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ADHERE TO THE POWER OF UNITY
July 26, 1979
The message of Imam Khomeini for the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan, 1399.
In the Name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate
The blessed month of Ramadan is the month of worship and self-construction. It is the month to renew one's spiritual strengths, the month which God gave for all Muslims, to follow one path and to attend to the unlimited power of God and to aim themselves against all tyrants. It is necessary to adhere to the power of Unity and through it to rise against all present tyrants, international plunderers and curtail the hands of traitors so that they lose hope.
All Muslims of the world, in particular, the Muslims of Iran, Lebanon and Palestine are facing strong opposition. They have a sensitive road ahead. Iran is confronted by conspirators related to the previous regime, deviates and international Zionists. Lebanon and Palestine are confronted by the corrupt and devouring Israel who is the enemy of Islam and Muslims. Our Muslim brothers in Lebanon and Palestine are confronted by the unhumanitarian aggressions of Israel and if Israel succeeds, it will extend its line of aggression to other countries. It is thus advisable to pray for our Palestinian and Lebanese brothers during this holy month of Ramadan.
As we are at the threshold of the holy month of Ramadan, the following points should also be mentioned:
1. At this sensitive time, we need Islamic gatherings more than at any other time. Muslim peoples should gather in mosques which are like strong castles of Islam to support the movement through Islamic slogans.
2. Lectures by those who speak from the pulpits should unite the people to solidarity, Unity of the Word, continuation of the movement and revolutionary piety and patience. They should make people aware of the effects of separation and discrepancy which is the main cause of defeat and backwardness. They must recall the struggles, efforts and sufferings of Hazrat Ali (a). They should unite the people to continue until final victory and the establishment of a complete Islamic system of government through the remembrance of the struggles and sacrifices of the warriors of the early stage of Islam.
3. It is necessary that theologians in all districts, from central areas to the most remote places and provinces cooperate to achieve the goal of Islam. For the election of the members of the Assembly of Experts, all groups should share candidates. Each district or each area should not have a different candidate for in this disunity lies the fear of defeat and the pushing back of Islam and its progressive principles. As you have noted today, there are some groups which had previously not been united who have now joined together and have introduced a single candidate together. I am afraid that your rights will be taken from you and, God forbid, a disinterest appears in you, it is necessary that at this sensitive moment for the problem of Islam that you remove yourself from your other interests and all theologians and groups who care about Islam, in particular, the young energetic Muslims join in the choosing of the Assembly of Experts. In this case, the Almighty God is with you. I hope that in the coming days, I will hear about and read about the cooperation of all of the theologians from all the various cities for Islam. I ask God, the Most High, for the strength of Islam.
4. With the support of the great Muslim community and from a position of power, I warn all those who wish evil upon this Islamic movement, all the conspirators, left or right, to join their people for the sake of the best interests of the country and leave aside their corruption and conspiring, avoid scheming, separation and the serving of foreigners. They should not suppose that with such foolish acts, they can turn their nation from their way. I also give notice to newspapers and the media that liberty differs from conspiracies. Conspiracies which are against the interests of Islam, the country and the people will be strictly prevented. If I felt there is a serious danger, I will leave the matter up to our brave people as they have already shown their determination in various situations.
5. I have many times mentioned to all of our Islamic brothers in other countries, in particular, our Arab brothers and the great Arab community, who are the pioneers of Islam, that the major danger which threatens us is from foreignness, especially Zionists. Therefore, it is necessary that during this blessed month of Ramadan, which is the month of Muslim public gatherings, to uncover the conspiracies of the earth-devourers and make clear the dangers of this enemy of humanity.
6. It is necessary that an invitation-be made from the great Islamic thinkers to gather in a meeting and study the different aspects and views of the great Islamic Revolution of Iran. The effective blows of this movement should be made clear to international devourers of the earth to neutralize the misleading propaganda of the enemies of the Islamic Revolution. I ask God for the greatness of Islam and the Muslim peoples.
Peace be upon you, and the Mercy and Blessings of God.
ALL GOVERNMENTS MUST KNOW THAT ISLAM IS UNCONQUERABLE
August 17, 1979
Imam Khomeini has designated the last Friday of the blessed month of Ramadan to be observed as the Day of Quds when Muslims from all over the world hold demonstrations for the liberation of Jerusalem (bait al-muqaddas).
In the Name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate
The Day of Quds is the day of Islam. All Muslims must be warned and must understand how strong their spiritual and economic powers are. Muslims are one billion people, supported by God, Islam and the power of faith. Why should they be afraid?
We in Iran, with our small population, revolted against great enemies and the super-powers and we defeated them. No one should think that any of these Americans or non-American leftists can carry on their activities in this country. The day that we as a nation want, they will be dumped into the garbage can of oblivion.
Our great nation is no longer afraid of the slaughtering activities of the foreigners. The activities of Israel in South Lebanon and against Palestine is an example of such slaughtering actions and they perform these according to the orders of their corrupt masters. A deposed Shah did the same thing and thus destroyed himself.
All the governments of the world must know that Islam is unconquerable. Islam and the Qur’an will conquer the world. A true religion should be a divine religion. Islam is a divine religion and thus must be promoted throughout the whole world.
