In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Some of the gentlemen say that if I have any commands, they are ready to carry them out. I have no commands; they are not mine to give. The commands that we are now all mindful of and we must obey are the commands of God, for we are His servants and are making use of His blessings.
The awareness of the Iranian nation
The Iranian nation is an oppressed nation; it is a Muslim nation; it is a nation, which is blessed by God, and we who are the servants of God. Wherever we are, we must help the Iranian people as much as we can. This is not the time for commands, prohibitions, leadership or non-leadership- the situation does not call for such things. There is no leader and follower. Now all classes of our society, from our youth- our school children and our university and theological students to the merchants of the bazaar and farmers- all of them know what to do. They do not need to be guided by anyone.
The Pahlavi family and foreigners, the basis for Iran's problems
Now everyone knows what afflicts the Muslims, the nation of Iran, the Muslim nation and the school of Islam. They know what our problems are and how they should be solved; this is clear for everyone to a certain degree, God willing. We all know that the Iranian nation has lived under the yoke of the Pahlavi dynasty for more than fifty years, and that throughout this period the Pahlavi monarchs did whatever they wanted to this country. They tyrannized the people and acted as servants to the foreigners. This dynasty was initiated with the rule of Rida Khan, the servant of the British who brought him to power. «1» In our more recent history, it has been his vicious son, the servant of America, who has dominated us. He himself confessed in one of his speeches (which was later reproduced in one of his books) that the Allies thought it fitting that he should be in control of affairs, but then later, this sentence was expunged from the book because it was felt that it was a disgrace for him to admit such a thing. But he had indeed said such a thing.
The foreigners are the root cause of our problems, and these problems of ours have not appeared recently, they have a long history. They began when the foreigners penetrated Iran and other countries of the East. The foreign experts studied all aspects of these countries and realized that they could derive much profit from the natural resources and minerals that they found there. They knew that to do this, they had to take these resources in whatever way necessary and not let the indigenous people make use of them. Their experts know where all our mineral reserves are. Once when I was in Hamedan, a former student of the religious sciences came to see me and showed me a large map on which all the villages of the Hamedan province were delineated. Certain places had been marked, and when I asked him what the marks signified he told me they indicated where minerals, petroleum or metals that had been located by foreign experts lay beneath the ground. This did not only happen in Hamedan. Their experts traveled through the deserts of Iran, on camels when they were the only means of transport, searching for our minerals, and when they found what they felt they could use, they marked the spot.
Islam and the clergy: obstacles in the way of imperialism
Over the past two hundred or three hundred years, they have also been successful in removing the obstacles, which impede their plans. They recognized Islam as being one of these obstacles and over these many years they strived to remove this barrier, which they realized would not allow them to attain their goals in the country. Their propagandists and experts disseminated deceitful propaganda against Islam. They did not present Islam as it truly is. They said that Islam, like all other religions was a drug. They see all religions as being the opium of the people, as something used to opiate the people so whatever is taken from them they will not make a sound, and this is how they presented Islam. Throughout this long period the propagandists of these exploitative oil-devourers have constantly spread this notion, such that many of our youth who do not have enough information about Islam, who lack a correct understanding of what the Qur'an really is, what it contains, what it demands, what solutions it offers for the problems of the day, have been deceived by them. They believe their propaganda without realizing what lies behind it and where it has its roots.
Qur'an, the Book that rouses (the people)
Today, there are those both abroad and sometimes within Iran itself who introduce our youth to certain ideologies which are neither scientifically nor politically founded, rather they are perversions that have been created and propagated in order to turn people away from Islam. For these exploiters and oil-devourers have realized that if the people recognize Islam for what it truly is, then the way would not be open for their penetration of Muslim lands and the devouring of their oil. Islam leaves no way open for them, and if the Qur'an is studied correctly, then it becomes clear that it is not a book which seeks to stupefy; it is a book that seeks to rouse (the people). It was this book, which stirred those Arabs, who at that time knew nothing to topple the mighty, oppressive empires. If the Qur'an and the teachings of Islam were opiates, then the Muslim armies would not have spread throughout the world and destroyed the empires of the time as they did. The battles fought by the founders of Islam or the founders of other divine, monotheistic ideologies, have always involved the prophets and the people on one side, against the monarchs on the other. Moses, may God's peace be upon him, took his shepherd's staff and set off toward Pharaoh's palace to destroy it. Pharaoh did not use Moses to stupefy the people so that he could continue with his oppression; rather Moses took his staff and stopped his tyranny. The Prophet of Islam (s), when appointed, did the same. One only needs to look at history to see whether the Prophet acted in the interests of those capitalists of Hijaz, Ta'if, Mecca and such places and encouraged apathy among the people so that these capitalists could do with them as they wished, or whether he stirred these weak, oppressed people, destitute people, to battle with these capitalists until they defeated them or made human beings out of some of them.
