On October 28, 1978 (Aban 6, 1357 AHS), the statement Issued by Imam Khomeini (may God grant him peace) on October 26 (Aban 4) with regard to the tragic events in Kerman and other Iranian cities reached Tehran from Paris and was duplicated in vast numbers. In addition to being circulated by hand amongst the people, this statement was also posted onto doors and walls throughout the cities’ streets and alleys. Taking past experience into account, and being aware of the nature of past events, Imam Khomeini states in a message:

“I am deeply concerned about the current situation in Iran. I am worried that the severe pressure bearing down on the Shah and his comrades spurred on these insane attacks of theirs and caused the Iranian people to suffer even greater loss and pain than they did on previous occasions. The mass murder in Kerman; setting tire to the Muslims’ place of worship; the murders committed inside the mosque; the burning and looting of shops in the bazaar; and subsequently, the merciless killings In Hamadan and certain other provinces, all point to this. These are the kinds of atrocities, which are to be expected from those who have lost all hope of continuing with their crimes, Those who are in despair with regard to the continued survival of their oppressive system of rule, and for whom the sands of life are running out.

In another part of his message, Imam Khomeini alerts the people by saying: The Shah has recently been involved in yet another form of betrayal; according to information received, he has transferred the crown jewels abroad, Jewels which belong to the nation, and he has sold institutions and property which were purchased with the people’s money and again has transferred the money so obtained abroad. His relatives are likewise busy plundering the nation’s wealth and transferring it abroad. The nation must not give this fleeing outlaw any kind of a chance. Strikes, demonstrations and both active and passive forms of protest must continue. To consider the issues of accepting peace, being content with the newly-granted “freedom,” and abiding by the constitutional law, which are issues quietly discussed amongst certain groups, is to take pity on a rapacious panther and to betray the country and Islam. Allowing the regime to survive once the Shah has departed is like killing a venomous serpent and then fostering its young.”Also in this statement, the Leader of the Revolution asked the people not to have any reservation about sacrificing and devoting their lives and wealth in the path of God and Islam, since this was the line of action followed by the Most Noble Prophet and his heirs and apostles.

Now that the countries of America, Britain and the Soviet Union have voiced their support for the Shah’s policies in their congratulatory messages to him, and because the media at the regime’s disposal (radio, television and even the press) has printed the texts of these messages, some short-sighted people now believe that the Shah’s position has been strengthened by the backing it has received from these three powerful governments. However, in the second paragraph of this important statement made by him, Imam refers to this matter and stresses: “Do not be frightened by the remarks made by the governments of America, Britain and the Soviet Union in support of the Shah - remarks which were made to preserve their own interests - for no power can extinguish the fire burning in the hearts of that oppressed nation which has risen up to achieve freedom and independence. Our people will not tolerate the Shah and his treacherous deeds and the loss suffered by those supporting the Shah will be greater than the benefits they hope to gain from him. We are fighting for our Rights.Truth is on our side, and God is on our side, and His support is mightier than the power of the superpowers.

Imam Khomeini addresses another part of his message to the army. According to Journalists’ reports, a number of the Muslim and militant youth at that time, by employing various tactics and making use of certain airforce personnel who by then had allied with the people, distribute copies of Imam’s statement throughout the army bases, and having discovered the addresses of the high-ranking military commanders, they then post the said copies to these very addresses. This action terrifies the leading figures of the regime.

In spite of the government’s written guarantee to grant freedom to the press, a guarantee which carried the signatures of Ja’ far Sharif Imami, the Prime Minister, Manuchehr Azmun, the Minister of State for Administrative Affairs, and Dr. ‘Ameli Tehrani, the Minister of Information and Tourism, the leading figures within the martial law government threatened the press editorial board, stating: “Should you print that part of the speech which pertains to the army, then we shall bombard the building which houses the press offices.” The initiative shown by the people in reproducing the said statement which became known as “the Xeroxed newspaper,” prevented the government from achieving its aim. In one part of his message, Imam addresses those in the army and says: “Iran is your country, and the people of Iran, your people. Unite with the people. You, more than others, are responsible before Almighty God, the people and future generations. Be brave, all of you, and break the shackles of captivity...

It was following the issuance of this sensational statement that many soldiers fled their barracks, and that during demonstrations many others fired at and killed their own military commanders instead of the people^{( 293)} Thus, this rousing statement, which had in fact been published in connection with the Kerman Mosque tragedy, caused a stir nationwide.

style='margin-left:9.0pt'>Imam Khomeini not only delivered messages and statements, but every day he would give interviews and hold meetings In which he would elucidate the alms of the struggle and would expose and offset any plots hatched by the regime and those small groups which had deviated from the movement’s Islamic course. The three consecutive speeches, which were delivered by Imam o n october 30, 1978 (Aban 8, 1357 AHS), indicate just how sensitive ti situation had become and how paramount Imam’s role as leader was. In ti present speech (47), the Leader of the Revolution describes the various aspect of Islamic government and refers to documented historical facts to underlie the comprehensiveness of the religion of Islam and Its ability to administer society.

