Speech [Iran's situation during the Shah's regime; the way to Palestine's freedom]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

I would like to thank you for having come to Iran to commiserate with me, and express your kind affection to the oppressed nation in order to see our movement's situation at close range. If you had come at the time of the taghout, you could have seen a different picture: our streets were littered with dead bodies; our prisons were teeming with oppressed people, the `ulama and intellectuals; our press was subject to censorship, repression and tyranny. The Shah's henchmen were interfering in all aspects of the country and they were commissioned by the foreign powers and the superpowers, particularly America, to browbeat the people, which they did. These father and son (the Pahlavi kings) massacred our nation during these fifty odd years. If you had come to Iran at that time, you would have seen it as a human abattoir and the entire country was a penitentiary. Now, thanks God, you have come to see a vigilant nation. Reliance on the Exalted and Blessed God, unity of expression triumphed over the taghout, which was backed by all powers and was armed to the teeth. It was trusted by the foreign powers, which supported it, and our nation had nothing except its power of faith and an iron will. Through our unity of expression, power of faith, we prevailed over the superpowers and pushed them backward. You have come at a time when we have set up an Islamic Republic through the public vote. You have come at a time when the majority of people, almost unanimously, voted for the Islamic republic: everybody from that eighty-year-old man, the handicapped, people on wheelchairs from hospitals were taken to polling stations, voted for the republic of Islam. This is all because our nation considers Islam to be the base of freedom and independence, hence. It cast its vote with love and zeal. In the world, such a referendum is unprecedented; it was one wherein all classes of people cast their votes with love and enthusiasm. You entered our country at a time when every trace of dictatorship has been erased. If you had come at that time (of the Pahlavi rule), you would have seen something bizarre. Now, that you have come, you are among your brothers in safety and none will harass you. During the previous regime, it was impossible that you or the other brothers could have a meeting with me. It was impossible for us to have a gathering; it was impossible for us to even raise our voices or let the world know our grievances. Therefore, we informed the world of our grievances from a foreign country. Then, events turned in such a way that we could let the whole world learn of our plight, in Paris, although I did not want to be there, and undermined our enemies. You came at a time when, thanks God, we have already triumphed and proclaimed the Islamic republic.

In the Islamic Republic, all freedoms exist. Islam came for the salvation of human beings, just as Jesus Christ and the rest of the prophets who came to save humanity. In addition to enriching man's soul, Islam enriches man's material life as well. Islam is a religion of politics, before being a religion of spirituality. In the same way that Islam takes spirituality, morality, religious education, spiritual development and edification, it also considers the material aspect. In this world, Islam educates man how to benefit from this material life and how to have an insight into his material existence. Islam creates a balance in man's material life in a way that it leads him to the divine. Islam looks at the material life from the divine point of view, and the divine from the material viewpoint. Islam integrates every aspect of life. You have arrived on a day when we have established our government. In the same way that Islam was characterized by spirituality and was established as government during its advent, we, too, are presently face to face with the spirituality it possesses and are in obeisance to it as the Exalted and Blessed God has willed. We are obedient to Islam both in material aspects and the mode of government, that is, a kind of order in which governments are at the service of the people and not the people at the service of the people. An Islamic government is a government that is a servant of the people, and it should be the people's servant. In Islam, there is no discrimination between various classes of people. In Islam, the rights of all nations are observed. The rights of Christians, the Jews and the Zoroastrians have been considered. Every person is looked upon as a human being. It grants them their human rights; it looks at humanity with kindness. It wants the oppressed to find salvation. It wants the whole world to be spiritual and the whole world to get close to the divine kingdom. Islam was revealed to save humanity and deliver it from material servitude in order to attain spirituality.

I implore the Exalted and Blessed God to enable all oppressed people to acquire all their needs. I implore the Exalted and Blessed God to awaken the arrogant and oppressive powers because if they do not, the oppressed people will destroy them. May God grant us all success. I beseech the Exalted and Blessed God to rescue our Palestinian brothers in the same way that He made our nation triumph through our unity of expression and reliance on the Exalted and Blessed God and emancipated itself from bondage to the (Pahlavi) family and its promoters and supporters. However, what is of major importance is the unity of expression and reliance in the Exalted and Blessed God and the power of faith. The nation's power of faith was so powerful that it looked at martyrdom as attaining bliss and so, it was wishing for martyrdom and was fearless of death. Hence, fists prevailed over tanks. Other nations, the Palestinian nation should forge a unity of expression and have reliance on the Exalted and Blessed God. When this secret of our victory prevails everywhere, then victory will be gained. Our beloved nation of Palestine should have unity of expression and reliance upon the Exalted and Blessed God, heed the clergy, attain spirituality and turn their attention to the Exalted and Blessed God to make all the oppressed nations victorious.

For many long years, perhaps twenty years ago, I have always expressed my views regarding Palestine and Israel. Israel is a usurper and it had occupied its (present) territory by usurping it. Quds should be emancipated and Israel must leave. Arab governments must unite and kick Israel out of their lands and sever the hands of colonial powers. I beseech the Exalted and Blessed God to make us achieve our goals and we will meet each other in Quds.

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