In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Declaring a national mourning
This year, «1» we have no New Year festivities and we declare it a national mourning not because it coincides with the martyrdom anniversary of Hadrat Sadiq (`a) ; Hadrat does have a lofty and exalted standing; both his birth and martyrdom improved and consolidated Islam. As Sayyid ibn Tawous (may God's blessings be upon him) said:" Martyrdom of [the likes of] Imam as-Sadiq must be celebrated." «2»
We are mournful this New Year for the catastrophes and harms brought upon Islam. This year «3» was a good one neither for Muslims nor for the clergy. Islam was violated in the past year. The `ulama' of the religion and the clergy were humiliated and disgraced. The imperialists made plots against Islam in the past year; the defiled agents of imperialism insulted the Qur'an, made plans for abolishing the luminous laws of the Qur'an; they made plans and set plots. If the Muslims do understand what plots and plans are going on against the dignity of Islam, the welfare of the Muslim nations and independence of Muslim countries, they will never celebrate a New Year, but rather they will rise up according to their religious duties. The `ulama' and the Muslim nations are shouldering a heavy duty. It is everybody's duty to defend Islam, to stand up against conspiracies and oppose them. Those who do not rise up, do not oppose the dangers threatening Islam, or do not defend it, are among the dead.
The seminaries, strongholds for defending Islam
The Islamic clergy has been serving Islam and the Muslims until this moment in the history of its brilliant existence, and have struggled and fought to defend the religion of God and the rights of the nations. They have made people aware of the dangers threatening Islam and the independence of the Muslim countries whenever the occasion arose. They have never stepped back and kept silent facing the pressures, oppressions and threats directed to them by the despotic rulers and tyrants, and have not given up the pursuit of their obligation and have not surrendered to the tyrants, facing terror and threat. It is not possible to terrorize the clergymen with threats and bullying them into accepting the dominance and power of the despotic and oppressors. The clergymen do not fear the bayonet of the tyrants and villains, and will not give up their duty." Lo! Those who say: `Our Lord is Allah' and afterward are upright, the angels descend upon them, saying: Fear not nor grieve, but hear good tidings of the paradise which ye are promised." «4» So why should we fear and what for to grieve; they are not humans, not even worthy to be afraid of. What can they threaten to do to us?
The clergymen need not to be afraid of anything; they should not be frightened by the hollers, savagery and uproar of a bunch of ruffians and hooligans. The clergymen should sacrifice even their last drop of blood for Islam, for the Qur'an and for exalting the Word of Allah. If some day- may God forbid- there is going to be no Islam, no laws of the Holy Qur'an, and the Ja`fari (that of Imam Ja`far Sadiq) creed is going to be made unofficial in the country, we will not need the clergy at all, (then) we will not want the seminaries to be. We need the seminaries for protecting Islam, promoting divine and Qur'anic laws, but if the despotic regime is going to make the holy religion of Islamunofficial, to eliminate the laws of Islam and to make the Qur'an obsolete and suppressed, then what will be the point of the seminaries and what will be their use? «5» We do not need them just to discuss abstracts, do we? The seminaries should be alive and stand up against the enemies of Islam like a mountain and roar like a lion. This corrupt government is using all its means and power to attack Islam and the Muslims and everyday it is expanding the range of its oppression and crime. It is our duty to stand up against these criminals and not to be silent.
Should we be silent when imperialism is distorting the Qur'an? Should we be silent while the oppressor regime assaults the religious schools, beats up the students, plunders their belongings, jails the distinguished `ulama', disgraces, threatens and insults them? Should we keep silent while the `ulama' of Tehran are being imprisoned and disgraced? Should we be silent when the `ulama' of Qum are under severest insults, and allegedly saying," Allah is our Lord", our Lord is not America, our Lord is not Britain, our Lord is not Israel; our Lord is Allah.