The Day of Quds is such a day and announces such a goal, announcing the progress of the Muslims all over the world. The Day of Quds is not only the Day of Palestine, but it is the day of Islam, as well. It is the day of Islamic government. It is the day that the banner of Islam is to be flown in all countries and the Muslims must show the super-powers that they cannot influence Islamic countries any longer. They must realize that the Day of Quds is Islam's and the Prophet's Day, the day that we must gather all of our powers and all of the Muslims must come out of isolation and stand against the foreigners with all of their strength.
We have stood against foreigners with all of our powers and will not permit that others interfere in our country and other Muslims must not allow others to interfere in their countries. On the Day of Quds, the nations must warn the traitorous governments.
The Day of Quds is the day that we will realize which regime and persons are cooperating with international conspirators and thus are opposing Islam. Those who do not participate in these demonstrations are opposing Islam and thus are in agreement with Israel. Those who participate and have demonstrations on this day are responsible people and are in stride with Islam and thus oppose Israel.
The Day of Quds is a day to distinguish between truth and falsehood. I ask God the Almighty to give victory to Islam over all of the other faiths and support the deprived in order to defeat the arrogant, 'those who cause deprivation'. I ask God to free our Muslim brothers in Palestine and South Lebanon and everywhere in the world from the oppressors, deprivers and plunders.
Peace be upon you, and the Mercy and Blessings of God.
ISLAM IS A POLITICAL RELIGION
August 24, 1979
The message of Imam Khomeini upon the occasion of Eid-i-fitr (the festival which marks the end of the month of fasting).
In the Name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate
I send greetings to all Muslims of the East and the West for the blessed festival of fitr. I hope that God the Most High accepts the prayers you have given throughout the month and blesses this Festival.
Islam is a political religion. It is a religion in which politics can clearly be seen in the instructions and rituals. The purpose of the gathering daily in mosques in Islamic countries, in all the provinces, villages and remote districts is so that Muslims can become aware of their own problems as well as the problems of deprived and abased peoples.
On the other hand, one day a week there is a gathering at the Friday prayers which includes two sermons and by which means all routine problems and questions facing the country, whether political, social or economic are discussed.
There are also two Festivals in which all of the people gather together and by means of the two sermons given after the Festival prayer and after sending greetings to the Prophet of Islam and his successors, the political, social, economic and all pending problems and the needs of the country and of each district are discussed there. In this way, people become acquainted with current affairs.
Above and beyond all of this, Muslims each year make the haj or pilgrimage to Mecca. The people who have the possibility are obliged to gather together at the haj. They come from all Islamic countries to speak about and discuss their problems during this time, especially in Mecca, Mina, and the Mosque of the Prophet. In this way, they survey the circumstances of all of the Islamic countries:
Thus, the daily gathering, the Friday gathering, the Festival gatherings and the pilgrimage is for this purpose so that the problems of the districts, towns, provinces and Islamic countries can be studied accurately and in detail. All of these are political concerns. Muslims should note these occasions with care. Unfortunately, the advantages have been overlooked and the proper results have not been achieved from these meetings and gatherings. Muslims gather in Mecca and other places but they seem to be separate from each other. They perform the Friday prayers and the Festival prayers but they are not united together as they should be.
Islam has called people to these gatherings in order that important goals be achieved. Two particular verses of the Qur’an have been particularly selected to be recited by the leader of the prayer for the people.
The Chapter on Congregation (Jum’a)
The first part of the Congregational Chapter and the second part of the Chapter on the Hypocrites should be noted. The Congregational Chapter discusses the mission of the Prophet of Islam. It has been selected to purify the people and teach them the Qur’an and wisdom. Priority has been given to the purification of the people over the teaching of the book and wisdom. People should first be purified in order to be prepared to accept training and wisdom. The Congregational Chapter mentions that the secret of the mission of the Prophet is purification and the training of the community. It includes all aspects of teaching and training.
Following this, the chapter shows the position of religious leaders who have learned the science but do not act according to it. They have been given the worst of names, 'Those who carry the Book, but who do not act according to it, are like donkeys who carry books.' If knowledge does not influence a person and does not lead him towards humanity, what is its use? It makes no difference whatsoever if the book is carried inside his heart or outside. It is just like an animal that carries books. As the books have no use for that animal, knowledge, which is uncommitted to social action, which is not used for the mental development and guidance of the people, also has no use.
God mentions this point here so that people may distinguish between right and wrong scholars. It also serves as a reminder to religious leaders of their duties. There are many other important points in this chapter which I have not mentioned.
The Chapter of the Hypocrites (Munafiqun)
In the Chapter of the Hypocrites, God explains the characteristics of hypocrites, people who claim to be Muslims in your presence but they are liars. They are not Muslims. The hypocrites are called the worst of names so that people come to know them. Do not believe everyone who says, 'I am a Muslim,,' or 'I accept the Islamic Republic.' Study his or her actions. How 'engaged' or 'committed' is this person? What has this person done for the country? What is this person's idea about it? They pretend to be Muslims and then open fire on the people in the provinces. They set the harvests of the people on fire. They kill our young people here and there. In Kurdistan, they have killed many of our young people and many Kurds. In the meantime, they say they, are Muslims. No one believes them. The Qur’an says, in this case, 'You are hypocrites.' You whose words differ from your deeds are not realistic, you are not Muslims, but you are hypocrites. You intend to deceive the people. You who are causing corruption in Kurdistan and say you are Sunnis, if you were really Sunnis, you would be obliged to obey the command of the Islamic leader according to the religious decrees of the great Sunni religious leaders. Today, the commander of Islam is the Islamic government of the country. Therefore, you should obey Islamic and Qur’anic jurisprudence and the words of your religious leaders. If you are Muslims, why do you not obey the Qur’an. As the Qur’an says, 'Obey God, obey the Prophet and obey your leaders.' Why do you not listen? You claim to be a Muslim but, in fact, you are not.
