Enraged by Imam Khomeyni’s opposition, the Shah sought a confrontation with the clergy to intimidate and silence them. On March 23, 1963, which coincided with the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, numerous mourning ceremonies were held in the city of Qom, with religious lecturers giving lectures and reciting elegies. One of these mourning ceremonies was held in the house of Imam Khomeyni. On that day, a group of soldiers of the Imperial Guard (the Immortal Guard of the Iranian Empire) who had entered the city while being dressed in ordinary clothes and wearing military boots came to the mourning ceremony in Imam’s house and tried to violently disturb the meeting. Soon after, Imam Khomeyni informed people via Shaykh Sadeq Khalkhali that if they continue their actions, he will immediately go to the Holy Shrine of Lady Fatimah al-Ma’sumah and will speak publicly. Therefore, due to this warning, the agents of the Imperial Guard could not achieve their goals. However, in the afternoon they did the same in the mourning ceremony that was held by Ayatollah Golpaygani at the Feyzieh Seminary, and after disturbing the meeting they beat the students and people.
The clergy also began to fight with the commandos using stones, bricks, and wood. But the armed forces, which had already besieged the school, rushed to the aid of the commandos and while severely injuring and wounding the students and a large number of innocent people they desecrated the Islamic sanctities. Afterwards, the commandos stood in line and chanted “Long live the Shah!” – the motto of the Imperial Guard soldiers.
The clash continued until about 7 pm that day, and at the end, agents burned the students’ clothes, books, and many other things in the schoolyard and then left. The same crime took place at the Talebieh Seminary of Tabriz on the same day, which resulted in the killing and wounding of dozens of students.
When the news of the crime of Feyzieh Seminary was reported to Imam Khomeyni, he immediately decided to go to the school. The clergy and people in his house who were worried about him tried to stop him. Some also believed that the agents would soon attack Imam Khomeyni’s house and so they shut the door. When Imam found out, he asked them in a harsh tone, “who did you allow to close the door?” And then, by giving a speech in those horrifying conditions, he revealed the cruel nature of the Shah’s regime and gave confidence to the people. He stated:
“Don’t worry and calm down, avoid fear and panic. You follow the leaders who have endured the calamities with patience. what we see today, compared to their experience, is nothing. Our great leaders have gone through events such as the day of Ashura and its subsequent incidents. What are you saying today? What are you afraid of? What are you worried about? Those who claim to follow Imam Ali and Imam al-Husayn are not supposed to lose themselves in the face of these scandalous and heinous acts of the ruling system. By committing this crime, the regime showed its scandalous, disgusting and ruthless nature and hence it is doomed to failure and annihilation. We defeated the regime. We have asked God that the regime shows its real nature and exposes itself. There are so many figures and great personalities who had been imprisoned, tortured or killed so that Islam would be preserved. Today, it is our duty, in the face of dangers posed against Islam and Muslims, to be ready to endure any calamity so that we can confront the enemies of Islam and prevent them from accomplishing their goals.”
The next day, Imam Khomeyni urged a group of people who had gathered at his house to “visit the Feyzieh Seminary and see the inhumane crimes committed by the ruling system, and go to hospitals to see the injured clerics and realize what the ruling apparatus has done to the clergy.”
Shah thought that by committing such a crime, the sources of emulation especially Imam Khomeyni and the clerics would leave the political scene or at least a large group of them will be isolated and divisions will be created among them. Besides, he sent the chief of the police to the offices of the sources of emulation of Qom in an attempt to terrify them and prevent showing any response to the Feyzieh incident warning them that if they express objection they would be killed, their homes will be destroyed and their families will be exposed to harassment.
But Imam Khomeyni refused to talk to him and was not afraid of these threats and atrocities, rather having full faith and confidence in the legitimacy of fighting against Shah, he increased the sympathy among the clerics. Imam Khomeyni’s important remarks on the day of the Feyzieh disaster and the day afterwards removed the horror from the heart of the people who had been in a state of panic.
The regime’s raid on the Feyzieh and Talebieh seminaries on the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam al-Sadiq created a wave of anger and hatred towards the regime among many religious people in Qom, Tehran, and other cities. The mosques in Tehran and other cities did not hold the congregational prayers for a week, and sources of emulation in Najaf, Karbala and Mashhad along with clerics in Tehran and other cities and seminaries across the country issued telegrams to the sources of emulation of Qom, in particular, Imam Khomeyni condemning the attack on Feyzieh and stated that the regime is responsible for committing such a crime.
