I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Along with the nation
Whatever disaster befalls the Iranian brothers, whatever trouble they are forced to go through, is like a heavy weight which bears down upon my shoulders, one that I can hardly bear. Over the past two or three days, killings have once again been perpetrated in Iran, which grieve me deeply. «1» From different parts of Iran the people swarmed into Tehran enduring great difficulties in the cold of the winter. «2» This too is a cause of sadness for me.
All of these things are like a great load weighing heavily on my shoulders. I ask God, the Blessed and Exalted, to grant the nation of Iran, the people of Iran, success. I pray to Almighty God for their well-being.
I had intended to join my Iranian friends (in Iran) and serve alongside them, I want to share in any sadness that may, God forbid, befall them and if, God forbid, their blood is shed, I want mine to be shed along with theirs. However, fearing that my return to Iran would prove detrimental to them or their overlords, that it would not be in the interests of their overlords, the hands of traitors once again emerged from their sleeves and closed the airports, thus preventing my return. But I still have the same plan for going, and, God willing, I will leave at the first opportunity. «3»
Iranian Revolution, continuation of the prophets' movement
It says in one of the traditions, that when the eyes of the Most Noble Messenger, may the peace of God be upon him and his descendants, fell upon a group of unbelievers who had been taken prisoner and were passing by him, he remarked, in words to this effect:" We want to take man to heaven and these people are being dragged there by their chains"! «4» All the prophets, upon whom be peace, were appointed to ensure man's happiness in all aspects, in his worldly life and in his other life. They wanted to take man to the level of perfection befitting a true human being. Many a man though did not endure such a burden and does not. We too as followers of the Most Noble Prophet, may the peace of God be upon him and his descendants, rose up to take this deprived nation to this level of perfection, this nation, which throughout the rule of the monarchical regime from its inception, during these past fifty years- and we can all bring to mind what has gone on in more recent years- has been deprived and bedeviled in all aspects. This nation lost everything, all its wealth was taken from it and continues to be done so, and all its resources are being thrown away. Iran embarked on a movement, and I, as an Iranian subject, am following the rest of the people. I too speak a few words and take a few steps to save this nation. We want to save these people who are governing Iran. We want to deliver the army from its parasitic state. When the American military advisers first came to Iran and took control of our army we voiced our opposition. We abhorred the granting of privileges to American citizens and expressed our abhorrence. We want to make these governments independent, but they will not accept this. We tell the people in government they should be independent in determining the destiny of their country, but their reply is that they want to remain servants! They do not actually say this, of course, but this is what their actions show. We want to deliver the army from the control of these American advisers and these masters, but the top brass in the army will not accept this, they want to remain the underdogs.
This relates back to what the Most Noble Messenger said about having to drag those prisoners to heaven, to happiness, by their chains. This is what we have to do, we have to drag this top brass to happiness with chains. We want you to be the master, but you say you want to be the servant!! We say you should control the affairs of your own country, you should be in charge of your own army, the country's resources should be yours, they should benefit these poor wretched people who live in hovels, but you will not accept this. You are not willing either to become true human beings!! This is what we want to make you, but you do not want it.
Shah's regime, a bag of claims!
From the beginning we have been beset by assertions. At the time of Muhammad Rida Khan, we heard claim after claim. The radio would blare them out, the television would give us pictures to accompany them and the newspapers would write about them. Every time one opened a newspaper the first thing one would see was His Imperial Majesty Aryamehr said this, His Royal Highness (the Crown Prince) said that, the Queen said this and the Shahbanou said that. Every time we turned the radio on it was the same thing. Whoever wanted to speak had to repeat these claims. He himself would constantly voice them, claiming to have brought the country to such and such a state, to be taking it to a `great civilization' and so on. But when we dealt with him and he left, then it became obvious for everyone that he had done nothing, he hadn't done a damn thing!
Whichever manifestation of civilization you care to name is ruined and he is the one who has ruined it. Do not forget Muhammad Rida, for all your misfortunes were brought about by this wicked man. Do not forget him; remember him. Do not think that now that he has left Iran, whatever he did is in the past and is best not talked about. No, he must be kept alive in your memories until the time that he himself, his overlords and the others are all gone. When they are all dead and buried, then we will have nothing more to do with them.
