Speech [Confrontation of the believers with the arrogant; praising the struggles of the clergy; problems of the youth]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

There are many points in this noble verse that you recited including- of course, I cannot mention all those points- the one which states," Allah verily hath shown grace to the believers." «1» This is in contrast to the words of a group who in order to lead the people astray from religion claim that religions were concocted by powerful men such as the Pharaoh and his like so that they make the people docile and exploit them. In all eras, believers were of strata that were in confrontation with the arrogant who were extremely powerful. At the time of Hadrat Moses, the believers consisted of a group that challenged the Pharaoh and his people. In the verse it states that God favored them by choosing one from among the believers themselves, meaning that from the so-called lower strata of believers who in all eras were in confrontation with the arrogant who were from the higher strata. This is a fact which the Qur'an has stated; it is a historical reality that the Qur'an states which the people of that era have witnessed that incident with their own eyes and ears. If the Prophet would have belonged to the arrogant strata, the people would have opposed him and would have commented that the Qur'an had stated against the facts that he belonged to their strata. On the basis of historical facts, too, it is the same that Hadrat Moses was a shepherd who for years worked as a shepherd for the flocks of Hadrat Shu`ayb (Jethro). This same shepherd who had the merits was appointed by God as prophet and in Islam, too, the Messenger of Islam was from the Quraysh tribe but the rich and the arrogant among them were few in number such that the Prophet himself stated that he had worked as a shepherd and belonged to a poor clan and that he and his uncles were poor. Thus, in one instance, he stated that Abou Talib could not take care of his children and as they were brothers they should divide them. This was because they had no wealth.

It has always been in this way that the prophets would be chosen by God from the oppressed people; from the clans which the arrogant would regard with contempt and ridicule and regard them insignificant vis-a-vis themselves. God would select from these same people on the basis of merit and place him opposite the arrogant rich in stark contrast to the negative propaganda that is being indulged in so as to mislead the people from the path of religion. They claim that the prophets were forged by them in order to cause the lower strata such as the workers, peasants and the like to be apathetic and fooled by means of admonitions and promises while the affluent superior people could exploit them and there would be no protest because of these promises. This is while according to history- the history of Islam is close to us and other histories are narrated- the prophets would prepare the weaker sections for confrontation with the arrogant and it was not that the arrogant rich would forge them to soothe the weaker strata into apathy! They awakened the weak to arise against the arrogant.

The uprising of the prophets has always been such that one from among them- from among the believers- would be selected to propagate. One of his duties was to train this same weaker population for confrontation with the arrogant oppressors. By means of the propagation that they would undertake, they would set them up and make them ready to confront the arrogant. The arrogant would not create them to further their own interests; rather it was the weak strata from among which a single person would arise and God would choose him to rise up against the arrogant; Moses against the Pharaoh and the Noble Messenger against a Quraysh tribe that controlled everything at that time. This is what this verse implies.

This was a subject which all knew about how the Prophet lived; where his mother had brought him up- in a barren desert- and after coming on the scene he was always under the control of the affluent and could not live in peace. Thus, for sometime he lived in a cave near Mecca and could not do anything. Always when he was in Mecca, his propagation of religion was in a covert and underground manner until he arrived in Medina. In Medina too, those around him were the same poor and downtrodden people. When he built the mosque, it was unlike the mosques that we have; initially, it was a mosque whose walls were made of wood and the shade that it provided was made of the leaves of the date palm; this was how it was built. It also had a place in it that was called s uffah or platform. A group of the companions of the Prophet are called" companions of s uffah"; meaning they were individuals who were homeless; who had no possessions. They would go to these mosques and live on the same platforms. The platforms also were unlike the platforms that we now have built in our mosques which are made of brick floorings or other things that we use in building them now. It was a floor which was slightly raised above the ground and was made of clay or some other thing. Basically, they did not even have mats in those days. Yet, they would sleep and live there. These were the people whom the Prophet urged to fight against the Quraysh and those who were very wealthy and were of the arrogant, and he went and defeated them. This propaganda campaign that was unleashed was because whatever blows that were dealt to these people were dealt to them by religion.

