Speech [The silence of Muslims on the aggression of the Ba`ath Party of Iraq against Iran]

I thank you, gentlemen, for coming here. I hope that God will accept the pilgrimage undertaken by you and the rest of the respected hajis. I would like to say that you have succeeded in visiting the House which God has prescribed for the people. This is the first house that God has designated for all the people. God says:" Lo! The first sanctuary appointed for mankind was that at Mecca, a blessed place, a guidance to the peoples." «1» This is proof- it is one of the things which prove- that God the Blessed and Exalted, has invited the whole world to Islam. And, He has set up this House for the whole world from of time of the Prophet's assignment to the end.

This is the House of the people. No individual or individuals, no group, or particular sects have any priority over others to the House of God. All the people in the East and the West of the earth, all over the globe, are under obligation to be Muslims, and to gather in this House which has been set for the people to visit, and perform the pilgrimage in that sacred place. The `ulama' of Islam and the wise persons have tried from the early days of Islam up to now to have all the Muslims assemble together and unite against non-Muslims. Wherever there is a Muslim; he must come to an understanding with all Muslims. This is a thing which God, the Blessed and Exalted have commended in the Qur'an. «2» And, the Noble Messenger (s) has recommended. «3» The Imams of the Muslims have also recommended it and the attentive `ulama' of Islam have followed up this matter and endeavored to invite the Muslims to unity and oneness under the banner of Islam.

Regrettably, some deviationists, some elements who do not believe in Islam, are trying to epitomize Islam in `Arabism through their claims those are devoid of the reality of Islam. A day or two days ago, we received a report from the news agencies that Saddam Husayn has spoken about diverse things in his illegitimate parliament. He has uttered falsehoods, one of them being that a Persian is not a Muslim, because the Holy Qur'an is in `Arabic. And that the Prophet being an `Arab, Islam belongs to `Arabs. This is the logic of this perverted fellow who has no knowledge of Islam? He is one of those `Arabs regarding whom the Blessed and Exalted God has said:" The wandering Arabs are harder in disbelief and hypocrisy and more likely to be ignorant of the limits which Allah hath revealed" «4» It is better for such people not to understand the limits set by God, and His commandments. According to the logic of this man who has no belief in Islam, you gentlemen who attained the honor of making the pilgrimage to Mecca, are not Muslims. All the Muslims of the world living in the east and west of the globe are not Muslims: a Persian is not a Muslim; a Turk in not a Muslim; a Balouch is not a Muslim; a Pakistani is not a Muslim; the Muslims of India are not Muslims and the Indonesians are not Muslims. To be Muslims is exclusive to the `Arabs- like `Aflaq, like Saddam, and the Ba`ath Party of Iraq! This is the logic of a man who is ignorant of Islam and of the Holy Qur'an. The Muslims necessarily acknowledge the Prophet of Islam as the last and final Prophet who had been appointed for the whole of mankind in the east and the west of the globe. The Holy Qur'an points out that Islam is for all the groups. Whoever has got it should believe it. It has been narrated that according to the Noble Messenger, Islam is for all. As such, this man granted that he is a Muslim- though this is a wrong supposition- has gone outside the pale of Islam because he has spoken against a Muslim fundamentality, and has contradicted the Holy Qur'an and also the Noble Messenger.

We have, for many years, been trying to bring about harmony, unanimity, and unity among the Muslims. All the troubles the Muslims have had at the hands of the foreigners, is because they want to derive benefits from Muslim lands. They want to exploit their resources and bring the Islamic governments under their yoke. So, they and their lackeys have been trying to sow discord among the Muslims. The utterances of this evil person are in line with their desire to set the `Arabs on one side and all the Muslims on the other: the `Arabs alone are Muslims. The Pakistanis and Iranis are not. Only the `Arabs are the real Muslims! According to another statement of his, all the others must acknowledge the `Arabs as their masters. This is against Islam. It is against the precepts of the Holy Qur'an. The Holy Qur'an has made piety the criterion as it says:" Lo! The noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is best in conduct". «5» And Saddam regards `Arabism (being an `Arab) as the criterion. That is, Arabism, whether it is like `Aflaq's or Saddam's, or of the others, is against Islamic criteria and Muslim fundamentality. This is the very thing that the superpowers are after so as to divide the people; to separate the `Arabs from the non-`Arabs, to place the `Arabs on one side and" `Ajam" on the other. They even want to divide the `Arabs too by separating the various groups within them. And, they also want to divide the" `Ajam" which consists of all the other Muslims. They have been assigned this mission. Muhammad Rida was given the task of separating them. Those who utter such things and follow up the matter are the very same agents who carry out the evil aim of the foreigners which is to separate the Muslims.

