Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution after the Advanced Jurisprudence Class

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Today, the issue that is more urgent than the discussions in class is the recent events in Najaf and Karbala, which are very important and are not matters that a Muslim and a Shia can remain indifferent to. I myself have been in a state of turmoil since two days ago when these events occurred; I truly feel that the incident brought about by these foolish and hard-hearted Americans is a very difficult event for them; they are undertaking a great task without understanding its implications.

Since Imam Hussein and Amir al-Mu'minin (the Commander of the Faithful) do not belong solely to the Shia, and all Muslims hold these great figures and their sacred shrines in high regard, it is intolerable and unacceptable for a believing Muslim to see armed forces, tanks, and artillery brought into the tents of Karbala or to witness insults directed at the holy dome of Amir al-Mu'minin, which is being shot at. These matters are of great significance.

It seems that the Americans have gone too far and have combined foolishness with audacity and recklessness. The assault on the sanctities of the people and what they hold dear is not a trivial matter; it is a very serious issue. It is astonishing that despite all this audacity and recklessness, they still speak of human rights and democracy! This is the kind of audacity that is truly remarkable in their nature. I am certain that the Muslim people, especially the Shia, whether in our own country, in various cities of Iraq, or in other parts of the world, will not remain silent in the face of this assault and audacity of the Americans.

Whether the Americans understand it or not, whether they admit it or not, they have been defeated in Iraq. The situation that the Americans have created in Iraq and the seeds of hatred they have sown will yield bitter fruits for decades in Iraq and indeed across the entire region.

It is not the case that they think they will be able to remain in Iraq and dominate the Iraqi people without any trouble, taking Iraq's oil and humiliating its people in this manner.

The incident at Abu Ghraib prison—which has recently been revealed to not be limited to Abu Ghraib but to occur in all or most of the prisons that America has in Iraq—has left a stain of disgrace on the Americans; and this stain will not be easily removed. Meanwhile, the American leaders—the President and the ruling clique in America—claim that they were unaware; their excuse is this! They say we were not informed; we have closed the torture chambers of Saddam. Does it matter who tortures the people; Saddam or you?! Torture is torture. You did not close the torture chambers of Saddam; you have taken his place. Their claim of ignorance is, firstly, a lie; because the Red Cross explicitly announced that it had informed high-ranking officials of the army and the Americans about this matter long ago. It becomes clear that this has been happening for a long time and has now come to light; therefore, this news must have reached them, and if it did not, that itself is another crime. Moreover, did Saddam himself come to the cells and torture? His agents did it, and your agents are doing it too.

Your apparatus is one of hatred, oppression, disregard, and disrespect for human dignity. Why did you invade Iraq? Why did you trample a sovereign country under the boots of your soldiers in this manner? Why did you disregard the dignity and value of the Iraqi people? Now they are preparing a power transfer plan, but a power that will actually be in the hands of the Americans themselves. Iraqi politicians and elites should know that any power that comes to power in Iraq and is perceived as an American puppet will be as despised by the Iraqi people as America itself. The Iraqi people are not willing to see American domination and its puppets in their land after Saddam's departure. The transfer of power must mean transferring power to the Iraqi people and holding elections; the people should choose, not have someone come and dictate a plan that the Americans desire to the Iraqi elites and politicians, who then submit to that American plan.

The Americans' entry into Iraq was wrong, their staying was wrong, their behavior towards the people was wrong, placing an American ruler over the people was wrong, and their approach towards Karbala and Najaf was wrong. The actions they have recently taken are wrong upon wrong, and they should know that the Islamic world, especially the Shia world, will not remain silent in the face of these actions. In the Islamic world, the pure face of Amir al-Mu'minin and the pure face of Sayyid al-Shuhada (peace be upon them) are radiant faces that reside in the depths of people's hearts; yet they come to enter the cities of Karbala and Najaf and establish a military presence next to Wadi al-Salam, the resting place of the righteous, great figures, and saints, and kill dozens of innocent people in Najaf and Karbala.

The crimes they are committing are among the greatest of crimes, and this crime is condemned by the Islamic world, by the Iranian nation, and by all Shia around the world. It is certain that the Americans will not be able to continue down this path. The more they persist, the deeper they will sink into the quagmire they have created and the more trapped they will become in this swamp. If they can free themselves and save themselves as soon as possible, it will be to their benefit. Of course, the Americans are trapped and can do nothing now; continuing is a defeat, leaving is also a defeat; however, at the same time, continuing is a greater defeat and will inflict a more severe blow upon them. Today, they are committing the greatest human crimes in Iraq and by the usurping Zionists in Palestine, and this is enough for the world to realize the truth of the Islamic Republic's slogans of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel." If today the European governments are truly sincere in their claims of supporting human rights, they must take clear action against the movement that the Americans have undertaken; mere words are of no use, and European countries must bring resolutions to the General Assembly of the United Nations, not to the Security Council where they can be vetoed, to condemn these inhumane actions of America, to show that they are indeed truthful; otherwise, mere claims of human rights hold no value in the eyes of nations.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.