Now in Islam- which is our present discussion- these big powers who want to plunder our wealth are the ones who regard Islam as being in conflict with their interests. For this reason they first unleash their attack on the basis of religions; their objective also is not the earlier religions of the past; their objective is to carry the argument to Islam and say that Islam is a religion that is a narcotic whereas when we take a look at the history of Islam and then review properly the era of the Prophet until the present era and those that were followers of Islam, we see that the Prophet belonged to the same lower strata," Allah verily hath shown grace to the believers by sending unto them a messenger of their own." «2» It was this strata, this lower strata of believers, whom God granted His favor so that he arose from among themselves a person who would be of similar disposition; who would sit together with them and eat and drink with them and live in the mosque in the same way that the Prophet lived there and consult with the people in the same mosque and prepare and equip the soldiers for pounding the enemy- from this same population, He chose the Messenger to fight against those who wanted to do all those things. It is for this reason that they engage in propaganda; first they take the side of religions in general and then they drag it to Islam with the intention of repressing Islam; this is because they fear Islam. That religion which can challenge them and severe their hands from oppression and plunder and so forth is Islam. For this reason, they want to belittle Islam in the eyes of our youth; in the eyes of our enlightened intellectuals and in the eyes of that populace which is potent so that they lose faith in Islam; and when they lose their faith in Islam, they will no longer be capable of doing anything.

Now, of course, there are many things that can keep our youth preoccupied and are perpetuating. One of those things that they have designed and presented the plans for it is to belittle Islam in the eyes of the youth. If they are also afraid of the clergy, once again it is because the stratum that can pose a challenge to them is the clergy. It is for this reason that they attack them directly saying," The clergy are supporters of the palace!" Whatever clergy that exist are royalists and that it was the royal palace that created the clergy and trained them to plunder the people and that they too are admirers and sing the praises of kings! This also is intended to scare the people from the clergy; scare those away from Islam and scare those away from the clergy such that these two elements want to take away the power from the people; whereas if you note, that group which has taken the initiative to challenge the powers from the beginning until now has been the clergy.

In the last century, which is, well, very close in history and about which you all know is that the group which has challenged the kings of the time has been initiated by the clergy. The Tobacco Issue was started by the clergy of Iran and Iraq and with the religious edict of Mirza Husayn Shirazi «3» and the `ulama' of Tehran. However, the people also liked them and would follow behind them and accomplish the tasks. It was the same during the Constitutional Movement as it was started by the clergymen of Najaf (Iraq) and Iran; the people also joined and got the task done to the extent that they could at that time and forced the despotic regime to revert to constitutionalism. But, well, they were unable to amend the constitution the way it should have been amended. Again it was the same situation. During the reign of Rida Shah which the majority of you are totally unaware of but which this gentleman here (pointing to a person in the audience) and I remember, the many uprisings that occurred in Iran were all started by the clergy. One uprising occurred in Azerbaijan where the theologians of Azerbaijan revolted, but well, the power was in their hands and they were arrested and sent into exile for long time to- I think- Sunqur; and after the term of exile, the late Aqa Mirza Sadiq Aqa «4» came here in Qum and also died here. An uprising took place in Khorasan- the incident of the Gowharshad Mosque uprising «5» - where all the `ulama' who participated in this uprising were arrested and taken to Tehran where they were put on trial and imprisoned. An uprising took place in Isfahan and the `ulama' of Isfahan came to Qum and invited the `ulama' of the region, most of the `ulama' of the region also joined them. But once again, power was in their hands and they were unsuccessful and the nation also was not as aware then to follow the `ulama'. This is in stark contrast to what these people say that the clergy were supporters of the kings. On the contrary, they are against the kings. They call the anti-monarch monarchists! And always, that which was the target of their attack was the same theological schools. This very Faydiyyah Madrasah of Qum was attacked several times and they smashed the doors and windows, burnt the books and hurled some individuals from the rooftops down to the yard and these sorts of savagery. This too was because they wanted to take away these two powers from the people.

Another [subject] was that of the universities and the class of students and academicians. They were even afraid of the university. They would note that well this was an intellectual force that was also young and it was possible that this force would challenge them. Thus, they also repressed the universities through various means. They had different approaches; by means of this same propaganda, they led them astray; they diverted their thoughts. They did some important things in order to preoccupy the youth by whatever means with themselves and prevent them from having a say in the destiny of the country. If they would leave the university alone and there would be no propaganda and sabotage involved, the university would build intellectuals who would think of finding a remedy to the acts of pillage and looting committed by others.

