Speech [Internal change of a nation is the source of victory, unity between religious institute and the university; Importance of Friday prayers]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

First, I pray to God my dear ladies and youths and He may bless you with Islamic view. As this Islamic Revolution advances and goes ahead, it defeats the enemies with the same proportion. They become more equipped. In the early days of the revolution, they were expecting its collapse. So, our antagonists and the parasites of our society hoped so. In the meantime, you took the first step and cast your vote into the ballot boxes. You voted for the Islamic Republic. The controversies of the oppugners or the rightists or the leftists had been in vain. Now all the necessary steps have been taken. Fundamentally, we have nothing short of the Islamic Republic. The foundation is laid. Their disappointment has grown much. It is likely that their activities increase, and all the things a foundation needs are laid down. They may try to create obstacles in the executive process. Therefore, the obligation upon us and the nation is greater. Now this Islamic Republic, which has been formed, is a divine trust in the hands of the Iranian nation. The entire nation and you the respected students long for Islam. You want an Islamic culture. You do not want to see the persons like those we had in the past regime, and the persons of their ilk that come from abroad. Now they do not want the colleges and even the high schools to remain in their healthy and pristine position. On the other hand, you are determined to make the base of the culture an Islamic one to obtain an Islamic output. You want to make the culture to be like a frame that the persons therein be so developed to be beneficial to the society, to Islam and to the Islamic county. The efforts of these people are to stop you making progress in what you want and holding you from attaining the end you have. Now it is essential that you be vigilant of their plans and plots. It would not be surprising that they will infiltrate into the colleges and schools, and whisper their satanic aims to deviate you from your purpose. They are the same seduced groups. They are the agents of SAVAK. They are the agents of the aliens.

I have often and repeatedly told you that the tyrant institution and the big powers are afraid of one thing and that is Islam. They are terrorized by Islam. Now they fear more because they have been hurt by it. Before, this fear was only an imagination. In their fancy, they feared that they would not be able to snatch away the wealth from these countries if Islam gained hold. But now, they have actually been hurt by the whip of Islam. They have witnessed that a great satanic power with its allies and all other powers, cannot protect their satellite power inside the country in spite of the outside powers that were in its support. Our nation broke this big wall. They are aware of the fact that our nation was deprived of any modern weapons. These few rifles that are in the hands of our guards are the remnants of war. There was no such thing before. They used to utilize stones, sickles, lances, canes, bricks and etc. Later on they developed some primitive things, which were in no way equal to the arms the enemy had.

They could have assaulted and bombarded Tehran. So they could have defeated the campaign for example. Who was the one who did not allow them to do such a thing? Who made the fist overcome tanks and guns? Does anyone else have such a power except God? You and I, do we have such a power? Who drove the people to the frontiers- who lead the population of 30 and odd million to one direction and united them from the children of seven years, who had just learned the utterance, to the old man of eighty years, inept and unable, and made them all rise in one voice!? Who brought the hearts together? Who gathered the closed fists into a force? What power on earth can perform such a miracle?

In the remote villages, such as Chaploq, Borbor and Kamara, the villagers used to go to their clergy to roam in a demonstration. I was notified about this when I was in Paris. Some one who had visited these villages and witnessed the things told me all about it.

Who was the one who gathered the people across the country to confront the guns and tanks? They came into the streets and squares of towns and cities in spite of their own difficulties and troubles. What power dragged our youths from the spots of corruption to the field of campaign? From all the quarters of corruption, here in Shemiran, the youths left their lust and latitude for the sake of the campaign. Who created this change in our country and in the youths of our nation? You have seen people fearing a policeman. This bazaar of Tehran, the biggest bazaar of Iran, if a policeman entered and told them to install a flag or a banner on the shops; no one had the courage to say" no". So the people, who were so timid, became so daring. Who changed them? They became so brave that they came into the streets and shouted" Down with the Pahlavi regime". The people used to be scared of telling a thing about a policeman or a minister or the prime minister. Now the same people have changed so much. Their courage carried them so far, at such a length!!! Such a sudden change should take place; it is the job of some one else. Where there any schools that they come from and administer injections, which bring change into the persons? Such a thing is not possible at all. Was it the result of propaganda? No, propaganda cannot create change into the nature of people too. It is something like a miracle- in such a short time to change so deeply. This was the power of the one who changes hearts. We read in the Supplication:" O, thou can change the hearts of sights? O, thou can minister the night and the day? O, thou can change the conditions and the status? Change our conditions to the best of the conditions."

