers of the torch of guidance and damage their credibility.

The good Iranian pilgrims- to be honest- have demonstrated their social and political consciousness and awareness in the course of the Hajj ceremonies of previous years and have guarded the prestige and credibility of the Islamic Republic of Iran. As in previous years, with complete attentiveness and care, they should perform all the rites and obligatory acts of Hajj. They should use this blessed opportunity of pilgrimage to the House of God in the holy Mecca, and the sacred shrine of the Holy Prophet (s) in Medina and the tombs, at al-Baqi`, of Hadrat Zahra' (`a) and the infallible Imams (`a), to participate in the Bara`ah rally. While observing perfect discipline and complete coordination in arrangement of rows and files, in slogans, and all the related programs, they should utilize the blessings of this sacred religio-political assembly, which demonstrates the power of Muslims and our dear Islamic country of Iran. Maintaining an upright, constructive and sound conduct throughout the Hajj ceremonies, and especially in the course of the rally, they should try to persuade the people of other countries and the Saudi officials about the necessity of holding such gatherings during the Hajj season, abstaining meanwhile from any kind of unauthorized or self-willed behavior which, God forbid, may tarnish the repute of this majestic rally. They should avoid any kind of confrontation, argument and insult, by all means. Although the good pilgrims will neutralize any kind of plot or conspiracy by their vigilance, they must be careful that some persons may blemish the majesty and dignity of the congregations held during Hajj and compromise the repute of the revolution by their unauthorized and thoughtless actions. Meanwhile, it appears unlikely that the Saudi government and authorities, who are hosts to the pilgrims of God's House and the Prophet's shrine, would try to thwart this great show of the anti-kufr power of Islam and Muslims which has been instituted at the political initiative of our people for the sake of the glory of the Muslim world.

In any case, the Iranian pilgrims should pay close attention to their role and mission, for their behavior and conduct are watched with scrutiny by the friends as well as the enemies of our Revolution. The enemies are waiting to find some pretext, no matter however small, to damage the sanctity and credibility of our countrymen. Meanwhile, the friends and supporters of the revolution are eager to become more familiar with the conduct, characteristics and methods of our people, whose fame, with God's help, has become worldwide.

provides the best rendezvous for Islamic peoples, where Muslims become acquainted with their brothers and sisters from all over the world. They assemble together in that home of all Islamic societies and all followers of Abraham, the Hanif. There, while observing noble Islamic manners and abstaining from disputes and discarding all hinder some accessories, they make a show of the sincerity of Islamic brotherhood and set in perspective the reformation of the Ummah of Muhammad throughout the world.

Through coming to contact with other Muslims, the Iranian pilgrims, will understand the spiritual and political achievements of the Islamic Republic of Iran much better. Their knowledge of the various problems and difficulties faced by other Muslims will make them better appreciate the various dimensions of the greatness of this revolution and lead them to thank the special blessings of God Almighty on this nation and the favors of the Imam of the Age (`a) better than before. It will also make them realize, better than before, the painstaking efforts of the good government authorities who have sincerely rendered services day and night. It will also make them realize the profound change that has occurred in the youth and various sections of the people, a change which has led them to the doors of the paradise of strength, of modesty, chastity, dignity, freedom, and jihad, a change for which they should be grateful.

O God, do not take away these great blessings from our people.

O God, enable us to better appreciate the worth of Your blessings.

O God, enable us to serve You better and more sincerely. Make us realize our utter weakness before You increase our humility.

O God, grant us greater trust in You, and give us forbearance, and resistance. Make us pleased with what pleases You and give us the ability to acquire Your good pleasure. Assist us and be our company on the path of serving Your creatures, right up to the frontiers of sacrifice, the sacrifice of our lives and of our sons and whatever we have.

The dear pilgrims note that the awareness of their own maturity and of the greatness of their revolution should not make them feel proud and superior to Muslims from other countries and, God forbid, cause them to view their acts and conduct with contempt. That would deprive them from the friendship and warmth of God's friends in His House. They should not neglect to thank God for His great blessings by conducting themselves with genuine humility before Muslims, their brothers in faith and the oppressed.

