During his exile period in Neauphle-le-Chateau, Paris, Imam Khomeini during a historic speech strongly criticized the repressive policies being practiced by Shah regime and his backers.
Imam said that Shah regime has allowed colonial powers to harm Iranian economy by plundering oil and other natural resources of the nation.
Imam stated the accomplishment of independence and freedom as main objective of the Islamic Revolution.
After several years of exile, Imam’s return to Iran in 1979 resulted in overthrow of the Shah regime. Imam announced to establish an Islamic-democratic system which put Iran on track of progress and changed balance of power in the interest of Muslim and oppressed nations.
Some extracts and paraphrases form Imam’s speech comes as following:
Freedom and independence, the two legitimate demands of the Iranian nation
The first issue: Freedom
Today, I do not have anything new to add to that which I have already said before; my words have always revolved around the same thing. From the very beginning of the Islamic movement, which began about fifteen years ago or more and which has passed through different stages, sometimes progressing quickly, sometimes slowly, up until the present when, praise be to God, it has reached its peak, our aim, one in which we have persevered, has been the same, and that is to secure freedom and independence for the Iranian nation. Both these demands are legitimate rights that all human societies, those that is which have not strayed from the path of humanity, recognize. A nation of thirty or thirty-five million people is being suppressed; for fifty years this thirty-million-strong nation has been stifled and repressed and has suffered difficulties in every respect. Throughout this period, it has enjoyed neither a free press nor has its radio been a national radio run by the people its preachers and orators have not been free to speak out on different matters. All have been under police pressure and control. But now this thirty-million-strong nation, having been deprived of its legitimate right for fifty years, has risen up and is demanding its right. The people are saying that they want to be free and this is a demand that all human societies recognize, for it is a just demand. The Iranian people are not asking for something, which is not their right.
The second issue: Independence
Secondly, we demand independence. There have been many periods in our history, and especially during the rule of this father and son, although more so during the rule of the son, when our country was dominated in all aspects by foreigners. Our economy is now disrupted because it is being controlled by foreigners. They are taking our oil and in return they build bases for themselves in Iran, that is, they sell us the weapons for bases to be built for themselves here. They have kept our education in a state of backwardness; they do not allow our young people to receive a proper education lest some of them begin to oppose what they are doing here