Imam voiced support for Palestinians in a historic interview which was conducted in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf where Imam had been living in exile.
Imam had spent several years in exile before making a triumphant return to his homeland Iran which resulted in collapse of the monarchial Pahlavi Shah regime.
The interview shows that Imam had expressed strong support for the Palestinian cause even before the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution under his wise leadership in Iran.
The text of the historic interview comes as following:
Interview
Date: October 11, 1968 [Mehr19, 1347 AHS/ Rajab 18, 1388 AH
Place: Najaf, Iraq
Subject: The necessity for fighting against Israel and cooperating with the Palestinian fighters
Interviewer: Al-Fatah representative
Question: Leader of the mujahidin, please express your blessed opinion with regards to giving from the religious funds such as zakat, and the Share of the Imam ( `a) to the courageous mujahidin who fight in the warfronts and the arena of honor under the command of Al-Fatah.
Answer: In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. It is absolutely proper, even incumbent for a portion of the religious funds such as zakat and the Share of the Imam (`a) to be allocated to these combatants in the way of God in sufficient amount. To the mujahidin who fight in the front and sacrifice lives with the intention of annihilation of the infidel and inhuman Zionism, and struggle for the revival and recovery the Islamic grandeur and honor and fight for holding dear the noble history of Islam and it is incumbent on any Muslim who believes in God and in the Day of Judgment to use all their force and power in this course and finally to reach one of the two good things: martyrdom or victory and it is upon you to go to the fire line in vengeance for the bloodshed and to cleanse the stain of disgrace. God willing, you will embrace the radiant victory that is awaiting you, and give the good news to those liberal faithful that God is supporting any manly determination and seekers of the right. Our brothers to whom final victory belong, God willing, i. e., the outstanding men of the Fatah movement and the fighters of the `Asifah forces and other liberal Fada'iyan are among the mujahidin in the way of God and supporting and helping them with all force and possibilities is incumbent. God will make them successful.
Q: Following the outburst of the fire of the lofty revolution in the land of Palestine and surfacing of a number of achievement under the leadership ofAl-Fatah, what is your opinion about our brothers who are resisting (against the enemy) in the occupied lands?
A: In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. The first and the last opinion about our steadfast and combatant brothers is for them to unrelentingly and tirelessly continue their combat, for life means faith and struggle for its sake." Life is belief and struggle." There is no doubt that in the Islamic thought, death is preferable to life in contempt. Under the status quo, no solution is left to us but to fight with all our strengths and possibilities so that we can earn the honor and dignity for ourselves and those coming in the course of the splendid history of Islam. The Holy Qur'an so states: "Make ready for them all thou canst of (armed) force and of horses tethered, that thereby ye may dismay the enemy of Allah and your enemy." O ye who believe! If ye help Allah, He will help you and will make your foothold firm." Faint not nor grieve, for ye will overcome them if ye are) indeed (believers."Relent not in pursuit of the enemy. If ye are suffering, lo! they suffer even as ye suffer and ye hope from Allah that for which they cannot hope. Allah is ever Knower, Wise."
Q: As for the intensifying armed combat that is going on in the holy land of Palestine, and the savageries of the Zionists that is employed against the Arab and Islamic ummah, kindly express Your Eminence's opinion so that our Muslim nation in all countries will mobilize their whole material and spiritual forces and join in the jihad.
A: In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. As I have pointed out before, under the status quo and after one's submission to the sacred laws of Islam, nothing is more of an obligatory duty than defending the honor of Islam. When you realize that the blood of your innocent brothers and sisters are shed in the holy land of Palestine and when you notice that our territories have been occupied, and our homes are demolished at the hands of the Zionist criminals, under such circumstances there is no other course left but continuing of jihad. It is incumbent upon every Muslim to extend his material and spiritual aids in this lofty struggle. God is the supporter of such will and He is behind such intention.
Q: Now that the hands of Zionism have infiltrated in every vital affair of the Islamic Iran, in Your Eminence's view what would be the most fundamental course of action that the Muslim nation of Iran could follow to sever the hands of Israel in Iran, and thus, enabling our Iranian brothers to follow suit with the Palestine combatants.
A: In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. The fundamental course of action is for the Muslim nation of Iran to cut their trades with the agents of Zionism and other imperialist stooges who are stationed in Iran and press them both materially and psychologically and narrow down all their rays of life. To sum up, engage in an economic sanction against them. Also, challenge them in other fields so that they are forced to cut their ties with Iran and its Muslim nation. As a result, the nation of Iran would be able to put all its material and spiritual means in the hands of the Palestine mujahidin.
Q: Under the present regrettable state of affairs, it is incumbent on all Muslims to mobilize all their forces to liberate the occupied lands and to revenge on the occupiers." God will make them successful." There is no doubt that the duty of the Muslims who reside in the remotest places in the world is) equal (to the duty that the Muslim nation of Palestine has. Muslims are like a single body and they all are equal in terms of the general responsibilities. Discord and racism have no place here and there is no distinction between the Muslim nations but piety and abstinence." Lo! The noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct. Lo! Allah is Knower, Aware." " Allah is sufficient for us! Most Excellent is He in Whom we trust!"
Sahifeh, vol2, Page: 205-206