In the speech delivered on October 28, 1978 (Aban 6, 1357 AHS before an audience of students and Iranians resident abroad, Imam Khomeini tells of how dozens of people had been killed and injured during anti-regime demonstrations In Qum, Kabudar Ahang, isfahan, Dezful, Burujird, Shahriza and Eqlid-i Fars. At the same time, journalists’ reports point to the wounding of a great number of people during demonstrations and shootings In Tehran.

Now that the employees at Melli Bank have protested against the killing of people and have engaged in strike action, all of the different branches of ti bank are now closed down without exception. Tehran University, ME University and most of the high schools are closed or partially closed. Those conducting the regime’s affairs managed to organise a pro-government demonstration In West Shahabad (today’s Islamabad) by hiring a number mercenaries and receiving the backing of the police officials in that city. During this demonstration three people were seriously injured and the reg1m~ hirelings set fire to several cars, to the signboard above the entrance to ti Owliya Mosque, and to the books found within the mosque. Their Intend had been to bring about a repetition of the tragedy, which occurred in t Friday Mosque in Kerman, but the resistance shown by the people prevents this from happening. Similar attempts were also made by the regime In Rudsar and Semnan, but again, due to the people’s vigilance these attempts led nothing but embarrassment for those who were running the regime.

During Bazargan’s stay in Paris, the “National Front” announced that it had taken part in a discussion of the sensitive issues now facing that city Journalists reported that during the past week Bazargan had met and held ta with lmam Khomeini on three different occasions.

The night before this speech (47) was delivered, Imam Khomeini during an interview with French television, had spoken of the situation in Iran and the aims of the Islamic Revolution. He had also predicted Fundamental changes on the horizon and had stated: “The present situation cannot I much longer.

What do we find when we turn to Hazrat Amir (Imam ‘Au), peace and blessings be upon him, the rightful executor of the Prophet’s will, and we examine his life at the time when he was the sovereign - to use the word “sovereign” is in fact impertinent of me - when he was the leader of certain vast countries and when the entire Hijaz, the whole of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and Iran were under his rule and formed part of his sovereign dominion. What kind of person was he and what kind of life did he lead? Was he like an emperor? In fact, the hazrat possessed one pelisse made from sheepskin, which, according to the religious traditions and historical documents, he would spread on the floor at night in order for his wife and himself to sleep upon it. During the day he would scatter grass upon this very same covering so that his camels could come and eat^{( 294)} And thus, you can see the lifestyle adopted by a ruler in Islam.

style='margin-left:9.0pt'>Hazrat Amir, peace and blessings be upon him, used to construct wells single-handed, by using his very own pick. History relates how on that day when they paid allegiance to Hazrat Amir as their caliph - the caliph of such a vast domain at that - on that same day, allegiance having been paid, the hazrat took up his pick and spade and got on with the job in hand (i.e. the digging of a well). He worked. The work in which he was engaged at that time was not for his own personal benefit, it was not for him to gain some kind of return from the well. But rather, when water gushed from beneath the ground, like blood from a camel, he took up pen and paper and bequeathed the well to the poor^{( 295)} He bequeathed it to the poor for it to be used by them.

This is the kind of ruler we want. We who go to such lengths and who shout out in protest, urge the nation of Islam to join us in our demands for a ruler, for a king, who is not treacherous. Hazrat Amir was busy reckoning the accounts of the public treasury, he was making a written account of the religious and other forms of taxes which were due from the people to the public treasury, and he was doing so in the light emitted from an oil-lamp - it seems that in those days oil used to be burned to give light. However, according to written accounts^{( 296)} , when someone came to speak with the hazrat, the latter turned out the light and said: “Before, when the lamp was lit, it was lit to enable me to reckon the public treasury of the Muslims, but now that you want to speak with me concerning something which bears no relation to the public treasury, I have turned out the light. This lamp belongs to the public treasury and thus I have no right to use it under these circumstances.

