Speech [The role of the unity of the seminary and the university; the issue of factionalism and party politics]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

What is important about the universities, the teachers' college, and the centers for training teachers and students is that people should be trained to be human beings along with teaching and learning. People have often reached the pinnacle of knowledge but without being trained to be human beings. The harm accruing to the country, the nation and Islam from such persons is more than that from the others. One who has knowledge which is not associated with moral refinement and spiritual training is more detrimental to the nation and the country than the ones who lack knowledge. The knowledge of such a person is like a sword in his hands. And it is possible that he will use that sword of knowledge to cut off the root of the country and so destroy it.

The fact that the foreigners, the foreign experts and those who wanted to plunder the country, paid great attention to the fronts- the clergy and the universities- was that they had realized that if these two fronts received the proper training so that, together with knowledge, they had the correct training and conduct, thus becoming what they should, then they, themselves, would not be able to derive benefits (from the country) anymore. If we have a proper university and a clerical order in its full sense, they will not allow the foreigners to ruin the prestige of the country. Therefore, they targeted these two fronts as they had considered them to be dangerous for themselves. But their way of attacking them was different. In Rida Khan's time, which I remember and most of you do not, they would use bayonets to attack this front and smash it. And so they used to attack the seminaries, arresting the people and taking them away. They used to remove the turbans of the `clergymen and strip off their cloaks. They used to close down the seminaries and the mosques. They did away altogether with the mourning observances and preachings. They thought that they would be able to obliterate the clergy in this manner. But they would not employ such methods in the case of the universities as they feared the repercussions abroad. So they used other means to stop the students from developing. However, they realized later that it yielded no results, and that the greater the pressure, the worse it would become; worse for themselves. In Rida Shah's time, they changed their (tactic of) attacking the clergy and started propaganda in order to separate the people from them.

As these two forces of Islam, the clergy and the university, were able to stand up to them, that strategy of using force to eliminate the clergy did not work, and so they changed it. They started propaganda against the clergy so as to drive a wedge between the clergy and the university and between them and the people. They wanted to make the university circles, the clergy and clerics so appear to the people as if they were not really religious and were linked to the court, the British, the Americans, etc. The plan was to separate the people from these two classes that were competent. They had even separated these two from each other, making the clergy cynical about the academics and vice-versa. This was the plot to separate these two useful classes from each other and all of them from the nation so that they would not be able to do anything, leaving them (enemies) free to exploit this country.

One of the blessings of this movement was that it brought these classes closer to one another. The university people, the clergy and the young clergymen all became close to one another; they became colleagues. And they developed an affinity with all other classes of the people and became like colleagues. They stated unanimously that the taghouti regime must go and a republic of Islamic justice be installed. This was everybody's motive and intention. By getting closer and united the various strata that had been separated from one another, were able to smash this big barrier that was thought to be unbreakable. They accomplished this with the assistance of God, the Blessed and Exalted, and with a common divine purpose in mind. Now that this barrier has been demolished, the irregularities revealed and the thievery exposed, which will become more exposed afterward and in the view of the people a kind of calm has set in for the nation and they are now putting another plan into effect, because the plan that was previously Islamic and used to bring the strata of the people closer together and consolidate them, made them realize that this consolidation resulted in the demolition of this barrier. So they are now thinking of separating the people.

All the people who are now serving the foreigners, and those who have no evil intentions but are heedless of the realities, have started forming into groups. The task so far was to keep these various groups united for this mission to be accomplished, and for undertaking jointly whatever is to be done from now on. But they are now forming into groups according to the plans they have. It was last night that I read in the newspaper that, so far, a hundred groups or a hundred and fifty groups; some like this- some such number- have announced their presence! That is, a hundred groups are now creating differences. The result will be that after the people from that side of the borders, and those within the country and abroad, see that this force has come apart, they will find the way open for staging a coup d'etat or an attack, or at the least, for creating serious disturbances to paralyze the country.

