In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
A telegram, bearing the names and signatures of eighteen of congregational prayer leaders, with copies to fifteen officials of Mahabad, was received here today. It was a statement of regret that I, because of ill-intended propaganda against the Kurds and the followers of the Sunni school of thought, have issued an order for general mobilization. I know for sure that the distinguished `ulama' of Mahabad and those of other cities are well aware of the event as it has happened, and it is most obvious that the heads of the insurgents have either forged the signatures of the `ulama' or have forced the `ulama' and the congregational prayer leaders into this. Nevertheless, in spite of that, I deem it necessary to bring to the attention of the distinguished `ulama' of Kurdistan, other Kurdistani brethren and other strata the following: Those treacherous heads, who know that they are defeated and hated by the Iranian nation, are resorting to such groundless means. Since the beginning of the victory of the Revolution up to this very time, we have declared that no such thing is an issue in Islam as Kurds, Turks, Persians, Balouchs, Lors, Turkmen, etc. Islam is for all and the Islamic Republic will do Islamic justice to all the sub-groups. At the same time, those traitors to Iran- Kurdistan in particular- have not abandoned their criminal and treacherous acts; they have responded to peaceful plans by the use of weapons, which they have either plundered, or received from foreign countries. And they have either set on fire our brethren who have been mobilized to protect their own Kurdistani brethren or eradicated them with utmost cruelty and in dismal atrocity. They did not even have a pity on our Kurdistani brethren and on all those who had been dispatched to Kurdistan to help with the Jihad for Reconstruction and helping Kurdistan, and executed them. What I have to tell these insurgents is this," If I had issued an order for general mobilization against the Kurds, why then we did not treat them but in a brotherly way in the cities of Kurdistan- such as Naqdeh, Sanandaj, Paveh and other places- after the purge. And why did our Kurdistani brethren receive the army, the Revolutionary Guards, and the disciplinary forces with open arms and welcomed them with enthusiasm?! And why did we dispatch a group for reconstruction of the region in order to meet all the needs of our Sunni brethren and provide for their welfare in all possibilities? Why should they think that we consider the Sunni brethren our enemies while time and again we have declared that there is no difference whatsoever between these two schools? We are determined to renovate that region in its best possible way; the preparation for this is under way. Now, are we opposing the Kurds?! Or, are you- who are taking arms and do not pity anyone and anything, the true advocates of the Kurds?!
If we order general mobilization, we do it for supporting the Kurdistani brethren and to help them get rid of the insurgents. God willing, we will soon expel them and their wickedness, and will severely punish those treacherous leaders for their evil acts. We will treat the Kurdish brethren- even those who subscribed to the disbanded Democrat Party- in a brotherly way and with equality if they return to the fold of the nation, and they will all be under the protection of Islam.
May peace be upon the righteous servants of God.
Rouhullah al-Mousawi al-Khomeini