Muslims ought to present a united front against those that are apart from them." And dispute not one with another lest ye falter and your strength departs from you".«6» The Noble Qur'an has ordained that if a Muslim group attacks and oppresses another Muslim group, it becomes incumbent upon all the Muslims to rise against the attackers, not to mention a non-Muslim attacking a Muslim. «7» If a group of unbelievers attack a Muslim country, it is the duty of all the Muslims to attack it and put an end to its existence. What has happened that the Muslims are indifferent about this matter when all of them- all those who are knowledgeable about the region- know that Saddam's tyrannical government and the Ba`ath party attacked Iran from the air, sea and land without any justification, and overran certain parts and places of Iran without the government knowing about it. But when Iran did come to know about it, it put a stop to the aggression and, praise to the Lord, inflicted such heavy losses on him and his army that it will take him many "And if two parties of believers fall to fighting, then make peace between them. And if one party of them doeth wrong to the other, fight ye that which doeth wrong till it return unto the ordinance of Allah; then, if it return, make peace between them justly, and act equitably. Lo! Allah loveth the equitable."

long years to get his army back to its original condition. This unmanly attack has taken, and is taking, Iraq to destruction. They have spent the funds that ought to be used for promoting Islam, on the war. We did not start the war; we are not its initiators. But we will crush anybody who attacks us. They started the war, and, therefore, this event has taken place in our country. Had we started it, it would have been good to have first gone (into Iraq) and taken one of the villages there, and they had come and driven us back. In his malicious speech, Saddam has claimed that they (his emissaries) had come to see us many times and had talked to us over a long period in order to reach an understanding with us, but the government of Iran did not accept. And that is why they found it necessary to attack Iran. He has also said that Iran has destroyed many Iraqi border-posts. He has been uttering falsehoods of this kind. Prior to the Iraqi attack, Iranian forces did not set foot at all in their country, and there is no intention to enter. There is not a single border-post destroyed by Iran. Of course we defended ourselves after they attacked the people, the ordinary people, with long-range artillery and land killing the women and children and destroying their homes. They did every kind of mischief. Defense, of course, is incumbent on every Muslim and every human being. So, according to God's command, we defended ourselves and Islam; not just our country.

is one who is subservient to the" `Aflaqs". They and their party consider Islam to be incompatible with their policies. They are Islam's enemies. He who talks about (Imam) Husayn ibn `Ali (s) is the very same person that executed or imprisoned groups of Husayn bin Ali's pilgrims.

He is the same man who ordered the shelling of the sacred shrine of Imam `Ali. They showed me the place where the shells had made a hole in the wall. These are the same people who arrested the great `ulama' of Islam both sects, Sunni and Shi`ah- and imprisoned or martyred them. They have no understanding of Islam, but now they lay a claim on Islam. He says that he is a Muslim! He is from those `Arabs about whom God the Blessed and Exalted has mentioned as being ignorant of Islam and its laws. What has happened that Muslims are unmindful about this thing? Why are the Muslims not thoughtful about these things that have happened in Iran- the damage done to our country and the way in which they, in contravention of all international norms and the rules of war, massacred children, the young and the men and women, and also attacked the residential areas. Why are they silent? The Blessed and Exalted Lord has commanded us to fight him ( ). Now that they are not fighting him, they can at least do propaganda against him. They should not remain silent. Why are the radios of the Muslim countries silent in the matter? Why do they keep quiet and give no thought to the fact that the Islamic Republic suffering a setback in Iran, God forbid, will result in the defeat of Islam? Why do they not realize that the superpowers are afraid of Islam, and that their opposition to Iran stems from their fear of Islam making headway in the rest of the countries and that what happened in Iran will also happen in other places?

