THE LITTLE GREEN BOOK Selected Fatawah And Sayings of The Ayatollah Mosavi Khomeini — translated into English by Harold Salemson — with a special introduction by Clive Irving Bantam Books, 1985 / ISBN: 0553140329 PDF Edition by i Table of Contents Introduction iii I. 1 Islam as a Revolutionary Religion 1 I. 2 Islam and Colonialism 3 I. 3 The Islamic Republic 7 I. 4 The Rule of the Clergy 11 I. 5 The Imam 13 I. 6 Islamic Justice 15 I. 7 Youth 18 I. 8 Media and Propaganda 20 II. 9 On Urinating and Defecating 21 II. 10 On Eating and Drinking 24 II. 11 On Pure and Impure Things 27 II. 12 Purification 31 II. 13 On the Nature of Water 37 II. 14 On Ablution 39 II. 15 On the Five Namaz 43 II. 16 On Prayers in Case of Natural Phenomenon 46 II. 17 On Fasting 47 II. 18 On Woman and Her Periods 50 II. 19 On Marriage, Adultery, and Conjugal Relations 53 II. 20 On Divorce 62 II. 21 On the Mortuary Ritual 64 II. 22 On Finance and Taxes 66 II. 23 Addendum 69 ii Introduction The Little Green Book is a collection of fatawah handed down by the most prominent and arguably one of the most influential Muslim clerics in modern history; the Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ruhollah Mosavi Khomeini, commonly known as the Ayatollah Khomeini. Fatawah (the plural of fatwah) are Islamic religious decrees sent down by Muslim religious leaders. Since Islam demands that Muslims abide by Sharia – Islamic law as individuals and as a society, these fatawah are not simply religious insights or advice. They are legal pronouncements, and define the law of the land in an Islamic country. In his unrivaled role as Iran’s Supreme Leader and the highest-ranking cleric for Shi’a Muslims, the Ayatollah Khomeini’s fatawah guided the lives of more Shi’a Muslims than did any other Islamic leader throughout history. It would have been damning to Islam if these inane, absurd, and depraved rantings had come from any Muslim, since they would serve as an example of how Islam corrupts a person’s mind. Beyond that however, anyone who takes the time to analyze Islam’s scriptures and what is recorded in Islam about Muhammad, the man whose life sets the standard to which Muslims are to strive, will see that the Ayatollah Khomeini was not off-base in his Islamic jurisprudence. This version of The Little Green Book, is a translation done by Harold Salemson, whose source was a French translation of the Ayatollah’s fatawah compiled by a Persian named Jean-Marie Xaviere. The book is broken up into two volumes. The first volume deals with governing issues, and is so chock full of amazing quotes, we had to give up on trying to highlight the best ones. The second volume focuses on lifestyle guidelines, and tends to be a bit mundane. However, some of the more astoundingly reprehensible iii The Little Green Book — Ayatollah Khomeini whoppers are in this section. Additionally, the emphasis placed on defining even the most miniscule details for a Muslim to follow serve as a tremendous example of how Islam thrives on replacing every last iota of independent thought with mindless servitude. Of course, this should not come as a surprise to anyone, since the religion’s name literally means “Submission” (Islam), and its followers refer to themselves as “those who submit” (Muslims). The Little Green Book is a quick read. In fact, it’s probably shorter than some of Craig Winn’s email responses. Additionally, much of it is so absurd, it’s quite entertaining. That is, until you realize that this isn’t a joke and you remember that billions of people are affected by these fatawah and thousands more like them from multitudes of other Islamic leaders. Clive Irving iv I. 1 Islam as a Revolutionary Religion Islam is a religion of those who struggle for truth and justice, of those who clamor for liberty and independence. It is the school of those who fight against colonialism. Our one and only remedy is to bring down these corrupt and corrupting systems of government, and to overthrow the traitorous, repressive, and despotic gangs in charge. This is the duty of Muslims in all Islamic countries; this is the way to victory for all Islamic revolutions. Muslims have no alternative, if they wish to correct the political balance of society, and force those in power to conform to the laws and principles of Islam, to an armed Jihad against profane governments. Though you may not have the means to prevent heresy or fight corruption, nevertheless, you must not remain silent. If they hit you in the head, protest! Resigning yourself to oppression is more immoral than oppression itself. Argue, denounce, oppose, shout. Spread the truth – that Islamic justice is not what they say it is. Jihad means the conquest of all non-Muslim territories. Such a war may well be declared after the formation of an Islamic government worthy of that name, at the direction of the Imam or under his orders. It will then be the duty of every able-bodied adult male to volunteer for this war of conquest, the final aim of which is to put Qur’anic law in power from one end of the earth to the other. But the 1 The Little Green Book — Ayatollah Khomeini whole world should understand that the universal supremacy of Islam is considerably different from the hegemony of other conquerors. It is therefore necessary for the Islamic government first to be created under the authority of the Imam in order that he may undertake this conquest, which will be distinguishable from all other wars of conquest, which are unjust and tyrannical and disregard the moral and civilizing principles of Islam. Who liberated our country and our people from the shame of Zoroastrianism, if not the victorious army of Islam? There are some of us who aren’t concerned with developing an Islamic movement, but, instead, of making the pilgrimage to Mecca with the Muslim brothers, in peace and understanding. It certainly wasn’t that way in the time of the Prophet. The Friday prayers were the means of mobilizing the people, of inspiring them to battle. The man who goes to war straight from the mosque is afraid of only one thing – Allah. Dying, poverty, and homelessness mean nothing to him; an army of men like that is a victorious army. Islamic faith and justice demand that within the Muslim world, anti- Islamic governments not be allowed to survive. The installation of a lay public power is equivalent to actively opposing the progress of Islamic order. Any nonreligious power, whatever form or shape it may take, is necessarily an atheistic power, the tool of Satan; it is part of our duty to stand in its path and to struggle against its effects. Such Satanic power can engender nothing but corruption on earth, the supreme evil which must be pitilessly fought and rooted out. To achieve that end, we have no recourse other than to overthrow all governments that do not rest on pure Islamic principles, and are thus traitorous, rotten, unjust, and tyrannical administrative systems that server them. That is not only our duty in Iran, but it is also the duty of all Muslims in the world, in all Muslim countries, to carry the Islamic political revolution to its final victory. 