This is achieved. This has changed. Our condition was changed from fear to force, from feebleness to a ferocious power, from terror to courage. They forgot their own difficulties. Their self-centeredness vanished. A nation of thirty and odd million changed suddenly from the condition they were having throughout the period of Shah's rule to a bravery and courage. In recent days, the fear had increased. Disappointments, despair and desertedness had gripped the nation. They were so afraid that even in their homes; nobody dared to say anything, particularly about the secret police (SAVAK). The son was afraid of his father and the father feared his son. With regards to His Majesty, no one dared to say anything in his own house. In such circumstances, who made us so brave? We all had so much fear and terror. What changed us to this extent? We changed to brave spirits. Who made the bazaar and the merchants sacrifice and forgo the personal gains? Those who were after their own profit? The bazaar remained closed for a month and in some districts, even more. The merchants never thought of their loss. Who did this miracle? Is there anyone except God who has such a power?

Sometimes revolutions progress to a certain extent, and then are deserted. But there was some power and some one who held us on our path adhered to the revolution. God is the one who kept us alive in our revolution. All in one voice demanded the Islamic Republic.

Don't forget God- a power beyond nature. Don't forget such a mighty power. You have to trust that power. Such a great power supports you. Now America with all the strength and power which no power even that of the Soviet Union can stand against it, is your adversary. It is trying to defeat you. You are sitting here. You have nothing. Perhaps you might have a rifle. But America is gathering all the power against you. In spite of all this effort it cannot overcome your strength. It is still short of enough power to fight you. What is this? We have such a power. America, which can conquer the whole world, is afraid of us. Are we the ones who have done this?

This very Mr. Carter: He has been shouting since the beginning of our movement. He has been against us since the beginning. He has been terrifying us. He has been annoying us. He has announced in America that nobody should travel to Iran. This delegation that has come here consists of former American justice secretary and the personalities of their own country, America. They did not mind 10 years' imprisonment in addition to a penalty of 50,000. They were brave enough to neglect and ignore this law imposed upon them.

Here these gentlemen say that such a law is nonsense. Now they know that he utters banter, meaningless and senseless things. We know that he has been talking nonsense since the beginning. I was in Paris. He said in one of his Speeches that Shah has extended too much liberty to the Iranian people. It was the time when the people had broken the curfew he had imposed. He thought that it was a grant bestowed by his Imperial Majesty. He did not know that the people had taken it themselves. His Imperial Majesty has given us nothing. He has done everything possible to him. He did massacres but to no avail. He changed ministers. Each minister came and said some rodomontade to the people. By such nonsense Speeches he thought people will ignore the past. He saw that was of no avail too. People are the same. Finally he repented. This very same man one year ago and also two to three years ago said that these clergies are like filthy animals. So we should not have any talk with them. This same man in the presence of all said:" O, the clergies of Islam!, O, the great oracles! I am sorry. I am such and such. «1»

This was a trick too. He did. The nation has been listening for fifty years to his trite and prattles. The nation has witnessed destruction, plunder, pillage and prisons for fifty years. Children have been witnessing their corruption. So they cannot be trusted any more. Our nation has now changed, and has become a vigilant one. It has recognized all the matters and become aware of all things. God willing, this awakening of your shall become firmer and stronger if you focus on God. You will gain relief and salvage.

Before, if the British government said a word, the members of parliament here had no courage to go against it. Sometimes, someone appeared with courage to stand against their demands. For instance, like the late Mudarris. He was an intrepid man. He used to confront all. But it regrettable is that they still say that the clergies had no part. He was one clergy in the parliament. Rida Khan wanted to establish a republic. But Mudarris oppugned the idea. He knew that it was a trick. He wanted to plunder the people. However, Mudarris blocked the way. In spite of all this, have the clergies had no part? Since the advent of Rida Khan, Mudarris stood against him. Rida Khan first established himself. Then he started going against Islam. Those who campaigned against him and confronted him with their closed fists were clergies. They were clergies who campaigned in Tabriz, Mashhad and Isfahan and all over the country. On the other hand, no political party and no other institution stood against him. No body rose against him. The others were idle and sluggish. They were waiting to enjoy the results of the toil of others.