Islam's declaration of war on the kings and capitalists
When our youth hear of these spurious ideologies they do not stop to consider, they do not pay enough attention to what those promoting them are saying and why they speak so highly of such an ideology as communism. They do not look to see what the aim behind this action is. The aim is to present the Muslims and Islam in such a way as to cause our youth to turn away from Islam. Islam is portrayed as being a means to allow the aristocrats and the noblemen to gain dominance over the people and to prevent them from objecting. Well, they obviously have not read the Qur'an to see what the message of Islam is. The Qur'an contains numerous verses concerned with battle. Islam has declared war on these capitalists, on these kings, these monarchs; it does not help them to plunder the people.
The resistance of the leaders of Islam to Kings
The `ulama' of Islam, the Prophet of Islam, the Imams of Islam, all of them opposed the kings of their day.[Haroun] who reigned under the title of" caliph," imprisoned Hadrat Mousa ibn Ja`far (`a) for ten or fifteen years. Why? Because he prayed? Both Haroun and Ma'moun prayed. They were even the congregational prayer leaders and the leaders of the Friday prayers. So did Haroun imprison Imam Mousa because he prayed? Did he have him arrested because he was a sayyid, a descendant of the Prophet, or because he was an Imam? Was this the reason? No, he arrested and imprisoned him because Imam Mousa opposed his rule; he opposed the rule of the taghout- the illegitimate regime. His opposition to Haroun's regime caused all his problems. He was not arrested simply because he prayed or because he was a good man or because he was a descendant of the Prophet. No, for Haroun himself invoked the Prophet's name when he called the adhan «2» and he praised him. Imam Mousa was arrested and imprisoned because he opposed Haroun's regime.
The ever-fortified scholars
From the outset and throughout each period of history, our `ulama' have staged uprisings. History relates their struggles and their defeats. At the time of the Imams, their sons rose up with the encouragement of the Imams themselves; it wasn't the case that the Imams were unaware of the actions of their sons. On occasion, the Imams (`a) would speak out in defense of the caliphs or for some other reason, but in reality it was they who instigated theuprisings against them. The Imams praised Zayd so highly for his uprising; would they have done so had they believed him to have done something wrong? Why did they speak so highly of him? Why did they mourn him so if he was in the wrong? How many uprisings of the `ulama' have we ourselves witnessed in our own lifetime- these `ulama' whom the leftists and others who have gone astray describe as being court-affiliated? Those who make such statements have not looked into the matter deeply enough, they are too young to remember the uprisings, and they turn a deaf ear to accounts of the many times during the rule of Rida Shah and Muhammad Rida Shah that the `ulama' of Islam rose up against these Pahlavis who suppressed the people so. One time it was the `ulama' of Isfahan, at another the `ulama' of Azerbaijan, at yet another, the `ulama' of Mashhad or Qum who came together and declared their opposition.
Creating an atmosphere against Islam and the clergy
When did these `ulama' work for the interests of the court? Of course, in all social groups the world, over, one finds a few people who are insincere and work for the rulers, and this rings true for our society too. But that does not mean to say that ours is an ideology that opiates the people or that those in whose hands this ideology lies have always been the allies of the oppressors and the friends of the monarchs. No, this is not so. This is all just propaganda. They have used this propaganda on you The oil-devourers have promoted these ideas saying so-and-so is a British agent in order to destroy that gentleman's reputation. The British themselves allow such ideas to circulate, for they know that they are held in such low esteem by the people that if someone is seen to be associated with them, then he too will be regarded in the same light. That gentleman is a British agent, that one has relations with America, that one has relations with somewhere else! They attempt to destroy the reputation of the clergymen one after the other. Some of our more credulous youth have been deluded by these ideologies. You have been deceived gentlemen. Do not think that these are true ideologies; tawhid is the only true ideology.