2 I. 2 Islam and Colonialism Europe [the West] is nothing but a collection of unjust dictatorships; all of humanity must strike these troublemakers with an iron hand if it wishes to regain its tranquility. If Islamic civilization had governed the West, we would no longer have to put up with these barbaric goings-on unworthy even of wild animals. At a time in the West so primitive that there is no recorded history of it, when its inhabitants were still wild, and when America was still a land of half-wild redskins, the peoples of the Persian and Roman empires were forced to live under despotism, oligarchy, favoritism, and absolute rule, without the slightest participation or right to participate in their own government. It was then that Allah, through his prophet, sent us the laws whose scope has amazed mankind. The homeland of Islam, one and indivisible, was broken up by the doings of the Imperialists and despotic and ambitious leaders. The Muslim people, one and indivisible, was broken up into several peoples. And when the Ottoman Empire struggled to achieve Islamic unity, it as opposed by a united front of Russian, English, Austrian, and other imperialist powers, which split it up among themselves. Western missionaries, carrying out secret plans drawn up centuries ago, have created religious schools of their own within Muslim countries. We did not react against that, and this is what it led to: These missionaries infiltrated our villages and our countrysides, to turn our children into Christians or atheists! The Islamic movement met its first saboteur in the Jewish people, who are at the source of all the anti-Islamic libels and intrigues current today. Then came the turn of those even more damnable 3 The Little Green Book — Ayatollah Khomeini representatives of Satan, the imperialists. Within the last three centuries or more, they have invaded every Muslim country, with the intention of destroying Islam. They have been aware ever since the Crusades that only Islam, with its laws and its faith, can bar the way to their material interests and political power. They sent missionaries into Muslim cities, and there found accomplices within the universities and various information or publication centers, mobilized their Orientalist scholars in the service of imperialism – all of that only so as to distort Islamic truths. Their plan is to keep us in our backward state, to preserve our backward state, to preserve our pathetic way of life, so they can exploit the tremendous wealth of our underground resources, of our land, and our manpower. They want us to stay destitute, distracted by niggling day-to-day problems of survival, our poor living in misery, so that we will never become aware of the laws of Islam – which contain the solution to misery and poverty! All of this they have done so they can sit in their big palaces, living their stupid shallow lives! Many of these corruptions have their origin in the gang that is in power, and in the family of a despotic and capricious ruler. These are the rulers who create hotbeds of lust, prostitution, and drugs, who devote the revenues of the mosque to building cinemas! Islam does not have kings or crown princes. If that’s a fault, well then, Islam is a faulty religion! What do you understand of the harmony between social life and religious principles? And more important, just what is the social life we are talking about? Is it those hotbeds of immorality called theaters, cinemas, dancing, and music? Is it the promiscuous presence in the streets of lusting young men and women with arms, chests, and thighs bared? Is it the ludicrous wearing of a hat like the Europeans or the imitation of their habit of wine drinking? We are convinced that you have been made to lose your ability to distinguish between good and evil, in exchange for a few radio sets and ludicrous Western hats. Your attention has been attracted to the disrobed women to be seen on thoroughfares ad in swimming pools. Let these 4 The Little Green Book — Ayatollah Khomeini shameful practices come to an end, so that the dawn of a new life may break! All governments of the world rely upon the power of their bayonets. We know of no monarchy or republic in the world today which is based upon equity and reason; and all maintain themselves in power only through oppression. The leaders of our country have been so deeply influenced by the West that they have regulated the standard time of their country upon that of Europe (Greenwich Mean Time). What a nightmare! In the past century, during which European medicine and surgery have been introduced into Iran, our leaders have forgotten our traditional medicine and encouraged a handful of inexperienced young men to study this cursed European medicine. Today we realize that illnesses such as typhus, typhoid fever, and the like are curable only by traditional remedies. The clergy must undertake no functions other than religious ones which serve monotheism, virtue, the teaching of divine laws, and the uplifting of public morals. The army must also be under the control of the clergy in order to be efficacious and useful. We [clergy] forcefully affirm that refusal to wear the veil is against the law of Allah and the Prophet, and a material and moral affront to the entire country. We affirm that the ludicrous use of the Western hat stands in the way of our independence and is contrary to the will of Allah. We affirm that coeducational schools are an obstacle to a wholesome life; they are a material and moral affront to the country and contrary to the divine will. We affirm that music engenders immorality, lust, and licentiousness, and stifles courage, valor, and the chivalrous spirit; it is forbidden by Qur’anic law and must not be taught in the schools. Radio Tehran, by broadcasting Western, Oriental, and Iranian music, plays a nefarious role by introducing immorality and licentiousness into respectable families. Ulamas [scholars] and other ecclesiastics are not permitted to run the theology schools set up by the state. State intervention in this domain is always a pretext for the destruction of the foundations of 5