Dear people of Kurdistan, our young people of Kurdistan, this is a time for you to recognize hypocrites from the non-hypocrites. Those who claim to be Muslims but set fire to the harvests of the people, those who pretend to be Muslims but put people under pressure and cause them to suffer, those who claim to be Muslims but set fire to the hospitals, kill people, recognize them. They are the hypocrites. They say today, in order to deceive you, that they are Muslims. But you must recognize who they really are. Those who did not vote for the Islamic Republic liked the oppressive regime. If they are Muslims, they should vote for an Islamic Republic and approve of a just Islamic government. Those who reject voting for an Islamic Republic are hypocrites. Those who set fife to the harvest of the people and prevent people from voting are not Muslims. We will treat them as we treat non-Muslims. We will treat them as hypocrites. We will defeat them.
So that the people of the world may come to know our policy and know the type of persons we are confronting, we give freedom to them. Under this freedom more than two hundred different parties have been formed. Many newspapers, magazines and journals have been published. No one prevented these. While they were insulting to our pieties, they acted against our government and Islam, nevertheless, no one prevented them until we saw the conspiracies and understood them to be conspirators.
You are hypocrites who bring about conspiracies against Islam, the nation and the people. You have contacts with foreigners. We control your movements. We are informed that you are in contact and have connections with the agents of the previous regime. After your conspiracies have been proven and the people have realized your true features, we cannot permit you to freely do anything you want to do. We will defeat you.
I give notice to my dear nation and the great people of Kurdistan that Islam is a refuge for all of us and will supply us with all things. They are following foreigners. They must be captured and the traitorous leaders must be delivered. Our young people must know that they are people God has called hypocrites. He has explained their character in the Qur’an.
The Nation Must Be Aware
I give notice to all groups of the nation to avoid such persons at all costs. If they do not put aside their satanic deeds, I will arm the entire nation and we will destroy them. The nation must be aware. The nation must be prepared. You must not allow those corrupt statues to alter the country and take it back to what it was and allow them to impose a monarchy upon us.
I ask Almighty God to bless this Festival and all Islamic Festivals and to awaken all Muslims to arise together and protect the interests of Muslims all over the world. I pray for our Muslim brothers in Afghanistan to be able to solve their problems. They are confronting the same hypocrites who pretend to be Muslims. In Jerusalem, in Lebanon, in Palestine and other places, our Muslim brothers are confronted by the super-powers and Zionists who are opening fire upon them. All Muslims must become aware of these points. They must pray when it is time for prayer and act when it is time to act. I hope that the banner of Islam will be raised throughout the world. Islam is God's religion and thus all people should follow it. I also mention that having a Party of the Deprived and Abased formed in all parts of the world does not mean that the other sound parties which have been formed in Iran and elsewhere should be abolished, but I hope that the Party of the Deprived and Abased will be established in addition to local parties.
Peace be upon you, and the Mercy and Blessings of God.
SEARCH AND FIND THE EAST
September 8, 1979
Imam Khomeini's message in the Faiziyeh School in Qom, to mark the massacre of the 17th of Shahrivar (September 8) of the previous year.
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
And indeed sent We Moses with Our signs saying: 'Lead thou out thy people from the darkness into the light and remind them of the days of God; verily in this are signs for the patient, the grateful'(14:5)
God is the Guardian of those who believe He taketh them out of darkness into light and those who disbelieve, tyrants are their guardians and they take them out from the light into darkness
They are the companions of the fire, therein shall they abide. (2 :257)
These are two subjects which oppose each other -'the taking out of darkness into light' and 'the taking out of light into darkness' -the doing away with darkness and the taking of people to the light and opposing this, doing away with light and taking people to darkness. This latter is the profession of the tyrants (taghut). Every disharmony is darkness, all backwardness is darkness, all 'westoxication' is darkness, those who turn their attention to the West and foreigners have taken the West to be their direction of prayer (qiblah) and their attention is directed to the West. They have moved into darkness and their saints are idols.
Eastern societies which, by means of internal and external propaganda, by means of the orders of the internal and external agents, have turned to the West and have the direction of their prayers, the West, have lost themselves. They do not know themselves. They have lost their gloriousness and honor and in place of that sits a western mind.
Their saints are idols. They have entered darkness from the light. All of the problems of Easterners and, among them, our problems and miseries, are the very cause of our losing ourselves and someone is sitting in place of us. Thus, you see that, in Iran, until something does not have a Western name, it is not accepted. Even a drug store must have a Western name. The material woven in our factories must have something in the latin script in its selvedges and a Western name is put on it.
Our streets must have Western names. Everything must have a Western color to it. Some of these writers and intellectuals either put a Western name on the books they write or, when they express an idea, they do so on the behalf of a Westerner. The defect is that they are also 'westoxicated' and so are we. If our books did not have these titles, or our material did not contain that script and if our drug stores did not have that name, we would pay less attention to it. When we turn to a book, a great deal of attention is paid to finding foreign words. They forget their own phrases and the word itself.
