Speech [Strong warning to the opponents of the Retaliation [qisas] Bill; declaring those who oppose the necessary laws of Islam as apostates]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Today we have a gathering of scholars from the Mazandaran province, some Sunni scholars, some brothers from the Mashhad city, as well as other strata of our society and since it is a gathering of Sunni and Shi`ah brothers I have to speak on a few points and share some things with you. During the period of my struggle against the sinister Pahlavi regime I was very clear about my stance. I had clearly realized that it was a regime that functioned against the interests of Islam and the Muslims and that it had pushed our country into the arms of America, pouring the wealth of the country into the pockets of the two superpowers, while the remainder went into his (the Shah's) own bank account and to his relatives in foreign countries. Those days we were clear about our duties. In other words, we were confronting a regime that was clearly opposing Islam and its interests. And we had no fear of motivating the entire nation against the regime and employing every possible means for the cause of Islam. And I guess we succeeded in doing so and you, the nation of Iran, joined hands and demanded for the Islamic Republic with your slogans of" God is the Greatest" and" There is no other god but Allah" and demanded for independence and freedom under the banner of the Islamic Republic. And, by the grace of God, the Islamic Republic was established because people categorically voted for it and this was followed by some miraculous incidents and the establishment of a legal government in this country was finally fulfilled. Nevertheless, unfortunately, we are presently facing some groups, that admit neither Islam and its laws nor the Islamic Republic openly so that we can be clear about our duties and act accordingly, like we did during the previous regime, and nor are they prepared to remain quiet and to submit to Islam and the Islamic laws and the laws of the country. We are now at the crossroads as to whether to deal with them in the same way as we did with Muhammad Rida, or whether to continue to invite them to peace and harmony and to abide by the law!

I wish to know the basis of the call for today's rally. I have seen two leaflets of the" National Front" calling on people to participate in this rally. The issue mentioned in one of the leaflets of this rally is the bill on the law of retaliation" [qisas]. This means that they called on people to stand up against the" Retaliation Bill". And the other leaflet made a mention of" the inhuman bill"! What does it mean to call on this Muslim nation to rally against the bill on retaliation? It means to rally against the direct commands of the Qur'an. They have invited the people to stand up, resist, and rally against the Noble Qur'an and its decrees. For both the Sunni and the Shi`ah brothers, the Qur'an is the Book of God, and they consider it necessary to accept all its decrees. The decree of retaliation[ qisas ]has been mentioned in several places in the Qur'an and the bill on retaliation is based on a Qur'anic decree. And they have invited the Muslims to rise up against the Qur'an in this rally and against the irrefutable laws of Islam. We are clear about certain people belonging to some of these" fronts". They were unconcerned about Islam right from the beginning of the establishment of the Islamic Republic. All they were concerned about, if their claims were true, was nationalism; although I doubt if even that was their motivation because all of us saw how some of their leaders who were famous for their" nationalism" «1» ultimately rebelled against the nation. Even as they are abroad now, they are inviting foreign powers to work against this nation. And these foreign powers have their agents in all strata- among the nationalists, the religious, and even the clergy. What has surprised me greatly is not that the pamphlet statements of the" National Front" refer to the bill of retaliation as being inhuman, or in other words, the" inhuman" decree of Islam and the" inhuman" decree of the Qur'an and that they invite the people to rise up and rebel against Islam. Such things were and can be expected of them. However, have those people who welcomed and supported this" National Front" rally gone through their leaflets and seen that one of their motives behind calling this rally is to instigate people to rebel against the Qur'an?! Although they have not mentioned it directly, this is what they have clearly insinuated. And if they have gone through these leaflets, they were negligent of the fact that this rally is aimed at confronting Islam, the Islamic Republic, and the Islamic government. At this point, I do not want to get into a discussion on whether Mr. Raja'i's government has been effective or not and whether or not it has done anything that calls for an uprising against it. And I am not interested in a discussion on whether the Majlis is the true representation of the nation or not and neither do I wish to discuss whether the Judiciary is delivering on its responsibilities or not. And if this rally had been organized in order to guide the people, there would have been no objections to it and they could possibly have staged it. However, how can we rationalize a rally against Islam and the Qur'an and against a definite Islamic decree?! Moreover, I am not even concerned about the fact that some of the members of the" National Front" are probably even Muslims. But I am concerned about the people who have aligned themselves with this front and have aligned themselves with the hypocrites and the deviants! I would like to ask them how they, as pious and" religious" people, rationalize such a move?! Is religious obligation confined to issuing statements against the Majlis and the government? Among all the religious obligations, do you feel that the only duty that you are left with is inviting the people to stand up against the Islamic government and the Majlis? Is your responsibility of amr bi'l-ma`rouf wa nahy `anil-munkar[ commanding good and prohibiting evil ]only confined to commanding and prohibiting the Islamic government? And that, too, in such an extreme manner?! And that, too, with an invitation for insurgence and rebellion?! Do you have no obligation to stand up against the statement of the" National Front" which contradicts the decree of the Noble Qur'an and for their public invitation to rally against the divine law? Have you gentlemen delivered upon all your other religious obligations that you are now left with only one, which is disrupting the Islamic Republic?! Are all our obligations- yours as well as ours, whether the writers, intellectuals, the various fronts and movements as well as the others- now only confined to portraying a distorted picture of this Islamic Republic outside the country and inviting people to rebel against the Islamic Republic? All the rest has been handled and only this one obligation remains?! Today, as the insurgents are busy all over the country creating insurgency, the hypocrites are busy with their devious activities while we are facing the attacks of the big powers, and while our country is defending itself in an imposed war, and while we are internally facing the opposition of these various groups who are using your excuse to rush into the streets and injure our youth and sometimes even kill them, do not all these acts call for" nahy `anil-munkar"? Isn't their act of inviting people to insurgency" amr bi'l-munkar" (commanding to evil) ? Isn't that inviting people to mischief?