Through diverse tactics they would preoccupy these strata of the youth who were and are capable of doing these things. They would employ or own all these mass media that are present such as the radio and television network, the theatre, cinema, newspapers, magazines, and so forth to keep the youth preoccupied with pleasure and entertainment; to bring them up as licentious adults. A youth when he goes for five or ten days to the cinema, would become habituated to films; and basically, his thinking would become a cinema mentality. Perhaps at night he would even see the film stars in his dreams! When he would open his eyes at the daytime, he would be thinking of when it would be night so that he could go to these centers. One whose mind is reared in this way will no longer think about Carter plundering our crude oil. Basically, he has nothing to do with it. The youth would go to these centers of corruption that they had built all over Iran and more so in Tehran; the centers of debauchery that they built; these houses that they built were in order that our men, children and our youth would go there and indulge in debauchery. In the summer, it was the seashore resorts that they had built. These organizations that must be educational such as the radio and television broadcasting and the newspapers and so forth, were all quite opposite of what they are designed to be. The matter was not that something had happened on its own; it was a matter that was designed according to a plan which most probably was prepared by the CIA. It was designed with the intention of confining our youth in homes; after all you cannot imprison all the people. Whenever possible they would do that; wherever all these elements, all these things would join hands, they would build centers of corruption and immorality, and expand it and publicize it so that the youth would automatically be drawn to those places. In the summer, they would build lake and sea resorts where the youth would gather together- men and women together- and attract them to the seaside and also make available all facilities. It was all free of charge and they would go there and indulge in whatever they craved. The question was not that this was done naturally; the question was that there was a specific plan and conspiracy involved not to let the youth to develop and evolve naturally and in a humanistic way and to preoccupy them with these very matters. The subject of music is, well, one to which the youth are naturally attracted to it. If he gets habituated to music for a time, he loses the power to think seriously on matters and pursues this subject. These are the matters that they devised according to a plan to lead our youth astray.

And yet another of their plans was- besides several others- not to let them to concentrate on their studies in the university. They created a faction called leftists to pour into the universities and create disturbances and get into fights and so forth; and to wean away the university students and the youth from the classrooms and bring them outside to engage in fights and other things. They would promote leftist ideas in the universities to draw their attention to these matters and such issues.

All these were things that were done on the basis of a plan so that we become indifferent to the destiny of our country. Now, they emphasize this subject more because now they feel that Islam and faith in God have resulted in a population with bare hands and without any guns and weapons- these few guns that are to be found were taken as booty- but armed with faith, faith in God, to come out on to the battlefield and defeat the big powers and throw out all of them and to amputate their hands; now they feel that what caused their defeat was faith which these youth possessed; and their devotion to Islam. Now, they are trying to separate you from Islam. Now, once again, those pens, which are at their service and are on their payroll for misleading our youth are still working, giving speeches and engaging in writing. Even this subject of the seaside resorts that was being done so blatantly were criticized in some of the publications as being" reactionary"! That civilized behavior demands that men, women, boys and girls should go to the sea together and if it is not so then it is reactionary! Civilized behavior means that every youth should go to the cinema for few days and should make it his living; that all his hopes and wishes should become so. If such things are prevented so that they become educative; if the cinema becomes educative; if the print media becomes educative; if someone comments that the magazines must be educative and that these must educate our youth; that these must impart political development to our children and to bring them into the political arena; and that these photos and these invitations to vice and the likes of these that are universal; if they are prevented from such things, they comment that it is reactionary and scare you from it, or in other words, they say that we possess" the weapon of excommunication." The same claim of" reactionary" is in essence, the excommunication of the believers. They want to mislead you from the objective that you have with all the powers at their disposal and by every means that they can.

Now, this movement that you are witnessing has reached to where it has severed the hands- severed the hands of all foreigners. You know that the Islamic movement of Iran with that same devotion of the people for Islam; and that they no longer feared martyrdom; and they regarded martyrdom for the cause of Islam as a great honor for themselves; this was realized when the people showed that they no longer feared tanks and guns and so forth and poured out into the streets. A spiritual transformation occurred in Iran; all over Iran a spiritual transformation was born. A people who would not think of the affairs of the state; now their youth, their children, their women, their men are preoccupied with the events of the day. Previously, there was absolutely no such thing.

If they would speak a single word about us, the clerics, it was that we are political. One of the abuses that they wanted to give to a clergyman if he wanted to utter a word that was to the benefit of the country, they would say he was" political". In the beginning when we came to Qum, one of the respected `ulama'- who was prominent and a leader in Qum- when some of the pseudo-holy men wanted to criticize him, they would say that newspapers were found in his home! In this way they would empty the minds so that if a preacher was found to have newspaper in his home, it would become means by which to taunt him. What has a mullah got to do with a newspaper; what has a preacher got to do with politics? When they wanted to free us from the prison, they called us into a room that was well-furnished and we sat down. Pakravan «6» came in with another named Mawlawi «7» and in his conversation he said that politics means lying; it means deception; it means tricking; it means trickery; it means being a son of a bitch! This was his last interpretation; and that we should leave this field to them. He wanted to compel us not to interfere in politics. I told him that if this politics consisted of those qualities, then it belonged to them! Yes, later they wrote there that we had come to an understanding. Then, I went to the pulpit and settled the matter with him. They had made such calculations and fed us the believers with the idea of moving aside and leaving politics and getting on with our theological schooling and handing over these interests of the country to them! This was the issue. Handover the destiny of the country to them; that we should sit in a corner of the seminaries and live in that manner and deliver sermons for the people; that, too, not deliver sermon on any issue. If we would have spoken correctly then the situation would not have been in this manner. They had set aside the issues of Islam and they had put forward a set of personal issues. The social issues of Islam; the political issues of Islam; the war issues of Islam were set aside. That we should take a look at the Qur'an; the political, military, battles, and such issues have been mentioned often in the Qur'an, you are welcome! But that we should not have anything to do with what is the duty of the nation vis-a-vis the government and what is the duty of the government vis-a-vis the people! We should not involve ourselves with how the government should be run; what are the conditions of administration; what are the duties of the police; what are the conditions of the judge- we should not be concerned with these matters. We were told to leave these issues alone and we had come to believe them to such an extent that we regarded reading the newspapers as being shameful! We too would not dare at all; we too were a part of them.