Easterners have completely forgotten their honor. They have buried it. In place of it, they have put others. These are all darknesses which a tyrant transforms us to from light. It is these very tryants of the past and present -who have reached out towards 'westoxication'. They relate everything to the West. They take all their subjects and sources from the West and have given them to us. Our universities were at that time Western universities. Our economy, our culture were Western. We completely forgot ourselves and in place of us we put a Westerner.
I, recall that a member of the family of the deposed, accursed Mohammad Reza got tonsillitis and they brought a surgeon from Europe while, for the doctors here it is a simple operation, and this was only so that the world would know that someone who is forcibly at the head of a country and that they recognize to be the king of that country, believes that there is no doctor in Iran to operate on the tonsils. You know what damage this does to Iranian medicine. This is traitorous to the people of Iran that they are introduced to the belief that in all of its country, there is no doctor to operate on someone's tonsils. How much this helps colonialism and the West! How much self-respect of our country is lost with this way of thinking!
When I was young, I remember my eyes weakened -they are still weak -and at that time, 'Amin ul-Mulk, God's Mercy be upon him, was an eye doctor. I went to Tehran to have him treat my eyes. A person who knew him and I, suggested that I go to see Dr. 'Amin ul-Mulk. He said, 'One of the Daulahs [of the court] had become near-sighted. He had gone to Europe to see a doctor. That doctor asked him, 'Where are you from?' In answer, he said, 'I am from Iran.' The doctor had asked, 'Isn't 'Amin ul-Mulk there? ' He had answered, 'He may be, but I do not know him.' That professor had then said, 'Amin ul-Mulk is better than we are.'
We have good doctors, but our minds have become Western brains. The same is true of the doctors. When you go to see them, they themselves say, 'You have to go to Europe,' because their minds think this way. They have lost themselves. They have lost their strength. We and they have both lost our self-respect and our sense of nationality. Until this nation does not come out of this 'westoxication', it will never find independence. As long as our writers -whose books are as they are, who, for every subject which we have, want to express according to such and such a foreigner and Westerner -do not leave aside these dependencies, you will not find independence.
The attention of some of our women is turned to the idea that such and such a mode must come from the West and such and such ornamentation must move from there, here, so that whenever something is found there, it is imitated here. As long as you do not put aside these imitations, you cannot be a human being and independent. If you want to be independent and have them recognize you as a nation, you must desist from imitating the West.
As long as you are in this state of imitating, do not wish for independence. As long as all of the words of our writers are Western, do not hope to have your nation be independent. As long as these names appear on your streets and your drug stores and your books, and your parks and in all your things, you will not become independent. It is only the mosques which do not have Western names and that is because the clergymen, until now, because of their type, are this way. Otherwise, everything must have a Western name -both those who write use Western names and those who want to read, unless there is a Western name, do not accept it.
'And those who disbelieve,' disbelieve in God's blessings and realities are dark and covered in them. Their saints are idols. 'They take them from light into darkness' -from absolute light, from guidance, from independence, from nationalism, from Islam -they take these out and put them into darkness. We have now lost ourselves. Until what is lost is not found, you will not become independent. Search and find it. Search for and find the East.
As long as we are as we are, as long as our writers are as they are, as long as our intellectuals think that way, as long as our freedom-seekers seek that kind of Western freedom, it will remain as it is. They cry out that there is suffocation, there is no freedom. What has happened that there is no freedom?
They say, 'These clergymen do not allow men and women to turn somersaults together in the water. These clergymen do not let our young people go to bars or gambling houses and seek out prostitutes. They do not allow our radio and television to show naked women and that type of ugly, lewdness. They do not allow our children and young people to be entertained.' This is an imported kind of a freedom which has come from the West. It is a colonialistic freedom, that is, colonialist countries dictate to those who are traitors to their own countries so that they can promote these freedoms. They are free to take heroin. They are free to smoke hashish. They are free to go to gambling houses. They are free to go to houses of entertainment and, as a result, our young people, who must be active in relation to the fate and des.tit1y of their country, become indifferent.
An indifferent person cannot think for a country. Those who are and have been deceived from abroad are foreign agents and they promote prostitution. The promotion of these actions pulls our young people towards corruption. The result of their work is this that a country which gets its strength from its young people and the young people must manage it, they take this strength away from our young people. As a result, thoughts about what goes on in this country and what the ruling bodies are doing to the country or the fact that they brought Mohammad Reza to this country is put out of their heads. In place of serious minds, silly minds appear. As a result, the person who should be a human being, who thinks about his own destiny, this thought is taken away from him. This is a type of freedom which we have to call colonialist freedom. This is other than freedom which must be amidst a people. This is a type of freedom which has come from abroad. They brought us and our young people up like this.
A young person who forms a habit with these kinds of things and no longer thinks about who takes our oil, our steel, our gas. He says, 'What's it to me! Leave me alone to my pleasures. Do I have time to waste, putting efforts into those things?' This is how they brought us up.
Until these unjust writers do not save our young people from these kinds of thoughts and do not promote a healthy kind of freedom and do not prevent their steps and their pens from writing about these corrupt freedoms, there is no hope that we will have an independent and free country. This hope must be taken to the grave.
Moses (a) was appointed to take his tribe from darkness to light. The assignment of all of the prophets was this that they take people away from darkness and from these things which oppose the way of humanity and oppose the way of a nation and enter them into the light.