I regret it and I truly regret it greatly that I am not a clairvoyant! And that I did not know what was hidden in their gear! I used to accept some of them and would even express my fondness to them but least did I know that they would even stand up against the Qur'an! Least did I know that they would align together and that they have a common center of alignment and that they would align with the hypocrites whom those who have gone through their book," Shenakht", «2» know very well. They have aligned with these fronts whose masks have now been stripped off and who now openly invite the people (saying)," O Muslims! Come and stand up against the inhuman decree"; thereby implying the" inhuman" Qur'anic decree!! And all might and power belongs to God! In an Islamic country, can the Qur'an and Islam be slandered openly in this manner in front of the Muslims? And certain authorities actually grant them their consent and invite the people to insurgency? Against what? Against a direct Qur'anic decree? They have extended an invitation to join in a rally at 2 pm today. As per what appears in their leaflets, this is an invitation to rally against the" inhuman" Islamic decree!

How should we deal with these people who claim friendship but stab Islam in the back? Such an impertinent move against the Noble Qur'an was not made once even during the reigns of Rida Khan and Muhammad Rida! The Muslims should know that by adopting this path and approach now, those people have naively exposed themselves. For those who wish to participate in this rally or those who have expressed their willingness to participate in it, or have endorsed such participation, or have invited people to participate, if they only know what it implies! Woe on such a nation whose nationalists are such and whose religious ones who claim piety are such and whose leaders are such! And if they are acting out of lack of awareness, how can they invite you all to join in the" National Front" rally, without even going through its leaflets first?! (They say:) close down the Tehran bazaar, close down the Isfahan bazaar, and close down all the bazaars of Iran and all its streets and go out and rebel and show resistance! Against what? Against the" inhuman" bill of retaliation! The" inhuman" Qur'anic decree!