Now you should know that the best way was what the religious quarters hold. Also the class of students and the university joined them to reach this aim. Now they fear that the students unite with the clergies. They want to come together and form a coalition. They are afraid of this alliance. So this is a dread, a terror, and a fear for them. Alliance between these two classes means the alliance of the whole nation. They labored years long to separate these two classes from each other. It was a plot. It was design. In the university they abused and objurgated clergies. It was a deliberate performance. It was not just an occurrence by chance nor was it an occasional one. Likewise, in the environment of clergies, academics were abused and objurgated. It was an intentional whisper deliberately poured into the ears of both the classes. The public media too gave wind to this. The clergies were openly and publicly scarified. The media as a whole stood against the clergies. Their poets too sang the song that the country cannot be reformed as long as there exists a clergy. One of the verses of this ignoble man was sung by all and disseminated by all the media. The purpose was the separation between the two classes- clergies and the university. They set each other in confrontation. A student would not sit by the side of a clergy. They knew that if these two categories combined, the job for them will become impossible. Even now they are having the same thought. They have not given up the idea. You don't think that their agents have forgone the idea. Now it has been started as it was in the days of Rida Khan. Assaults against the clergies are already in practice. In the north, it is more because of the leftists there. In other places it is a little mild. But it does exist. They have no scuffle with the" `ammamah" (turban) holders. They discern the base, the foundation. They see that the nation with its clergy, academy, bazaar and worker- all have become together. They have prepared within a period of one year and a half all the material that a government needs. This thing is unprecedented in the world. It is a thing which others may not be able to accomplish in a period of fifty years. They still do not have. These people have prepared all things within a year and a half. Therefore, they fear from such a gathering or union. They see themselves defeated ones. Since they know that they are defeated by clergies and the academy circle. They know that a clergy can group the people of his locality and his mosque. From the very beginning, their aim is clergy. They want to abolish the clergy class. They lifted the turban from the heads of the clergies. Before, no clergy dared to appear in streets. This was not an occurrence of chance. It was a studied plan. They know that the turban wearers can do many things. People trust them. People listen to them. So, they try to bankrupt this class. They fell greedy upon our oil to take away as long as they want. Besides, they tried to spoil our youths. Their point is that there should not be any one to check them or say why? They see the `Why' if comes out of the mouth of a clergy, it renders efficacious. In the days of Rida Khan, all were silent out of fear. But a clergy stood against him and used to say `Why'. Since it was not yet common and still it was in initial stage, the campaign was meeting with defeat. Now they see volunteers have become common. People are changed. University students no more spurn a clergy. Likewise, a clergy does not disdain a student. Both sit in an environment of religious institute of Faydiyyah planning how to reform the university. So, now they are terrified. They say that if they separate these two classes, the clergy too will be distanced from the people. Then the job is done. Now these days, wherever you go, the same words that were in winds in the days of Rida Khan are being freshly whispered. All the throats, those of SAVAK's and of" Fada'i-ye Khalq" are emitting and imparting the same past sayings. Every passerby strikes a blow to a clergy. They know the way. They want to burden the youth with their own load of thoughts. Therefore, they try to lower this class in the eyes of the people. This is the same thing done in the era of Rida Khan. At this moment Sayyid is engaged in carrying out t his task.

This is incumbent upon me to inform the nation of Iran. It has been reported to me that these fellows have deserted the mosques. Islam came out of these mosques. In the early stage of Islam, the armies used to come out of the mosques. In the Friday prayers, people were grouped to form volunteers to face the enemy. The mosques were the fronts. They have seen peril and harm from the mosques. The leader (head) of the mosque wants to pray. There is a group who just wants to put their prayers at show. They themselves do not have intention to the real prayers. A group comes forward and takes it stand at a side. A man comes forward and takes its stand at a side. A man, God knows whether he has taken the ablution, stands to pray. A group of ten or twenty persons stand behind him. They follow his leadership of prayers. Is this the prayers? These people do they really want to pray? If they want to pray, is this the prayers? In fact, they want to repudiate the prayers. Exactly in the same way that they lifted the Qur'an over lances and sticks and defeated Imam `Ali. Imam `Ali kept on saying:" I am the Qur'an. I am the commander of the faithful. I am the Qur'an with voice." But the fools did not listen to him. Imam `Ali said that it was a trick. But nobody paid heed to his warnings. The people pulled out the swords and said that they will kill him if he did not stop the fight. They did not let the army of Islam to vanquish. Now too it is the same case running. They perform prayers. But their prayers are to defeat the mosque. I have heard the mosques are empty. This is a matter of regret.

You accomplished an Islamic revolution. You did it to promote Islam and execute the Islamic regulations. There is no religious obligation above the prayers. Why do you neglect to perform prayers? All these issues relate to prayers. You go to a court or any other place. Will you see there any files of prayers performers? You will see the files of those who have deserted prayers. Wherever file you find there, it belongs to those who do not perform prayers. Prayers are the backbone of the nation. Lord of the Martyrs on the day of `Ashoura at the noon prayers. It was the battle day. The battle too was decisive and dreadful. All were in an eminent danger. One of the associates told it is noon now. Imam Husayn thanked him for reminding the prayer time. Imam Husayn wished him that God may acknowledge him as a prayer performer. In that hot battlefield, the Imam stood and prayed. He did not say that there is now a war going on. He fought for the sake of the prayers, to keep the prayers alive. Imam `Ali, someone asked him a religious issue. He was engaged in the battle. He stood and gave the answer there and then. One told him that now it is not the time for such things. Imam `Ali replied:" I have pulled the sword for very such a thing."

