Speech [Complications within the Islamic Revolution in Iran compared with other revolutions]

I appreciate the presence of the representatives of foreign-based Iranian Islamic associations and the representatives of the Islamic associations of the Bus Service Company.

Today the country belongs to you. God will reward your efforts aimed at serving the Islamic nation. It is no longer the case that you suffer hardships, while foreign powers exploit your efforts (harvest the fruit of your labor). Thanks God, the hands of criminals and traitors have been curtailed from the country and the few remaining leftovers would soon join their masters.

There are certain topics I would like to touch upon. Our country went through certain hardships during the Constitutional Revolution and at times when regimes were changed, of which our youths are relatively unaware, because they were not present then. Our youths are also relatively unaware of the events following other revolutions, or if they know, their knowledge is based on what they have read or heard about them. Such information is not first-hand and based on what they have seen. But today, they are exposed to news on certain discrepancies, news on murders and massacres, bombs that explode here and there and other such news on disastrous incidents that take place in the country.

You do not know what would happen when the Qajar dynasty was about to come to power, or when a monarchical regime was to be replaced by another one, or what Aqa Muhammad Qajar «1» did in Iran. He built towers out of heads of people, and did many similar acts. Read the history of the Constitutional Revolution and see what happened when the constitutionalism was in place, through the revolution was not meant to change the monarchical regime. Its only aim was to harness totalitarian regime to some extent and make it committed to Constitutional laws. Notice how much crime was carried out in Azarbaijan, in Tehran and in northern provinces and how many noble and learned citizens were massacred. If you study the revolutions taking place in the world or the small-scale revolution in Iran, you will see that this revolution has been a peaceful one compared to all other ones which have taken place throughout history. It has been a revolution with many eye-catching fruits and few losses. You often do not pay proper attention to the volume of work you have accomplished within these few years. Those who go abroad and study the developments outside Iran as well as the Muslims or oppressed people in other countries know well what has happened in Iran and appreciate the depth of this revolution.

You uprooted a 2500- year tyrannical regime backed by all major powers in the world and supplanted it by an Islamic government in Iran. This is not an insignificant matter and definitely some losses brings about. It is a great accomplishment. You are a single nation standing against all powers in the world and are at odds with all the powers that are against you. All the same, you stood and pushed aside all. Do not neglect that what you have accomplished is unique in the world.

Do not think that a bunch of poor, deceived people cheated by their masters who planned to take control of the country's affairs can do anything against the nation. Since this country is Islamic, we could not trust those who do not believe in Islam to rule over the country. Now they are trying to mess up the situation here. They have fled from Iran one by one and are living abroad. Of course they talk too much, arguing that they will do so and so. When they were in the country they could not do a damned thing. Now that they have gone abroad they claim they will do such and such from there. Do not think that there they are on good terms with one another; they are at loggerheads with one another. The hypocrites and disbelievers cannot ever form a united front to do something. All they can do is to give interviews, talk and use obscene language against us and one another. A bunch of politically bankrupt figures who fled the country disguised as laidies «2» are now sitting there, wishing to take the helm of government in Iran. They claim that the whole Iranian nation supports them. Well, if they have such a great number of supporters in Iran, where have they gone then? Well, they should have remained in Iran by the side of their staunch supporters. They should have pushed aside this bunch of illiterate turbanned mullahs and took their place!

The question is that since we have not properly studied revolutions, we think that as soon as four firecrackers were set off in Tehran or, let us suppose, four bombs went off in Tehran, some significant development has come about. Not at all! These are nothing. Any twelve-year-old child can carry one of those bombs and place among a crowd and run away. It is not a significant question prompting us to sit together to do so and so regarding it. Of course, since a bunch of ignorant youths, whom we always wished were able to serve their own country and Islam have been cheated and engaged in suche childish acts as killing a Muslim, a child or an old women need to be checked by the nation. The people should not sit and watch the government to take care of everything. There was a day when the government was quite segregated from the people. When they were separate, they argued that there were certain things to be done by the government and had nothing to do with the people. If a war broke out those days, the people did not at all intervene. If they did not pray for the defeat of tyrants, they would at lEast remain indifferent. When Rida Khan was forced to leave Iran, the nation intended to celebrate the occasion, since a tyrant had left the country. If everything has now been established in the country, it is because there is no distinction between the people and the government. The people are themselves ruling. The people elected a president and the people's deputies appointed the prime minister as well. All are from the people. They have not brought this or that lord or baron from the United States or France. Now, the government, the parliament and all are from the people. The nation should not sit idle and expect the government to do everything for them. You have not been sitting idle from the very beginning. When the war broke out, all of you intervened and stuggled behind the warfronts. Everyone contributed to the extent of his/ her ablity. Those in the city bus company made their efforts and our friends abroad and our youth also, assisted the combatants. It is not a problem driving us to think something important has taken place. The fact is that a couple of opium addicts and criminals are sitting abroad and work to take the helm of affairs in the country. Such a thing would never come true.

