Message [The duties of Muslim intellectuals]

 In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
The Union of Islamic Students Associations in Europe, may God always assist them:
I wish to express my thanks and appreciation for your esteemed letter together with the reports of last year's meeting and the resolutions made for the next year. This year, in the midst of the bloody events and the confrontation of the Iranian nation with the utmost savagery akin to that of the medieval ages on the part of the debased Pahlavi regime, there are obvious signs of the feeble and powerless devilish government being on its last wobbly legs. The unity of the various strata and groups of the alert nation, including the clergy, the university students, orators, writers, merchants, workers and farmers have so caused the regime to tremble, have so jangled that treacherous Shah's nerves and dealt him a blow that he has resorted to savagely attacking the nation whose good lies in Islam, whose refuge is the Glorious Qur'an and whose watchword is monotheism. He has also attacked the Qum Seminary- that solid stronghold of the revolution, of justice and the refuge of the justice-seeking Muslims- and also the honorable Muslim people of Qum who are ever the devoted soldiers of Islam and supporters of the Qur'an. Finally, by attacking the soul-saving Shi`ah teachings, he has sought to mitigate the pressure on himself, and the nervous attacks he has been experiencing.
His most scandalous exercises in futility have been the propaganda and the bogus demonstrations carried out by some agents of the security apparatus and the opportunists as well as those who have been compelled to participate therein. According to the radio broadcasts, they explicitly admitted that, in the sixth of Bahman demonstrations, more than one-sixth of those invited did not participate, whereas all are aware that this claim is nothing but talk and exaggeration, and that this Muslim nation does not and cannot have any anybody who approves of him.
The criminal who challenges all the religious and Islamic principles and is against all the manifestations of Islam cannot have anyone amongst the Muslims who are in his favor. How can anyone agree with a criminal who says that religion has no place is in his government? How can this deviant and anachronistic who, on his recent visit to India, showed the Zoroastrians and the Ghebers such fawning admiration while approving of them and their fire-worshipping practices and, for the sake of their reactionary dogma, changed the precious, progressive Islamic calendar, possibly have anyone to agree with him apart from that anachronistic sect? Now it is incumbent on you the youthful intellectuals and all the various categories to:
1. Ensure that the watchword of your goal be Islam and its justice-fostering tenets. Without a justice-seeking Islamic government it is perforce impossible to attain this goal. Avoidance and making friendship are two basic Islamic principles. You must consent to a just government and be attached to a just ruler. You must distance yourself from non-Islamic regimes and those that do not follow Islam, at the top of which is the debased Pahlavi regime. You must very clearly show your opposition to it and strive for its downfall; if not, you will never have liberty and independence.
2. You must invite to the progressive, justice-fostering religion of Islam those non-Islamic groups whose beliefs and practices are contrary to Islam and who are inclined to other religions, whatever these may be. In case they do not accept, you must distance yourselves from, or at least avoid, such people whoever and whatever they may be. Our youth should realize that unless they possess spirituality and belief in monotheism and the hereafter, it will be impossible for them to be devoted to and concerned about the ummah. They should know that the widespread communist propaganda, just like the tumultuous propaganda of global imperialism, is only to deceive and exploit the downtrodden. Such propaganda must be nullified.
3. The young theology and university students should spend some of their time in comprehending the basic principles of Islam, at the top of which is monotheism and justice, and the great prophets- from Abraham Khalil «1» to the Seal of the Prophets «2» (s) who instituted justice and freedom. They must also understand their thoughts from the furthest point of spirituality and monotheism to the organization of society, the type of government, the qualifications of the Imam and the authorities and other ranks including the commanders, provincial governors, judges, teachers (who are the `ulama'), Islamic taxation officials and their qualifications, the police and the employees of the police force. They should see for themselves what kind of people Islam recognizes as being qualified to be government employees and the kinds that are refused positions in the government and its branches.
4. You the university students and all the categories of the clergy and others should desist from imposing personal predilections and views in interpreting the holy verses of the Qur'an and in commenting on Islamic writings and their authenticity. You must also be bound to all the aspects of Islamic precepts. Rest assured that Islam fully provides for whatever is good for society in fostering justice, eliminating the instruments of oppression, safeguarding independence, freedom and economic interests, and the judicious, practicable and equitable distribution of wealth, for which illogical explanations are not needed. It is also necessary for you to be wary of those who do not adhere to Islam and to all its aspects- even if they do not agree with you on just one of the principles- and to invite them with the utmost care and tact to the obligations thereof. In case this yields no result, you must not let them participate in Islamic gatherings and associations. Do not imagine that numbers will enable you to approach your goal, and that after having attained your objective, they could be purged. You should know and you do know that non-Muslims and those not committed to Islam will stab you in the back, incapacitating or destroying you before you have reached your goal. You must learn from past experiences.
5. The programs and publications of all the factions should be based, without any ambiguity, on Islam and the Islamic system of government, and at the outset, on overthrowing the devil, in all its forms, which in our country is the puppet Pahlavi regime. You should refrain from demands that necessitate the confirmation of the satanic Pahlavi regime, as is seen in the writings and sayings of certain parties to the effect that the aim is the constitutional framework. Wherever possible, in publications and speeches, you must make it known very clearly, or otherwise insinuatingly, that the core of oppression, atrocities and treacheries is the Shah himself. Attempts at directing attention to the government officials and agents, the need of which is to divert attention from the real culprit, should be strictly avoided. Writers and orators should be accordingly informed.
