In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Greetings to the pilgrims to the House of God. Greetings to the pilgrims who have gathered in the location which received God's Revelation and the place where His angels descend. My regards to the Muslims who have traveled from their houses to the House of God.
Greetings to all Muslims whose prophet is the Great Messenger, the last of the prophets, whose Book is the Glorious Qur'an and whose Qiblah [the direction which Muslims face while praying] is the Ka`bah Mu`azzamah. My regards to those who have put behind them all forms of polytheism, and have turned to the purist form of tawhid [monotheism]; those who have released themselves from serving and obeying the idols in the world, the centers of arrogance and colonialism and the satanic powers, and have attached themselves to the Absolute Power of God and the cord of monotheism. Greetings to those who received God's message inviting them to His House and answered His call.
It is now necessary to point out certain things to you the liberated Muslims, who have gathered at the site of the Revelation in order to perform this political-devotional duty, so that you may know what is occurring in the Muslim countries and what schemes are afoot to colonize, exploit and subjugate the Muslims, and who the evil instigators are.
1. The Muslims of the world are on the verge of drawing closer to one another, and all the Islamic denominations are coming to an understanding to liberate their countries from the evil clutches of the superpowers. The international plunders have sensed the danger that they are in. The links to Iran of the supporters of the tyrants of East and West are on the point of being severed because of the people's faith in the Supreme Being, their unity of expression and their congregating under the standard of Islam and monotheism. While these developments are taking place, the Great Satan has summoned its supporters to sow discord among the Muslims be means of every ruse imaginable, and to create disputes and enmity among the adherents of monotheism and the brothers-in-faith so that its path to plunder and domination will lie open to the greatest extent. Fearing that Iran's Islamic Revolution might spread to all the other countries, Islamic and non-Islamic, and thereby cut off its evil links to the countries it dominates, the Great Satan, while not having gained anything from its economic embargo and armed invasion of Iran, has resorted to another ruse so as to discredit our Islamic Revolution in the eyes of the world's Muslims and to pit them against one another so that it can continue its oppression and plunder of the Muslim countries. And the ruse is that while Iran is trying relentlessly to foster unity of expression among all the world's Muslims and make them adhere to the great religion of Islam and to monotheism, one of America's wicked pawns, who was a friend of the defunct, non-existent Shah, has been ordered to get a decree from the Sunni muftis and jurisprudents to the effect that the dear Iranians are infidels. Some of these pawns have stated that the Islam professed by the Iranians is not the Islam that they believe in. Yes; Iran's Islam is not the same as that of these people who support America's pawns such as Sadat «1» and Begin «2» and, contrary to God's command, extend the hand of friendship to Islam's enemies, and also spare no effort nor refrain from calumny in sowing discord among Muslims.
The Muslims of the world must recognize these people who are creating disunity and must undo their plots.
2. The superpowers have launched an onslaught against the Islamic countries such as Afghanistan where the Afghans, who do not want the foreign powers to tamper with their destiny, are being mercilessly and brutally killed. America, too, has a hand in every mischief. Simultaneous with the criminal Israel's all-out assault on the Muslims in Palestine and dear Lebanon, its nefarious plan to move its capital to Jerusalem and the escalation in the atrocities and the savage slaughter of the Muslims refugees driven away from their country, and at a time when Muslims need unity of expression more than ever before, the traitor Sadat, America's servant, and Begin's and the defunct, non-existent Shah's friend and brother, and Saddam, America's devoted servant, have started creating discord among the Muslims. To this end, they do not refrain from committing any atrocity that their criminal master orders. America- which is repeatedly assailing Iran, dispatching spies to wreck our Islamic Revolution, conniving with Sadat to create differences, making malicious propaganda, spreading lies and defaming the authorities of the Islamic government by way of Iraq- is of that type. Muslims ought to be wary of the treacherous acts of these loyal servants of America against Islam and the Muslims.