I feel sad to see that these young people have been cheated by these deviants. The gate of repentance is open. Islam and Almighty God have left that door open to all. Today, if all those who have gone abroad and intend to disturb the government in Iran repent and return to their country and truly want to serve their country, they are welcome; no one creates any trouble for them. They have gone abroad to kick up a fuss. They themselves know that they cannot do anything. Yet, they keep up appearances. Well, one who gets from Iran by hiding in the toilets of the airports wants to take control of the government in Iran and one entire nation is on his side. Only one tenth of the Iranian nation supports Islam. Except this, all are opposed to the Islamic government! Well, these are childish talk. Unfortunately, people who could serve their nation have fallen prey to such traps. They have thus ruined their own prestige. If they have suffered hardship in the past, they have thus crossed them out. Of course, the firecracker games played in Iran definitely inflict certain losses on us, but they are not the sign of their power. They throw firecrackers and hide bombs. This can be done by any child. Every thief can sneak into a certain place and plant a bomb there. That is no serious matter; no token of their strength. It is on the contrary the sign of their weakness and wretchedness, and a good proof of their corrupt and cruel nature. All the same, we feel sorry for our youths who have been allured into such games. We feel sorry for these young boys and girls. I encourage them to notice that the ones who urge them to commit such crimes are never on the scene themselves and are busy playing their nasty games abroad. Even those ones who direct the cheated youth from ruined team houses inside Iran urge these cheated young boys and girls to go out and resist, and to prepare the atmosphere so that they may be able sneak out from their refuges and emerge as rulers. Well, why are you so simple as to be cheated by them? Based on what logic should you risk your lives, blood and every other valuable thing you have, for those you do not even properly know? You are doing it for those who neither believe in Islam nor in the Qur'an. They just keep quoting Qur'anic verses very often. Yet, when you read their books, you clearly notice how much they are deviated from the right path, and from the Islamic teachings. We say that if our youths serve Islam, they are therefore at the service of God. Everything comes from God, for whom we should give them out. Well, you poor youths who have been entrapped by them, for whom are you offering your blood? We say for God. What about you? If it is for God, the Islamic Republic is now a government that is concerned with establishment of Islamic laws. If you really offer your blood for a few corrupt persons who do not believe in Islam and the nation but kill your friends, you need to give it a thought as to why you do these things.

Man needs to have a source to rely on. Our nation relies on God in fighting in the warfronts. The combatants fight in the theater and perform the night prayer. They struggle against the enemy of Islam. If they are martyred in action, God will reward them. They enjoy high prestige in the sight of God and people. But whom do you trust? You are provoked by a handful of mercenaries to kill people in the street. You are a number of poor people having been cheated by foreign-based agents who drive you to conduct explosion in public places and kill ordinary people. Will your leaders such as Bakhtiyar «3» and the likes of him do anything for you? If you are killed, will Bakhtiyar and Rajavi «4» or others do anything for you? We trust God. What about you? If you also trust God, well, you are on our side. So, let's begin to serve this country.

You complained of suffocating atmosphere. Where? You constantly talk about political suffocation, club wielders and other issues. But when your team houses are spotted, lots of clubs, daggers, bombs, etc. are discovered there. But you cannot ever find such things in the houses of people believing in Islam. In their houses, you can only find the Qur'an, books and the like. If you believe in Islam, come out of your hiding places and serve Islam. You are young adults who have been cheated, for which one is deeply sorry. Return to the fold of your own nation and your own Islam. How long do you want to be at the service of aliens? Are you aware of the scope of these people's relations with foreigners? Many of you watched on TV last nigh how close relationship these people have with Qasimlou, «5» with the Democrat Party «6», with Koumeleh Party or with this and that. Well, what are such people going to do for you? What have they done for you? Can they secure the independence of your country? Each one goes its own way. One is royalist and works for the monarchy and for Rida Pahlavi, «7» the other one, I do not know, for what or for the National Front, etc. None cares for Islam. They clearly state that the Islamic Republic has to be removed and replaced by a democratic republic or the monarchy. «8»

At any rate, you should not at all be scared of those words, interviews and bombs which are all indicative of their desperation. If we are all martyred, that would not matter as we trust in God. It is strange not to expect a few bombs to explode in a country with a population of thirty million which has just experienced such a revolution.

