In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Unprecedented propaganda attack against the revolution
Thank God, this gathering is attended by `ulama' and committed scholars. I am happy to have found the honor to meet the gentlemen and hope that all are successful in serving Islam.
Propaganda is one the issues Islam has emphasized from the outset and will do so till the end of time. It has a special priority in the time we are living. We all know that no revolution has so been subjected to so much propaganda and military attack as the Islamic Revolution has been. The revolutions that have taken place in the world have either tilted towards the right- rightists have agreed with it and if there have been any opposition, it has always been from the leftists or left-leaning individuals- or towards the left, or vice-versa. However, Islam is neither inclined towards the East nor the West and favors the straight path. The Islamic Republic has been accomplished with this understanding of Islam. Since it is not leftist, the leftists are opposed to it and since it is not rightist, the rightists are also hostile to it. You see that all mass media apparatus in the world, excluding a few of them, oppose the Islamic Republic and Islam either explicitly or implicitly. They devote scores of hours every day and night to suppress the Islamic Republic. On the other hand, people such as Saddam have been lured into opposing and attacking us. From the beginning, even when I was residing in the holy city of Najaf, I said that this man had been introduced as a dangerous man who suffered from a freakish sort of mania. He is ready to destroy all nations of the world to satisfy his egotism. Today, when by the grace of God Almighty and His assistance, the fate of the war in battlefields is being determined and Saddam's fall, and hopefully the Ba'ath party's, is close at hand, the mass media apparatus that cannot deny the progresses made by Iran, have embarked on different ways to poison public opinion. They inculcate the idea that if the Islamic Republic succeeds and overpowers Iraq and the Iraqi regime, it will extend its domination over the region, the Sheikhdoms and regional governments. These words are now being spread by the mass media with the aim of compelling regional regimes to take action against Iran and the Islamic Republic.
In order for it to be recorded in history, today I announce that the government of Iran and the Iranian nation are not against nations and organizations that are not devious. We have announced from the outset that we have not set an eye on the lands of others. In our view, land, nature and matter are not worth waging war against the Muslims of the world. This is a propaganda plot concocted by the opponents of Islam and belligerent people and their masters who suggest that oppressed people of the world should be suppressed so that the former can wield power and succeed in amassing wealth. Islam condemns such treatment and we, who follow Islam, and our nation, which is committed to Islamic injunctions never oppose the laws of Islam. We announce that the governments in the region or outside the region should beware that they may be pushed into annihilation for the sake of the US or other blocs.
Predicting Saddam's war with regional countries
We repeatedly warned them that they (regional leaders) are like tools in the hands of the superpowers, which would take advantage of them but who would not be of any benefit to them. Nowadays they are being warned against the consequences of not cooperating with Saddam and the plans Iran has for them. The superpowers want the regional countries to be like tools in their hands, to cooperate with Saddam to secure their interests and to be fall into a trap in which Saddam has been caught. They should beware that if Saddam is rescued and regains power, he is not that sort of man to thank the likes of them. He is a man with his mania of egotism. With this mania, he will wage a war against them, who have assisted him. He will ruin all of them. The Iranian nation and government and I announce that if you refuse to cooperate with Saddam and treat nations and us in conformity they Islam and the Qur'an, the government of Iran and the Iranian people are their brothers-in-faith and will support them. However, if, God forbid, they act deviously and fall into this trap, rest assured that they are not more powerful than Saddam. Those governments which want to help him like the Egyptian government can experience and see what will happen. I advise them not to make such an experiment and beware of wasting the lives of the innocent youth! Do not take the youth to an arena the end of which is destruction.
The need for promoting propaganda outside the country
In such an environment where almost all mass media apparatuses propagate against Islam and the Islamic Republic, it is incumbent upon all to get engaged in propaganda activities. Today, propaganda has a special feature. All should launch domestic propaganda lest, God forbid, people be impressed by the evil propaganda waged by the superpowers. Overseas propaganda operations are also essential.
Our propaganda beyond our borders is defective. Persons coming here from abroad and meeting me complain of this failure. They say that only meager propaganda activity is in progress in countries outside Iran. In spite of this, the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance have recently charted out plans and, God willing, will be successful. Nevertheless, our propaganda should be intensified so that we can at least make nations understand that the propaganda in progress against Islam, Muslims and Islamic Republic is wrong. As you know when foreign reporters come here and see things for themselves, the fair ones acknowledge our reports. A few days ago, one of them announced that all the reports that the Iranian army has declared are correct. However, the global propaganda machinery will not desist from their anti-Iranian propaganda. For example, if Saddam's forces, advance a step forward, they trumpet the news of capturing such and such territories (of Iran) and laying siege to the Iranian army; but if Iran advances they will make no mention as much as possible. If Saddam's forces suffer a disgrace beyond doubt, they give it a minor coverage and quickly shift to another item and comment on the future of the war. Lo! If Islam emerges victorious, how will they react? Today, we are obliged to strengthen propaganda efforts as much as possible. The government and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance are bound to beef up propaganda outside Iran. All the gentlemen should brace themselves for propaganda. Prophets were originally ordained to propagate, the saints of God were primarily responsible for propagating the faith and the `ulama' are promoters of Islam. They preach Islam. Our honored preachers who promote Islam, our prominent `ulama' and dear seminarians as well as other strata of society engaged in propaganda should speed up the pace of their noble activity. Of course, this activity should be integrated. All should proceed in conformity with a criterion, an order, and in an organized manner. My duty is to pray for you, as I have done from the outset, and hope that I will be successful in fulfilling my duty.
Dissemination of knowledge from Qum to other places
Let me make a brief remark on the army and the revolutionary guards and their victories. Today, thank God, in our warfronts we are heartened by the youth from among the army, revolutionary guards, mobilized forces and popular forces. Those who have visited the warfronts and come to meet me say that they were all impressed by the bravery of the armed forces. They say," we go to the battlefields to encourage the combatants, but actually they inspire us." This is truly something that God Almighty has favored them with. These forces stay up to worship God and pray to Him are, of course, triumphant in wars. Certainly Saddam, the Saddamites and their followers are like a dying man who is breathing his last. I hope that Islam displays its luminous image everywhere. May God Almighty grant our Muslim combatants victory and strength! People are behind them and support them. Preachers also back them. They should continue with their activities, with their pure heart and their great and strong arms, as victory is close at hand." Victory cometh only from Allah." «1»
We ask God to help us and grant victory to our army and to our nation. I wish success for all in projecting the light of Islam everywhere. I hope you, gentlemen, will be successful and endorsed (by God). As stated in our narrations, knowledge is disseminated from Qum to other places. Thank God, it is for sometime that this concept has been translated into reality. Today, it is my hope that this process will be expedited through the efforts of the `ulama', teachers and preachers in Qum. Today, thank God, the whole of Iran is Qum. All `ulama', all scholars and all people are now supporting Islam. May God include our name in the list of those who have made sacrifices for Islam, for the Imam of the Time (peace be upon him), as the signs of God's blessing and the assistance of this honorable Imam has been revealed and will become apparent, God willing.
May God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you!
and that darkness has been superseded by light and treason by trust. May God's peace be upon you!
2/3/1361 AHS
Rouhullah al-Mousawi al-Khomeini