Speech [Conspiracies of the colonialists against the clergy; some advice to the clergy]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

At first I would like to thank all the `ulama' including the `ulama' from Khorasan, the holy Mashhad, Shahr-e Rey and the `ulama' who are going to perform hajj pilgrimage along with the caravans, for coming to this cramped place to meet and talk about necessary problems. Powerful governments, especially America, have drawn up their plans long years ago. Before America, the United Kingdom used to draw up the plans. They have made extensive studies of all countries of the world, especially those they have in mind in terms of resources, and their geography and population. They have drawn up very precise plans and know much about the resources and of countries including our country and other countries more than we do. Even when there was no car, they used to send their experts in caravans on camels and roamed everywhere and located our underground resources such as oil, gold etc.

I have said that one of the `ulama' from Qum Theological Seminary brought a big paper to me when I had traveled to Hamedan. The paper was about Hamedan. He said that the paper was about the situation of countries and their village. I do not remember if it was Britain or another country. The interesting thing was that there were many points identified in the paper. I asked:" what are these points?" He said," These are places where something is found, a mine, something underground etc." When transportation was carried out by camel, the foreigners inspected everywhere in Iran, even the deserts. With improvement in transportation, their experts had become more experienced and gained more information. These experts knew the people and their situation, people's inclinations, the groups existing among the people, the situation of parties and wings, not to mention that of bazaar, the clergy, and their relationship with people. They studied all these, while we did not know anything about their evil intentions. We were unaware of what their inside agents and sometimes they themselves carried out. While we were negligent they were vigilantly engaged in doing their job.

Among the things they studied very carefully and followed up by propaganda was the relation among the clergy and between the clergy and people and how and when the clergy could mobilize the people. Their experts have certainly put down all these points in their notebooks and have acted according to them. Their activities were not one-dimensional but multi-dimensional. They belittled the clergy as much as they could, also separated them from people and created discord among the clergy themselves. If this way was not enough, they placed their agents to carry out their tasks by exerting pressure.

Maybe a few of you remember Rida Khan's period. The story of Rida Khan coming to Tehran and his coup d'etat was not an ordinary thing. It was not accidental that, for example, an ordinary military man was able to stage a coup d'etat followed by those things. At first, the planners brought him and, as one can guess, gave him a program word by word and showed him the way. Initially, they ordered him to feign as one interested in Islam and in mourning procession for the Doyen of Martyrs; he acted well. When I was young I attended a mourning procession which, I think, was organized by the army. The processions run by the army were characterized by lamenting and beating the chest. Initially, he gained a foothold by using this virtual weapon. Those holding the power centers brought him to power by force. He gradually brushed off the tribal people and those who were in power using force and ruse. When he gained ground, he embarked on his second plan.

The second plan was to dismantle Islam as much as he could. He sapped the strength of the clergy who were the source of reference for people, enjoyed influence in villages or towns and could mobilize in necessary circumstances. He belittled the clergy through propaganda so much so that even drivers refused to pick them up. One of my late friends- May God's peace be upon him- said:" I was in Arak and I wanted to come to Qum. I went to hire a car. The driver said that drivers had decided between themselves not to ride two classes: prostitutes and clergy. They disdained the clergy this way. This contempt was not something that Rida Khan wanted to do by chance. It was a plan to sap the strength of the clergy, who could disturb a country and mobilize a district under their jurisdiction. This power had to taken from the clergy, they tried and were able in doing so. They isolated the clergy and whenever there was an objection or revolt, they would stifle it. The `ulama' from Mashhad once rose up and were all nabbed, among those arrested was the son of Akhond Khorasani «1» a prominent cleric who had enormous power at the time. The late Aqa Mir Younis «2» who was in Mashhad at the time along with a large number of `ulama' were taken and carried to Tehran. The late son of the clergy from Khorasan was taken to court for trial showing him round the street wearing a nightcap. One who had so much power in Khorasan was treated so contemptuously. It was not a personal grudge developed by Rida Khan against that cleric. The main point was to eliminate the clergy. Force followed by widespread propaganda and slogans composed by devious individuals and stuff like that against the clergy were order of the day.

