Speech [The secret of the victory of the soldiers of the period of early Islam - The necessity to purge the region of Kurdistan from the anti-revolutionaries]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

I hope by the grace of god and the bravery of the army and the guards, Kurdistan will soon be set up right and purged. I thank you for your sacrifices for your country and Islam. Now you have driven out the mischievous elements, they will chase you in return. So you should be careful. «1» I warn you, the army and the guards, and the commander-in-chief «2» that Kurdistan must be purged from these malefic and mischievous elements. They have dragged Kurdistan to licentiousness. They have trounced and tortured the people there in a most wild way. They have looted the people. They have massacred them. So, they should not be allowed any margin or moments of leisure. The region should be thoroughly cleansed that they should lose their hope.

This is an important factor that our guards, gendarmerie and the army should be united and be in correspondence with each other in a congruity and consistency and coherence. Most important is that in practice, they should be in a dispatch and discipline with each other. In coherence and consistency is won a victory. So, the commanders should be in understanding with one another. Thanks God, they have. Secondly, the grades and ranks too must be respected. And the obedience too should be without `why' and `what for'. Exactly like in the early days of Islam, the obedience should be without any overlook or renitence. Side by side to it, brotherhood and friendship too should exist. Hadrat Amir (`a) was commander-in-chief of the forces. But with regards to all the persons in the army of Islam, he was sympathetic. In the army of Islam, there is neither imposition nor any coercion. In other words, they are exactly like brothers, close to one another, fighting in the way of God. One of them is the commander and the others are subordinates. Any negligence in obeying the orders is not allowed. Discipline must strictly be adhered to. The commanders to the soldiers must bring home that all are brothers. The army must obey its commander-in-chief, Bani-Sadr. Today, we are in peril from the powers, which I do not anticipate so much, yet coordination should be created. If so, no power can enforce its word upon you. Victory is yours. Today, the army is strong. Its strength is the nation. Nation is with the army. I hope the government and the nation and the army to be together that will make a great force and nobody could stand against it.

I think the army, the guards, the gendarmerie and all other forces who worked hard in Kurdistan to defeat the pagans. I present my condolences to the families of the great martyrs. I pray to God to grant you strength and power. Now you are the soldiers of Islam- exactly like the soldiers of the Prophet. Your station too is high. Your worth is great near God. this country is yours. You should preserve it. The pleasure of God is more important. Your deed is the pleasure of God. May God support you.

May God help you all. In the early days of Islam, soldiers were very few. In spite of their little number, they stood and confronted the enemy's army which was in a greater number- the armies of Iran and Rome with their full equipment. The Islamic soldiers fought the greater number of the enemy's army and won the battles. The secret in their victory was their moral weapon. Their belief was that if they were killed, still they would be happy and prosperous. On the other hand, if they killed, still they would be prosperous. As for the enemy, he was after the world. So, to fight was not in his interest. They fought under the pressure and coercion. You see the battle with fetters. The enemy used to reeve the rivet his soldiers into fetters so that they could not flee. So, it is obvious that in such a state, the soldiers will fight unwillingly. This was the reason of the victory of Islamic army and the defeat of its enemy. The enemy had totally lost their moral because they had neither faith nor belief in God. So, the enemy had no motive. For whom he should fight? For what aim and purpose he should fight? They should expose themselves to an open peril so that, suppose, Shah or his son to gain the result and attain so much power. So for what should the soldiers sacrifice to such an extent? On the other side, the case differs. There the sacrifice is for Islam, for God. God has every right upon us. Whatever we have is from God.

So we should spend it in His name. Therefore the secret of the victory rests in these two words: having faith in God and having no faith in God. Those who had no faith were week and feeble, and those who had faith were strong and powerful. We must have a moral like that of those who used to say that they went to be martyrs. Since the beginning of this campaign, a group of men and women used to come to me asking me to pray for them to attain martyrdom. I pray for your prosperity and the reward of martyrdom. I pray that you be able to serve Islam. Such a moral is the cause of progress. Be serious to preserve this moral. The youths who serve in military and the army of guards, they should be strengthen morally. Thanks God, they are strong from the aspect of their spirit. Their faith should be strengthened. One faithful soldier can defeat one squadron. God willing, these martyrs of the path of God may have higher station with God. I hope so. Same as the army of Islam had in the Battle of Uhud and other battles. May God keep their families safe. I too say my condolences to them. They are among ourselves. The big powers will not dominate you, neither you should present to them whatever you have. May God help you.

(Here col. Sadri addressed the Imam requesting him to address the soldiers of Battalion 28 as they are anxious to hear the dear the Imam if the Imam deigns to the request).

[The Imam addressed:]

These words that I said better to be relayed. I really, rather always, have had been thinking about Kurdistan. A group, vulgar and rowdy, has come and disturbed a part of our country. Their pretext is that they want to work for the people. We saw and you too saw that these people were corrupt and they wanted to spoil Kurdistan. They wanted bad of the people. Thanks God, you defeat 4 d them with the spirit you have.

I pray for all soldiers who have served Islam in Kurdistan and the guards who have guarded Islam. I am grateful to all of you and all of them. I am sorry as to not be able to go with them and fight along with them. The reason is I am an old man. I hope they will be successful. They will raise their heads before God. Indeed, they are so. In Islam, they will be acknowledged as the soldiers of Islam. You manage your country with glory, greatness, honor, respect and happiness. You go ahead forward and forward, God willing.