Means of Domination of Colonialism

By:
Hojjat al-Islam Hashmi Rafsanjani
Former President of Islamic Republic of Iran
Friday Prayer Sermon 20: (May 10, 1985)
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent the Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and Allah's peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and upon his descendants, the infallible Imams. I take refuge with Allah (SWT) from the accursed Shaytan.
"O you men! Surely We have created you of a male and a female, and made you nations and tribes so that you may know (deal respect­fully with) one another; surely the most honourable of you with Allah is the most pious, God fearing..." (49:13)
According to our practice, we have been discussing Islam's social justice re regarding the various races. Allah (SWT) willing, today I will complete the final part of this discussion, which will include a reference to one of the dimensions of the oppressions of the white race, a summing up of the former discussions and an elucidation of a distinct instance of the oppression and discrimination, which the white race of the West presently commits in the world. Allah (SWT) willing, the series of discussions on this subject could be a reflection on the justice of Islam and the oppression of the opponents of Islam and of the schools of thought claiming to be right and true.
What we have discussed (the numerous kinds of oppressions the white race has brought on the yellow, red, and black races and other people over the last five hundred years) was a very pathetic account. The objective behind this was the domination of one race over the world. To fulfill this objective, they left no stone unturned. They carried out all possible acts of oppression leaving nothing undone which they could do.

Means of Domination of Colonialism
In terms of results, the red (Red Indian) race has almost reached decline and has no identity in the world. The black race has been turned into a half-living race. Despite the epical resistance they made all through these five hundred years, the black race has always been half alive. The yellow race, which had the most extensive tracts of land and the highest population, has always been kept backward, troubled and in the state of war, poverty, and deprivation. The countries in these regions have also had the same condition that you now see (of course, these are moving a little towards improvement). They carried out these affairs by way of spreading slavery, which was one of the aspects of my discussion. Another method was through official colonization by rendering a country, nation, or a government an official colony. They carried out numerous crimes by spreading the commonplace Western culture in place of independent, rich, and native cultures of the nations. By dispatching their mischief-makers, convicts, and exiled people to other parts of the world for establishment of sovereignty, they used these people as the representatives of the white race, which is a pathetic dimension of modern history. Another dimension was to bring to power the mischievous, incapable, and worthless people from among nations and countries in place of competent people, and to bring to power hirelings instead of independent and patriotic people. Typically, in governments under their influence, the incompetent used to reach power in this way. These subjects deserve separate full discussions on which I have discussed briefly.
A sad chapter related to the means of their domination was the signing of treaties and agreements. In the name of international treaties, they bore grudge against the people by seemingly legal yet actual deceitful methods. Then later they violated those treaties and did what they wanted. Another method they adopted was the attainment of political and economic privileges, which they used to extensively acquire all over the world. After getting these privileges, these were turned into companies and governments which were rivals with the local governments. I have also elaborated this. One of their very bad deeds and behaviours was related to the corrupting of people's morality; that is, they spread immorality and spoiled people's moral character, as I have mentioned, through making women corrupt, establishing the spirit of being unrestrained, and corrupting the moral virtues of other peoples, governments, and countries. This devastates the nations from within. I have also elaborated this part as to what affliction they have brought on the world people.
We had another discussion which dealt with the "pillage of national honours". They plundered historical vestiges, emptied the museums, and robbed the artistic vestiges of the nations so as to deprive them of their historical identity. This thinking is still being pursued.
The cultural invasion on the whole has been one of the most live facets of this period of domination'. They brought the cultures of all nations under the influence of the Western culture. And see what calamity this infiltration of the Western culture has brought about for the nations.
The last part which I have covered under this discussion was the imposition of the sovereignty of capital on the nations. Instead of implementing the virtuous, human, scientific, technical, and ethical rule, introducing taqwa and art, they pursued the dominance of capital which was an irreparable calamity which the nations suffered. There is another inauspicious aspect which I will briefly deal with today. Then I would like to explain two distinct points about the present conditions, so that the ladies and gentlemen would see what kind of people the Westerners are who claim to be the champions of human rights and who belittle whoever they do not like, on the charge of violation of human rights.