How do we deal with them? What do we do with these" pious" people who are supporting them (The National Front) and have aligned with them and were aligned with the hypocrites right from the beginning? How do we deal with these pious Muslims? When I had suggested that we share our grievances, it was to say:" Sa`di! Lament the affliction of friends!" Then how do we deal with those who fake friendship? Wherever these gentlemen speak and whenever they make statements, one of their grouses is against the" law". The law has to firstly be honored. And this year, too, has been named the" year of the law" or the year of the implementation of the law. Gentlemen! All these bodies have been established in the country only to implement the law. The Islamic Consultative Assembly is a body that has been endorsed by the law. The Council of Experts, too, has been set up legally. The government, too, has the Majlis's vote of confidence and is legal. The Judiciary, too, has been set up according to the law. Well, if you truly wish to act upon the law- and we, too, want you to act according to the law- do you recall having approached me with a promise to refrain from causing tension through your speeches and newspapers? Have you honored your promise? You had come here- which was after differences had erupted between you- and it was agreed that a tripartite committee be set up- one person representing the President, one person representing those gentlemen, and one person whom I would appoint- and that they would be the arbitrators. «3» After the arbitrators scrutinized the issues under dispute and spoke about them somewhere, their newspapers wrote that" this arbitration is like the arbitration of Abou Mousa al-Ash`ari"! This means that these three people- one of whom was appointed personally by him, the second was appointed by the speaker of the Majlis and the other two people, while the third had been appointed by me- had all arbitrated like Abou Mousa al-Ash`ari who had voted against Imam `Ali (`a)! Suppose I do presume that their arbitration was like the arbitration of Abou Mousa and presume that the accusation that they made in their newspapers against these few pious scholars, one of whom they had themselves appointed is valid, why do not they also act like Imam `Ali (`a)? Imam `Ali (`a) had appointed Abou Mousa under pressure. He did not want to appoint him and in fact wished to appoint someone else but his friends pressured him; those same friends against whom the Imam (`a) should be lamenting, pressured him, insisting that Abou Mousa would be suitable for that task, and thereby coerced the Imam into appointing him. And after Abou Mousa's arbitration, these same friends wanted to dishonor his verdict. This time, Imam `Ali (`a) stood up in resistance saying:" Now that the arbitrator has passed his verdict"- which proved to be against Imam `Ali (`a), by dismissing him off his right to caliphate and by appointing Mu`awiyah instead-" this was his arbitration and we should honor it". Even though it had proved to go against him! Well, since you, too, make such lofty claims, why do not you also act like Imam `Ali ('a)? Unless you believe that he committed a mistake! But you will not do that, as you have often said yourselves. What, in any case, do you all believe in? All these gentlemen that have aligned together and have aligned with the hypocrites, have joined hands to cause disruption in our country. They have aligned to create turmoil. But what have you aligned for? These gentlemen claim that they do not accept this whole game and demand that we start all over again. I asked them yesterday whether this nation had made the choices or not. And if the nation did not make the choices, go and check out who did? Where did all these people come from and vote in favor of the constitution? On the other hand, it was the same hypocrites and these others who have aligned with them that did not vote for it. However, I do not mean the groups of the" religious" ones. Whatever has taken shape today has been with the votes of these same people. You keep saying that you honor the decision of the people. Fine! Who does not honor their decision? If you say that the criterion is the decision of the people, fine, it was these people who have voted! And you have now aligned to act against the decision of the people?! Have you aligned to exterminate the Majlis? Have you aligned to sidetrack the Judiciary? Have you aligned to sidetrack the government? What is this alignment for? What kind of an alignment is it?

I was apprehensive about some of these people right from the beginning. However, I chose to remain patient and to counsel them. And every time they approached me- maybe not every time but most of the time- I invited them to Islamic behavior and to honor the law and to protect and safeguard the Islamic Republic. My apprehension regarding them began to gradually increase, till I could clearly see this group of hypocrites in action, confirming my apprehension in the form of anti-Islamic groups. It is now my religious obligation to refrain from endorsing them. Is it possible for me to remain silent, and while I am witnessing action being taken against Islam and our country, to invite them to sit in discussion? If I even saw the slightest possibility of their returning to Islam and of their loyalty to abide by the Constitution, to which they swore allegiance, I would have invited them again to remain united and to act according to the law. However, it would be negligent and gullible to trust these groups that have joined hands and aligned with the" National Front" that wishes to launch a rally against Islam and has slandered Islam and has written against it calling one of its definite decrees as" inhuman". And after I see that you have aligned with such people, how do you think I should deal with the" religious" groups from among you? I was fond of them. I am still fond of some of them. But how are we supposed to deal with them?

