Speech [The splinter groups creating disorder and hatching plots in the universities, the workplaces and farms, and the need to confront them; the danger of discord and deviation]

I think that these splinter groups that are engaged in spreading propaganda in the university, the media, the farms and other places, and posing as the friends and devotees of the nation- while they, themselves, are communists- are engaged in their activities, are being backed by America! The Americans create something in every place. They create a communist facade and a Marxist image in these Muslim countries. Their hands are behind these splinter groups according to my thinking. These people who claim to be the supporters of the masses should be asked to explain how they support them. We will take stock of it: Was the referendum against the interests of the masses? Was it against the good of the people? A monarchial regime was supplanted by an Islamic-humanitarian one; was this against the good of the people? If it was against the interests of the masses, it means that they are in favor of the monarchy and, therefore, cannot be communists. They are backed by America because they want a regime that is favorably inclined to America. If the referendum was not against the people's interests- which it was not as everybody knows- why then did they oppose it? Why did they set the ballot boxes on fire? Why did they, with the force of arms, prevent the people from voting in some places? Why did they boycott the referendum? If they support the masses, well, in that case they must approve of whatever the latter want. Did the masses in Iran not want the referendum? Did not about 99 percent of the people go with great enthusiasm to cast their votes? As you are well aware, even those who were infirm and disabled went in that condition to vote, and in some places, some of them passed away there itself after having dropped their ballots in the boxes! I was given the news about this. Those for whom voting was not necessary like children under the voting age showed restlessness. A number of them had gathered here. I spoke to them and confronted them. Well, how was it that these gentlemen (splinter groups)" supporting" the nation opposed this kind of thing that the whole nation wanted? Is agriculture against the interest of our country and our nation? If there is no agriculture, who will pocket the benefit? We will have to take this into account so as to know what these gentlemen are. When the cultivators wanted to sow their fields, these people would go there and prevent them from doing so. After they failed in this, they are now going there (to the fields) in order to stop them from reaping the harvest. If our agriculture fails to produce anything, will it be against the nation's interests or for its good? Does the interest of the nation and the masses lie in our agriculture not taking off and our being dependent on America for everything? Does this mean serving America or the Soviet Union? It is serving America! They (splinter groups) either say that they are affiliated to the Soviet Union or to Communist China. But, as we say, they are" Americans".

 

Everybody knows what the Shah did to our agriculture. The treason he committed in the name of" land reform" destroyed our agriculture, which was to America's benefit. America derived a part (of the benefit) and Zionism also derived a part of it. If these people are "Toudehis" (belonging to the now defunct Toudeh Party of Iran) according to their own terminology, if they are really communists and Marxists and are concerned about the nation- even those that are communists are not concerned; even they are telling lies, but now let us suppose that they are telling the truth- if they are worried about the nation and wish to serve it, is it serving the people that we are in need of getting wheat, barley, rice, and lentils from America? America burns these things there because it has them in abundance; it throws them in the sea; they are in abundance. They (the ex-regime) brought about" land reform" in order to ruin our agriculture. When Doctor Amini «2» was the prime minister, he would occasionally send people to me and I would send him messages then and there telling him that he, himself, was an agriculturist, a landowner and that if the situation changed they would not able to manage and that this was not the proper way for managing the affairs. Well, now we want to ask these people, who are wondering about and do not want to let our agriculture take off, who is going to benefit by this. All of us know that America will benefit. Therefore, these people are American agents. If they are not American agents, then they must say that the country's agriculture should be activated so that America does not derive any benefit.

Now let us deal with the factories. Is it in the nation's interest that these factories start working or is it to its detriment? Is it not to our country's benefit that the factories become active? Or should we seek the factory-made goods that we need from others? Should most of the others again benefit? Therefore, they are agents of others.

Coming now to the university, is it to its good for our youth not to be educated? Should they come into the university everyday and do something, hold a meeting and create- I should say- disturbances so that our youth do not study? To whose benefit is it? Is it to our country's benefit? Will it be in our nation's interest or to its detriment if our university is proper and does its work well? Well, they (the splinter groups) are preventing the university from commencing its work; who is going to gain by this? The foreigners will benefit by this as well. The reason is that just as those hands (the ex-regime) did not allow the university to function properly in order to make us need the foreigners in these matters as well and to seek foreign assistance, these people are also doing the same thing so that we remain in need of the foreigners for everything that we want. Now that we have discovered our own country and have expelled the foreigners, the oil is to be extracted for our own use. Well, they are even not letting the oil be extracted. In whose interest is this? When we sit down and evaluate each and every action of theirs, we find that it is mostly to America's benefit.