The Colonialistic Policy of Sowing Discord among the People
This facet deals with sowing discord among the people. Through intensive studies and ample information which they obtain on what they have in mind, they identify the sensitivities of the tribe or nation they have in view. Then they create differences among people in these sensitive subjects. By creating differences, they bar the unity and harmony of the people, lest they should one day stand against them, become a source of trouble for them, and confront them. The Arabs have expressed this aspect by a short sentence as the colonialistic principle, that we also have as a notorious proverb which says: "Divide and rule".
Truly, this has always been one of the solid foundations of the domination-seeking people in history, They created religious differ­ences wherever they found it necessary. The issue of Shi`ah and Sunni in the world of Islam has always been one of their pretexts. Allah (SWT) knows how much bloodshed they have made in the world over the past five hundred years by placing the Sunni against the Shi`ah, and Shi`ah against the Sunni. Whenever they found the time inopportune, they found a foolish person to write a book attacking, and thus instigating the other sect. Or they incited an orator to deliver an address, or they prompted an ignorant person to perform an evil deed. In short, by these acts, they revived the idea of the hostilities and grudges during the history of 1300 or 1400 years, and made the sects confront with one another. You have seen that the Iraq-Iran war, which was waged by a hireling of arrogance, viz the `Aflaqi (Saddam Husayn) as a part of colonialistic movement, was also accorded a Shi`ah-Sunni hue by them.
They identified the tribes in the name of Arab and non-Arab, Turk and Fars, Kurd and Turk and Fars and the like. They revive differences related to the claims of blood among tribes and thus instigate them and make them confront with one another. All through its history and especially from the time when the Westerners found a way into it, the Indian subcontinent has witnessed so much bloodshed due to these discriminations and differences that if these details are someday com­piled from the history, one would realize what a great number of deprived and oppressed people have been killed there. And this is still continuing. It is strange that nations are deceived so much.
Last month, they created a very inauspicious sedition in India's Gujarat State which has a colonialistic root. The Hindus attacked the Muslims and killed a large number of them and plundered their shops and houses. The issue was rooted in the fact that the Indian Government wanted to grant privileges to the Harijans who are, as they put it, the old untouchables and who are the most deprived people of India.
The other Hindu castes including the opulent, were opposed to this and confronted and fought with the Harijans. When they found that the Hindus were killing one another, they decided to relieve the Hindus of this sedition. They embarked on instigation and made the Hindus confront and fight with the Muslims. In a town such as "Ahmadabad" which has a 14% Muslim population, the majority of Hindus are massacring the Muslims and the Indian Government does not support the Muslims at all. I warn the Indian Government that it will not be in its interest to hurt the sentiments of one billion world Muslims under such circumstances by these colonialistic policies whose roots do not belong to India but rather belong to the British and other Westerners in India. I warn the Indian Muslims also to be careful. They should be united, and should not be instigated to act against one another.
Some months ago, we witnessed the events about the Sikhs and the Sikhs versus the Hindus. All through our history, these events have existed in relation to the Westerners. How many religions and movements they sponsored and created and bothered Muslims. At times, we see that, for instance, the Baha'is, who are endeared by the U.S. President himself and the U.S. senators, derive so much benefit from the Czarist Russia and Britain. Now it is the turn of the Americans to do such things. One day, they give rise to a movement in Pakistan, the Qadiyaniyyah movement; in the Arab world, the Wahhabi movement; in Iran, the Baha'i movement and the like. Allah (SWT) knows what sedition this means European white race has committed by playing with the sanctities, the mosques, the temples, and the people's religious sentiments and what a huge quantity of blood has been shed in this way.
If some day Allah (SWT) decides to bring to account these European rulers for their crimes, I do not know what punishment and torment would be meted oat to them to equal the oppressive actions they have committed. We Muslims understood these things a bit. But in Latin American countries and elsewhere, they at times compel the tribes to fight with one another for things such as a, cow, idol, stone, and whatever of the like that they worship. See what they do to the people in the worshipping places. This is the method of establishing differences among the religious beliefs of the people.
On the other hand, wherever they want to settle the religious differences, they do so. One of the most profound religious differences in the world is the differences between the Jews and the Christians. Once I read a book on the history of differences between the Jews and the Christians. You know that Christians regard the Jews as the murderers of Jesus Christ, and they consider this blood as something that cannot be pardoned. As a result, they could not reconcile. From the day the global arrogance decided to hurl the Muslims into such a state, it tries to quieten the sedition of fight between the Jews and the Christians, but it creates this sedition among the Muslims.
We see that it brings about a reconciliation between Israel and Lebanese Phalanges, but wants to make the Shi`ah and Sunni fight with each other in Lebanon and does so. The profound and infiltrating roots which they found, and the footsteps which they found in the powerful movements of the world, or in religions, or other matters have always been used as clues to create sedition. Why did the crusades occur in human history? These are among the instances of this policy. Of course, at that time the Europeans were themselves present in the field of the battle. This subject is beyond the scope of this discussion and requires a separate elaboration. Wher­ever there is no religion, they set forth the issue of parties, political groups, and other things which they know. This is the nature of the domination of the white race over the majority of the people of the world in the last five hundred years. It is not possible to mention these issues more briefly than I did in the course of khutab (sermons) of Friday Prayers. Allah (SWT) willing, those desiring to know more about these matters would study these further and clarify for the people in their writings and statements.
At this point of time, we should particularly highlight these crimes of the Westerners. We should bring them to book so than they would be ashamed to speak of human rights, culture, and civilization and to claim to be the champions of these causes. In this regard, they should assume a defensive posture and should defend themselves. They should account for all these crimes.
The situation should not be such that when a revolution takes place in any part of the world, they suddenly accuse the revolutionaries of being against human rights and civilization and creating an atmosphere of strangulation and the like and deprive the revolution of its ethical value. To oppose it, a propaganda attack should be conducted by the Third World against this arrogant movement o as to put it in straitened circumstances in terms of its propaganda. And this is possible. If other Third World governments start this, as we have done, it can be completely materialized. But the present condition is due to Non-Aligned Movement's meeting for Namibia held in India. The Non-Aligned Movement conducted this meeting. In this discussion, I will, to some extent, clarify for you the very situation of Namibia, so that you would see the true visage of the Westerners as to what type of people they are. If our people listen to this carefully, the Western propaganda can no longer mislead them.