Strengthen the ties of friendship and the bonds of future relations with the Muslims by the side of God's House and the Prophet's shrine. Speak to them about the Revolution and the gracious blessings of God. Assure them on my behalf and on behalf of all our people, that the Islamic Republic of Iran supports them, their Islamic struggle and programs. Assure them that we will stand by their side against the aggressors at each stage and will defend their past, present and future rights. Tell them that all Islamic nations have a stake in the power and credibility of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the defense of the heroic people of Iran is in fact the defense of all nations under oppression. We will, God willing, curtail the hands of aggression and oppression from Islamic countries, and by exporting our Revolution- which in reality means the export of genuine Islam and exposition of the laws of Muhammad (s) - we shall end the domination, hegemony and injustice of the world-eaters, thus preparing the way, with God's help, for the appearance of the Universal Savior and Reformer, the bearer of Absolute Leadership, the Imam of our Age.

Another point to which the honorable pilgrims should pay attention is that the Holy Mecca and other sacred spots are places that have scenes of great events associated with the movements of major prophets and the ministry of the Holy Prophet (s). Every spot of this holy land bears the footmarks of great prophets and is associated with frequent descents of the Archangel Gabriel (a), the trustee of divine revelation. They bring to our minds the memory of the several years of distress and suffering borne by the Holy Prophet (s) for the sake of Islam and mankind. Being in these holy places and memory of the harsh and oppressive circumstances of the Prophet's ministry make us further realize our responsibility of preserving the achievements of that divine mission and movement.

They make us recall how the Holy Prophet (s) and the Imams (a) suffered isolation and estrangement for the sake of establishment of righteousness and education of falsehood. With great resistance and forbearance, they stood their ground against the insults, slanders and revilement hurled at them by Abou Jahls, Abou Lahabs and Abou Sufayans and continued their work despite conditions of severe bans and economic blockade of Abou Talib's quarters. Thereafter, they endured migrations and bitter hardship in the cause of inviting people to God and propagating the divine message. They fought a perpetual war, one unequal battle after another, and faced thousands of plots and obstructionist schemes of the enemies. Yet they held their ground for the sake of the guidance and enlightenment of humanity. The rocks and hillocks, the mountains and deserts of the Hijaz and the alleys and bazaars of Mecca and Medina, all are witness to the tumult and turmoil occasioned by the prophetic message, and were they speak they would reveal the secret of the fulfillment of the Divine imperative.

Then the pilgrims of the divine sanctuary would know what hardships the Prophet (s) of God underwent for the sake of our guidance and for the salvation of Muslims, and see how great is the responsibility of his followers.

Although the Iranian people have, during the course of their revolution and the war, suffered a great deal of injustices, hardships, pain and suffering and have offered many great martyrs from their sons and dear ones, yet the extent of the hardships and suffering borne by our Prophet (s) and Imams (`a) was definitely far greater than our problems.

I request the dear pilgrims to convey the sincere regards of our good people, officials and the families of the martyrs and of those who suffered injury or captivity or are missing in action to the holy Prophet (s) of mercy and the Imams (`a) of his household and beseech their further kindness and mercy for their sincere followers. Let them use this opportunity for praying to God that He may grant our people victory over global blasphemy and deliver all the Muslims from their affliction.

O God, even if nobody were to know, You know that we have taken our stand to hoist the banner of Your religion and, to establish justice, and that following, without hesitating for even a moment, the example of Your prophet, we have held our ground against the East and the West.

O God, You know that the sons of this country, with their fathers and mothers, attain martyrdom for the sake of the honor of Your religion, and, with smiles on their lips and with hearts full of Your love and hope, they flock to Your infinite mercy.

O God, You know that the Ummah of Your Prophet, in this country, is faced with all kinds of plots, and the agents of Satan do not allow it a moment's rest. The efforts to mount oppressive economic pressures, to create further distress and hardship for it, intensify day after day.

My God, You know that our people are not deterred by difficulties and fear not anyone except You. They have put up with all the pains and sufferings and know that victory comes from You and Your favor.

So, Lord assist us again with Your kindness and put greater hope of victory in the hearts of our people. Send Your hidden aid and Your unseen armies and make our combatants triumph in the warfronts. Increase our strength, resistance and forbearance in the face of hardship and distress, and grant us the blessing of resignation both in victory and defeat. Bring joy to the hearts of our people, who have offered the martyrs, wounded, prisoners and missing of this war for Your religion and borne the pain of separation with dear ones for the love of You and Your good pleasure. Infuse us all on the path of Your service with love, and acquaint our hearts with the pain. Quench the thirst of our martyrs with the waters of the life-giving Kawthar of Your Wilayah and that of the Holy Prophet (s) and the Imams (`a). Make the revolution of the Universal Reformer the culmination of our revolution. Indeed, You are the Lord of all bounties.

Rouhullah al-Mousawi al-Khomeini

Dhou'l-Hijjah al-Haram 1,1407 AH