The same previous plan is now being implemented in another way. When Rida Khan first came, the plan was to separate these forces from one another: the universities from the schools of theology; the bazaar from both of them; the peasants from everybody else; everybody separated from one another. They formed many political parties and various fronts. They did all this to prevent the people from coming together. They had not perceived the matter at that time. But they had a general idea of it; they understood it. They wanted this( separation of the people )to be done. After this divine movement took shape, these different groups coalesced to form a simple group. There was no more talk about the other ones. They all formed into one Islamic group. In the universities, they would clamor for so-and-so's death, and for Islam (to rule). It was the same with the farmers and the factories, too; in the bazaars also. The people clamored unanimously for the same purpose. And they demolished this dam. Your enemies perceived this matter. It was theoretical at that time, but now it became objective. They perceived the fact that with the unification of these forces- the university and the clergy; they and the bazaris; the workers and all the others; the office-goers and those not working in offices- even the superpowers would not be able to do anything. And, accordingly, they could not. All the superpowers wanted to keep Muhammad Rida (on the throne); not only them, but all the other powers that were there. All these Muslim countries supported him as well. That is, I did not find even a single one that did not (support him). Some of them would send us verbal messages of support, but we could not believe them. All of them were united in trying to keep this savage (in power) here, but they were not able to do so. Why couldn't they? Because all of you said the same thing.

When all the people want or say the same thing, nothing can be done against it. One cannot act against the wishes of a nation; it is not feasible anywhere in the world. Now that they have perceived the fact that this unity and solidarity is so damaging to them, and that they have been deprived of this oil, they are now mourning and crying over the oil that has been denied to them! They are, at present, aiming at bringing back that previous state of affairs; to separate the people from one another; to keep them apart from each other. And regrettably, our intellectuals, too, are unaware of this, except those who are traitors. There are some that are traitors. They work meticulously; they work for foreign powers. But most (of the people) are negligent of the matter. Groups and groups, a hundred groups- more than hundred- it appears that a hundred groups here have been formed up to now! During these past two months since the time you achieved victory by means of your unity, that solidarity has been coming apart; it is falling apart. Group after group is being formed, each one separate from the other, their paths separate, their pens against one another and their actions against one another. What is the result of this going to be? The result will be that the same issues of the past- of the last fifty years or so- arising from our differences will crop up again. These differences will cause those problems to reappear with everything returning to the former state, or at least, a puppet American regime to be installed that is not a monarchy as such; a regime that is `democratic' but subservient to America.

This is the plan at present. And they have started splitting into groups. A hundred of them formed over the past two months- two or three months- a hundred groups have announced their formation. Though they are nothing- they are nothing- and are limited in number, yet they are bent on doing mischief. This will cause the sedition in the country to increase gradually, and we will return once again to the state where the modern, intellectual group and the university circles are separated from the clergy. The clergy and the university people will go their separate ways, with each of them saying the same old things, and opposed to one another. The bazaris will also follow them, some of them favorable to this and opposed to that, and some others opposed to that. All this results in everybody being opposed to one another, many of our youth were killed so that we could have a country that could be our own. The people sacrificed themselves to such an extent and the women sacrificed their youth so that a country of Islamic justice could come into being. The opponents of Islam cannot stand this point. They see that they can be withstood with the power of Islam. They cannot stand it and are now intending to separate the people. The same problems will again arise after they have separated the people.

You the teachers, those pupils, university professors and students, merchants, clergymen, employees, workers, farmers, and all should be vigilant at this time because their plan is more precise now than before. Previously, they used to make those plans based on the premise as to what would happen if the people joined together. They have now actually seen that it has happened! Such a thing happened by the people joining together; such an event that everybody thought was impossible. But all the calculations turned out to the contrary. Now that it has happened, the opponents are more than ever determined to crush this movement. And the way of doing it is to separate you from one another: to make everyone cynical about another: to make everybody confront one another, and so achieve a result. Our thinkers, intellectuals and all the university students and professors ought to realize that this is the plan, the effects of which we are now witnessing. This splitting into groups is for this very purpose of not allowing the solidarity that has been there to be maintained. They do not want the people to wake up and find their own way; that path of being united that Islam has ordained. God has made it incumbent on the people to:" Hold fast, all of you together to the cable of Allah, and do not separate." «1» Be together and do not be dispersed. All evils result from dispersion, while all blessings and prosperity lie in holding fast to God.

May God awaken us, and all of you and the whole nation. May we move forward in the path of Islam, the path of the country's independence, and the path of truth and freedom, thereby taking this movement to the very end.

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