The sources of emulation of Najaf, namely, Grand Ayatollahs Khoei and Shirazi considered the Shah as the main culprit of the crime, and Ayatollah al-Hakim, by sending separate telegrams to thirty-two Iranian scholars, expressed his deep sorrow for the incident and urged them to come to Iraq and thereby put pressure against the regime. But the sources of emulation of Qom, namely Imam Khomeyni, Ayatollah Shariatmadari and Ayatollah Golpaygani, sent separate telegrams to Ayatollah al-Hakim explaining that accepting his suggestion would cause the dissolution of the Islamic Seminary of Qom and other seminaries in Iran, as well as the country to lose its independence.
The Feyzieh event has more than ever proved the correctness of Imam Khomeyni’s inflexible and revolutionary approach towards the Shah’s regime. After the attack on the Feyzieh and Talebieh seminaries, the regime tried to hide its role in the event, declaring that the Qom incident was created because scuffles broke out between some of the peasants who were in favour of the land reform and a group of clerics who opposed the law and during these fights one of the peasants was killed.
He also claimed that the Talebieh Seminary incident occurred because a group of clerics has opposed giving women to right to vote, which made intellectuals and women upset and hence a fierce fight took place through which two persons were killed and some were injured!
On the occasion of the fortieth day of the Feyzieh incident, Imam Khomeyni issued a statement in which while addressing Iranian people, expressed his sadness and grief over the event of insulting the clergy and scholars. he stated:
“…We are guilty because we have defended Islam and the independence of Iran. that is why they insulted and hurt us. We are waiting for imprisonment and execution. Let them do any inhumane act that they want, break the arms and legs of our youth, expel our patients from the hospital, threaten us to death and defame us, and destroy schools and seminaries...” also he added that we are not afraid of the law that requires the clerics to do military services and that we extend the hand of friendship to the noble personnel of the Iranian army.
Subsequently, on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the Feyzieh incident, Imam Khomeyni arranged a mourning ceremony in the Grand Mosque of Qom, where many people and clerics attended. But the regime did not let such a ceremony be held in Tehran because it feared that the preacher in the ceremony would accuse and condemn the Shah as the cause of the Feyzieh incident. The next day, on the occasion of the beginning of the seminary classes, Imam Khomeyni made important remarks.
In his remarks, Imam Khomeyni described the last year as both bad and good; A bad year, because Islam, the Quran and the seminaries were insulted and attacked and “disgrace” was brought on the regime; it was a good year because “the clergy showed their value to the world.” He indicated that weakening and destroying the seminaries as well as transferring the centre of religious authority from Iran to Iraq are all planned by the regime and that the attack on Feyzieh has occurred on the Shah’s order. In a letter to the Tehran scholars, Imam Khomeyni shed some light on other aspects of the Shah’s crimes and outlined their duties.
“Attacks of commandos and the disguised law enforcement officers on seminaries exemplified the Mughal [GS1] attacks, except that they attacked another country but those forces attacked their own Muslim nation, clerics and scholars… They committed blasphemy with the slogan of loving the Shah... favouring the Shah means committing a robbery, desecrating Islam, violating Muslim rights, destroying the academic centers and seminaries, attacking Quran and Islam... transgression against the Islamic laws and altering the teachings of the Holy Quran, eliminating the clergy and the teachings of the prophets. The figures and scholars of the country should be aware that the essence of Islam, as well as the Quran and religion, are at stake. Therefore, there is no place for doing taqiyyah and right now we should uncover and express the realities and truth. This was my responsibility to convey this message and I did it.”
Then, he strongly condemned the crimes and killings committed by the regime and on behalf of the Iranian nation impeached the Alam and while predicting a grim future for the country, he announced his decision to continue the fight until martyrdom.
Imam Khomeyni’s fiery speeches and remarks after the incident of Feyzieh showed that not only he was not afraid of and intimidated by the regime’s actions but also he is more determined to continue fighting the regime and targeting the Shah directly and indirectly. The qualities of talking with preciseness, having unparalleled courage, and adopting the revolutionary stances have given Imam Khomeyni increasing popularity in the society and people from all walks of life began to choose him as their Source of emulation as well as a political leader and endorsed his positions and actions. This has caused some of the sources of emulation and scholars who disagreed with Imam Khomeyni’s method to follow his strategy in fighting with the regime in order to maintain their political and social prestige.