A glance at the leaders of Islam and communism
Take a look at the life of the Messenger of God (s), who brought us the ideology of Islam, or the Commander of the Faithful (Imam `Ali) (`a) who was his rightful successor. What kind of life did Imam `Ali lead? He was a ruler whose dominions were extensive, a few times larger than Iran, spreading over an area from Hijaz to Africa and further. Yet look at how he lived, how he spent his days and nights, how he worshipped, how he acted toward the people, how he treated the poor and weak. He was constantly worried lest he had oaten bread to eat while someone in a remote corner of his realm went hungry. Yet these leaders who deceive you with their ideologies eat so much that they develop stomach problems! «3» When the Chinese leader, that lover of humankind, stayed in Iran for a few days, he saw what the situation was; he passed over the dead bodies of our people. The Shah could not take him through the streets because the people were demonstrating and shouting:" Death to the Shah," so he took him to his residence by helicopter. He knew what was happening. This person who espouses the communist ideology, who claims to be with the people, with the masses, was aware that the Shah was killing all these people, yet still he went to Iran and shook hands with him and accepted the invitations offered him by the Shah's sister ...
They are deceiving you gentlemen! I can remember during the Second World War, when that head of the communists came to Iran along with the heads of the Allied Forces, Churchill «4» arrived in his own car; Roosevelt also came in a conventional manner. Stalin, «5» however, arrived with his own milk cow, because he was afraid that the milk in Iran would cause him some kind of upset! I myself can vouch for this. At the time, everyone was talking about how Stalin had brought his own cow along with him. I saw for myself the state of his army in this country. Khorasan province was in the hands of the Russian army and I myself witnessed Russian soldiers begging for cigarettes along the Khorasan road. The people in Iran called them" brothers!" What kind of fraternal relationship did they have with this man who wanted to put these poor wretches to sleep with this ideology and then plunder them? It is the communist ideology, which is the opium of the people, not the Qur'an.
When the leading followers of the Qur'an went into battle, they did so against the oppressors. They lived a virtuous life, a life more modest than that of others. Islam is a true ideology, not one that produces a leader who takes a cow with him because he will only drink the milk, which it produces; a leader who plunders the people, who oppresses them more than anyone else! It used to be said that Mr. Lenin «6» calculated everything and that he had calculated that whoever could earn enough to meet his expenses had the right to live, but whoever could not had to be killed, had to be thrown into the sea! This is the doctrine of this" lover-of-mankind," of he who claims to be the provider of the people! In what way does he practice the preaching of an ideology which claims to be more mindful of the poor and weak who cannot work than it is of the rich and the aristocratic; an ideology which claims to take care of the poor and help them financially?
Communist SAVAK
They «7» are playing you along, gentlemen. God knows they are deceiving you. They have deceived our youth abroad, and many of those in Iran who claim to be communists are in fact security agents who are out to deceive the people. They even went to Behesht-e Zahra «8» and began shouting communist slogans, but the people grabbed them and threw them out for they knew that they were from SAVAK. «9» The regime also sent some SAVAK agents to the university to shout communist slogans. They were not communists, they were security agents sent to frighten the people into thinking that were the to go, everything would fall into complete disarray and the communists would take over. However, this would not be the case; if the Shah were to go, Iran would become a much better place for this hindrance would have gone and Iran could get on with putting its affairs in order.
Plundering of oil and setting up of a base
The Iranian people are not saying now that they have one leader and one guide. Everyone is a leader; everyone knows what the situation is. They are all saying that they do not want this regime, which has oppressed them from its inception, which has given away everything they had, which has given their oil away gratuitously. If only it had been given away for free! The Shah and his regime gave away our oil and in return the Americans sent arms and set up bases for themselves in Iran! They first took our oil and then set up bases for themselves! The people of Iran, from the children to the elderly, are all crying out:" Death to this regime, which causes us so much suffering." They are shouting out for freedom. Over the past fifty years (of Pahlavi rule), nothing has been free in this country. Our press was never free; our preachers never enjoyed freedom of speech; our `ulama' were never free; our universities never functioned as they should have done, nothing was right. Now the people are taking a stand and shouting that they want freedom; they want independence; they do not want to depend on others for everything like parasites. They want to be independent; they want to administer their country themselves. They are shouting for freedom.
Carter's wit
I read in the newspapers recently that Mr. Carter had said that the people in Iran are making such a hue and cry because the Shah has given them a" quick democracy" and a" quick freedom" which they cannot tolerate. It was written in the newspapers- the Ittila`at or Kayhan- that this is the reason for the people's opposition to him, that all of this opposition is because he has given them this" quick freedom!" Thus, what all these people who have taken to the streets shouting," Give us freedom," really mean to say is" Do not give us freedom"! Of course, they do not want the freedom that the Shah has given them, for we all know what that has entailed: the imprisonment of our `ulama', our politicians and our bazaar merchants; and now groups of young boys and girls, men and women languish in his goals too. What was their crime? They merely uttered a word against him! This is the freedom that we Iranians have! Yet supposedly, Mr. Carter believes that all our discontent arises from this fast democracy that the Shah has given us and this progressive country and society, which he has tried to create. He makes out that we do not want to progress, that we want to ride around on donkeys! These are not, however, Carter's true beliefs, they are but his tricks. He thinks that he can deceive the people in this way, but let me tell him that the people no longer accept these tricks that he plays; they are no longer deceived by these games. The people now know the truth of the matter.
