Speech [The need to preserve independence and shun self-alienation in the embassies and representative offices]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

What is important in my opinion is that by their existence, all-round propaganda during the time of this unworthy father and son, they took away our content from us, causing us to believe so much in the West that we not prepared to accept anything that is not Western. The outlook of our youth changed from Iranian to almost Western, thus posing a danger to a country that does not believe in itself anymore; believing in the aliens instead of believing in themselves; somebody else sitting there who has been brainwashed as you say. They brainwashed them and purged them of their national and Islamic identity, replacing these with Western ideas. They have done this in such a way that even if we have something, we will still extend our hand to the West. For example, we know that we have engineers who are able to carry out the work of asphalting roads, constructing buildings, and- I should say- laying highways. Nevertheless, when this is to be done, the engineer has to come from abroad in order to do the job. Though we have doctors, one who falls ill has to be taken abroad. They humiliated us so much and made us feel devoid of everything that we have come to believe that we have nothing and they have everything. We have to sit down and evaluate their progress to see whether it is moving in the direction of civilization or toward barbarism. My understanding is that America and all these Western and Eastern governments have progressed in the sense that they are bringing up people as rapacious animals. All these things that they have done are for their rapacity. I am talking about the governments; not the people. All their minds are concentrated on developing something more destructive than before! It was just the day before yesterday that I read in the newspaper of their having developed something five times more powerful than the bomb they had dropped on Japan by which they killed two hundred thousand people! They want to make deadly weapons; that is, they want to make animals more savage than the previous ones. This is not civilization; it is heading toward barbarism. The West is becoming barbaric. It is bringing people who will fly at one another's throats and tear one another apart! This is opposite to the civilization in which the divine doctrines mold people as human beings who are calm and content in whatever they do. But their doctrines (that are not divine) are all for occupying this place and that; for destroying and killing and such things.

Now that such a revolution and such a movement took place in Iran and these middle and lower classes showed that they have gained independence, all of us should now be attentive to and safeguard our intellectual independence. The gentlemen are now going abroad, mostly to Western countries. They should bear in mind that they should not have any of that self-alienation which the previous government and former governments had, and would say," Yes" to everything they (foreign governments) wanted and accept whatever they said. Just as he «1» rejected the American ambassador about which they could not and cannot do anything, you, too, on going to your embassies in your respective places should not see any of you change like the Shah who was a" yes-man." I have related this matter repeatedly and, because I have been so distressed by it, will mention it again to you: I saw a picture of the Shah with Johnson «2» who was without his spectacles. He had his eyes turned away from the Shah standing reverently at the other end of the table like a schoolboy in the presence of his teacher. I was greatly distressed to find ourselves in a situation in which the supposed head of state stood like that in the presence of Johnson who, disregarding the Shah, was looking in another direction. This picture was published in the newspaper. I think that they had forced the publication of this picture so that it would appear in the newspapers of Iran. It should not be like this.

Our country is now independent. Nobody can interfere in our affairs. You are the representatives of an independent country. We do not need them all, but they need us. When you go there, you should act in complete independence. When you go there, it should not be some old things again and the same old reason for which they used to come. The Shah would clearly say that they (aliens) used to send the list of the deputies to the governments and it was necessary for the governments to approve of these listed deputies! He would say- he would contradict what his father used to say in order to strengthen his own opinion- that they would so far give the lists in that manner. He would also contradict what he used to say some years prior to that- that it was not the case anymore whereas it was so throughout. Anyway, he had been ordered to say so. You should not accept whatever they say. No, you should be independent and courageous. Your country did something that amazed the world. You will see how they respect you when you go there. The people will respect you but they (governments) might possibly want to take advantage. Stand up to them firmly. Deal with them as an equal; not like a weak entity dealing with a powerful one. We cannot show any weakness now, and will not do so. We have pushed aside the big powers and are conducting our affairs independently. You are the representatives of a government that, sweeping aside the superpowers, has taken their place and is governing independently. It is an Islamic government; it is independent as it is Islamic. Most of the continent of Asia and many parts of Europe were under its suzerainty for seven hundred years. In any case, it is most important that you not lose sight of our Islamic direction. The power of Islam took this movement forward. It was neither you nor we; neither the government nor the fronts and neither the movements nor- I should say- the parties. None of these, and nor the bazaar. These things were accomplished when the spirit of Islam entered into them- the spirit which is now supposedly slackening. The youth would repeatedly come to me asking me to pray for them to get martyred. They are saying the same thing even now. Now that the issue of the battlefield is no more, still they come to me and ask me to pray for them to get martyred. This transformation led us to success. You should safeguard this faith and Islam. Give your embassies the Islamic atmosphere. Do not be apprehensive of their saying- I should say- that you are backward. They are backward! They who are killing people are of the Stone Age; not we who are attempting to lead the people toward civilization in its true sense. Do not be afraid of what they say. There is no power that can confront Islam. It is this power that made a few people overcome many people and many powers. Make your embassies and your offices there Islamic. Neutralize those Western influences and strengthen every Islamic one. They would then respect you more. The more you are influenced by the West, they Wherever you are, keep in mind that you are from an Islamic country and have gone there with an Islamic air about you and that you want to solve problems in an Islamic way. After you have done this a few times, you will find that you are being respected more.When they see that you have some conviction and are standing by it determinedly, they will also with you.

If you step aside or take one step backward, they will come forward; it is so. If you take one step backward, they will come forward. They will expect more from you.

You must make your gatherings and- I must say- your embassies Islamic. Make every feature Islamic. Write the Name of God above it. Write:" In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful." Let it also be on the papers and forms. Do not fear what they say about us. It is this propaganda of theirs that has Westernized us in that we are afraid to write," In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful" on our papers. I had told the gentlemen to make it official to have this written on all papers. The Iraqi government has" In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful" written on all its government papers though the heads of the government- perhaps many of them- have no faith in these matters. Whenever they wish to talk they first take the Name of God and then begin to talk. Do not be afraid of" In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful." Satan fears it! You are angels, God willing!

In any case, what is very important in my view is that you gentlemen not fear the West. They had frightened us so much. There is nothing in the West; do not be afraid. I want to say that you must be independent. Also, let me say that you should be Islamic, your affairs Islamic and your gatherings Islamic. Do not have the kind of parties which that taghout had. Do not have those parties, etc. Let your parties be simple. As they are simple- I should say- the religious ceremonies and such things should also be simple. You and the doctor (Yazdi) are well aware of the political matters. I will not say anything.

I pray for all of you; for God to protect you and make all of us acquainted with our duties so that we would be able to manage the country that has now fallen in your hands and ours. Let it not be said later that" They could not (manage), and now that they are not able to, it is necessary to have a caretaker. And we should be their caretakers." Let it not be so.

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