6. The Shah's anti-Islamic inhuman acts should be emphasized at every opportunity in party and other publications, and in speeches and demonstrations; especially, the changing of the Islamic calendar which constitutes an irreparable act of disrespect to the great personality of the venerable Prophet (s) and to Islam and the Muslims. Mention should also be made of his inclination to Zoroastrianism, and his turning away from Islam and the worship of God. This traitorous element must be disgraced; at no time should there be any neglect in recounting his misdeeds. Khordad 15 and Dey 19 should be kept alive so that the cruelty of the Shah is never forgotten and that future generations may know of the crimes committed by the bloodthirsty kings.
7. I am appreciative of the unity of all Muslim students being an article of the association, as well as their desire to continue with the Islamic and humanitarian activities in coordination and unison, wherever they may be; America, Canada, India, the Philippines and other places. May the Exalted Lord give them success. It is also essential that Islamic centers be set up, wherever possible, in every part of the world for introducing Islam and disseminating its soul-saving truths. These should function under a well-coordinated organization in order to propagate justice and to weed out the hirelings of tyrants and plunderers. It is necessary for you to save our inexperienced, deceived youths by exposing the deviation of the other religions, and to acquaint them with the Islamic system." And whose saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved all mankind." «3»
8. It is necessary that your Islamic activities and publications in Iran, especially in the bustling Qum Seminary and the vigilant universities, be published and circulated so that people in Iran and abroad rise to support and cooperate with one another wholeheartedly and with one voice. It is also necessary for centers to be established in the country, in whatever way possible and feasible, to carry out activities for a common goal. Surely, this would raise the morale of all while making the enemy weak and dispirited.
9. You must, with the utmost wariness and vigilance, persuade all the other unions to be careful about the ways of the union and group members so that suspicious and deviant people, or those liable to deviate, have not infiltrated the groups and unions. In the event of their having done so, they should be ostracized. You must take it for granted that the enemy is very watchful and aware. Do not think that he is negligent and careless enough to become lax in his vigilance.
10. You must positively avoid discord as this, like a spreading, fatal cancer, will engulf the people and bring all activity to a standstill while making people lose sight of their aims. It is also likely that it will change the path to be followed, causing matters to run counter to the aims. Drive away those people from you who sow or exacerbate discord; they are either agents or have evil intentions. Do not oppose groups that supposedly have excuses not to join the unions but are engaged in Islamic and humanitarian activities as this would give rise to differences to the detriment of all. Try to bring about unity, if lacking, by means of friendly advice. As the goal is the same you must behave like brothers and support one another. Islam is the objective; carnal desires and seeking precedence should be forgotten.
11. It is essential that the venerable clergy and the university students show mutual respect. The enlightened university students should respect the clergy and the clergymen. God, the Exalted, holds them in esteem and the God-inspired Household of the Prophet (`a) has recommended them to the people. The clergy is a great source of strength. Losing it would cause the pillars of Islam to collapse, God forbid, thus enabling the cruel might of the enemy to go unchallenged.
Meticulous studies conducted by the alien exploiters in the course of history have led them to the conclusion that this bastion must be demolished. The widespread propaganda that they and their hirelings have been doing over several hundred years have caused some intellectuals to part with the clergy and become pessimistic about them so that the enemy remains unchallenged. In case some unqualified persons pass themselves off as being part of them, but serve and, according to the differences in their rank and service, make the people abide by the main and subsidiary principles of the faith in spite of the foreigners and their agents, this force should be assisted, protected and shown respect. The respected clergy must also respect the young intellectuals, who are serving Islam and the Islamic country and for this reason are the target of the attacks of the foreign agents. They should consider them as their dear children and their esteemed brothers. They should not give up this immense power in whose hand the destiny of the country willy-nilly will fall. They should guard against the malicious propaganda that has been going on against them for hundreds of years, showing them up in a different light to some people in order to benefit further from the disputes. They should ostracize those who either through ignorance or malicious intent have distanced this powerful group from the clergy, and not allow them to sow discord. They should rest assured that with these two great powers joining forces, victory will be attained; divided, they will never gain it.
12. The young clergymen and university students must continue with the acquisition of knowledge each in their own sphere. The recent very vexing rumors among some of the youth that there is no use in studying is a deviant matter that surely is either because of ignorance and lack of information, or evil-intentioned arising from devilish suggestions in order to deter the theology students from studying Islamic sciences so that Islamic precepts are consigned to oblivion and the obliteration of religion becomes a reality by our own actions. It is also meant to bring up our university youths as parasites dependent on the expansionists so that everyone be" imported", so to speak, like everything else, and the need for foreigners, in all the spheres and subjects of learning, to keep on increasing. This poses a great danger that will push the country backward to the greatest extent. If Islamic science did not have professionals, the vestiges of religion would have been effaced by now. If it does not have them subsequently, this immense bulwark against the aliens will be destroyed, fully opening the way for the expansionists. If the universities become devoid of the scientists and professionals, foreigners seeking gain will spread like a cancer throughout the country, taking control of our economic and technological affairs, and bringing everything under their supervision. Our youth should fight this erroneous thought on the part of the expansionists, and the best and most effective way of fighting them is to get equipped with the weapons of knowledge of religion and of the world. Vacating this stronghold and asking people to lay down those weapons is treachery to Islam and the Islamic country.
I extend my hand in all humbleness to all the factions who are in the service of Islam, and implore them to strive in unison for the cause of fostering Islamic justice which is the sole path to the nation's prosperity. I also request the groups that are under the influence of the malicious propaganda of foreigners and do not have the correct information regarding all aspects of Islamic laws to reconsider these matters and to appraise and study thoroughly the great, all-embracing religion of Islam. After coming to believe in it, they should give up the other religions and, joining the Muslims, jointly prevent the foreigners and their traitorous, unworthy agents from meddling in the country's affairs, and should drive them out of the country. I beseech the Omnipotent God to grant success to all in serving Islam and the Muslims. May God's peace and mercy be upon you.
Rouhullah al-Mousawi al-Khomeini