Well, why do not you dissociate yourselves (from the" National Front")? I, once again, advise you to dissociate yourselves from them. Just because the communists, too, are against Islam, these gentlemen also invited them to join hands. Well, we know where the" National Front" stands. They have directly opposed Islam. But as Muslims, and especially since you do not intend to stand up against Islam, why has the caprice of your carnal self increased so much that you have no idea what you are up to. Why has the Satan gained so much control over our souls that he has managed to make us blind and to warp our hearts? Dissociate yourselves from them. Does the" Freedom Movement", too, second the claims of the" National Front"? Do they also agree that that the decree of retaliation, which is an irrefutable Qur'anic decree for the Muslims, is" inhuman"? I have no doubt that they do not agree with it. Then why do you not declare it? Why have you remained silent? Is nahy `anil-munkar only limited to prohibiting me? Is it only limited to crushing the government and the Majlis? Do you intend to prohibit something by resorting to a munkar? But what are you trying to prohibit? Do you mean to say that the Muslim people should remain silent against those who invite others to rally against this" inhuman" Islamic decree and watch them slander the Prophet of God (s) and the Qur'an? This move is equal to sacrilege against the Qur'an. (Do you mean to say) that the Muslims should sit and silently watch what a group, which has always been based upon falsehood, do whatever it wishes? I know their roots. This is a group that has always been staunchly against Islam. Right from the beginning of its formation, when the late Ayatullah Kashani «4» had realized that they were in the wrong, he had denounced them.(In retaliation) they brought a dog near the Majlis wearing a pair of spectacles and called it" Ayatullah"! Those days, he «5» was their leader; in whom they take pride today. He, too, was not a Muslim. I happened to hear about this incident while I was visiting the home of an Islamic scholar in Tehran. I told the scholar that" the opposition is no longer personal now and he will soon face chastisement". It was not long before he did. And if he had stayed on, he would have harmed Islam. These people are the vestiges of those types of people and they now call the decree of retaliation which is a definite Islamic decree as" inhuman". Well we do know, to some extent, where we stand with them. We shall settle our accounts with them as and when we deem it fit. But what do we do with these" pious" ones? The same" pious" ones against whom even Imam `Ali (`a) could not do much and was left helpless. However, I do not wish to imply that I am like Imam `Ali (`a) while they are like the khawarij. No! I am just another citizen of this country like any one of you.

