HIGHLIGHTS FROM SPEECH NUMBER ONE
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
...those who are now making note of what I have to say, better tell those in the government not to play with the people's feelings and sentiments any more than they have already. The `ulama of Islam are not going to give up the fight. If they think that by postponing and delaying things they can quieten the situation,1 they are mistaken. There is no way
that this matter will be allowed to rest, for it is a matter of grave importance. We are talking about Islam being in danger. The `ulama of Islam cannot remain silent . . . this problem does not only concern the `ulama of Iran, but rather the Iraqi `ulama,2 the Egyptian `ulama and the `ulama in Yemen, and other Islamic places around the world are all with us on this.
If the day should come when, with your help, we decide to take action against the government, then the number of the people who will be actively involved will far outnumber those gathered here. On that day, the crowd of people will be so huge that it will have to gather outside the city of Qum, for there will be insufficient space here. But having said that, we expect the government to bear the possible consequences of their actions in mind and not to delay any further in reaching a decision. As for you, the people, you must continue to be patient for a few more days
1
- During the month of Mehr 1341 AHS (September/October 1962), the government of Asadullah `Alam presented a new bill concerning the Provincial and District Councils which was seen by the maraji` of Qum as being against Islam and the Constitution. In this bill, the government removed Islam a prerequisite for candidates and voters and instead of swearing on the Holy Qur'an, any `Holy Book' was to be acceptable. These changes were made in spite of the fact that according to Article 9 of the Provincial and District Councils constitution, the prerequisite conditions for a prospective candidate were to be the same as those for parliamentary candidates; and again, according to Article 12 of the National Consultative Assembly's electoral law, candidates were to be followers of the true Islam (except for those of minority religions: Christians, Zoroastrians, and Jews), whilst according to Article 11 of the Constitution, parliamentary representatives were to swear on the Holy Qur'an. `Alam's government, by passing this bill, opened the way for the effacement of Islam, for the spread of Western culture, and for non-Muslims to be given a role in ruling the destiny and interests of the Muslim people of Iran.
