Ruhollah Khomeini Quotes
September 21, 1902 – June 3, 1989
More Ruhollah Khomeini Quotes
If the religious leaders have influence, they will not permit girls and boys to wrestle together, as recently happened in Shiraz.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Denouncing the situation that sex segregation was not being imposed by the government. Speech number sixteen. Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, World Service (October 26, 1964).
The people will not rest until the Pahlavi rule has been swept away and all traces of tyranny have disappeared. As long as the Shah's satanic power prevails, not a single true representative of the people can possibly be elected.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Response to Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's announcement of elections (August 1978); quoted in "The Shah's Divided Land" (18 September 1978) Time
With people's revolutionary rage, the king will be ousted and a democratic state, Islamic Republic, will be established.
Ruhollah Khomeini— "Imam's Sahife" vol. 4 p. 244 (1 November 1978).
Women are free in the Islamic Republic in the selection of their activities and their future and their clothing.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Interview for The Guardian in Paris (6 November 1978)
In the Islamic Republic the rights of the religious minorities are respectfully regarded.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Interview for Austrian television, Paris, (6 November 1978), as quoted in "Democracy? I meant theocracy — The most truthful individual in recent history" by Dr. Jalal Matini,and Farhad Mafie, in The Iranian (5 August 2003)
Personal desire, age, and my health do not allow me to personally have a role in running the country after the fall of the current system.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Associated Press interview in Paris (7 November 1978); repeated on several occasions before Khomeini returned to Iran
In Iran's future Islamic system everyone can express their opinion, and the Islamic government will respond to logic with logic.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Speech (9 November 1978), as quoted in The Most Truthful Individual in Recent History" in Iranshenasi, Vol. XIV, No. 4 (Winter 2003), as translated by Farhad Mafie
In the Islamic government all people have complete freedom to have any kind of opinion.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Interview with Human Rights Watch, Paris (10 November 1978)
After the Shah's departure from Iran, I will not become a president nor accept any other leadership role. Just like before, I limit my activities only to guiding and directing the people.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Le Monde interview in Paris (9 January 1979)
Before the revolution I thought there are appropriate individuals who would do the job according to Islam, therefore I repeatedly said that clerics would go after their own job. Then I saw that most of them were inappropriate individuals and I found out that what I said was not true, so I came and clearly announced that I was wrong.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Imam's Sahife. vol. 18, p. 241. (11 December 1983)
Islamic state means a state based on justice and democracy and structured upon Islamic rules and laws.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Imam's Sahife, vol. 5, p. 133. (17 December 1978)
In Islam, democracy is included and people are free in Islam, both in expressing their opinions and their actions, until there is no conspiracy and they don't bring up ideas which would deviate Iranian generation.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Imam's Sahife, vol. 5, p. 468. (15 January 1979)
If one permits an infidel to continue in his role as a corrupter of the earth, the infidel's moral suffering will be all the worse. If one kills the infidel, and this stops him from perpetrating his misdeeds, his death will be a blessing to him.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Speech on the day of Mohammed's birth (1984)
Happy are those who have departed through martyrdom. Unhappy am I that I still survive.… Taking this decision is more deadly than drinking from a poisoned chalice. I submitted myself to Allah's will and took this drink for His satisfaction.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Announcement of ceasefire with Iraq (20 July 1988), quoted in The Iran-Iraq War (2002) by Efraim Karsh
…the author of The Satanic Verses book which is against Islam, the Prophet and the Qu'ran, and all involved in its publication who were aware of its content, are sentenced to death. I call on all zealous Muslims to execute them wherever they find them, so that no one will dare to insult the Islamic sanctions. Whoever is killed on this path will be regarded as a martyr, God willing.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Fatwa against Salman Rushdie (14 February 1989)
When anyone studies a little or pays a little attention to the rules of Islamic government, Islamic politics, Islamic society and Islamic economy he will realize that Islam is a very political religion. Anyone who will say that religion is separate from politics is a fool; he does not know Islam or politics.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Tahr?r al-Was?la vol. 1
Islam is politics or it is nothing.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Bernard Lewis (April 28, 1988). "Islamic Revolution". The New York Review of Books. Retrieved on 2011-12-26.
There is no room for play in Islam ... It is deadly serious about everything.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Speech in Qum, as quoted in "Portrait of an Ascetic Despot". Time. January 7, 1980. Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
All those against the revolution must disappear and quickly be executed. Variant: All those against the revolution, that insist on their position, must disappear and quickly be executed.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Quoted by dissident cleric Hossein-Ali Montazeri, once in line to be Iran's supreme leader. . This statement is said to have been made after the Mojahedin-e Khalgh militant organization launched an offensive against Iranian troops from bases in Iraq.
In the world there is no democracy better than our democracy. Such a thing has never before been seen.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Clive Foss, The Tyrants: 2500 Years of Absolute Power and Corruption, London: Quercus Publishing, 2006, ISBN 1905204965, p. 195
The freedom-lovers of the world mourn the sad demise of Imam Khomeini.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Ernesto Cardenal, Nicaraguan combatant, scholar, poet, and liberation theologian
It's almost impossible to deal with a crazy man, except that he does have religious beliefs, and the world of Islam will be damaged if a fanatic like him should commit murder in the name of religion against 60 innocent people.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Jimmy Carter in his Diary (6 November 1979), as quoted in Keeping Faith : Memoirs of A President (1982) p. 458
The name of Khomeini will always remain in the new chapter of Iranian history.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Erich Honecker, East German Communist Leader
One should express his viewpoint regarding what he performed in his country and in a vast part of the world with great respect and deep thought.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Pope John Paul II
The Imam throughout his life called America 'the Great Satan'. He believed that all the Muslims' problems were caused by America.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Hossein Shariatmadari, as quoted in "Khomeini 'sought to drop Death to America chant'" by Robert Tait, in Guardian Unlimited (20 August 2007)
Since Khomeini's death, the popular appeal of an Islamic state — and of fundamentalism — has surely dimmed. Thinkers still debate and warriors kill, but no country seems prepared to emulate Iran. Perhaps revolutions happen only under majestic leaders, and no one like Khomeini has since appeared.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Milton Viorst in TIME (13 April 13 1998)
The Islamic Revolution of Iran is honourable for it is the cry which has its origin in Ayatollah Khomeini's conscience.
Ruhollah Khomeini— William Wersey, American author and journalist
Khomeini has offered us the opportunity to regain our frail religion ... faith in the power of words.
Ruhollah Khomeini— Norman Mailer, at a meeting of authors regarding the fatwa against Salman Rushdie , New York City, (February 1989)