3. One of the issues that the plotters have raised for the sake of fomenting discord among Muslims, and about which the agents of the oppressors have stated making propaganda, is that of nationalism, an issue which the Iraqi government has been making much of for many years. In Iran, too, a limited number of groups, are knowingly or unknowingly promoting and endorsing it. Turks, Kurds, and other places are following the same trend, pitting the Muslims against one another even to the point of enmity, heedless of the fact that love of country and its people and safeguarding it and its laws are matters that are beyond question. Moreover, nationalism in confrontation with other Muslims nations is another matter to which Islam, the Holy Qur'an and the teachings of the Noble Prophet are opposed. The type of nationalism that results in antagonism among the Muslims and creates a schism among the ranks of the believers, is against Islam and the good of the Muslims, being, as it is, one of the ruses employed by the foreigners who are smarting because of Islam and its expansion.
4. More dangerous and painful than nationalism is the creation of differences between Sunnis and Shi`ahs, and making seditious and inimical propaganda among the brothers-in-Islam and the brothers-in-faith. Thank God that no differences exist between these two sects in Iran's Islamic Revolution. Both of them are living side by side in all friendship and fraternity. There are many Sunnis living around the country, many of whom are scholars and shaykhs. There is brotherhood and equality between us. They are also against the discordant tunes being played by the criminals and those connected to America and Zionism. The Sunni brothers in the Muslim countries ought to realize that these agents affiliated to the big satanic powers are not the well-wishers of Islam and the Muslims. It is necessary that the Muslims renounce them and pay no heed to their contentious propaganda. I extend the hand of brotherhood to all the committed Muslims of the world and request them to look upon the Shi`ahs with brotherly affection and thereby neutralize, as always, the sinister designs of the foreign powers.
5. A part of the widespread propaganda that is being done apparently against Iran, but in reality against Islam, is that" Iran's Revolutionary movement is incapable of governing our country", or that" the government of Iran is very about to fall as the country lacks a sound economy, proper educational facilities, a disciplined army and an armed force in a state of preparedness". Such propaganda is being disseminated by the American mass media and its allies, and is a matter of glee for the enemies of Iran and Islam. This propaganda is actually against Islam. They want to make it appear that Islam, these days, is not equal to the task of administering countries. The Muslims must now carefully examine the issues and compare the non-Islamic revolutions with Iran's Islamic Revolution. Our Islamic movement inherited a country that was a hundred percent dependent, a country that was in a ruined state and pushed backward in all respects. The subordinate Pahlavi regime had brought about the all-round collapse of the country over a period of fifty years. They had given away the country's abundant resources and assets to the foreigners, particularly England and America, taking for themselves, their relatives and servants whatever had remained and thereby causing us many difficulties. But with the blessings of Islam and the help of the Muslim nation, we were able to approve of and execute within two years everything that had to do with the country's administration. Notwithstanding the difficulties, arising from the economic sanctions, military intervention and the comprehensive coup d'etat, that America and its satellites had created for us, our combative nation has been able to increase our food stocks to near self-sufficiency levels. All the other requirements of the country have also been procured. We will soon change the colonial culture of the days of the previous regime to an independent Islamic one. Our armed forces, our army, Islamic Guards Corps, gendarmerie and police stand ready to defend the country and maintain order. All of them are prepared to lay down their lives in crusading for Islam. Apart from this, the army of twenty million; the general mobilization of the volunteer force [basij], marshaled and organized by the nation, is fully prepared to make sacrifices for Islam and the country. Our enemies should know that no revolution in the world has had such few losses but such great achievements as our Islamic Revolution, and this was realized by the blessings of Islam and nothing else. What do these rancorous people say? How is Islam not able to govern the country when it had prevailed over the governments of the infidels and oppressors in less than half a century [since its birth] and had governed half the developed world for centuries?! Today, our nation is willing and actively assisting in organizing and running the affairs of the country. The enemies of Islam are either ignorant of the power of Islam in uprooting injustice and running the country on the principles of justice, or are feigning ignorance. The enemies of Islam, and even many of its friends, are unaware of the administrative ability of Islam and of its socio-political precepts. Actually, Islam, since its early days, has remained isolated and concealed throughout history. And now with the help of all the Muslims, the savants, the thinkers and the Islamic experts, it should be made known [to the world] so that its radiant face reveals itself like the world-illuminating sun.