Namibia
Namibia is a country which has an area of about 800,000 sq. kilometres; i.e. , it is approximately one-half of Iran's area. It is located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in the south-west of Africa. This country has huge and valuable resources such as diamond, copper, uranium, tin, and zinc. It has strategic importance as it is located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, and that too in South Africa which has great strategic importance in the modern world. It is exactly 501 years that the Westerners have dominated Namibia. In 1484, the Portuguese were the first people to conquer Namibia. From then on, for 500 years, these unfortunate people have lived in the worst possible conditions.

They have been subjected to so much oppression that today, despite the growth they have had, only about one million of their population is left. A country one-half of the size of Iran has a population of about one million only. They always used the (Namibian) people as slaves, massacred them, or sent them to exile. Whoever has been able has oppressed them. At first, the Portuguese conquered Namibia, then the Dutch, the British, and the German. And, recently, they handed it over to South Africa.

Exploitation of the Blacks of South Africa and Namibia
Today, the whites who rule over South Africa are also dominant over Namibia. I will discuss the case of South Africa and of Namibia together. At present, this region provides a good example of the issue of the white and the black. A small population of white people governs South Africa and has taken possession of its rich mines of gold and diamond, as well as its huge resources. They terribly exploit a majority of twenty-odd million populations of blacks and half-breed. It is strange that in 1965, about twenty years ago, the United Nations made Namibia its protectorate so as to save it. That is to say, its national movement known as SWAPO has been accorded by the United Nations the status of an observer. That is, the United Nations is so much concerned with it, and this is not something that-the United Nations does not accept in principle.
Such a country is in the hands of the white people of South Africa. I will point to some statistics related to Namibia so that you could see how the oppression works around the globe. From the point of view of education, the statistics released by the United Nations indicate that of every 1000 black youth in Namibia, only 1 has the chance to receive average education, and that the expenses of the education of a white child are twenty times those of the blacks. That is, a white child uses the resources twenty times while one-twentieth of these expenses are used for a black child to provide stationery and other things. Such are the wolves of the West in the guise of human beings who do such things.
Of every 1000 black children, 131 die before reaching the age of one year. But of every 1000 white children, only-7 die. See how these proportions are. In other words, of every 1000 white children born, 7 die before the age of one year. But of every 1000 black children, 131 die before reaching the age of one year. Also, these are the statistics of the United Nations. That is, the rate of death of black children is twenty times that of the white children, although black children are more resistant and develop immunity to diseases in their mother's wombs. But as the living conditions are so terrible for them, they live like this.
In South Africa itself, which is the mother country (in films, you see things indicating that the blacks have recently started a massive movement), official statistics on land show that 15 % of the farmers are the white and 80% are the black. Distribution of land is like this 250 million acres belong to 15 % white farmers and 35 million acres belong to 85 % black farmers. If we want to express it in the form of percentage, 12.5 % of the land belongs to 7 million black farmers while 85 % of the fertile land belongs to 700,000 whites who comprise 15 % of the farmers. This is how the resources have been distributed.
Although South Africa is the biggest exporter of gold, diamond, and uranium in the world, the blacks living there are the poorest of all people. The reason is that the whites are ruling over there. That is to say, the government is in the hands of the whites. The United Nations and the United States have condemned it.
Of course, their condemnation is only on the surface. Some wanted also to place it under economic embargo outwardly. But we do not know from where these few thousand whites obtain such an enormous power in South Africa. This is the situation of the whites and the blacks, which partly depicts a small picture which I have presented. But the depth of the issue is the same all over the world; however, in other places the matter is not visible. In India and in other countries also it is not visible but it is seen in another form. Capital, resources, welfare, poverty, and affliction are distributed in the manner shown by the statistics which I have presented to you.