(Present here are) Sunni scholars, Shi`ah scholars, and scholars from the Mazandaran province; and I am addressing all the scholars throughout the country- the Sunni scholars, the Shi`ah scholars, and all the Islamic religious authorities- as well as the entire Islamic nation whose uprising was for Islam and the Qur'an. This nation faced great tribulation for almost two decades, and especially in the past few years, and had strived immensely and tolerated endless suffering and sacrificed so many youth and gave up everything but clearly demanded an Islamic Republic. An Islamic Republic means that the government should be Islamic and the laws should be Islamic. It would not be a bad idea for you to take a glance at the earlier constitutional laws. Take a look at the earlier Constitution that was approved during the times of the Constitutional Movement, the amendments to which were strongly pursued by the late Shaykh Fadlullah Nouri, «6» and to which the nation gave its votes, regarding which you are making tall claims today and which your great friend invited everyone to abide by, before he fled from Iran! Well, why do not you all now act upon this law? According to this Constitution, any law that goes against Islam cannot be considered legal and all laws should be Islamic. So you are not even accepting that. You all are calling the decree of retaliation which is a clear Islamic decree, a definite Islamic decree, a decree that has been made obligatory by the Qur'an, and a decree that ensures the interests and security of a country an" inhuman" one. Your very roots were corrupt. But I am more concerned today with all those who are endorsing these people. Reform yourselves a little, gentlemen! Why are you struggling so much for worldly affairs? Should a human being struggle so hard for worldly things that he can even go to the extent of siding with those who slander the Qur'an and invite the communists to join in their opposition of Islam! You, the proponent of nahy `anil-munkar! You, the exegete of the Qur'an! «7» Well, why do not you come and stand up against them?! Why do not you announce to them that this action of theirs is tantamount to kufr. Anyone who calls God's decree" inhuman" and anyone who calls Islam" inhuman" is a kafir. Why do not you do this? All your nahy `anil-munkar is confined to disempowering the Islamic scholars and institutions. The nahy `anil-munkar of these gentlemen is limited to claiming that the Islamic Republic is no good in all their statements and wherever they go and deliver speeches.(According to them) we either need to be under the wings of America or the Soviet Union in order to survive. And since the Soviet Union is atheistic while America is monotheistic, and is, thus, very much on the right path and since it is at least not" as bad" as the Soviet Union, it is better we align with them! What is this belief you all are holding? Why should you believe in such things?

I am sorry and I am very sorry that I am left with no choice but to confront these people. To confront the same kinds of people that did not allow Imam `Ali (`a) to implement his plans! And if these people truly believe in Islam and find it their religious obligation to do nahy `anil-munkar, what munkar could be worse than calling an Islamic decree" inhuman" and to invite people to rally against it! Who are these people rallying against? And who are they supporting? Are they supporting people who claim that the decree of retaliation is" inhuman"? Can any Muslim support such a cause? I do not wish, as of now, to deal with these Muslims who are very scholarly but hold warped political views. The opinion of an Islamic scholar was once sought regarding two scholars. His reply regarding one of them was:" This scholar is less wise but more knowledgeable" or that" his knowledge is greater than his wisdom". Regarding some of these people, too, I need to say that they are knowledgeable but not as wise. The plight that they have brought upon themselves is also clear through their actions. Shouldn't you gentlemen who believe nahy `anil-munkar to be obligatory- which it is, as an important Islamic obligation- prevent your friends from taking an action that is against the Qur'an and from inviting others to stand up against the Qur'an? Do they expect the Islamic authorities and scholars to witness all this in silence? Do you expect them to remain silent against the slandering of the Noble Qur'an? Do you expect them to stay quiet against those who call a definite Islamic decree and a decree from the Book of God Almighty" inhuman"? They are inviting people to rebel against the bill of retaliation! Who are they rebelling against? Rebelling against the Islamic Republic? Do you expect these people who established the Islamic Republic with their own blood to pour onto the streets and to demand that this" inhuman" decree be discarded and to say that this Islamic Republic is useless? Are all these institutions flawed? You are saying that they are all flawed; you are claiming that the Judiciary has been ineffective. Well, why don't you support it to become effective? You claim that the government will never be able to provide answers to the economic situation of this nation in a day! Why don't you come ahead and do it?! But no one is interested in mere claims and slogans! Even I can sit here and claim that we can stir up the world in a day! Do not sit and accuse us of incapability because you, too, will not be able to succeed. Is it possible for Mr. Raja'i to rectify the economy of this country which has come into our hands in such a pathetic state- and to which you are adding problems each day- within a short time? You are inviting people to rebellion everyday. You have robbed this country of its peace and harmony. And if the affairs had to be in your hands you would have worsened them by now. These poor people are trying their best to rectify things; that is if only you allow them to! However, it is not possible to solve all the economic problems in a day. Yes, it is important for the farmers to get involved in agricultural activities, and it is important for the workers to start working, and it is important for the industrialists to start production, and it is important for all the unemployed people to find jobs. But do you think you would be able to make all this happen immediately and without any delay? Do you think you would be able to brace up the agricultural sector of Iran immediately? Do you think you can solve the problems of agriculture in one day? Even all your lords and masters have not been able to solve these problems and the rates of unemployment are much higher in Britain and America. And you are most welcome to come and provide solutions to all these problems. However, that is not your issue. The problem is that you are against these things. You are against an Islamic government. When the Qur'an is recited in the ministries before the meetings, they object to it, saying:" What kind of a tradition is this? Why should the Qur'an be recited in the government offices? These reactionaries recite the Qur'an in the ministries!"! Your animosity is toward all this. These are your problems. I am not referring to the religious group. I still believe in their sincerity. And even though they, too, are dealing out blows to us, I count them as different and pray to God for them to be able to dissociate themselves from those other groups. Why don't they join in with the rest of the people? Why don't they stop trying to swim against the roaring wave and tide? You are making a very big mistake by thinking that just because you had made a few statements against Muhammad Rida you hold a special position in the eyes of the people. And that if you also make a few statements against the government today, you will secure a special position in their eyes. It is wrong to draw a comparison between these two. When I say that you lack political acumen it is because you are resorting to all kinds of things to gain power. I know that there is no question of serving God in all your actions. All these things only serve the Satan. Well, why don't you all dissociate yourselves today from those who have made statements against Islam and have invited the communists- who are your sworn enemies as well as the sworn enemies of America- to join in with them? It is still not too late and you can make an announcement on the Iranian radio today to condemn the statements issued by the" National Front", inviting people to rally against the bill of retaliation, calling it" inhuman". You do believe in Islam and I know that. You consider it obligatory to do nahy `anil-munkar and I also know that. But if the devil within you allows your intellect to function, come and condemn this issue. Let us switch on our radio sets this afternoon and hear that the" Freedom Movement" has declared the statements of the" National Front" to be blasphemous and sacrilegious against the Qur'an. Do not keep saying that Raja'i is not a knowledgeable person. He possesses more wisdom than knowledge. However, some of you possess more knowledge than wisdom.