An enlightened heart cannot stand by silently and watch while their traditions and honor are trampled upon. An enlightened heart cannot see its people being drawn towards this baseness of spirit or watch in silence while individuals around Tehran live in slums. They want to bring you up in such a way that you remain indifferent in all of your affairs. They do not ask why these poverty-stricken people have remained in poverty and why others take our oil. It never appears in your mind that we have such problems. Look at how your hearts were fifteen, twenty years ago when there was no perseverance. There were only a few people opposing this who occasionally protested and there was neither protest in our mosques nor in our universities -no place.
The second command which God gave to Moses (a) was to 'remind people of the Days of God' (ayyam allah). All days belong to God but some days have a particularity and because of that particularity, it is called the Day of God (yaum Allah). The day that the great Prophet of Islam migrated to Medina is one of the days that is called the Day of God. The day that he conquered Mecca is one of the days called the Day of God. It is the day that God showed His strength as where an orphan whom later everyone rejected and who could not live in his home, after a short time, conquered Mecca. He brought the tyrants, the wealthy and the powerful under his influence and he said to them, 'You are free.' Thus such a day is one of the Days of God. The day of Khawareh is a day when Hazrat Ali (a) unsheathed his sword and did away with these corrupt and cancerous tumors. This was also one of the Days of God (yaum Allah).
These so-called sacred people whose foreheads showed the mark of prayer but do not know God, these were the people that Amir al-muminin killed. He arose against them and there were even men in his army who arose against them. But because of the course of the Battle of Siffin, the Imam saw that if they remained, they would corrupt people, he killed all of them except those who had escaped. Thus, this day is among the Days of God (yaum Allah). The days which God, the Most High and Exalted, brings something to punish the people, he sends an earthquake, a flood, a thunderstorm, in other words, he whips people so that they will become human beings.
These are all Days of God and they are things which relate to God. One of the days of God is the 15th of Khordad (June 5, 1963) when a people stood against a force and they did something which caused almost five months of martial law. But because the people had no power, they were not consolidated, they were not awake, they were defeated. Of course, they were defeated on the surface, but actually, that was a point of victory for the people. The 17th of Shahrivar (September 8, 1978) was another one of the Days of God when a people, men, women, young people and older people, and stood up and, in order to get their rights, were martyred. You must recall these Days of God as you have and you must not forget them. It is these days which build human beings. It is on these days that our young people leave their places of entertainment and enter the battlefield. These are the Divine Days. These Days awoke our people. God commands that you enter the Days of God (ayum Allah) into the minds of people.
Do not forget this great Day which passed for our people and were Days of God like the 15th of Khordad, the 17th of Shahrivar and the Day that that wicked man [the shah] left, was one of the Days of God. A nation which had nothing, broke a force in such a way that nothing remained of it, not only was that power opposing you, but all of the powers of the world, as well. I was aware that the whole world had supported him. The army and Bakhtiar supported him and tried to keep him here.
America was holding him up with both hands. When he fled, they held up Bakhtiar with both hands. They sent people to us saying, 'This is from us. This belongs to us.' They were servants. Do not be surprised that they put someone for 10, 15, 20 years in the false form of a nationalist for the day when it will serve their purposes. It is possible that a person prays in a mosque for 20 years and worship God and then one day work for them. It is possible that a person claim honesty and claim to be a nationalist and swear at foreigners, write articles against them so that they influence the hearts of the people for the day when they want to come to power.
That day was the day when he [the shah] left and this man (Bakhtiar) replaced him to protect the interests of foreigners. Do not discount this. It happened. You saw how they told us, 'It is too soon. Do not go to Iran now.' They wanted to consolidate their powers and end the troubles so that there would no longer be a possibility of going. That was also one of the Days of God (ayum Allah).
One of the great Days of God, the Most High and Exalted, was the night when they had planned a coup d 'etat when we were in Tehran. They announced a 24 hour martial law so that even in the daytime people should not come out. Later they informed us that they had intended that night to kilt the leaders of Qom and whoever opposed them, finish them off and end the job. God did not want it to be so. That was an enlightened insurrection of a responsible nation which took place and the power of that side joined this side and we were victorious. This was the Divine Will and one of the Days of God.
Do not forget this that all of the conspiracies were fixed so that on one night they would fall into place and have a coup d'etat and all the people who could do something would be destroyed and the nation returned to the way it was. God did not want it to be so.
This was one of the Days of God which you, the enlightened and noble people of Iran, with your hearts filled with faith, should not fear. Even though they had announced martial law that day, you went into the streets and did away with that which they had wanted. They had wanted the streets to be empty so that they could bring in tanks and place them everywhere and at night be busy with their crime. God, the Most High and Exalted, answered the cries of this nation. That day is one of the great Days of God.
All powers supported them, not just the super-powers but other powers as well. Those who work for the rate of that day and according to the idea that whoever pays more is better, eat according to the rates of that day. Everyone supported them that day. In spite of this, God the Most High and Exalted, blessed you and made you victorious over these great powers and curtailed the hands of foreigners. With the Will of God, their hands will remain curtailed. This is a great Day of God.
Do not forget that we had a 15th of Khordad and this was the beginning of the Islamic movement of Iran. Do not forget that we had a 17th of Shahrivar and we must not forget that on that day, we gave so many martyrs and so much blood and the nation arose against foreigners and their agents. Blood was spilt, but it was victorious and also all the other innumerable days.