Downfall of Shah, permanency of Iran
Up until this point, all the talk has been about His Imperial Majesty and the assertion that the people of Iran are a Shah-loving people; that they have always been Shah-lovers; that they can't even live without a Shah! Now the Iranians are without a Shah, but they are still carrying on with their lives. This man himself «5» said that if the Shah went, the country would become communist. Well, the Shah is no longer in the country, has it become communist? Is it the Shah who has prevented this? Is he still around? He's gone. Was it the imperial regime that stopped the communists? The regime no longer exists. Neither the imperial regime exists nor the Shah. Muhammad Rida Khan used to say that if he were not around, the country would be divided! Britain would take one part, Russia another and America another. And I would reply:" Sir, with you around this is the case. If you go there will be none of this!" Now that he has gone, has the country become divided? Has one of these countries invaded from one direction and the other from another?! No, he has gone and all this talk has finished.
Monarchy and nationalism two sides of one coin
Hitherto, we have had to put up with the boasting and bragging of Muhammad Rida Khan, about how he is the King of kings, His Imperial Majesty and the Aryamehr! Now it is this talk of `nationality' and `freedom' that we have to suffer. They go and stand at the grave side of Dr. Musaddiq and say such things! «6» We neither accepted what he said nor do we accept what they are saying now! What can we do, we are not so easily taken in. We can see that the same things that went on at the time of Muhammad Rida Khan, the former Shah, are still going on. Nothing has changed. At that time they killed people and now they are killing people; at that time they plundered and today they are plundering; they stopped gatherings then and they are doing so again today. He didn't allow more than two people to gather and neither does Bakhtiyar, but not one of them could enforce this! The people no longer pay any attention to such things. Nothing has changed except the name, the plan is the same, the set-up the same. One day it was called an `imperial' regime and the next they are talking about nationalism and a democratic republic. «7» These people are bad with Islam but good with its republic! They speak of a democratic Islamic republic, but they are opposed to the second term which is `Islamic'. They are the enemies of Islam. Otherwise, why when they set out their plans do they speak of a `democratic' Islamic republic? What has Islam done wrong? What has Islam done to them? They are not good with Islam because it is Islam that prevents personal interests from being realized, it is Islam that will not allow these heavyweights to live an aristocratic life or to live just anyhow they like! Islam sets matters right. It is Islam that does not let foreigners govern over Muslims; it is Islam that gets in the way of oppression and dictatorship. But they have the nerve to say that now we have rid ourselves of Muhammad Rida Khan's dictatorship, we are faced with the prospect of the akhound's dictatorship! «8» Really, what have the akhounds done? What kind of dictatorship do they have to offer? Are we telling you to be dictators? We are telling you not to govern in a dictatorial manner. Apart from corruption, we will not prevent anything, the people will be free, it is you who don't allow them to be free.
Islam's confrontation with the oppressor and blood-thirsty
Nowadays, those who once supported Muhammad Rida Khan support this regime under other names. It is only the name that has changed. Muhammad Rida has found another name, but the problem remains the same. The Iranians must be on their guard, they must be attentive; they must not suppose that because we have prevailed it is an end to the matter. We have thrown Muhammad Rida out; very well, the scene has changed; now we are faced with scene two. At one time they use the weapon of force, brutality and dictatorship, then another time the weapon of reconciliation and, in their words, moderation is drawn, and yet at another, both reconciliation and brutality are tried. Now we have talked of a democratic Islamic republic on the one hand and" the true religion of Islam" on the other! This is the same tactic that was used by that wretch. The true religion of Islam indeed! He doesn't even know what the true religion of Islam is! From one side we hear talk of the true religion of Islam while on the other its very foundations are being destroyed!
According to Islam you must step down, Islam does not accept the rule of a tyrant and you are all tyrants. Islam is opposed to oppression. The prophet of Islam fought for twenty-three years against oppression. At one time, in Mecca, he did battle using sermons, and at another, in Medina, he used the sword. You however are propagating oppression. Only the day before yesterday you killed our youth, you are bloodthirsty murderers. We want to rescue you from these trammels of imperialism, but you say you want to remain where you are. You don't have the sense to save yourselves, so we will have to knock some sense into your heads until you free yourselves from this burden. We will have to clap you in chains and drag you out from under this burden, for you do not have the wit to save yourselves. Members of the armed forces, we want to make you independent, but these two or three people who have been put in command over you won't allow this, they have to be stopped, they have to be thrown out. Members of the government, we want to create an independent government, but these servants will not allow us. Throw them out, persuade them to step down.