On the contrary, just look at how these heads of state behave today, how these kings behave. Since we are not familiar with these people, let’s take a look at Iran. Just take note of how this man (the Shah) behaves, this person who now stands responsible for so much corruption. Just look at what he does with the public funds, with the public treasury of the Muslims. The kind of ruler we seek is like those rulers described earlier. They continually ask: What is Islam? Islam is not something, which wants to disrupt everything. Islam preserves and follows the exact laws of nature: it roots out all forms of corruption one by one. Islam says that there is to be a government but that this is not to be a government of a plunderer, a government of a traitor. Hence, it is not a case of Islam wanting to destroy the governmental system. Indeed as we saw, Islamic rulers themselves in fact adopted a governmental system. But in Islam sovereignty means government, it does not mean committing these offences and so on, it means governing by Islam. In Islam the ruler is to be Islamic, the system is to be Islamic, and it is to be devoid of these plunderers and these acts of theft and betrayal^{( 297)} When we cry out for an Islamic government and we shout out: “Death to this depraved sovereign rule,” this is because by looking back in history we are able to see for ourselves that former kings in fact committed very few acts of treachery. Yes, they were tyrants and so on, but whatever they were, they were nevertheless not treacherous. They were cruel tyrants, they were evil, they oppressed the people, yet even so, they did not give their country, their country’s assets, away to other countries. I myself have never heard of a former king selling his country to someone, of him offering his country’s assets to someone. This is something, which has only taken place in the recent past and especially during the reign of this man (the Shah). This kind of thing has appeared during the reign of this depraved king who has destroyed whatever we had.

Yes, that is the kind of life he lives, and this, as you see, is the kind of life we live, having to sit here in damp places such as this. I have said this two or three times on previous occasions - I can’t remember now whether I read it somewhere in a magazine or whether someone wrote to me about it - and that is that one of this gentleman’s (the Shah’s) sisters has purchased a villa somewhere or other, the cost of which was some phenomenally large figure, I can’t remember what exactly. What I do recall however, are the words: “Five million dollars have been spent on flower-beds and floral layouts.” That is thirty-five million tumans^{( 298)} !

Yet, we have seen how another sultan turns out the lamp for it not to give light during the two minutes it takes to speak to someone about customary issues, or to hold a friendly conversation for example. And as for his court and palace, we see that this is the mosque. He comes to the mosque, sits down, and everyone comes to him to discuss whatever they will. He also uses the mosque as a military base from where to assemble an army, which he then dispatches here and there in order for Islam to spread.

Yet we see how the life he leads is that I described when I spoke of a sheepskin pelisse. On the eve of the hazrat’ s demise, the night before his martyrdom, he was a guest in his daughter’s home and the latter brought him some salt and milk. According to written accounts, he then said: “When did you ever see me eating two different kinds of food at the same time?” So, his daughter took away the salt, but the hazrat told her to take away the milk instead. Thus, this sultan of the Hijaz, of Iran and Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, Jordan and elsewhere, ate bread and salt. This was how this sultan, in spite of all his power and might, spent the last night of his life. And as for his daughter, what a great and noble lady she was!

The criminal sister of this criminal man (the Shah) however, spends five million dollars on floral embellishments! This is the figure, which was quoted as the cost of the floral layout for this villa she has purchased abroad. And only yesterday evening, in one of the local newspapers that had been brought to me, I read that the Shah and Farah (the Shah’s wife) had held a celebration alone on the eve of October 26 (the Shah’s birthday)! This had been because all of the other members of his family have gone. They have taken the money and gone! The nation’s wealth has now gone to America. And furthermore, it has been said that several days before this, someone had telephoned from Iran and had said that an aeroplane full of jewellery, the crown jewels, had been flown to America^{( 299)} Now he (the Shah) realises that he will probably be leaving soon, he is plundering the people; he is taking their wealth out of the country.

When we say we want an Islamic government, we do so because we do not want such a chaotic situation to exist. Yet, they say that the reason we want to rule via Islamic government is in fact so that we can bring the wheels of progress in this country to a halt! What they say is wrong however. This is nothing but false propaganda. Indeed, we want to set the wheels of progress in motion. At present, the wheels of this country are travelling in the direction of Europe. Your oil is now on its way to Europe and to America, and this is what we want to be stopped. We want a reasonable quantity of oil to be sold and moreover we want to be paid in cash for it rather than having our oil taken away, and in return weapons being brought into the country and a military base being set up there for America.

What we say is that such a chaotic state of affairs is not to prevail in our country, and not that we do not want any form of government. Yes we do want a government, but a government like that described earlier, although not the same as that established by Imam ‘Ali, for there is no doubt that neither we nor anyone else is capable of achieving what he did. Nevertheless, we want a government, which will not thieve; a government, which, at the very least, will not indulge in crime and treachery; a government, which will not kill a group of people, should the slogan:

“Death to the Shah” rings out at any time. But in any case, this is the task now ahead of us and this is the Islamic government for which we must strive.

Do not let them make you afraid of Islamic government. Islamic government is a government of justice. It is a government, which will afford you a life of ease and happiness, God willing. It is in the people’s best interests. It is something, which can only benefit the people. And it is hoped that this task of establishing an Islamic government will soon be accomplished, God willing (the audience cries: “God willing”).