Battle in Islam is not itself an entity or an obligation. Battle is only a means, a tool by which the filthy elements that block the way and create handicaps for the progress of Muslims are expelled. The point is to follow Islam and through Islam polish the human beings. The prayer is a factory to make humans out of men. Corruption and undesired things are warded off from a nation by means of prayers. Those who are fettered in the lewd places and lascivious locations do not perform prayers. The prayer-holders are in the mosques. They are always girded to render service. Do not descent the mosques. It is an incumbency upon us. These days are exceptional that we are in. We are in an exceptional age.

We succeeded by the name of God. Prayers are the highest remembrance and mention of God. No negligence should take place regarding prayers. Perform the prayers in a group. Don't say that I will go home and there I will pray. Association in prayers is better than praying individually. Keep the mosques occupied. They fear from the mosques. They whisper into your ears that a clergy is good for nothing. Why should you go to a mosque? We ourselves pray. They don't pray. But they want to counter the prayers. They do not let the Muslims pray. They are against prayers. Because they fear from mosques, I have a religious obligation to inform you to keep the mosques full and inhabited. You, the academic students and the religious students, none of you should desert the mosques. Mosques are the fronts. The fronts should be dept occupied. The word" Mihrab" means the place wherefrom war imparts or emanates." Harb" means war." Mihrab" is the object. For the sake of conception, we can say it" alters". Today is more than all days, that is now, I mean the running moments, and this age is more sensitive. The reason is all things are achieved. Satans are disappointed. They are trying from all sides to create hurdles and block the progress. It is not important to them of their design gets succeeded after ten years. They make preparations for ten years. It is enough for them that the gradual progress in their plot. Mosques to get empty little by little and the clergy are set aside bit-by-bit. They replace by a man who is not a true clergy and has a belief in anything. Through him the prayers will be derelict. The fronts will be forsaken. Afterwards they will assault on us. So, you should keep a constant vigilance over this fortification. Don't say that we have done the revolution.

No. It is not correct. The most powerful and strongest cry is the prayers. Do pray. Be in association or together. Perform the Friday prayers with due ostentation and ceremony. Likewise, the usual prayers other than the Friday's also perform similarly with much care and attention. Satans fear the mosques. They fear the prayers. The students, academic students, clergies, turban-wearers, scholars- all these classes who are thinking-mind, should enhance their alliance among and amidst themselves. They should be aware that their alliance should not be foiled by the enemy. If they come into the university and say that they have no business with the academics; likewise in the religious schools, you should know that it is chicanery and a trick. They want to separate from each other. They want to open the space for themselves. Be aware. Be awaken. Be vigilant. Now all the eyes are adhered to you. These delegations that come here from abroad, some of them have said that other nations have no knowledge of the conditions here in Iran. The reason is all the public media is in the hands of our enemies. Regrettably, we have several magazines and newspapers inside the country. But they lack circulation. Anyway, they come and go Books are loaded and unloaded at the gate of the university. Therefore, you should be vigilant to not fall a prey to them. They are hurt by you. They are wounded and injured. So they are now after revenge. Do not let them to have an open hand.

You preserve your meetings and gatherings. Have a firm hold on the mosques. Let the university undergo changes and reformations so that to be useful for us. If the university was our own, though it is named after the nation, that is" National", but it has not a remote bearing upon the Muslim nation. If we had an Islamic university, the one to be useful to us, there would have had not been so much bloodshed. Our youths would not have been killed in such a vast number across the country. This happened because we have led no university of ours. Whoever came out the university got a job. He used to oppress the people and tell them that whoever completed his college would become a servant to others. It the head is corrupted and is mistaken the whole lot will be the same. The first grade servant enters into understanding with his superiors. Then he easily steals the people. They reach an agreement with the head of a village and then they rob the whole village. The empire of Ottoman: It was a big power. But deplorable it is that was split into parts after the world war! Each of its part was given to one of their servants «2». Egypt too is in the hands of another servant «3». I don't know there and where they have installed their servants. They install dictators. The nations are made silent. Suffocation is imposed upon nations. Be afraid of the day when they will bring a dictator and place over your heads. I hope such a day never dawns. However, we should not be negligent or careless. Let not this happen that we may grow proud thinking that no one has any thing to do with us. No one can do anything. This will be our vanity. Well, the economical blockade- you may not fear of it. The military incursion- this too is nothing to be afraid of. He made a mistake, an error. Now he might be contrite. But the whispers- they are to be feared. They come close to your ears and start pouring the ears. These are Satans. Therefore, should be afraid of. They are to be feared who whisper in your ears that the Islamic Republic too is like the regime of the Shah. Were you able to sit there? Were you able to gather in a meeting? Do fear them who say nothing has happened. They are split and mingled in the groups and gatherings. They want to create reluctance, temptation, hesitation and uncertainty. They burn the piles of corn and say they are servants of the people. They aim at straying you from the right path. May God guide you. May you adhere to this same right way. May God guide us all to the right path and deviate us from the right and left. May God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.