Oh Muslims of the world who have genuine faith in Islam: Rise and unite under the banner of monotheism and the guidance of Islamic teachings. Sever the treacherous links of the superpowers to your country and deprive them of its abundant resources. Re-establish Islam's pre-eminence. Put aside your differences and your selfish desires as you have everything. Have faith in your Islamic culture and confront the West and Westernization. Stand on your own feet; challenge the intellectuals who are influenced by East and West. Regain your identity. Be aware of the misery that the hired intellectuals have caused for the country and the nation and of the things that have happened so far, also happening to you unless you unite and place your full faith in the true religion of Islam. It is now the time for the nations to act as beacons for their intellectuals and rescue them from their self-alienation and state of wretchedness vis-a-vis the East and West. This is the day of action on the part of the nations who have up to now been the leaders of the guides. Know that your spiritual strength will prevail over all the powers, and that your population of nearly one billion, your abundant resources and untold wealth is able to overcome all the world powers. Help God's cause so that He assist. O the immense body of [world] Muslims: Rise roaringly and crush the enemies of humanity. If you trust in God and adopt heavenly teachings, the Exalted Lord and His great army will be on your side.
6- The most important and painful problem confronting the Islamic nations and the non-Islamic ones of the countries under domination is America. Being the world's most powerful country, American leads no stone unturned in its attempts to devour the material resources of the countries under its domination.
America is the number one enemy of the meek and deprived people of the world. In order to gain political, economic, cultural and military control over the dominated countries, it does not abstain from any kind of atrocity. It exploits the oppressed peoples of the world by means of its extensive propaganda that is generated by international Zionism. With its treacherous and mysterious supporters, America so sucks the blood of the refugeless people as if nobody has the right to exist in the world except itself and its satellites.
Iran which wants to cut all its ties to this big devil is now embroiled in imposed wars. America has compelled Iraq to shed the blood of our youth. It has also compelled all the countries under its sway to cripple us by means of an economic embargo, and, unfortunately, the Asian countries have also turned hostile towards us. The Muslim nations ought to know that Iran is the [only] country which is officially confronting America, and that our martyrs and these valiant youths in the army and the Islamic Guard Corps are defending Iran and dear Islam against America. It is necessary to say that it is on America's behalf that these conflicts in the west of our dear country are being foisted on us daily by these godless groups attached to it, and that they concern the essence of our Islamic Revolution which has been founded on the basis of [gaining] genuine independence. We would not have had these misfortunes had we compromised with America, the other superpowers and others, but our people are by no means prepared to submit to servility and humiliation once again, preferring, as they do, the red badge of martyrdom to a life of ignorance.
We are ready to die. We have promised God to follow the example of our Imam, the Doyen of Martyrs «3». You Muslims who are sitting by God's house in supplication, pray for those who have stood up against America and the other superpowers. You should know that we have no reason to fight Iraq that the Iraqi people support our Revolution. We are, however, fighting America which is now using the Iraqi government to fight us. With God's help, this struggle will persist until we gain real independence. I have said this many times; that we are warriors and that to Muslims, surrender is meaningless. Non-aligned nations! We ask you to be witness to the fact that America intends to destroy us. Wake up and help us to attain our aim. We have turned our back to East and West; to America and the Soviet Union, so that we may govern our country by ourselves. Is it fair that we be assailed like this by East and West? Considering the current world situation, this will be an exceptional case in history that even if we are killed, martyred and defeated, our cause will surely not be defeated.
I have said many times that the hostage-taking by our combative, dedicated Muslim students is but a natural reaction to the harm done to our people by America. The hostages will be released if the dead Shah's fortunes are returned to Iran, if all of America's claims against Iran are rescinded, if guarantees are given that America will not interfere politically and militarily in Iran and if Iran's assets are released. I have, of course, handed over this matter to the Islamic Majlis to deal with it as it deems appropriate. Whereas the hostages in Iran are being given the best treatment, the propaganda made by America and its allies contains every kind of falsehood, calumny and accusation, and America and Britain have treated our youths with disrespect and have tortured them physically and mentally. No authority in the international assemblies defended our dear youths nor condemned America and Britain for their brutal behavior. I pray to God the Almighty that all the shackled[ Muslim ]nations gain freedom and independence, and have Islamic republics. May God's peace be upon His righteous servants.
Rouhullah al-Mousawi al-Khomeini
6/21/1359 AHS