On the way of establishing an Islamic state
At the first opportunity I get, I will go to Iran, God willing ["God willing" from the audience]. And the first action I will take once there will be to establish an Islamic government based on the laws of Islam and in accordance with the votes of the people.["God willing" from the audience]. I will put forward my suggestion to the people and let them vote on it, if they agree then I will set up an Islamic government. The people of Iran are Muslims, so, apart from a few who see Islam as a threat to their continuing their injustice, I do not think they will oppose it.
We all saw yesterday in Tehran what magnificent gatherings the people of Iran held! The same thing happened again today. «9» These people want Islam. They do not want to endure the burden of tyrannical governments any longer. They want a just government. Nobody should suppose that we don't understand what an Islamic republic is. «10» It is them who pretend not to understand! Why don't you understand? Everyone knows what a republic means; it means the public vote must be acquired. The Islamic part means it will be based on the laws of Islam. Are you opposed to Islam? Is it the Islamic laws to which you are opposed? Islam has laws for the political aspects of life and the social, indeed for all aspects of man's life. An Islamic republic then does not involve itself with the constitutional law, rather with the laws of Islam. You are not opposed to the republic part, so is it the Islamic bit you are against? If this is the case, then you intrinsically lack faith, you do not believe in Islam, you are not Muslim.
Inviting the army back to the nation
We want this army of ours to be an independent one, not one in which a colonel from America can overrule a general (in Iran). Generals, we want to save you; are you saying you don't want to be saved? You don't have the wit to save yourselves. We will have to save you by force. Our youth have retained their human nature, not like some of their elders who, because they have killed so many people and perpetrated so much oppression, have lost theirs and are now like ferocious animals. Our youth are not like this. Oh young people, rescue your country, rescue your army. Do not permit these four old men, who have hoarded our money and then sent it abroad, to restore the former situation. You must make sure once and for all that such a thing can never happen.
As I have said previously, if the government, that is, if the head of the government, as he likes to call himself, comes here, he will not be able to meet with me unless he first writes his resignation and makes it public. «11» When I speak of resignation here, I do not use the term in its true sense, for he is not truly the prime minister to have a resignation to hand in, but I use it merely for want of a better term. Otherwise, what does resignation mean in this case? You are not the prime minister! If he does this then I will receive him, for he has not reached the stage that some of the others had. There have been some people who committed such gross crimes that I could never have agreed to meet them, not with resignations or anything else they may have offered. If he is wise, he will hand in his resignation and come here and repent, then he will be the same as everybody else. However, if he too has lost his humanity, then that is his affair. As far as I am concerned, if he comes here and repents I will receive him. But if he remains obstinate then nothing changes. He will be the one who is sorry, I can tell him now that he will be sorry. He saw how his master lived to regret what he had done and had to come before the people and plead with them, but they were going to have none of it. Don't let it come to the point where you have to plead with the people and they reject your pleas. Do not dishonor your own tribe; do not sully your reputation, if you carry on like this you will get yourself a bad name, even in your own tribe.
A piece of advice and an ultimatum
We want the good of society, we are the followers of the prophets who came to reform society; they came to assure society's happiness. We want to take those who are blind and do not understand to well-being and happiness, by force if necessary. Those who can see will go after these things of their own volition. As followers of the prophets we mean to make our society a happy and prosperous one. We are saddened and sorry about these troubles that Iran and our people have to endure. The clerical community wants to free you. I exhort you to follow Islam and observe its laws; if you accept this, those whose crimes are not many will, if they repent, be counted as one of us.
But if you do not, we will force you to accept the truth and stop perpetrating crimes. We will do this through coercion and through the pressure that the nation, that the cries of the nation, will bring to bear on you. Just as the cries of the nation got rid of that parasite, so too they will pluck you out by your roots, which have of course not yet taken. Be sensible, the sooner you repent the better. This is the best thing for you to do and I want what is best for you.
At this sensitive time, it is necessary for the nation of Iran to stand firm and not relinquish their movement for their victory is nigh, God willing.[The audience says" God willing"]. I ask your well-being from God, the Blessed and Exalted. May God protect you all. May you be successful. May God give you strength, God willing.