Therefore, they are working for America in the name of" communist"," Marxist", and" Toudeh"! They are not unintelligent people who are working for America to no purpose. No, they are intelligent. The Americans are paying them! Who is paying them to go and stand in front of the factories and tell the workers to stop working and that they will pay them more than what they (owners) are paying?! Where do they get the money from to go and stand by the factory and tell the workers that they will pay them more- that they should not work and that they will give them their wages? From where do they receive this money? They, themselves, have nothing to give. They have nothing They would not have done this sort of thing had they been well off. Who is paying them to prevent the factories from operating? If the Russians are paying them, they are, then their lackeys; they are the agents of foreigners. And the case is the same if the British are paying them. In my opinion, it is the Americans that are paying these people.

Therefore, in this matter, too, they are paying the workers not to work, and as they, themselves, have no money, it comes to them from abroad. When the money came from abroad, how did they go around the border areas- where we trying to prevent foreigners from entering- preparing, with all the means they could muster, the grounds for the partition of the country that we want to be one, to be independent and not split up? Are they serving this country? If they are, how is it that they want to have it partitioned? To whose benefit would this be? To Iran's benefit? To our nation's benefit? Or is this also for the sake of others? Whatever case there was, they had derived benefits from it. This ought to be mentioned to them; it should be written about and propagated.

Sir, are you sitting by to see some communists come and take over the university? Are you inferior to them in any way? You are greater in number; you have better credentials. You can expose their treachery by stating these facts in that place; in the university. You can reveal their treason so that they go away. Stand your ground and speak out. Tell them, Sir. Each one of you should ask them who they are to come into the university and create disturbances. Ask them what they are up to; do they want to teach you? Tell them to first consider as to what they are in this country. Ask them whether they belong to this country or are foreign agents out to trouble you. Stand firm, Sir, and speak out. The orators (preachers), of course, should also come to the university; I suggest that Mr. Sayyid `Ali Khamene'i «3» come. If possible, please go and tell him on my behalf to come in the place of Mr. Mutahhari. He is very good; he is intelligent; he can talk; he can express himself.

In any event, you are the chief persons in taking action. The late Mudarris- may God bless his soul- was a person whom about Malik ash-Shu`ara (poet laureate) had said that no such person had ever appeared since the time of the Mongols. Mudarris used to say that you should strike and let them go and complain against you; not that they beat you up and you go and complain! I went to see him- may God bless his soul. My brother «4» had written to me to say that there was someone there who was the head of the granary. He was a granary manager at the time of Rida Shah. He wrote and told me to go to Mudarris and inform him that this person was corrupt, and that he had two dogs, one of whom he had named" Sayyid" and the other," Shaykh". He asked me to tell Mudarris to remove him from there. I went and told him what I had to say. He told me to kill that person! I asked him how we could kill him. He replied that he would write and say that the person in question should be killed. I told Mudarris that he was a functionary in that place; he was in that place, and that they could not do so, there. He asked how it was that when the caravans would come from Golpaygan and passed on the way to Kamareh, «5» people would be sent to rob them; but we could not kill somebody!

These people need to have their mouths shut up, Sir! Your numbers are greater, your credentials are better and their treacherous deeds are evident. It is necessary to speak out. Gather together and mention the issues. If you see an official or teacher who is a communist, expel him from the university. I am not telling you to fight them; we do not want a conflict now. But should it lead to that at any time, we will drive them out within a day! But we do not want a fight now; we want it to be done gently; by talking to them. They talk and you, too, should talk. You should not just sit around and let others speak for you. A clergyman should come forward and speak up. You yourselves, each one of you who can, should go and stand in front of them and talk to them. They will say something and you, too, say what you have to say. Then you should point out their actions, one by one, to them and ask them why they are doing so. Ask them whose subjects they are that they are doing such things. Are they Iranians who are doing all this, or are they affiliated to America or the Soviet Union? Are they serving these powers or Iran? In case they are serving them, they have no place here. Let them go to those countries and serve; they are working for them. It is obvious that America stands to gain from the non-existence of cultivation in Iran; everybody is aware of this. What things of ours are being imported from America! This was the market that the Shah had created upon which they now depend. They are still after him; they want that regime reinstated; they do not want the right one; they are subservient to it.