The Average Income of the Blacks in Namibia
The average income of the blacks in Namibia is £90 and the average income of the whites is (2000. See the difference between £2000 and £90. The income of the whites is approximately 23 times that of the blacks. In a society where one person earns 23 times more than the other person, the living standards, welfare, comforts, and other issues will be obviously different. The blacks have no right to take part in elections, and elections belong to the whites only. Place of residence is also forced on blacks. In other words, the blacks cannot reside wherever they want. The white and the black areas are separate from each other. There are separate schools for, blacks and the whites.
Recently, due to their principle of sowing discord, they granted a second-rate privilege to the half-breed in the constitution. This too, led to a new conflict. When the Indian Muslims went from India to South Africa, the black Africans took them to task as to why they accepted the privileges granted to them by the whites. A new conflict has arisen among themselves. Now how the police treats them, what their situation is in the buses and in the parks, and what the conditions of the blacks are, constitute issues which you will hear elsewhere, and which I do not intend to clarify.
I just want to state to our people to those who hear my voice, not to be deceived by the soft and calm visage of these "good looking Western snakes". While speaking, they talk like a civilized, noble, and a philanthropic person but in practice their vivid examples are what I have presented, and in previous khutab (sermons) I have cited their other examples indicating what types of people they are.

The Westerners - The False Pioneers of Civilization, Culture, Justice, and Humanity
They want to be the pioneers of civilization, culture, justice, equity, and humanity in the modern world. They accuse whoever does not follow their culture of being uncivilized and brand him with whatever they want. There are Westernized people in these countries even in Namibia, South Africa, and countries like ours who still regard them as their guide and believe that ethics of humanity can be learned from them. If this subject which I have so far discussed could serve as a guide for our people and especially for our youth to get to know these wolves of history, it can bring a change in the morality of people.
At least, we should know that the Westerners are lying, and we could choose our own way. We have Islam. We rely on Islam. We take pride in the fact that from the very beginning, Islam had justice. The Christian writer Jurji Zaydan writes that in the first week of the Holy Prophet's establishment of rule in the Arab Peninsula, the Prophet (S) set up a high council, one of whose members was a black person called Bilal ibn Rabahil-Habashi. We know that the main centre of Islam was comprised of people such as Salman Al-Farsi and persons like him, who, relying on the Holy Prophet (S), were at the centre of power. And these were from all races. The Roman Suhayb ibn Sinan, the non-Arab Salman A1-Farsi, the black Bilal ibn Rabahil-Habashi used to sit next to one another and side by side with the Prophet (S) and the Arab `Ali ibn Abi Talib (A). All through the history, Islam has maintained this characteristic. And the Qur'an has granted us this honour. And whoever complained of the dress, lineage, and educational background of these people, the Holy Prophet (S) stated that they were good people and possessed taqwa.
The taqwa served as the Prophet's (S) criterion of choice and selection. The Messenger of Allah laid stress upon this principle, i.e., giving preference to taqwa - the main and inherent element of humanity, the root of virtues, and the basis of abstaining from errors and sins which is truly the crystallization of the gem of humanity. The Qur'an has also emphasized this. This is our history. This is our wish. This is the basis of our movement, the basis of our values and asset. We are of the view that whoever cherishes taqwa in his heart will get to know Allah (SWT) and will seek taqwa, be he white or black. Literature is a mirror of thoughts and reflections. Cur literature, from the beginning to the last, has laid stress on this issue.
Our poets, even our Muslim court-poets, could not ignore this basic principle when they wanted to compose poetry even while they eulogized the kings and bullies in the courts. Following is the meaning. of a few couplets:
"A bright white-faced person, with pomp and pride, showed aversion to a black slave. The black-faced slave became sad and addressed that stone-hearted idol: `If Allah made you brighten the world, He made me the mole on the forehead of the day. If Allah gave you the face of the moon -He gave me the face of Laylatul-Qadr (The Night of Power and Destiny)'."
See how this elegy has maintained all values for a black, and does not denounce them. The whites can also have virtue. 1f the sun is bright, Laylatul-Qadr is dark. If your beautiful face is white, that mole on your face, and the charm it gives you has another form of value. The value of being white or black cannot perfect humanity. These issues exist in our literature, in our Qur'an, in our ahadith (traditions), in the life-style of our Imams (A), and in the life-styles of our dignitaries. This history is full of honour and that history is abominable.
The outcome of all these discussions in the course of these khutab is that Islam has presented the best way for justice in approaching the races. And the worst path has been pursued by the Western world and the same is still being pursued unfortunately. Of course, they might change its form and appearance. And today, racial discrimination is similar to what was existing three hundred years ago.
The U.S. objectives in the Islamic countries, in Iran, in Iraq, in Egypt, in Syria, in Saudi Arabia, in India, and in Pakistan are the same as those which are being pursued by it in South Africa and Namibia. It has no difference. But here it acts in one way and there in another way. It seeks domination. It is arrogant and aggressor. And that is its path.