Recall days that they attacked us with complete cruelty and you, with complete courage, your men and women, stood against them. Someone told me, 'I saw, with my own eyes, that a child of 10 or 12 was riding a motorcycle and went towards the tanks. The tank ran over and killed him. 'A spirit was born which prompted a child to do such an act. Empty handed, a monarchial empire of 2500 years, 2500 years of criminals was done away with. If a person studies history perhaps there is not one person among them who was more or less distant from their crimes. Those who were like them called themselves 'people of paradise'. They were also criminals.
One of the shahs blinded his own courageous son so that the day would not come when he would gain power but the principal crime and the person who was a genius at crime was this Mohammad Reza. His father was not a criminal to the same extent because this Mohammad Reza both inherited criminal tendencies and he himself was a criminal. He was a genius in crime and kept everything we had backwards in the name of the ‘Great Civilization'. He wanted to obliterate our Islam in the name of Islam. He wanted to take away our honor. He wanted to destroy our great history. He was more original in his crimes -that very person who is wandering over the world at the moment.
Do not forget your honor. Our intellectuals and writers and our groups of scholars should turn their attention to their own honor and glory. They should not prostrate themselves so much towards the West and writers of books. You yourselves have things to say. What difference does it make to you what so and so from the West said? Why do you quote from a foreigner so that the spirit of our young people becomes melancholy and show them to be out of their framework. You people must protest and not buy anything from a drug store with a foreign name until they change its name. These beloved university students of ours should pay attention to the fact that when a writer quotes from a foreigner do not buy that book and do not read it. If you do this and buyers pull back, they will stop doing it. They want customers. When a commodity -has no customers, it is discontinued.
Push away and turn your backs on things which pun you to the West and trample upon your honor and in place of it, they put Western things. With the Will of God, if there is time, I will speak more about this. I cannot now express the whole situation. I pray for you. May God continue His Mercy upon this nation in the way that He blessed this nation and showed it Mercy and saved us from foreigners and their agents so that foreigners will no longer penetrate. May God give you ill happiness, health, greatness, strength and seriousness. May God save you from those kinds of freedoms which are Colonialistic and have come here from abroad.
Peace be upon you, and the Mercy and Blessings of God.
HISTORICAL DECREE ON THE OCCASION OF HAJ
September 20, 1979
The Revolutionary Message and Historical Religious Decree (fatwa) of Imam Khomeini.
In the Name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate
The time is near for one of the great rituals of Islam which consists of a humanity awakened to religious matters, politics and social affairs, that is, the ritual of the Haj or pilgrimage to the House of God. It is necessary that from the beginning of the Islamic Republic, founded upon the great Revolution of the noble people of Iran, that this sacred ritual be purified from all effects of the idol worshipping tyrants.
It must be returned to the real Islam. With the Will of God, in the governing of the Islamic Republic, this sacred ritual, with all the spiritual meaning which it contains, will be realized. It is necessary that several points be mentioned:
1. It is necessary that I remind the respected religious leaders of the various groups that before leaving for Mecca, you should hold meetings to inform the pilgrims of their religious duties and revolutionary responsibilities.
2. All of our Muslim brothers and sisters should pay attention to the fact that one of the most important aspects of the philosophy of the Haj is to establish an understanding and brotherhood among Muslims. It is necessary that scholars and religious leaders express their essential political and social beliefs to your Muslim brothers. In order to do so, plans should be made so that when they return to their own countries, they can place the plans at the disposal of their religious leaders and others.
3. In this year in which Iran is at the threshold of an Islamic Republic, and because of unjust propaganda of the foreigners, it is possible that Muslims from various countries not be informed of the depth of the Islamic movement in Iran. Therefore it is necessary that religious leaders, speakers and scholars, with whatever means that are available introduce this sacred movement. The other pilgrims must realize that the goal of the Iranian Muslims is to establish an Islamic government under the banner of Islam and under the guidance of the Holy Qur’an and the Prophet of Islam so that our Muslim brothers will come to know that our only goal is Islam and we only think about the establishment of a just Islamic government.
4. It is necessary that our Iranian, Shi'ite brothers and those of other countries not take part in the ignorant practices which disunite the ranks of we Muslims. It is necessary that they participate in the ritual prayer with the Sunnis. It is necessary that they avoid holding congregational prayers in their homes, avoid placing loud speakers which cause disturbances and avoid falling down upon the graves of the holy ones or do things that are sometimes against the Divine Law.
5. Delegating other Shi'ites for the prayer of the circumambulation is not correct. Each person must, to their own ability, recite their own prayers. It is not allowed to hire a substitute or to cause trouble for the people who are performing their prayers.
6. The circumambulation is a well-known part of the ritual which all pilgrims perform and it should be performed in the same way by all. Do not do things which the ignorant people do and you must in no way do anything which will cause your religion to be discredited.
7. At voqufain, it is necessary that you follow the decrees of the Sunnis and it should be observed even if it be a mistake.
8. In this year, because of the Islamic Revolution, we see what our brothers and sisters suffered at the hands of the tyrants and many of the wounded and injured are in need of help. It is appropriate that people who wish to perform a supererogatory pilgrimage, give the money for that to their brothers and sisters instead as, in the view of God, the Almighty, this is a much higher act of spiritual benefit. Also people who spend exorbitant amounts of money on gifts or people who spend money on pageantry and gatherings upon their return, it is more appropriate that this money be spent on your brothers and sisters who are in need and are afflicted because God the Most High has placed more blessing upon this.