And I could not succeed with them, although I truly wanted things to turn out differently, and am sorry that they have dug their graves with their own hands. I will still accept their apology and Islam will accept their repentance. They can still go and announce their apology on the radio and television and can confess that they have gone wrong thus far and that they have made mistakes and that it was a mistake to invite people to rebellion and was against Islam and against the laws of the country and that they (made a mistake) by endorsing the slander of the hypocrites.

I had repeatedly told this gentleman «8» that these people will ruin you! And that some of these people that have surrounded you are wolves that will ruin you. But he did not give any heed. It is still not too late. The religious gentlemen can announce that an invitation to this rally is against Islam, as it truly is. That gentleman, too, can go and apologize to the nation and can confess that although the nation had voted for him, his actions were not as per its expectations. And that they will be so from now on. But all this should not just be dry words. It should not be as if he confesses in words but in action proves that he is against the Majlis, the Judiciary, the Council of Experts, and that he is also against the tripartite committee, one of the members of which he has himself appointed. (It should not be as if:)" All the power should be in my hands while the others should be eliminated!"

But what should we do? I strongly suggest that something should be done about these friends of ours. I do not wish for them the plight that they have put themselves into. I never wanted things to work out this way. I never wanted this nation to be disillusioned by people like you in the very first year of the Islamic Republic. I never wanted you to align with the hypocrites who are against Islam, as can be seen from their book," Shenakht". But what can I do? It was you who refused to pay heed to my advice. I am advising you even now- this religious group of the" Freedom Movement" as well as Mr. President- to stop creating obstacles on the path of Islam. Stop disempowering the Majlis, the clergy, the nation, and the army. Put an end to these affairs and come on the scenes and join hands with your other brothers. Stay on as the legal president and act according to the Constitution. You are the representatives of the Majlis and are honorable and religious people. Dissociate yourselves from the apostates. They are apostates. The" National Front" is condemned as an apostate group from today. Sure, the" National Front" can come up and declare that they had never made such statements. If they have to come on radio this afternoon and declare that the statement that referred to a definite Islamic decree as" inhuman" was not made by them, we will accept it.