Britain is now in worse condition than here. The United States, this cradle of liberty and such nonsensical talks is currently in worse condition than here. Statistics show that every several minutes one gets killed in the U. S. Do you think such things only happen in our country? Our country has not suffered so much loss. If you calculate the losses from the beginning to the end, they do not amount to much. Many people were killed during Muhammad-Rida's reign, and as the reports have it about fifteen thousand people were massacred in a single day «9». But when has such a thing happened these days? But these people trumpet their call and those foreign agents give it a wide coverage in their mass media apparatus, hoping that they can do something by these words. However, they do not know that words alone are far from introducing any change. Our nation is standing against any and all threats because they want to serve Islam. Meanwhile, the nation should be alert and aware of the affairs. You are a living nation freed from SAVAK's sever pressures and those of similar organizations. Obviously, the opponents argue that the akhounds are now doing the same. Well, show us one akhound who has treated you the way you were dealt in the past. These are accusations they level against us. What counts is that this nation has been relived of the pressure and oppression of long years, not to mention the oppression befalling the people recently. If you remember Rida Khan's era, you would know what they did to people and ladies in those days. During Muhammad-Rida's reign they did worse than the former but in a different way. A nation that is resisting against oppression, injustice, corruption and plundering of the country does not fear a few events, yet measures should be taken to halt them.

Inspired by religious duty, I would like to call on the whole nation to closely watch a few blocks in their neighborhood to get a general picture of life throughout the country. When the country belongs to you and the saboteurs are acting against your country, you should step in and solve the problem. Do not just sit aside and expect the government to tackle the problem. Currently, the government does not have the power to gather intelligence throughout the country. Well, you should establish intelligence groups. Well, everyone can find who the people living next door are and what they are doing. Each one of you should keep a close watch on two or three houses in your neighborhood and watch their conduct and those frequenting there. If such a practice persists for twenty days or a month and if anyone who finds any trace of the munafeqin and deviants immediately reports to the local revolutionary guards or the police station, the problem would be solved.

Do not think that there are a large number of people in this group. They initially tested the level of their popularity; they took to the streets and started killing the people. When they were pounded, they came up with the conclusion that they should carry out their activities clandestinely. They are, but a few people many of whom were detained and many of whose team houses have been captured. A small number of them have survived along with a few cheated youths for whom we are truly sorry. Parents should heed the conduct of their children. Do not let this poor girl or boy fall in their trap. Parents should advise them, and if they do not mend their ways, they have to let the officials know. It is your religious duty. If someone is going to kill a Muslim, you have to introduce him to the concerned officials. If you would not do so, you are considered an accomplice in the crime. If everyone heeds this suggestion which a religious duty, and if this practice is pursued for a short period, those few who are responsible for committing these crimes will soon be identified. The whole nation throughout the country should watch the situation in their neighborhoods and find out what really is happening in their neighbor's house; who frequents there; whether there are any suspicious people frequenting there or not; and then to inform. Do not assume that fifty thousand people are busy in such criminal acts. Twenty people can plant bombs in fifty spots in Tehran. Twenty to fifty people can carry out explosions in a number of cities. That is not a significant move. It is not the sign of their power. They act like thieves and any child can easily do what they are doing. At any rate, if the people consider their religious duty in this regard, this issue will be settled in quite a short time. This move aims at safeguarding the Muslims' lives and at securing the safety and security of the servants of God. You should all observe the situation carefully. Find out what is going on in that house; find out about the people who frequent there; if you notice suspicious people frequent there, or a plot is being hatched there, inform the committees, the guard corps, the other concerned people and the police stations. If this process is exercised for a brief period of time, the problem will be settled. These are not significant. Basically, if you take note of the massacres that took place during the past regime, you would confirm that the problem with which we are entangled today in this revolution is trivial. The main reason is that the people themselves are present on the scene today.