I ask for the greatness of Islam from God and the happiness of the Muslim people and victory for all in taking the sacred movement to a fruitful end. Greetings to all the gathering of believers. May God bless you all.
Peace be upon you, and the Mercy and Blessings of God.
ISLAM IS THE GREAT RELIGION OF UNITY
September 24, 1979
The message of Imam Khomeini for the gathering of the Pilgrimage (Haj). 1399, A.H.
In the Name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate
And hold you fast to God's covenant together, be not divided so that by His blessing you become brothers you were upon the brink of a pit of Fire and He delivered you from it. Thus does God clearly explain His signs for you so that you may be guided (3: 102)
Greetings to all of the Muslims of the world, East and West and greetings to the pilgrims of the House of Abraham, may God grant success to all of them.
It cannot be denied, it is obvious that Islam is the great religion of Unity. It destroys pageantry, idolatry and selfishness. It is a religion based on the nature of humanity. It liberates one from the bonds and chains of nature and from the jinn who are both hidden and manifest. It is a political religion and leads one upon the straight path. Islam is neither eastern nor western. It is a religion in which prayer is combined with politics and politics is considered to be a kind of prayer.
Now that Muslims of different countries of the world are going to the Ka'ba, the house of their hopes, now that they are going on a pilgrimage to the House of God to perform this most important divine ritual, now that it is the time for this great Islamic gathering at the sacred place, Muslims, who are awakened by God, must, in addition to embracing their devotions, benefit from the political and social possibilities. They should not be satisfied with external devotions alone.
It is known that no government or leader in the world could establish such an important and great gathering. It is only by God's command that such a great gathering is held. Unfortunately, throughout the whole of history, Muslims have not been able to take advantage of this divine power in the Islamic gathering of the Haj and make favorable use of it for Islam and Muslims.
There are several political duties which are part of any gathering, especially such a valuable gathering as the Haj. One of these duties is being aware of the basic and political difficulties of Islam and Muslims. Such awareness is only possible at such a gathering of clergymen, intellectuals and pilgrims to the House of God who are engaged in social action. They have the opportunity to discuss problems together and by discussing them, find solutions and then when they return to their country, they can put their solutions into action.
Another important duty at this great gathering is to invite people and Islamic communities to the Unity of the Word and eliminate class distinctions which exist among Muslims. It is the duty of preachers, speakers and writers to perform this important task and try to bring all of the deprived people of the world into a united front. Through the testimony of la illaha ilIa Lah, Muslims must liberate themselves from the slavery and oppression which evil powers, imperialists and exploiters bring. Through Islamic brotherhood, Muslims must defeat these forces.
My dear sisters and brothers, in whatever country you may reside, you must defend your Islamic honor. You must stand fearless against your enemies whether they be America, International Zionism or Eastern or Western super-powers. You must defend Islamic nations. You must reveal the oppressions of Islam's enemies.
My Muslim brothers and sisters, you are well aware of the fact that Eastern and Western super-powers are plundering both our material and spiritual benefits. They are keeping all of us in poverty. They are trying to make us politically, economically; culturally and militantly dependent upon them. You must be awakened. You must seek out your Islamic identity. You must not accept oppression. You must intelligently reveal the evil plans of international and world oppressors and imperialists who regulate them in America.
Today, Jerusalem, the place of the first Islamic direction of prayer (qiblah) is occupied by Israel, the; cancerous gland of the Middle East. Israel is massacring our dear Lebanese and Palestinian brothers and sisters with all of their powers. Israel, with all its evil means and powers, creates discrepancies among Muslims. It is necessary for all Muslims to arm themselves against Israel. The Muslim countries of Africa are being contorted under the pressure of America and its agents. Muslim Africa is today shouting its cry of oppression as loud as it can. The philosophy of the Haj should reply to those cries of oppression.
Circling around the Ka'ba means that you should circle around nothing other than God. The stoning and punishing means to stone and do away with the demons of mankind. When you are throwing your stones, make a covenant with God to stone and do away with the superpowers and demons of mankind from Muslim nations.
Today, the Muslim world is in bondage to America. You must take God's message to all Muslims on all continents. The message of God is to worship none but He. Muslims of the world and followers of the School of Unity know that the secret of the troubles and difficulties of Muslim countries is disunity and the secret of victory is the Unity of the Word and bringing about harmony.
God has told us, 'And hold you fast to God's covenant, together, be not divided. ' To adhere to God's covenant is to hold to the solidarity and harmony of all Muslims for Islam and towards Islam and for the sake of all Muslims. It is to avoid any kind of disunity, discrepancies and self-worship which is the main cause of all of the miseries and falling behind
I ask God the Almighty for the glory of Islam as well as the Unity and solidarity for Muslims all over the world. Greetings to all Muslims and all of the good and pious creatures of God.
Peace be upon you, and the Mercy and Blessings of God
MAKE AGREEMENTS OF UNITY AND SOLIDARITY IN THESE SACRED PLACES
October 31, 1979
Imam Khomeini issued an important message upon the occasion of the day of Arafat of the pilgrimage which was addressed to all Muslims of the world. This message was read to hundreds of thousands of persons gathered at Arafat as well as to those in Mecca and it was broadcast to the Islamic world.