What has happened to the Muslims that they have become silent spectators of the events concerning Islam and the honor of the Muslims? We don't need military aid. We ourselves will settle accounts with them. But it is a matter of regret that the Muslims are heedless about these Islamic issues. They do not pay attention to the Holy Qur'an which clearly states that if a group, even if it is Muslim, attacks another Muslim group, it is obligatory upon all Muslim to defend the oppressed group.«8»

Why don't they dispatch their own reporters to see for themselves the events that have happened in Iran and the tragedies caused? And why is it that in case there are news agencies present (on the scene) and are sending news to them it is not being broadcast by their radios? What is this lethal silence among the Muslims? Do you think that it is a matter relevant to Iraq and Iran and to Saddam and the country of Iran? This is not the case. The issue is Islam; not just a country. The matter concerns all the Muslim countries. It is a question of the oppressed of the world.

What they want is the disunity of the Muslims; they want to rule over them. They want to destroy our youths, cast our universities in the colonialistic mould, and make our economy a dependent one and our army as well. It is not just Iran that they have in their sights. They have set their sights on all the Muslim lands; all the ones that ought to be under Islamic rule. But you can see what will happen if the one billion Muslims unite like the thirty-five million people of Iran who realized their aim and dealt them (the superpowers) such a blow. That they will never be able to raise their heads! They cause these wars to happen in order to prevent such a thing. Why should the Islamic governments be cut off and separated from one another like this? Why should they not pay attention to the social and political issues of Islam? Why don't the Muslim countries realize that it is Islam that they have in their sights; not Iran. All the people are alive to this; why not the governments? Until when must we and our governments be under foreign domination? Until when should the American and Soviet advisers tell us what to do? Until when must English, American and Soviet sergeants come here and give orders to our army? We drove them out, and you too, do the same. All the Muslim countries should do likewise. We have put all those who sow discord in Iran, in their places and will continue to do so. All the Muslim countries are under obligation to arrest, expel, and wipe out those who create divisions contrary to the teachings of Islam, the commandments of the Qur'an and the instructions of the Prophet of Islam. Why are we sedentary? Why are the Muslims sitting idle? Why do they not campaign? Why do the Muslims not rise against the arrogant ones? Why do the oppressed ones of the world not campaign against the arrogant ones?

The American Blacks have supported us. But most of the Islamic governments have not. The nations, wherever they are, have supported us. The Muslims, wherever they are, have supported us and condemned the tyrant Ba`ath government of Iraq. But the governments have not done so. What is wrong with the governments? Why should they remain resigned till the end to the oppressive pressure of the big powers? Why do they treat Afghanistan like that with the Muslims remaining idle? Why should they treat Iran like this with the Muslims remaining silent? Are they sitting by awaiting their turn after the others are finished off one by one?

This is a danger the Muslims are facing. I am sounding a warning about the danger threatening the Muslims and Islam considering the position taken by the governments. They are sitting by and have made you fall out with one another. They incite the governments to war while deriving benefits for themselves. Why don't you study Islam and the fate of Muslims? How long should we be under foreign domination? And how long should our countries be subjected to their assaults? Why do the Muslims not wake up their slumber? The main difficulty is the Islamic governments. The governments must wake up from their sleep. If the governments wake up, the difficulties of the Muslims will be removed. They must have rapport, but there are hands at work that do not let them. They have a mission and therefore, they do not allow this to take place. I pray to God the Blessed and Exalted to awaken all the Muslims and bring them under the Islamic banner and that all of them assemble together, carefully study Islamic issues and solve these among themselves. May God's peace and mercy be upon you.