The Shah’s regime knew that if Imam Khomeyni stops fighting, other scholars would do the same; but since Imam Khomeyni did not accept any reconciliation, they attempted to gradually isolate him and force him to stop the fight through a series of “fundamental acts and measures abandoning any pretense.” Thus, SAVAK, by employing all available means, began to monitor Imam Khomeyni’s activities and sought to know his plans and actions so that it could neutralize or confront them before they were put into action. Also, SAVAK took the following steps to weaken and isolate Imam Khomeyni within a short period:
The first measure, as expected, was to create a gap between Imam Khomeyni and other scholars. Imam Khomeyni, who was somehow aware of the regime’s plot, by holding meetings with the sources of emulation in Qom and sending letters to the sources of emulation in Tehran and Najaf tried to warn them about the Shah’s anti-Islamic plans and called them upon fighting against the regime during the month of Muharram. The second measure was issuing statements against Imam Khomeyni by some of the regime-affiliated clerics. The third was examining the Imam Khomeyni’s position in the seminary and favouring a non-political and less knowledgeable source of emulation to replace Imam Khomeyni. Moreover, five days before the month of Muharram, the regime accused Imam Khomeyni of “disturbing public order” and summoned him to appear in the Qom court. Imam Khomeyni showed no response and reaction regarding that matter and such accusation generated public outrage. As the month of Muharram was about to begin, it seemed that certainly, the confrontation between Imam Khomeyni and the Shah would occur because the days of Muharram, and especially the first decade, were the best opportunity to expose the regime’s crimes and its anti-Islamic plans. On the other hand, after the Feyzieh incident and until the month of Muharram, for two months, many preachers were not able to expose the crimes and anti-Islamic plans of the regime in their speeches due to the strict controls carried out by SAVAK. In the meantime, the Shah, prime minister, and media insulted the clerics and sources of emulation; even the Shah warned about a severe and bloody crackdown.
Before the beginning of Muharram, Imam Khomeyni while addressing the religious preachers, indicated that they should criticize the anti-Islamic policies of the Shah’s regime and its complicity with Israel without fearing the security and law enforcement officials. Also, he stressed that in this situation if the regime prevents the religious preachers from making speeches, there will be a strong reaction from him and other sources of emulation and they call for a public uprising that will lead to the destruction of the regime. Imam Khomeyni also insisted that up until the seventh day of Muharram, the mourning ceremonies should be held and if the government does not fulfil the demands of sources of emulation the clerics would criticize the regime during their speeches and the elegy reciters would address the memory of the tragedy of the Goharshad Mosque and the Feyzieh Seminary during the recitations and mourning ceremonies. On the occasion of the coming of the month of Muharram, Shahrbani (the former law enforcement in Iran), in a statement, emphasized that people should hold mourning ceremonies with great regularity indicating that “... carrying out processions and holding demonstrations are forbidden as they are forbidden in Islam as well, and if anyone misuses such a religious gathering to his benefit, he will be severely punished.”
Also, before the beginning of this month, SAVAK summoned a number of religious lecturers and forced them to refrain from saying three things in mourning ceremonies: 1) Do not speak against the first person of the country.
2) Do not speak against Israel.
3) Do not keep telling people that Islam is in danger.
Yet, they are free to say other things! Consequently, Imam Khomeyni made a statement addressing the preachers and religious lecturers. In his statement, he called SAVAK’s demands illegal and ineffective and stressed that those who adhere to such regulations would be considered guilty and deserve punishment. Moreover, while referring to the Shah, who said that the overwhelming majority of the people had supported his six principles, stated:
“If this claim is true, leave the nation alone for a few days so that you will see the six million people’s support and also the world would realize that; otherwise, the spreading false propaganda to incite popular opinion is contrary to Islam and the interests of the country and would be a crime.” Imam Khomeyni continued by addressing the danger of Israel and its agents (Baha’is) infiltrating into the national and military organizations:
“The cruel regime is fully associated with Israel and its agents (heretical sects). The regime has provided them with facilities to lunch propaganda campaigns. Also, they do whatever they want in the Court. In addition, the regime has given them the key positions in the army, cultural institutions etc.” Finally, Imam Khomeyni called on the clerics to make people aware of the “threat of Israel and its agents” albeit the regime would not like that, and to tell the truth because “being silent and inactive in these days, means acknowledging the dictatorship and helping the enemies of Islam.”
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