A plan they had already drawn up and developed was to separate the clergy from politics. All but a few of the `ulama' had come to believe that this was the way it should be. The gathering set up by the clergies must avoid talking about politics. The idea that" what the clergy had to do with politics" had been propagated to such an extent that many of the `ulama' had come to believe it. If a word was said about politics, the clerics would accept that this is politics and that they had nothing to do with it." If a preacher interfered with something bearing on society and problems of the people and happened to discuss the case with a civil servant or office holder, other who had come to believe that they should not interfere in politics labeled him as" politicized cleric", considering him separate from them. The duty of cleric was to leave his house, go to the mosque and if he ascended the pulpit, preach morality and answer religious questions; he must not say a word about the problems of the society. They had been raised this way and the propaganda had influenced them to that extent. The clergymen also attended burial ceremonies. A society that was to follow in the footsteps of prophets and Imams had been divested of the aspect given top priority by prophets and Imams. Any one of them being more detached from the problems were more respectful among the people. People had also been raised in a way that they held the cleric who was aloof from political and social matters in higher esteem. This was the way the government of the time had influenced everywhere, including the idea that a cleric should avoid saying a word about politics. In fact, he should not understand the problems at all. What has a cleric got to do with such things? They were expected to go to mosque, say their prayers, and answer some religious questions. He was supposed to talk about major and fundamental Islamic issues. If the `ulama' were authorized to present Islamic principles, the fundamentals of Islam would provide for all needs of the society. But Islamic issues had been buried in deductive books; the practical laws had been stripped of the real issues of Islam.

In Egypt now you can see the same problem. According to news agancies Sadat has brought all mosques under his control, banning all of them from interfering in politics. Egyptian `ulama', borrowing Sadat's words, must not interfere in politics; they must go to the mosque and mount the pulpit, but preach things formerly done in Iran. They must not overstep the mark. Today, the nation our `ulama' and we understand what Sadat is pursuing now is quite like the plan carried out in Iran. We said well, Sadat is right" what have the clergy got to do with politics?" This statement was made because the clergy themselves did not interfere. Today, however, we understand, our nation understands, `ulama' of Islam in Iran understand that the plan Sadat is putting into effect is the same one carried out previously in Iran. But now that the `ulama' in Egypt have become aware and want to interfere in affairs, Sadat has got panicky that `ulama' may interfere and undermine his government.

They had fooled both people and `ulama'. A very high person was the one who had nothing to do with matters related to society and let the government do whatever it wished, because it had the right to do so. `ulama' should submit to the government. The civil servants can do whatever they want and the `ulama' must submit to them and not interfere. Obviously, if you gentlemen and we do not interfere, we will be held in great esteem, are warmly greeted and our hands kissed provided that the mark is not overstepped. Politics is for them and answering religious questions ours. Mosque is ours and political arena theirs. If the `ulama' accept this, they are respected. If the U.S is assured that the `ulama' will stop interfering in politics, it will let this nation go and stop the mischiefs, because the one it fears is the clergy. They saw the clergy are always seeking to object to injustice.

Despite the appalling suffocation in time of Rida Khan, when everyone was sacared of one's spouse, several revolts were mounted by the `ulama'. The suffocating atmosphere in time of Rida Khan had no bearing on the one in time of Muhammad-Rida. In the stifling atmosphere, the `ulama' rose up to protest. Voices were raised from Azarbaijan, from Mashhad and from Isfahan, from where all the Iranian `ulama' had been invited to converge in Qum. They saw that still sided with the `ulama' and the plan to separate them had fallen flat, with the uprising being still in progress in the suffocating atmosphere. They sought to isolate this class and once this was done, they could easily accomplish all their goals. Do not think that these intellectual strata and nationalists and the like could do anything. People do not reckon with them. What they fear is the society, the nation. Those who are in contact with the people are you clergies. There is a cleric in every village in Iran. Even if there is no one, it is rare and in every city there are several and in every province there are many of the `ulama' whom they are afraid of. They know that people pay attention to the clergy.

