Message [Protesting the Capitulation and inviting the people and `ulama' to uprising]

 In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
"Allah will not give the disbelievers any way (of success)
against the believers." «1»
Does the Iranian nation know what was going on in the Majlis these days? Do you know what crime was committed secretly without letting the nation know? Do you know that the Majlis signed the document of slavery of the nation, proposed by the government, which proves that Iran is a colony? They have presented the document of barbarism of the Iranian Muslim nation to America. They crossed out all our Islamic and national pride. This act cancelled out all the pride and boastings of the nation's leaders. It disgraced Iran and made it one of the most underdeveloped countries. It was an insult to the esteemed army of Iran and the commanders and officers. It was a disgrace for Iranian courts of law. Why did they ratify the shameless Bill of the previous government, proposed by the present government, without letting the nation know, after a few hours of secret discussion? Why did they sell the Iranian nation into slavery to the Americans? Now the American military and non-military advisers, their families and their servants are free to commit any crime and the Iranian police do not have the right to arrest them. The Iranian courts are not qualified to judge over them; Why? Because America is the country of dollars and Iran needs those dollars!
According to this shameful enactment, if an American adviser or the servant of an American adviser insults or offends against one of the maraji` at-taqlid of Iran, one of the esteemed people, one of the high-ranking officers, the police are not allowed to arrest him; the courts are not allowed to judge him. But if their dogs are offended, the police have to interfere and the court should investigate!
At a time when the colonial governments are courageously freeing themselves from the shackles of colonialism and reject slavery, the modernist parliament of Iran, which boasts of a 2,500- years-old civilized history, and of ranking among the developed countries, has ratified the most disgraceful and insulting bill of the defamed government and introduces the noble nation of Iran as the most inferior and underdeveloped nation of the world. The government proposes and defends a wrongful enactment and the Majlis votes for it. It has been reported by some informed sources that this scandalous bill has been proposed to the governments of Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey, and West Germany, but none of them has accepted the servitude. It is only the Iranian government, which makes a plaything of our national and Islamic honor and dissipates them.
When the `ulama' and clergymen say that military power should not interfere in the country's affairs, that the MPs should be elected by the people, that the governments should be independent, that the press should not be censored and the organizations should not control them, and that the nation should not be deprived of its freedom, it is all to prevent the imposition of these disgraces to the nation and these disasters from happening. Why do not the MPs utter even a word of protest, although they are utterly against such a contract of servitude and except for two or three of them who have apparently spoken anxiously, others remained quiet? That is because they do not have public support. They are mere instruments of others. They are not able to protest. They may all be expelled in a moment, or imprisoned.
Is the Iranian nation informed that the army officers have sworn oaths of the allegiance on" the Holy Book I believe in" instead of the Holy Qur'an? This is the danger I have repeatedly notified, the danger, which is lurking the Holy Qur'an, the beloved Islam, the Islamic country and the independence of the country.
I do not know why the tyrannical regime is trying to eliminate the name of the Qur'an. What harm has it done to them? If you seek refuge in the Qur'an and Islam, the foreigners will never dare to make you sign a contract of servitude. It will prevent your Islamic and national pride from being trampled. The gap between the ruling regime and the nation, and the lack of support by the people would naturally result in these disasters.
Now I announce that this disgraceful law of the Houses of the Parliament is against Islam and the Qur'an and so it is void, it is against the opinion of the Muslim nation. The MPs are not representatives of the nation; they are the representatives of the bayonet power! Their votes are worthless in the eyes of the nation, Islam and the Qur'an; and if the foreigners try to misuse this vile decree, the nation will know their duty then.
The whole world should know that all of the problems of the Iranian nation and other nations are caused by the foreigners; by America. The Muslim nations hate the foreigners in general and America in particular. The misery of Muslim governments is caused by the foreign interference in their affairs. It is the foreigners who plunder our precious subterranean resources. It is Britain who has taken our black gold away for years and is taking it away now. It is the foreigners who have invaded our beloved country, attacked it from three sides, and killed our soldiers. The Muslim countries were seized by Britain and its agents before, and now they are seized by America and its admirers. It is America, which emboldens Israel to render homeless the Muslim Arabs. It is America, which imposes the MPs, either directly or indirectly, to the nation of Iran. It is America who finds Islam and the Holy Qur'an harmful to its interests and so, tries to eliminate them. It is America that finds the clergymen a hindrance to imperialism and intends to kill them through imprisonment, torture and defamation. It is America who pressurizes the Iranian Parliament and government to ratify and enforce this scandalous enactment that tramples all our Islamic and national pride. It is America who deals with the Muslim nation like barbarians and even worse.