They want to create the same conditions for us. We, too, have taken trouble up to now. This nation gave many victims and went through a lot of trouble while they sat by and watched, just like many of these intellectuals who just sat and watched. Our youth from the universities and- I should say- the southern parts of the city poured out and accomplished the job. Now that they have done so, these people have started coming in here from across the border. They possess valid and invalid passports and such things and are Iranians. But many of them had been outside the country. They are now here and wish to foment unrest and create the same problems once again. This is not because they want a government- let us suppose for instance- that is not Islamic as they are opposed to Islam, but their own so-called liberal, democratic one. This is not the issue; not at all. The issue at stake is that they want the same situation again. If it cannot be done with the designation of Shahanshahi [monarchy], another designation could be used for it. It should be an American set-up once again, but in another non-monarchial form. The monarchy is no more. They would bring it back if they could, but they cannot do so now. They want another set-up; the same problems once again, with the Americans and the parasitical plunderers of our oil pocketing the benefits of this suffering nation again. For this purpose, these people (the splinter groups) are their lackeys. The reason for this is what I have been saying, and their reply is obvious:" Ideology,"" ideology"! What ideology; Marxist ideology? It has been rejected by the world, but has now fallen in the hands of these kids, that is, if they are telling the truth. However, they are not telling the truth. The issue at stake is not ideology; it is one of interests. They want to derive the benefits. They are better able to give them (America) the benefits as they are subservient to them. If not, is it to the country's good or to its detriment when it claims that- well, this is what it is about- it wants to sever its links to the foreigners? If it is to the benefit of our nation, and they themselves are nationalistic and concerned about this country; if they belong to the Toudeh, then they should help. We wish to sever the links to the foreigners- and it has been done, thanks to God. They should now help so that those problems do not return. Not that they should create unrest so that they return. They can help by going to the factories and doing something to make them start operating. They should do something for the oil workers to perform their tasks. Now that the benefits accruing from the oil are for them, let them start working. Let them go and encourage the cultivators to work; encourage the university to start functioning. They are creating unrest everywhere; therefore they are saboteurs. They are not learned people- for instance- who want to teach us something; they just want to create disturbances. Such people should be prevented from doing so. You should tell them (splinter groups) about the problems. Write about these things in the university; have them published. Each one of you should go to those who are against [the country's interests] and tell them that they are saboteurs; ask them what they have to say to us. Ask them how they can take control of a university when they are saboteurs. A mischief-making thief cannot run a university.

Our state should be deplorable if our universities are not managed properly. The university holds the key to everything. That is, these two poles, the university and the clergy, hold the country's destiny in their hands. All the problems should be solved by the university students, whether of the new system or the old one. They are the brains of nation. If we are indifferent to the university and are deprived of it, we will then lose everything. It is a matter in which you should not sit aside and expect me to handle it; and neither should I sit by and leave you to deal with it all by yourselves. Hand in hand, all of us should do what we can; I to the best of my ability, and you to the best of yours. You are young; stand up to them, talk to them, say what you must. Go and find the people who can go there and talk. Take them there; invite them to the university. Do not sit by and expect me to appoint somebody. Of course, I consider Sayyid `Ali Aqa «6» as being competent for this task. But do not expect me to extend an invitation. There is no need for there to be only one person; there could be one person (to speak) every few days. Gather in that university and bring one of these gentlemen- who is able to talk, to say what he must- to the university to speak to them. They are not so willing to talk; they just want to create disturbances.

In any case, I hope that you will not despair and that you will go ahead forcefully and ably reform the university yourselves. If you see a teacher going astray, go and talk to him. Do not quarrel; speak to him. Tell them that they who are such cannot come to the university and become its chancellor or professor; it cannot be so. And, of course, if there are problems that I can be of service in solving, I will do so. And if these people that you said would be referred to a certain organ, write on a sheet of paper and hand it in here for me to speak to them so that it is arranged.[At this point, one of those present in the audience mentioned the plan prepared for the Rural Jihad. Imam stated:]

Yes, this is approved but as stipulated. I told the gentlemen who had come to see me about this matter. Coming to the villages and doing what they like, saying that they have come from the government, is not acceptable. They should be selected by getting the opinion of the reliable people, those who know who these people are, as these people who go into the villages may belong to the deviated groups that mislead the people of the village. They should be selected from among the committed, upright people. This would definitely be of service to society. It is a good scheme for our country.

