Speech number nineteen
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
The scheme of the government in Tehran is more serious than first imagined. Their design in closing the Fayziya Madrasa and imprisoning the `ulama and religious students is to cause disruption in the Madrasa and to destroy Islam and the clergy. They want neither Islam to exist nor the clergy, for they realise that as long as Islam and the clergy exist in the country they cannot implement the orders of their masters and make Iran completely dependent on foreigners. By the festivals that they create
every day and the weaponry that they are constantly buying from this place and that, by their wasteful spending and extravagance, they are trying to drive the Iranian nation towards calamity and bankruptcy and, God forbid, to make us the beggars of America and Israel. But be assured, they will not succeed. Praise be to God, the nation is awake and the Iranian clergy know what their duties are. The imperialists have not been able to deceive the clergy of Iran and put them to sleep, and, God willing, with this awareness they will sever the hands of the traitors to Islam and the country. You have a duty to help your brothers in Iran in whatever way possible. Persevere in the face of difficulties and be steadfast; even this expression of sympathy and support for the oppressed people of Iran will itself be effective. May God awaken everyone from the slumber of ignorance....
1- Holding ceremonies and festivals was one of the ploys used by the Shah for both amusing and deceiving the people and covering up his weaknesses, defeats and disappointments and those of his regime. Included amongst these festivals are: The Shah's birthday on October 26 (Aban 4, AHS); the anniversary of the White Revolution on January 26 (Bahman 6, AHS); Women's Emancipation Day on January 7 (Dey 17, AHS); the Shah's escape from danger on February 4 (Bahman 15, AHS); the anniversary of the coup d'etat of June 18 (Khurdad 28, AHS); the liberation of Azerbayjan on December 12 (Azar 21, AHS) and.....the costly and extravagant international festivals like the 25th anniversary of the Shah's rule; the anniversary of the crowning ceremony; the festival marking two-and-a-half millennia of monarchy; and dozens more like these. More than thirty different festivals and anniversaries were held during the 60's and 70's, all of them very costly and all of which were related to the Shah's family and the monarchical system. On different occasions, Imam issued proclamations and delivered speeches severely condemning these festivals which were paid for from the earnings of the deprived masses. Some of his speeches in this regard will appear in later pages of this book. 2- The Shah purchased arms from all eastern and western arms-manufacturing companies. In 1966, the Pentagon agreed to sell Iran the latest models of F-4D Mac Donald Phantom jet fighters. After this purchase, which also included the purchase of other numerous and diversified military equipment, the Shah placed a big order with Britain and France. In 1967, on a trip to Moscow, the Shah announced that he had signed an agreement with the Russian government for the purchase of 110 million dollars worth of Soviet military equipment including personnel carriers, trucks and anti-aircraft guns. The Shah's moves towards closer relations with the Russians prompted America to bolster its military relations with Iran, such that the sale of American arms to Iran in 1970 was more than $113.2 million, rising to more than 1.3 billion in 1975 and reaching 4 billion in 1976. 3- Barrasi va Tahlili az Nihzat-i Imam Khomeini, Vol. 2, p. 257.