When prayer leaders go to the mosque for the congregational prayers, each one has his own followers. If their voice is raised, it will cause trouble. This bastin must be broken at any cost. They seek to eliminate them. There are still people making such attempts. When they had not perceived the situation properly and just guessed such relationship between people and `ulama', their conjecture was right. Indeed, the `ulama' are respected by people whom they can mobilize. Though this plan was not realized, they worked seriously through their agents, newspapers and propaganda apparatus to separate this community of the clergy from the people and remove the turbans. Short-lived though, the turbans were removed. Students of theology could not appear in the streets. This was the situation in time of Rida Khan. Later, as time rolled on, they found it to be futile. This community of the clergy cannot be eliminated through force, pressure, imprisonment, banishment and things like that. Well, there were political ways through which they discouraged people from the clergy; they separated them from the people. They did not realize that day and so they went after this aim seriously. Today, they suffered a blow by Islam and these great `ulama' of Islam. They perceived that the clergy can mobilize the people. This mass mobilization that happens in Iran whenever the revolutionary guards call on people is the fruit of mosques functioning as centers of such activities. This idea has been inculcated in people's mind.

The overwhelming majority of the `ulama' of Islam felt that they had to break the barrier of non-interference in politics and that they had to get involved and interfere. We should take care of the affairs of Muslims. Attending to Muslims' affairs does not mean going to say prayers and following the religious authorities verbally. This is not among the affairs of Muslims; it is one of the duties of man towards God. Muslims' affairs consist of socio-political affairs. All the prophets from Adam- may God's peace be upon him- to the Seal of the Prophets- may God's peace be upon him and his household- have come to reform the society; they sacrificed themselves for society. We do not have an individual above the prophets. We do not have anyone above the Imams- may God's peace be upon them. These individuals sacrificed themselves for the society. God says," Verily we sent the prophets with signs and miracles and gave them the scale of justice so that people can establish justice." «3» The purpose behind establishing justice is that there must be social justice among the people. Transgression must be wiped out, the weaker people helped and justice dispensed. God further says:" We brought forth Iron in which there is equilibrium. What is equilibrium?" It means that if anyone wants to destroy a society and a just government, one should be advised, with sings; if this does not work, speak to them in terms of rational standards, but in case of failure employ iron.

Those who sympathize with the corrupt ones who are engaged in bomb explosions, assassination attempts and such things, do not know the language of the prophets. They think that prophets have come to preach and that is all. Which prophets do you know was not involved in acute social affairs? Moses- may God's peace be upon him- was a shepherd challenging Pharaoh with his stick; he did not go to the bazaar to talk about a problem. Of course, this is also part of their mission, but Moses (`a) went straight to Pharaoh. God too sent him to go after Pharaoh and invite him with leniency «4». When leniency did not work, then he had to revolt. When did the honorable prophet just sit and talk, and did not have anything to do with society? Those who say" what has the clergy got to do with politics" when did the honorable prophet stay out of political issues? He formed a government and fought with those who were against Islam and who oppressed the people.

They wanted to isolate us in this way by saying that a soldier's fatigues were incompatible with justice. Commander of the Faithful put on a soldier's fatigues; so was it inconsistent with justice? Did not the Doyen of the Martyrs have a soldier's fatigues? They isolated us by this widespread propaganda; that is, they kept drumming it in our minds so much so that we came to believe that we should not have anything to do with politics. No, the matter is not like this. The question of interfering in politics took precedence with the prophets' teachings. The question of armed struggle against those who cannot be considered as human beings and want to destroy the nation was at the top of the agenda of prophets. We brushed aside all the instructions of prophets and just refrain from interfering in politics and society. We adopted its prayer and we forgot the rest. How is it possible that being a Muslim is just restricted to praying, fasting and going to hajj and such things and not interfering in Muslims' affairs? If someone is not concerned with Muslims' affair, one is not a Muslim, according to a narration ascribed to the Messenger of God. «5»

Our nation has woken up and become aware of things, realizing that those who are against the clergy are against the nation, not against the clergy. If the clergy had nothing to do with the government, they would be respected, but an empty respect and at the cost of losing honor before God. It was a kind of respected showed by a governor to a cleric. Today, all have understood except those who do not want to understand and are close-minded to realize that interfering in political affairs was so paramount an issue that, prophets came for it. How is it possible to dispense justice and make the people establish it without interfering in political affairs? How is it possible for someone to dispense justice among the people without interfering in political and social affairs and the needs of the nations? Would it be possible for you and us to come to terms with Muhammad-Rida and to tell him, ok, we have nothing to do with you anymore. He came and said," O Marja` of Islam! I have ceased doing those things. One who called the Marja`" these unhappy ones" and insulted them came to them and said «6» so. Why did he do so? Because he wanted to deceive us again. He thought he could deceive people once more.

