Speech [Iran's situation during the Shah's regime; efforts to engender a proper civilization]

I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

You, gentlemen, know better what the nation had been through. You, who were in hospitals and had those injured, wounded and killed under your care, know more than us (the things that happened). You know what they (regime) had done to our country in the name of progress and how they kept us backward in the name of civilization; they wasted our human resources and damaged all our national dignity. I would like to thank you, gentlemen, for all the efforts you had taken during these difficult times caring for and commiserating with the injured and wounded, who were your own people and ours. I hope that God is pleased with all of you. During this period, you served as the army of God, for you carried out your duties for God. I would like to thank both the ladies and gentlemen here. May God grant you all dignity, health, prosperity and freedom.

We have not had seen the face of freedom during these fifty-odd years. You, the youth, do not remember what this nation had gone through during Rida Khan's time. I have witnessed all the events that happened from the time his despotic rule started until now. I had tasted the bitterness of life that this nation experienced during the reigns of this father and son, and so did you during the time of this (Shah) one. And perhaps, some of you knew and witnessed what they (the regime) did to us toward the end of his rule. He (Rida Shah) was brought to power by the British and this one (the Shah) by the Allied Powers according to what the Shah himself had written in his book «1» and which, I heard, he later deleted. He had written in his book that when the Allied leaders came here, they saw it to their advantage to have him in power! Some" mission" he had for his country! He did have a mission, but a mission to push the country to a state of collapse and retardation. He had a mission to paralyze our economy. He had a mission to forestall the activities of our universities. He had a mission to see that our farming and agriculture completely collapsed. Very well, indeed, he did carry out his mission!! He had a mission to deplete our resources and reserves by giving them away gratis and worse than this, he built bases for America in return for the oil that he gave. He gave away the oil free to the Americans and in exchange for it, he built them bases in Iran. In other words, the commodity he sold filled the American pockets and the" payment" also went into their pockets. He accomplished his mission quite well! They gave «2» him a lot of support, as well. What threats they made; what things they said.

Thank God, however, the people resisted and, though barehanded, they had the power of faith. That is, the movement was an Islamic one. Everyone would move forward in the name of Islam. Because it was forged in the name of Islam and faith in God, they triumphed over superpowers and demolished the(Shah's) great establishment. With bare hands, they defeated tanks and cannons and shattered the palaces (of power). Now, even America does not recognize him! That benevolent friend of his, King Hasan, «3» is also saying that he will accept him (into his country) as an ordinary citizen. His (dear friend), King Husayn, «4» proved to be just like King Hasan! Everyone is turning his back on him and the Exalted and Blessed God will wreak His vengeance on him.

Death is not the revenge to be meted out for such criminals, because if anyone kills another, that is, if anyone ends one person's life, the killer can be sentenced to death; retaliation applies when one person takes the life of another. However, a person who killed hundreds of thousands of people, tortured hundreds of thousands in prisons and forced hundreds of thousands to dwell in slums can only be punished in a world that is eternal, so that each life he had taken can be avenged; (there is no other alternative) because no power exists (in this world) to carry out such a task. We can execute one person for each life taken and it makes no difference whether it is the life of a king, a criminal or a non-criminal. In fact, the lives of common people are nobler than that of a king. We, or any human being for that matter, can never punish a person who is an inherent criminal because no matter how much he is tortured, only one person is being punished. This one person (Shah) killed thousands, but we cannot kill him a thousand times. However, in that place where God will wreak revenge, he will be killed, will be brought back to life, and then will be killed again and so on. For every life he had taken, he will be tortured. And what a torture it will be! It will be a kind of torture that does not exist here (in this world). The Exalted and Blessed God will take revenge against these (oppressive) people.

I will say it again that you, gentlemen, will be rewarded by the Exalted and Blessed God for the efforts you had taken during this period. If something is dedicated for God it will not go to waste; it will be preserved for you. Whatever has been done for God will not be forgotten; it will be kept (in a record in the other world). Endeavor for God from now on. Work for the reconstruction of a devastated country.

Everything we have is in ruins and a shambles. Safeguard this movement together with one unified goal; do not allow it to slacken. We are all duty bound to safeguard it. We have succeeded in this Islamic movement up to this stage and pushed back the superpowers. From now, onwards we should implement reconstruction programs within this Islamic movement. That is, we should move forward all together collectively toward the right civilization, not" Muhammad Rida's civilization!" Toward a divine civilization, the civilization of the Messenger of God: a civilization that draws no distinction between strata of human beings or between black and white, unless it is in the degree of their piety." Verily, the most honored of you in the sight of God, is (he who is) the most righteous of you." «5» One's humanity is measured by the degree of one's piety.

May God assist all of you, and may all of us tread this path together, and enter the lofty heaven, God willing.

May God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.