In the Name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate
'The Prophet of God is a good example for you. 'Greetings and the blessings of God upon the great Prophet of Islam who arose alone among the idolaters and arrogant, who raised the flag of Unity in favour of the deprived and abased people of the world. He had no fear because the numbers of his followers were small and that they had insufficient equipment but with the support of the power of faith and determination, he revolted against the tyrants and oppressors. Within less than half a century, the sound of
Unity spread to all the cultivated parts of the world. You honorable pilgrims have come from all parts of the world to the sacred House of God, to the center of Unity, the place of revelation, the place of Abraham and Mohammad, two great men who were destroyers of idols and who rebelled against the arrogant. You are now in the blessed places which, at the time of the revelation, were dry deserts and mountains and yet they are the place of the descending of the angels of God where the soldiers of God were attacked, the residence of the prophets of God and pious followers of God.
You should realize the importance and greatness of the places in which you are. Arm yourselves from this center of the destruction of idols to break the great idols which have altered their faces in the form of satanic powers and earth devouring plunderers. You must not be afraid of the empty power of tyrants. Rely on God. Make agreements of unity and solidarity in these sacred places. Avoid grouping and fighting with each other.
As God has commanded, 'Do not fight with each other for that will cause your respect to be destroyed.' The characteristic of faith and Islam will be diminished by fighting among yourselves and taking up ranks according to your personal wishes which are against the instructions of God. Unite t in the Truth, with the Unity of the Word and the word, Unity, you have the main sources of the greatness of the Islamic community and they will bring victory.
All of you Muslims of the world, what has happened to you? How was it that in the early stages of Islam, a few Muslims defeated the super-powers of that time and created the great humanitarian, Islamic community, but now you have approximately a one billion population and hold the most important resources which are our arms, and you show only weakness and humility towards the enemy?
Do you know that the most important cause of your miseries is due to the separation and contrasts of the heads of your country and consequently, you yourselves. Arise! Take up the Qur’an! Obey God's command so that you will be able to return to and revive the greatness and glory of Islam. Come and just listen to the words of God where God says, 'I give you one advice, arise and revolt for God, one by one or two by two.' Arise all of you for the sake of God. Arise against the inner satans. All arise against the satanic powers of the world. Any uprising which is divinely inspired and for the sake of God will be victorious.
You Muslims and deprived people of the world ! give your hands to each other, turn your attention towards God, trust in Islam and revolt against the arrogant and the oppressors of the rights of the people. Oh, pilgrims to the House of God, join each other and gather together in sacred pi aces and ask for victory of God and the greatness of Muslims and the deprived and abased people of the world.
You speakers and writers must discuss the social and political problems of your country at the great gatherings of Arafat, Mashair, Mina, Mecca and Medina with your brothers in faith and ask for the assistance of each other.
You are all pilgrims to the House of God. Try to speak of leftist and right est conspiracies and in particular, those of the plundering, oppressive America and the criminal Israel to the people of the world and ask for their assistance. Make the crimes of these criminals known. Rely on God for the improvement of Islamic affairs. Curtail the hands of criminals from Islamic countries.
With the Will of God, the Almighty, I give you the good news of victory .Greetings to the Prophet of God, leaders of Muslims and pious followers of God. May God's blessings be upon all of you.
Peace be upon you, and the Mercy and Blessings of God.
MUSLIM COUNTRIES MUST DEFEND ALL FREEDOM ORGANIZATIONS IN THE WORLD
November 3, 1979
The message of Imam Khomeini to the Algerian people on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of their independence.
In the Name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate
Having reached the threshold of 25 years of freedom from the oppressive domination of the so called 'civilized' colonizers, I express my own sincere greetings as well as the greetings of all Iranians to our brother nation, Algeria.
Our nation has also tasted the bitterness of foreign domination and the plunders of oil, especially that of the U.S. Thus, we sense what you have suffered. We share in the sorrow and happiness of the whole Algerian nation and other Muslim countries because of our belief in brotherhood.
I hope that Muslims of the world who are now at the threshold of the fifteenth century of the hijrah will really study these difficulties and the origin of them and with solidarity, unity, and the endorsement of Islam, under the honorable banner of Islam release themselves from the bind of the colonizers.
Muslims who are at the threshold of the new century who have sensed unbearable suffering and who have seen nothing from the satanic super-powers but plundering, crime and difficulties, should now sincerely unite together and by turning their attention to God and Islam, try to find solutions to their problems.
The first essential step is that Muslim nations and their national governments must try to remove their mental dependence upon the West and find their own genuine culture. They should free themselves and the eastern countries and the African continent which has been awakened by the Islamic national, bloody revolution of the brave people of Algeria, from the domination of America and other colonizing countries. They must stand on their own two feet and seriously fight against the culture of the West which is exported to them.
African, Asian and other countries which are under domination must know that the corruption which is exported from colonizing, conspiring countries like America is not comparable to their changing themselves. Thus, all Islamic countries such as Iran must spiritually and financially support countries which are fighting colonizing countries.
Islamic countries must defend all freedom organizations of the world. We seriously condemn the conspiracies of Egypt, America and Israel for destroying and defeating the great revolution of the brave Palestinian people. Let the heads and representatives of the countries which have gathered in Algeria to unite and curtail the affairs of rightist and leftist criminals headed by the U.S., thoroughly defeat Israel and return the rights of the Palestinian people to them.
I ask God to return awareness, solidarity, unity and glory to all Islamic countries. Greetings to you and to all faithful servants of God.
Peace be upon you, and the Mercy and Blessings of God.
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