Beware not to be taken in. Do not let these devils come and tell you not to interfere in Islam and politics, and ask you to go after your own discussion. You will be highly respected for that, there will be no more martyrdom; it was the result of interfering in politics that caused several thousands disabled and martyrs. This objection should be originally addressed to the honorable prophet. If they too had nothing to do with the capitalists of Mecca and Hijaz and just sat in the mosque and talked about religious issues, war would not have broken out, massacre would not have happened and his great uncle would not have gotten killed. The same problem was faced by the Doyen of the Martyrs. If the Doyen of the Martyrs went to Yazid and pledged allegiance to him and just talked, he would have come to terms with him and Yazid would have respected him and even kissed his hand. But was this the duty? Are we intimidated that several thousand people have been killed? If we are, we should basically abandon the prophets' path. We should push into oblivion the things which prophets brought and for which God commanded them to call upon leading light. The call was not just to go and ask them to embrace Islam and if they did not, they would go after their own business. Prophets invited verbally and if need arose hit the people on the head to mend their way, and in this way and they killed and got killed. Martyrdom is not something one retreats back from. It is said that if things were not like that and if we came to terms with the Shah, all these massacres would not have happened. If the prophet too came to terms with Abou Sufiyan, massacres would not have happened. If the Doyen of the Martyrs and Commander of the Faithful came to terms with their opponents, all these massacres would not have happened; the battle of Siffin and Jamal would not have occurred. These people have shut their eyes. They either do not want to understand or have not understood what the prophets did and what sacrifices they made to obtain their goals. Since the advent of Islam up to the latest years of Islamic advancement, the saints of God made lots of sacrifices.

The clergy and the Muslim nation may be criticized that if they had remained silent, everything would have been in the right order, and Muhammad-Rida would have done everything, and it would not harm anyone if the U. S. took a portion of our resources. This is none of our business. The wealth of the world is not so much dear. Oil is a stinking stuff and valueless. Let them relieve us of oil by taking this fetid substance. If you had got along with them, we would not have mounted such meetings and rallies nor suffered from troubles, massacres and these high prices. All these objections could be raised against prophets as well. If you think of yourselves as followers of prophets and if our people think of themselves as followers of the honorable prophet, they should carry on with these things seriously in the same way as the honorable prophet did at the time of his death and when he sent an army outside Medina, ready to go to war. Which day was the prophet not involved in socio-political problems or war? Did not the prophet know that in the battle of Ohud a lot of dear ones would get killed? But it was a duty that God had commanded to be done. The prophet, too, could not help it; it was God's command. God has sent the signs, the scale and the iron. If the scale and standards worked, that is fine, but if not, then bring in the iron.

The people should be hit on their heads with iron so as to mend their ways, so that a sound society can be built.

All the prophets have come to reform the society. All of them were unanimous that the individual should be sacrificed for the society. No matter how big and valuable an individual might be when this individual is in conflict with the interests of the society, the former should be sacrificed. The Doyen of the Martyrs came with such an scale in mind and sacrificed himself, his companions and his friends Individuals should be sacrificed for society so that it can be reformed. Justice should find reality among people and society. The prophet and his followers offered lives, money and made great efforts. It cannot be said that the prophet slept even one night and day in peace. All his life time was devoted to amelioration of the society in any way possible be it with the Qur'an, his utterances, his own words and his preaching. When he saw this way did not work, he would pick up the sword and hit whoever attempting to destroy the society and ruin the nation. When proof fails, he would resort to sword.