Dangerous dreams
The `ulama' and the clergy's `crime' is defending Islam, defending the laws of Islam, confronting the tyrants and oppressors eye to eye and shouting at them not to violate the laws of Allah, not to make a plaything of divine traditions. You can never change the laws of God and you are not permitted to do so. The divine laws belong to the prophets who have brought them for the welfare of humankind and the distinguished `ulama' are obliged to keep them and express them for the nation. We have the divine rule, so we do not need the rule of the tyrant and puppet governments. They want to enforce their master's laws of bondage in our country. We know what evil plans they have in mind. We know the treacherous hands of the imperialist agents want to pass a law against the laws of the Qur'an, to make the Qur'an unofficial, and to give the Qur'an the same legal status as the other heretic books.
We can understand what dangerous dreams the despotic regime has against Islam, when they drop the prerequisite of being a Muslim for voting and candidature; it is to pave the way for the heretic sect and to give them dominance over the Muslim nation's destiny and Islamic countries. We have heard their demonic voices around the country many times, saying, sometimes explicitly and sometimes implicitly, that they do not want Islam, that Islam belongs to the Arabs. These are their spiteful words about the Muhammadan religion (may God's salutations be upon him and his progeny) and this kind of profane and scandalous talk helps us better understand their anti-religious nature and know them more closely. They are the imperialist functionaries; they are agents of the foreigners. They are dominating our country to eradicate Islam. We have witnessed their criminal acts for many years. It is our duty to awaken the nation and to notify the people of this, as an ultimatum.
The motive for protesting against the Provincial and District Councils Bill
OMuslims of the world! Know that the reason why the `ulama' of Islam protested against the Provincial and District Councils Bill was not the issue of the women's suffrage. This was too unimportant to entail the general uprising. The point was that the `ulama' and the clergy perceived that the tyrannical regime was meant to distort Islam with a demonic scheme and to restore the old ways.
In the conditions where they have made a plaything of the holy laws of Islam, can we keep silent, not protest, and not ask why they pressurize the preachers and orators of Islam? Why do they silence the preachers of Islam? Why do they apply censorship on printing houses and prevent Islamic writings from being printed and published? Why do they restrict the press?
They want to oppose Imam as-Sadiq's (`a) creed under his own name. Under the name of Imam as-Sadiq, they want to eliminate the holy laws of the Qur'an and to eradicate its luminous teachings. Their motto is respecting Hadrat Sadiq's status, while at the same time they speak of equality between the rights of men and women. The equality of men and women's rights means violation of the Qur'an; it means putting aside the Ja`fari creed; it means forsaking the Qur'an and replacing it with heretic books; it means taking girls to barracks; and other things which threaten the reputation of Muslims.
The equality of rights between men and women, and its consequences is abandoned and condemned in the opinion of the twenty million Iranians. They want to drive our nation into accepting it by using force, bayonets, pressure, and bullets. If they are under pressure from Britain or America, they have to let us know, so that we can confront those countries ourselves. If it is an international obligation, again they have to tell us to find a way out. Why do these illegal governments not leave us alone? Why does this malicious ill-educated Prime Minister «6» not leave this people alone? Why does he not resign so that a wise and well-educated person who is sympathetic toward this nation can take office?
Do we have to remain quiet and say nothing while they attack the Faydiyyah Madrasah, break window glasses, beat up tullab and plunder their belongings, «7» imprison the `ulama' of Tehran, assault the shops in Qum and break shop windows and pillage people's properties? These wretched ones assume that they have made a great conquest and ranked the country among the developed countries of the world, by beating defenseless people and innocent tullab!
I will be lying in ambush for them
The tyrannical regime should know that if they try to violate Islam and enforce the laws of atheism in the Muslim countries, I would be lying in ambush for them. I will not be silent and I will not hesitate to oppose treason to Islam, according to the law of Islam that has ordered us jihad and defense. If they want to get rid of a nuisance like me, they need to banish me from this country. As long as I am here, I will not let non-Islamic laws be passed and enforced; as long as I am here, I will not let the despotic regime dissipate the independence of the country.
The Islamic nation is also awakened, committed and sensitive to their religion and creed. They like their `ulama'; they back the `ulama' of Islam and surely they will not be quiet facing treachery to Islam and the Qur'an, and will not permit the despotic and oppressors to do whatever they wish to Islam and will cut off any hands trying to encroach on the sacred domain of the Qur'an.