The significant characteristic of this revolution is that it is a popular revolution. No person has arranged for this revolution. There has been no military attack aimed at supporting the revolution. No person has organized military action to accomplish the revolution. The same people in the street, these ordinary people, particularly the oppressed, as they call them, and the high class in our eyes, launched the revolution. They did the job. Neither other people nor I could ever do it. It was God who strengthened the people's hearts and weakened the hearts of our opponents. They got scared of you, despite all the facilities and arms they commanded. You were not afraid of them. You accomplished the revolution with empty hands. Now it is the same story. You are the same revolutionary people, you are the ones who are present one the scene and you are the ones that should cooperate with the government. The government alone cannot take care of the war. It is you, the nation, who can back the government behind the warfronts. You should help. Iran is your own country. It is an Islamic country and Islam is at stake today. Therefore, we are all obliged to assist them. Every one should assist them to the extent he/ she can. You cannot sit aside and expect the government or the Red Crescent Society to do the entire job with regard to the refugees who have come from the war-stricken regions and are residing at certain other places. They cannot do it all alone. It is not an easy task. Your assistance is required. Everyone should assist, and they would, God willing, do so. All of them are already helping. Do not lose hope. When you are working for God losing hope becomes meaningless. If you work for material objectives, you will lose hope when the material interests are not fully met. But one who works for God should never lose hope. Losing hope is meaningless for a man of God. The greater the hardship, the greater the amount of your reward from God. Suppose an earthquake hits a region, like the recent one in Kerman, which claimed so many lives and left many people homeless. Well, the winter is approaching. What can people do there? The government can not do all the job. All including the Red Crescent, and the government are busy there. Everyone is assisting. You should not sit aside and expect them to do it all. Thanks God, you did not sit idle. As these people who have come from abroad said, the extent of the people's assistance is unprecedented. You still have continued with your good job. Go and observe the situation personally, as you have already done so. Some duties are humanitarian. They are your brothers and sisters in faith. The winter is coming and they should be taken care of. Their houses need to be reconstructed and the government can not do everything. All should participate in this affair. And in case of the other problems, too, whatever they might be, either when there is a flood, an earthquake or other natural disasters, or I do not know, any other problem that might exist, your assistance is needed. There are also problems that the others create for us. You yourselves must take care of your country's affairs, your cooperation is needed in order for the affairs to be amended, and hopefully everything will improve.

Never let the term despair cross your mind, as it is one of the soldiers of Satan. Despair is among Satan's soldiers; that is, Satan injects it in you. These devils that are the followers of the Great Satan, try to disappoint you by such acts. However, why does a Muslim who wishes to serve Islam lose hope? Right now the situation in our country is much better than that of the Prophet's (s) time. At that time the Muslims did not even have anything to eat. A combatant who wanted to fight was given a date which he put into his mouth and then took it out and gave it to the next «10». This way they preserved Islam and passed it to the next generations. Gentlemen! Islam that has been preserved in this way and bequeathed to us has relied on such sacrifices ever since its advent. Well, we too have to preserve it just as painstakingly as they did. Thanks God, now we are not faced with those hardships. There are foodstuffs in abudance in, the prices are high though. You should have expected famine. God has favored us and we have not suffered famine. Of course the prices are high. It is tough for the poor people and others should assist them. I hope that very soon all problems will be solved, God willing. You should trust God. Rest assured that if you trust God, all works will be rectified, and the Islamic rules will be properly enforced. Of course, there have been some complaints against those who want to carry out project in the quake-hit areas want to execute the plans in (quake-hit areas). People in those areas complain that there are many failings and inefficiency as well as transgressing on the people. I have often said that in an Islamic country everything must be Islamic. Our conduct should not contradict the Islamic rules. A farmer should not think now that we have taken the control of affairs in our own country we are free to oppress others. All our affairs should be regulated based on Islamic standards. The whole nation should be prepared for strengthening Islam in this country. It is hoped that it will be then exported to other countries form here, as it has already been. You should not assume it has not been exported; it has definitely been. Right now in many countries, the nations have woken up and become alert about the prevailing realities. They are already busy serving Islam. God willing, I hope they will succeed and that we all will succeed in serving Islam. I pray to God for the success of the whole nation and all Islamic nations. I also pray for the health and prosperity of all and the audience in this gathering.

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