Assisting and sympathizing with the Iranian resistance
Be that as it may, I have told everyone who has come to see me that they have a duty to perform. I, a student of religion, who sits here, you sitting there, all of you, wherever you live and under whatever circumstances, are duty bound to participate with the nation of Iran in their uprising. You who are in Europe, there are no battlefields as such here for you to go to, they lie in Iran, it is there that the battle takes place, that the people are beaten up, killed and shed their blood in combat. It is not like that here. But still you can contribute; you can help the Iranian people by propagating their cause. Each one of you must be acquainted with at least ten or twenty Europeans wherever you are in Europe, they may be your friends, so tell them what the situation is in Iran, tell them why the Iranians are making such an outcry. Adverse propaganda is being disseminated against the movement in Iran and against Islam. You must tell people here that we have not begun this struggle because of the reasons he (Carter) gives, that we are not opposing the Shah and his regime because they have given us freedom and we do not want it. The Iranian people have risen up because they do not have freedom and they want it. The Shah and his regime have betrayed us. They are giving the country's wealth to America. They are giving our oil to America and they are giving it in such a way that according to the Shah himself the country will have nothing left in thirty years' time. Who has brought about this situation for us? The Shah himself, he is at fault. Our oil reserves are being exhausted, and who is doing this? He is, because he is selling more than is necessary and the country is getting nothing for it. The people are now recognizing these acts of treachery; they are saying that they no longer want these traitors. This is why the people are shouting.
You who are here today, I, a theologian, who sits here, you sir sitting there, you university student, you high-school pupil, all you men and women, you can propagate the cause of the Iranian nation. Each one of you, wherever you live, explain the problems in Iran to those you are in contact with. If each member of this community of a few thousand Iranians residing abroad, tells ten or twenty people over here about what is happening in Iran, then a waveof public opinion will be created and this in itself will have been a service. People are asking me all the time if they should return to Iran. No, it is not necessary. You can play a role in the movement by propagating its cause wherever you live over here, whether it is in France, Germany, America, or wherever. When you attend your schools or other institutions, tell the people you meet there about the situation of the Iranian people. You know the language; you can speak; so stop and speak to the people where you are. Tell them what is happening in Iran, what the problems of the people are. Tell them that their problems are caused by Mr. Carter and others like him, like Russia. Russia takes our gas and America takes our oil. They are plundering our resources. Tell these people this, and gradually, because of your efforts, these people who have been misled by the propaganda that they are exposed to over here may come to understand your problems. They are human beings too, when they learn of the suffering of the innocent Iranian nation and are told the truth about events in Iran, this large community over here will support your cause and maybe then their leaders will leave us alone.
The Shah has ruined our agriculture; he is exhausting our oil supplies. In a few years' time we will have neither agriculture nor oil, then how will this nation survive? Our nation is now crying out that this traitor must go, they are shouting" death to this monarchy" and, God willing, it will be swept away. When a nation wants something, God willing, it will achieve it. You who are resident over here can help your people, you can propagate their cause and this would prove to be most valuable. You are responsible before God. Do not suppose that because you are over here, you are, thank God, relieved of any responsibility. No, this is not the case. You are responsible before God; each one of you has a duty to speak out wherever you go and to whomever you meet. Do not worry about whether your words will be accepted or not, go ahead and propagate the cause and this will be effective. Gradually, through your efforts, a wave of support for the Iranian nation will be created in Europe and this may force the Western leaders to leave us alone.
Self-development and readiness for the future
May God grant you all success (the audience thanks him). May He assist you so that you will all become of benefit to Iran and Islam. Endeavor to be of service to these people in Iran who from all social classes are either languishing in prisons or shedding their blood for your sakes, for the improvement of your country. Help them and pray for them. Train yourselves so that if tomorrow this regime falls and you return to Iran and are given a post, you will not act as those in the Shah's regime did. Usually when we have nothing we are good people, but as soon as something comes into our hands, that changes! You must strive to purify yourselves, adhere to the teachings of Islam and act accordingly. Make yourselves virtuous people, so that when, God willing, the destiny of the country comes into the hands of the people (which will hopefully be soon) you may return and administer your own country. I apologize that our house is small and that not many people can come inside, but we have to make do with it.