Invitation to self-sacrifice and resistance
You clergy should also be vigilant. You are obliged to reveal the facts to the people and inform different the classes of people of what they are planning against Islam and the independence of the country and of the harms they are doing to Islam. Do not supplicate; do not surrender to pressure and violence of the taghout «8» and strengthen your unity. Be lively people. Be strong when incidents happen and be one of those about whom the Lord has said:" Lo! Those who say: `Our Lord is Allah, ' and afterward is upright; the angels descend upon them, saying: `Fear not nor grieve, but hear good tidings of the paradise which ye are promised'." God will send the angels down upon you and calm down your hearts so that you would no longer be worried about being killed or executed. Your eternal abode is" the Garden of Eden,"" which is promised unto those who ward off (evil) ." «9» The day of our happiness and prosperity comes when we are freed from the defiled world that is full of pain, suffering and tragedy. Our festivity and auspicious time comes when we are martyred. Living is not enjoyable and delightful for a Muslim in these times. We do not like to live under the auspices of the tyrants and oppressors and we are ready for any kind of incidents. You have to be ready too. If you are really a clergyman, do not be afraid, do not be anxious, and strengthen your hearts. Prepare yourselves for being killed; prepare yourselves for being arrested; prepare yourselves for being taken to the military service; prepare yourselves for being insulted and beaten; prepare yourselves for enduring the anguishes awaiting you for defending Islam and independence. Tie up your belts and be ready for imprisonment, exile, military service and insult; do not be afraid and anxious. When they insult me, you need not be grieved. Why should you grieve? Why do you collect the papers from around? «10»
The Muslim predecessors suffered many a torture and grief
Am I worthier than Hadrat `Ali (`a) , the Commander of the Faithful? Mu`awiyah insulted Hadrat `Ali for several years but he was patient. Did Hadrat `Ali says anything other than what we are saying now? We say the laws of the Qur'an should be enforced in our country. Hadrat also said the same thing. Are you worthier than the companions of Hadrat `Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, who sacrificed their lives for the sake of their religion? Our predecessors, the great men of our religion and the Infallible Imams (`a) were disgraced, slapped and martyred for defending Islam; they were imprisoned and poisoned. The followers of Hadrat `Ali (`a) and Hadrat Fatimah (`a) and their spiritual and physical children have always been opposing the despotic rulers. `Ammar Yasir .... «11» spent all his blessed life struggling until he was martyred by" fi'a-ye baghiyyah" (a band of villains) «12» when he was ninety years old. Maytham Tammar, the eloquent tongue of Islam talked on until his tongue was cut off, his hands were amputated and he suffered the worst torments ever, by the executioners of Mu`awiyah (may he be damned) .
The children of Hadrat Fatimah (`a) have always stood up against the tyrannical and oppressive regimes and defended Islam, all along the history of Islam. They were much tortured, insulted, were killed by being put among building stones of a wall; they were decapitated in vast numbers, massacred and martyred, but they resisted and did not let Islam and God's laws be ruined and demolished.
O followers of Fatimah!
Thanks to God, the children of Fatimah are still alive today; Fatimah's children are in Qum, Fatimah's children are in Mashhad, Fatimah's children are in Najaf, Fatimah's children are in other cities; they will not tolerate any treachery to the laws of the Qur'an by the government. As long as Fatimah's children are alive, they will not permit the enemies to encroach on the Islamic sanctities or to hand over the fate of the Muslims to the Jews or to Israel. O followers of Fatimah! Hurry to assist Islam. I will be sixty-three years old this year. The Holy Prophet (may God's salutations be upon him and his progeny) passed away when he was sixty-three; Hadrat Amir (`a) , was martyred at the age of sixty-three. We are the followers of the Holy Prophet; we are the followers of Hadrat Amir; we are the followers of the Aba `Abdillah (Imam Husayn) . People who are the followers of those great men will never be afraid; fear deserves those who do not believe in the afterworld. Worry and grief belongs to those who only have this world and find their ultimate wishes in this very world. Those who know that their abode will be the plentiful Paradise and the Worthy Status (beside God) , what do they have to be afraid of?" Lo! Those who say: `Our Lord is Allah, ' and afterward are upright, the angels descend upon them, saying: `Fear not nor grieve, but hear good tidings of the paradise which ye are promised'."
May God's peace and mercy be upon you. «13»