It is the duty of the Iranian nation to break these chains apart. It is the duty of the Iranian army not to allow such scandalous acts to be done in Iran. They have to ask their seniors to tear this document of imperialism; to overthrow this government; to expel the MPs who voted for the disgracing bill. It is the nation's duty to ask their `ulama' not to be silent about this affair. It is the distinguished `ulama''s duty to ask the authorities of Islam not to neglect this matter. It is the duty of the scholars and the teachers of the seminaries to ask the distinguished `ulama' to break their silence. It is the duty of the religious students to ask their teachers not to be negligent of these matters. It is the duty of the Muslim nation to ask the preachers and orators to inform those who are not aware of this great disaster. It is the duty of the orators and preachers to sternly protest against this disgracing issue, without any fear, and to awaken the nation. It is the duty of the university teachers to inform the youth of what is going on behind the curtains of secrecy. It is the duty of the young university-goers to severely oppose this scandalous bill; to announce the opposition of the university to the whole world while being calm and using enlightening slogans. It is the duty of students abroad not to be silent concerning this crucial matter, which has endangered the glory of the religion and nation. It is the duty of Muslim government leaders to convey our voices to the whole world and to notify the world of the request of this miserable nation. It is the duty of the `ulama' and preachers of the Muslim countries to cleanse this stain from the faces of their Muslim brothers, the noble nation of Iran, by their overwhelming protest. It is the duty of all classes of the nation to set aside their minor temporary differences and all unify their efforts to attain the sacred goals of independence and breaking free from servitude. It is the duty of the noble men of politics to inform us of the words uttered secretly in the Majlis. It is the duty of political parties to collaborate on this joint effort.
The grand maraji` and clergy all have the same goal, which is supporting the sacred religion of Islam, the Holy Qur'an and backing the Muslims. There is no difference between the distinguished `ulama' and the protectors of Islam, concerning this sacred goal. There may be minor differences, regarding some of Islamic decrees and theoretical points, but it does not hinder their unity of opinion over the essentials. The governmental organizations are badly mistaken if they think they can make us deviate from our sacred goal by poisoning our opinions against each other, through some fanatical idiots, to fulfill their evil ends. As a servant of the distinguished `ulama' and the Muslim nation, I am prepared to show humility and curtsy before a person of the lowest social rank, let alone before the distinguished `ulama' and the grand maraji`(may God increase their like). The radical youth and the inexperienced tullab have to control their tongues and pens and keep away from whatever causes disturbance and disparity for the sake of Islam and the sacred goal of the Qur'an. The distinguished `ulama' are thinking of a general reform to end all confusions and disorders, if the governments give us a chance to think; if the problems caused by the ruling regime and our worries leave us an opportunity for an internal reform and refinement. This kind of issues is what deters us from refining the seminaries and a comprehensive reform that is our ultimate goal. Sensing the dangers lurking over Islam and the Qur'an leaves the nation no chance to think of other affairs. The importance of these issues is so much that they have overshadowed our particular occupations and duties.
Does the Muslim nation know that a number of the `ulama', preachers and tullab and many of the innocent Muslims are in prisons now, and have been imprisoned against the law, without being tried; and that there is no legal authority to end this chaotic medieval situation? These are the sequels to the massacre of Khordad 15, Muharram 12, whose scar will never be removed from the heart of the nation. Instead of finding solutions for the economy of Iran, preventing the esteemed merchants' bankruptcy, the sustenance of the poor, housing the homeless in winter and employing the graduated youth and other people, the ruling regime commits destructive acts such as what is mentioned above and other acts; for example employing female teachers in the high schools for boys and male teachers in the high schools for girls, whose evil consequences are apparent to all; and insisting on the employment of women in the public sector whose evil consequences and its futility is clear. The economy of Iran is controlled by America and Israel today. The market of Iran is no longer in the hands of Iranians and Muslims; bankruptcy and poverty have cast their shadows on the merchants and farmers. These gentlemen's reforms have created a black market for America and Israel, and there is nobody to save this poor nation.
I am worried about the winter this year. I can foresee the severe hunger or even (may God forbid) starvation of many of the poor and miserable people. The nation has to take care of the poor themselves. It is necessary to provide for their needs before the winter arrives so that the disasters of the last year are not repeated. The distinguished `ulama' in the different cities have to invite the people to this urgent task.
I ask God Almighty for the glory of Islam and the Muslims and the release of the Islamic governments from the evil of the foreigners (may God Almighty make them wretched). May peace be upon those who follow the guidance.
Rouhullah al-Mousawi al-Khomeini