We claim to be the prophet's people and Shi`ites (partisans) of `Ali ibn Abi Talib. We must study and see what they did. It is not enough to make verbal confession of being Shi`ite. Shi`ite signifies that you should watch what they did and follow their lead. Many wars broke out in time of the honorable prophet in order to reform the society, and curtail the hands of the oppressors, the plundering capitalists, and oppressing tyrants. He devoted his entire life to this struggle in Mecca. He could not act the way he desired. He valued the scale and preaching. He planned for it. He did not just sit and plan, but gathered men until Medina was prepared and he came to Medina. Afterwards, he was constantly involved in battles and politics. If we are the people of the prophet of God, this is the Messenger of God. If we are the Shi`ites of the Commander of the Faithful, we should know how many times he took part in wars in the company of the Messenger of God until the holy prophet departed this life. Later, he embarked on an internal fight. He deemed it advisable to maintain the stability of society. The day he was given the pledge of allegiance, he stated the points. He said his first program and the most important one was to take away even the dowry they got for their women from the pillage. When he let out this call, they saw that living would not be possible this way; and that this leader was different from the previous ones. They could not live with him. They started and the Commander of the Faithful fought three important wars. How many Muslims were killed? How many were killed from the other party? All of them were Muslims. That side consisted of inveigled Muslims. This side contained guided Muslims. Nevertheless, when deceived Muslims go to war against the Muslims who were guided, here too the answer is the sword. If the scale and the proof do not work, the answer is the sword.

I would like to remind all theological seminaries in Qum, Mashhad and other cities that they are the target of the superpowers. What for? Because the nation looks upon them as religious scholars and jurists fulfilling their divine duty. So these seminaries and jurisprudence must be maintained as before. Study religious sciences diligently and struggle to increase the number of religious students and clergies. Do not think that we no longer need the clergy. We will need them forever. Islam always needs the clergy. Islam will be destroyed without `ulama'. They are experts on Islam and have maintained Islam till now, and for Islam to be preserved there must be the clergy. An intellectual cannot maintain Islam. An intellectual mocks the explicit verse of the Qur'an. Islam has been passed on to the present time by you who must seriously work to provide Muslim jurists and the clergy. To be a jurist does not contradict interfering in the affairs of Muslims.

As for the young, they must engage in studying, and these jurisprudence centers must rise in number and religious authorities (Marja`) and teachers should give greater care to these centers. Preserve these centers as they have been up to now. If they are not preserved, the way they have always been, tomorrow the people will not accept you. People do not want a turbaned one, they want a scholar. Of course, turban is a sign of knowledge. If our theological seminaries, God forbid, become weak in education and fail in strengthening jurisprudence, this will be a big treason to Islam. It is a devilish idea to argue that we no longer need to study fiqh. Such an idea conforms to the U. S. long-term plans. If `ulama' in Khorasan, Qum, Tabriz and other places where there is a theological seminary, do not strengthen the traditional fiqh be sure that in half a century only a name will remain of Islam. If Muslim jurists from early years of Islam to the present day were not present, we would not have known anything about Islam. They were the ones who presented Islam to us and taught Islamic jurisprudence, wrote books and took pains to hand it over to us. We must preserve this. It is a divine duty to strengthen theological seminaries. Of course, among the seminaries there are individuals who interfere in socio-political affairs as they should. But if we neglect jurisprudence and assume we have nothing to do with it, we have helped to push Islam into oblivion after a while. The seminaries should remain undisturbed and as strong as before. In fact, they should grow stronger day by day. Now, intrusive individuals are gone; those who tampered with your turban have now been buried.

You must preserve Islam by preserving jurisprudence. Islam is in these books. By preserving jurisprudence, these book and these writings, by discussion and by setting up theological seminaries to disseminate all Islamic sciences, you can preserve Islam. Bring to the surface those books that were forgotten and preserve this stalwart bastion which has so far propped up Islam. We are duty-bound to keep Islam as has been handed down to us and pass it over to the future generations, who will in their turn hand it down to the subsequent generations till its owner reappears to reclaim it.

I hope that the clerics who are going to make a pilgrimage to Mecca with the caravans will pay special attention to such things and enlighten the other pilgrims. Iranian pilgrims should be a model to represent Islam and the Islamic revolution. They should not act in a way that may denigrate them. The clergy should preach and the `ulama' should have meetings where they can discuss such things; they should talk to people and guide them wherever they are and draw the attention of the people to problems and oppression suffered by Iran. Tell the Muslims of the world how the big powers and their associates treat us just because we want Islam.

May God strengthen Islam and strengthen and refine the Muslim clerics.

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