The doors of mercy are open to everyone in Islam. History reports that Yazid had asked Imam as-Sajjad (`a) if his repentance would be acceptable. The Imam (`a) had replied:" Yes, the doors of repentance are open". Well, a Yazid with all the crimes that he had committed! However, in reply to Lady Zaynab (`a), Imam as-Sajjad (`a) had later also mentioned:" He will never succeed in repenting. And only if he did so would it be acceptable". Even if someone had to repent after killing a prophet, his repentance would be acceptable. But (the point to note is that) he would never succeed in repenting. And my guess is that these people will never be able to repent. If they take it seriously, there is still time and they have the opportunity. The doors of repentance are open right until the time you are put into your graves. divine mercy is infinite. Come and repent! Come and repent for your past actions and for inviting the people to insurgency and opposing Islam! Return (to Islam) and all of you will be forgiven!

Come and join hands in brotherhood and work for the progress of this nation! Do not keep sitting and claiming that this nation is being ruined. After all who is ruining it but you? Check out for yourselves! Let the nation sit and check for itself! What other shortcoming does this government, which is striving to do its best and is busy with civil activities and is aiding the war-ravaged people and is helping at the warfronts have, except that it claims to be Muslim and is only concerned about serving Islam?! Why don't you overlook this one shortcoming? Can you truly say that this government is ruining Iran?

Is this Majlis, whose members mostly consist of Islamic scholars- and people can see for themselves how hard they are striving while yet facing all your slander- ruining the country? Or is it the Judiciary that is ruining the country? The Judiciary, that works day and night in order to compensate for the dearth of trained experts, that are presently not even available in our seminaries!

Another issue that these people have raised and which the" National Front" has mentioned in its leaflets is the reopening of the universities. Do not keep on raising this issue. This university has only produced people like you all. (If the universities are not reformed) its graduates will be people like you all, who, in a couple of decades from now will oppose the laws of Islam like you are doing and will call them" inhuman". We want our universities to serve this nation. You all are working against the interests of this nation under the pretext of serving it. This nation belongs to the same people who have been striving for Islam and their country everywhere. We want to have a university whose graduates will not turn out to be like you all. We want our universities to produce people who are committed to Islam. If they are committed to Islam they will neither drag us toward the East and nor the West. And neither will they hold your negative belief that we are incapable. You desired for" His Majesty" to stay on right up to the end. And since you had mentioned this to me personally, you cannot deny it. You kept insisting right up to the end that" His Imperial Majesty" be allowed to stay on, even if it were as a ceremonial head. That is how you were right until the end. You also wanted Bakhtiyar to stay on right up to the end. Don't try to fool us any longer with all your claims about yourselves. I read something about Mirza-ye Shirazi «9» in one of the newspapers of the" National Front" that upset me greatly. They insulted all the Islamic scholars that had served Islam, right from Mirza-ye Shirazi who began the Tobacco Movement to Ayatullah Kashani and Shaykh Fadlullah. If you find that issue of the" National Front's" newspaper you will see that they have accused Mirza-ye Shirazi of being a liar! And they have abused Shaykh Fadlullah! What crime had the poor Shaykh Fadlullah committed? His only crime was that he demanded that the constitutional law be Islamic. His crime was that he did not consider the decree of retaliation as" inhuman". The same applies to Mr. Kashani. Their only crime was that they wanted Islam to be established in this country; while what you say is that the Western laws are progressive and so we should follow them. Your views are the same as the lawyers who have opposed the bill of retaliation. But the difference is that they have not used a repulsive term to describe it. And just as I mentioned earlier, not throughout the entire rule of Rida Shah and Muhammad Rida Shah did Islam ever face such slander! However, the" National Front" did just that; it slandered Islam!

I pray to God Almighty for all to be reformed. May everyone, God willing, return to the arms of Islam and not, God forbid, allow anything unfavorable to happen!

May God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.