In an interview conducted just ahead of the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini said that the US-led Western powers were violating the rights of the Iranian nation by throwing their weight behind the oppressed Shah regime.
Imam also those figures across Western nations who appreciate the Iranian people struggle against the then US-backed administration.
The text of the interview which was conducted by a panel of journalists comes as following:
Interview
Date: October 25, 1978 [Ābān 3, 1357 AHS / Dhū’l-Qa‘dah 22, 1398 AH]
Place: Neauphle-le-Château, Paris, France
Subject: The future of Iran
Interviewer: Agence France-Presse reporter
Question: [What do you think of the changes in today’s Iran? Do not you think it has reached a deadlock, and considering the Shāh’s apparent political flexibility, do not you believe a review on your strategies may be effective?]
Answer: It is the regime that has reached the deadlock. The regime wants to impose its own solution on the nation. The people are not at a deadlock; people do not want this regime. Any solution leading to the survival of this regime will face a deadlock because the people will not accept it.
Q: [You have said that you are not afraid of the communists and extreme leftists taking over the public uprising. Nevertheless, fifteen hundred students from Tehran University staged a demonstration using communist slogans on Sunday (October 22, 1978). This brings about the assumption that communism is not a myth, but it exists and is getting organized.]
A: If we suppose that all these fifteen hundred people, and even several times more, are real Marxists, they will not be considered as a power in comparison to the thirty million people who have risen up in the name of Islam. However, the important point is that, compared to the past, the Marxists have decreased dramatically in number. That is because Islam provides people with their needs in political, economic, social and cultural aspects of life, for real progress. The fact that we have been able to handle this very important task through gratifying the youth, regardless of having a regime which is against Islam and does nothing but frustrate people, shows that, if an Islamic government gets established and freedoms become extended and the facilities for real progress of people increase, those seeking the truth and justice can be brought back into the arms of Islam…
Q: [It is obvious that the regime is looking for peace and is indeed awaiting your return to Iran.[1] Do you absolutely consider this matter suspended as long as the Shāh is still in Iran?]
A: I will not return to Iran while the Shāh is still there.
Q: [You condemn the big powers. This has made you look stubborn and irreconcilable. Can you not, just for the sake of the West’s public opinion, which is sympathizing with the uprising of your people, consider being somewhat easier?]
A: I condemn the big governments for violating our people’s rights, not their people. I already have and will now express my gratitude to the people of the West who support the uprising of the people of Iran.
Q: [Apparently, your preference is an Islamic republic. You are known to have said that monarchial regimes eventually turn into dictatorships, but there are Islamic republics that dictate more than monarchies. What is your opinion about that?]
A: These existing dictatorships could not be called Islamic governments; so you cannot make a comparison between a kingdom and an Islamic republic. An Islamic regime and a dictatorship will not go along together. Besides, those republics that dictate are only called republic, but in reality, they are kingdoms.
Q: [Do you always receive assistance from capable advisors when making a realistic policy in economic and political issues?]
A: There are many talented people in Iran. The present regime prevents these talents from building up the country. These talents provide me with their knowledge and viewpoints due to their Islamic obligation.
Q: [Would you agree to suggest some new and specific terms for formation of a temporary and transitional government?]
A: Such transitional government shall be formed upon the fall of the Shāh, and its terms will of course be announced.
Sahifeh-ye-Imam, Vol. 4, pages 133-136
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We neither tolerate oppression nor imposed oppression