Now, a transformation has taken place that perhaps in the past two years, it was not so. It is two or three years that the transformation has intensified. Of course, the movement is fifteen or sixteen years old, but this transformation has occurred in the latter part. A transformation has occurred in various spheres in you all and we all; formerly, if a policeman would do something improper, in the same Tehran bazaar, it would not make the traders to even protest to the policeman! The policeman would come and order that it is Aban 4 «8» and all must put banners in their shops. Everyone was all ears to hear what he ordered and act on it. It was not much later that the same people who were afraid of a policeman and had no regard for their own rights poured out onto the streets and chanted," We do not want the Shah!" This was a miraculous transformation whereby a person who was afraid of a policeman was now not afraid of tanks; now he was not afraid of soldiers and their bayonets and he protests against them. This was one type of transformation that was achieved. Yet another transformation is the involvement of all in the daily issues and the political issues. A populace that in those days would be taken to account for reading newspapers, now those same people have radio and television programs in their homes- and of the lawful varieties, not the forbidden ones- as well as participate in the daily issues. Wherever you go, the youth are bust talking about the topics of the day. Do you think it was so ten years ago? Basically did you have any say? You had no right to interfere in the daily affairs. You had no right, for instance, to give opinion on the condition of the gendarmerie; that the government must be like this and to take the government to account. Now, it is such that all have entered the arena and a spiritual transformation has taken place in this society. And this transformation is a divine transformation. No person could do this; the hearts of the people are in the hands of God; this is a divine transformation. One of the transformations is that today a group of people have arrived from Europe- a group of young people- and told me that they wanted to go to the villages to help the people; what a transformation is this that those in the prime of their youth and living in Europe and according to their youthful instincts should be pursuing other vocations say that they have come from Europe- both women and men- and wish to go to the villages to help the people there! I told them that they must value this attitude highly and be extremely grateful for it. This villager who felt lonely until now and all the forces were working against him and wanted to plunder him, now sees that a group of educated young people who are doctors, engineers and physicians, have come from Europe to his village to harvest the wheat for him. Even though you do not know how to harvest properly- well, the peasants know to harvest. You do not know how to harvest but you can collect a few stalks and bundle them for these people and this creates such a powerful feeling in these peasants, farmers, tillers, and harvesters that their productivity will rise two-fold. When the farmer sees that women have left their homes in Europe, and the same here too; and the youth have streamed in from the universities, colleges and academic centers, both women and men- last night I saw on television how they had streamed in there and were helping them; and how effective it was in boosting the morale of these peasants; how it elates them to see that those who are serving them consist of doctors and engineers! This is very valuable. The fact that you too who are now saying that you are prepared, is itself a transformation that God has brought about in you. Formerly your hearts were not at all inclined toward these matters; now it is. Who brought this about? God is the transformer of the hearts. God has brought about this change in your hearts such that you desire to go to the villages and help the peasants. Education and development is other than what it was previously when they wanted to send a group from some organization there by the name of so-and-so for their own publicity; now there is no publicity involved. Nobody engages in publicity for another. You wish to go there on the basis of your own will; to educate, to train and so forth.

May God protect all of you and cause you to succeed in serving your own country. The country belongs to you; their hands have been severed; now you should strive to govern your own country lest they say that you are incapable; that the Iranians cannot govern their country and another person is needed to come and take charge. Nosy people are still present. Those who are plotters are still present. Cling to your own country and rely on your own strength. Each person wherever he is should do his job well. This gentleman «9» should do a good job on the pulpit; and you the university students should perform well in the university; and we also should do a good job in the seminary. We should all join hands to do a good job. God willing, the country belongs to you yourselves.