......Respected gentlemen, whatever your position, make a determined stand against the illegal and sacrilegious activities of this government. Do not let these rusty bayonets frighten you, they will soon be broken. This government cannot oppose the demands of a great nation with bayonets, and sooner or later it will be defeated. Even now it is defeated and hopeless, the uncivilized acts that you have witnessed were enacted out of hopelessness.

We did not wish the regime to be brought to this level of disgrace. Why must the king of a nation be so detached from the people that when he makes a suggestion the people ignore him or respond negatively. A king must behave in such a manner that when he makes a suggestion or a request the people agree to it whole-heartedly, not rise up against it.

The Shah's referendum enjoyed the support of no more than 2,000 people in the whole country. We did not want the leaders of this country to ever become so disgraced. This should serve as a lesson to make them awaken and change their policy. Instead of breaking the law and sending the `ulama and other respected citizens to prison, instead of bullying and using bayonets, they should accept the wishes of the people and realize that they cannot silence the people or make them surrender with bayonets, nor can they use coercion to prevent the clergy from performing the duties with which Islam has charged them. Even though they stopped Mr. Islami from speaking out from the pulpit in Tehran, they saw how he spoke out from the pulpit in Bandar Pahlavi and revealed the truth there. And if they had stopped him from speaking there, he would have continued elsewhere, have no doubt about that. Wherever he could, he would get his message across to the people. Even though they have prevented many `ulama and preachers from speaking out by putting them in prison, the remaining clergy who have not been arrested will speak out and will make the people aware of what is happening. Do you honestly believe that you can silence the clergy?

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1-  It is necessary to note that twice in 1963 (1341 AHS), over a three-month period, Imam Khomeini confidently promised that God would assist the Islamic movement and lead it to victory over the Shah's oppressive regime. The first time was in a speech dated December 2, 1962 (Azar 11, 1341 AHS) delivered at the A`zam Mosque in Qum and addressed to the religious students and clergy who were present at the classes held after the disturbances over the Provincial and District Councils Bill had ended. Then a second time he stated in a speech: "These bayonets will soon be broken."

2-  The boycott of the referendum for the Shah's "White Revolution" provoked a wave of hatred and anger towards the regime throughout the country. Tradesmen in the bazaar closed down their shops, and the people obeyed a request by the clergy to stay at home; conditions in most cities, especially Tehran, Qum, Mashhad, Yazd, Kashan, Najaf-Abad, Kazerune and Rafsanjan were abnormal. The only people who voted were the uninformed people, government employees who were forced to the voting booths, and the agents and officers of the regime. The people's disregard forced the regime to fill the voting boxes with forged "yes" ballots. For more information see Barrasi va Tahlili az Nihzat-i Imam Khomeini, Vol. 1, from p. 267 onwards.

3-  The press announced that the Shah's "proposed principles" were approved by 5,600,000 votes, as compared to 4,150 votes against. The Shah reinforced this by repeating 5,600,000 votes in favour at every interview or speech that he made! See his speech dated May 27, 1963 (Khurdad 6, 1342 AHS) made in Kerman; his speech dated June 9, 1963 (Khurdad 19, 1342 AHS) given to the college students going to America; his speech dated February 12, 1964 (Bahman 23, 1342 AHS) at Dezful airport; his speech dated April 2, 1964 (Farvardin 13, 1343 AHS) made for the farmers of Birjand, and the other speeches he made for press reporters.

4-  After declarations and religious decrees {fatwas} were published by the maraji` and `ulama  concerning the boycott of the referendum for the "White Revolution," the homes of two of Tehran's influential clergymen: the great Ayatullahs Bihbihani and Khansari were surrounded. The clergy of Tehran gathered at the home of Hujjat al-Islam Hajj Shaykh Muhammad Gharavi Kashani's home to decide what to do about this. Upon being informed of this gathering, the regime's agents attacked the home of Mr. Kashani and arrested a large number of well-known clergymen from Tehran. They were then taken to Qazil Qal'a prison in an extremely humiliating manner. Other clergymen and pious people in Qum, Mashhad and other cities were also arrested and thrown into prison in the same manner.

5-  Hajj Shaykh `Abbas `Ali Islami, a renowned preacher and clergyman, was prohibited from speaking out from the pulpit during this time. He travelled secretly to the north of Iran and enlightened congregations from the pulpit in Bandar Anzali during Ramadan 1963. Sometime later he was expelled from Anzali, but he didn't cease with his activities rather he travelled throughout Iran undercover and spoke out in different Iranian cities.

6-  Barrasi va Tahlili az Nihzat-i Imam Khomeini, Vol. 1, p. 289.