Yes, «7» the problem of dealing with these people is greater than that of those other people. Sometimes, somebody comes whose actions are known. When we were children, there was someone who was called," Amir Mufakhkham." He was a Bakhtiyari chief there. He had said that it was known what Sardar Hishmat- one of the tribal khans, one of the nobles- was. His enmity and friendliness were said to be known to all. But, as that Bakhtiyari chief had said, God save us from so-and-so; he is outwardly a friend, but" breaks a person's back"! These outward friends pose more difficulties than the others who are not friends. It is known what the latter are; we know what to do now I am not saying that such is the case. I cannot exactly say anything about them at present. However, the problem with these people who, acting on their own, attribute whatever they want to the Qur'an is greater in comparison with the others. Everybody says whatever he wants to say! The fact that it was repeatedly mentioned in the early days of Islam that the place of one who interprets the Qur'an according to his own opinion is in the fire (of hell), «8» was in anticipation of such issues of anyone coming up with something as per his own views. Contrary to what they say, they wish to alter the meaning of the Qur'an; coping with them is a bit more difficult because such people resort to the Qur'an.

When I was in Najaf, one of these persons «10» came to see me. This was before the appearance of the Munafiqin. «11» He stayed with me for perhaps twenty days; some say twenty-four. He would talk to me about the Qur'an and the Nahj al-Balaghah for about a couple of hours daily. He said all that he had to say. It somewhat appeared to me that all this- the Qur'an and the Nahj al-Balaghah- was for another purpose. Perhaps I should, I must, recall what the late Aqa Sayyid `Abdul-Majid Hamedani had told that Jew. It is said that in Hamedan, a Jew had become a Muslim, and subsequently, began to abide by Islamic rules to a great extent; to a very great extent! This made the late A'Sayyid (Aqa Sayyid)`Abdul-Majid, one of the `ulama' of Hamedan, suspicious about the matter. One day he told the Jew to come and see him. He asked the Jew whether he knew who he was; the Jew replied that he did. He knew that he was Aqa Sayyid `Abdul-Majid. He again asked the Jew whether he was one of the Prophet's descendants. The Jew said," Yes." He then asked the Jew who he himself, was. He replied that he had once been a Jew, that his forefathers were Jews and that he had recently converted to Islam. He then asked the Jew how it was that he, a recent convert whose forebears had been Jewish, was more religious than himself, a Sayyid, a descendant of the Prophet, a clergyman, and so on. I then heard that the Jew just went away. It came to light that he had been playing a trick; he had been up to something. By appearing in an Islamic guise, he wanted to do what he had to. The Jews do such things. It struck me that this matter I, a seminarian, did not read the Nahj al-Balaghah, the Qur'an and such books as much as he did! He stayed ten to twenty days. I would listen to him but did not reply. I just used to listen. He had come to obtain my endorsement. I just listened; I never said a word in reply. Only when he said that they wanted to stage an armed uprising, did I say," No"; it was not the right time to do so, that he would lose his forces and achieve nothing. I did not tell him anything more than that. He wanted me to endorse him. It later came to light that the whole affair was exactly so.

Later, when the gentlemen came, and certain people from Iran had recommended that they be supported, and that they are such (good) people, I did not believe them, nonetheless. Even some very respectable people of Tehran had recommended them as being good people, but I did not believe it. These people who talk so much about the Qur'an, Nahj al-Balaghah and religious matters, and then interpret the passages from the Qur'an and Nahj al-Balaghah in a way different from how they should be interpreted, cannot be trusted to any great extent.

These Iraqi Ba`athists who like them, cite these same passages of the Nahj al-Balaghah, also write certain things on placards and propagate them; these very same passages of Nahj al-Balaghah! These Ba`athists who have absolutely nothing to do with such matters, write these on the walls in the avenues of Najaf and so propagate them. We cannot rely on them. I am not saying anything (adverse). It is even possible that one of them could be a person of integrity, or could not have made a mistake. However, we cannot rely on them; they cannot be trusted.

[In reply to a student who had asked what their stand should be vis-a-vis those people, the Imam stated:]

Your stand should be this that you should not be very friendly with them. Of course, you should not ostracize them nor clash with them.