for oil, the Shah is just giving it to the imperialists ad libitum, retaining a small share which he then gives to them in exchange for ironware [25] _ something which is of no use to us at all. Yes, these guns are of no use to us but they are to him, for he can use them to beat and kill the people. Our nation can do without such things.
A certain amount of the nation's wealth also goes into the pockets of both the Shah himself and the members of his family, who then spend it on propaganda abroad - heaven knows how much they actually spend in this way. It is said that a budget of one hundred million dollars is spent abroad on propaganda for the regime - and what is propagated? [26] -. that it is vital to Iran that this man stays; that if he were to go then Iran would become a communist state. [27] But why on earth should Iran become communist? The nation of Iran is a Muslim nation. The rallying cry of the Iranian people is Islam; the people call for religion. Why should they become communist if the Shah were to go. This continued propaganda campaign of theirs however, is to no avail. It is now said that the regime has recently arranged for a group of people to shout out communist slogans in the university when it reopens, in order for the people to believe that it is now the communists who pose a threat to the regime! But this is not the case at all. These people are members of SAVAK and not communists. The imperialists' aim to keep him in power even if it means Pahlavi family was also involved more or less to the same extent as the Shah in conunercial-business enterprises. For further information refer to The Rise and Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasiy, Vol. 1, p. 216.
25- Guns and military equipment.
26- Refer to footnote 3 of Speech 14.
27- The Shah and his agents called the revolutionary people of Iran conununists! During an interview to mark Murdad 28 (August 19), in reply to a question as to whether a bunch of hooligans and the Islamic Marxists group had been responsible for recent events, the Shah said: "Without question! Islamic Marxists are undoubtedly to blame"! Eight days after the bloody event of September 8, Sharif Imami announced that "Undeniable facts and incontestable circumstantial evidence testify to the fact that the Marxists were the central cause of the violence". Moreover, Dr. 'Ameli, the regiine's Miffister for Information and Tourism said: "We are in no doubt that a communist campaign is directing this movement, since the slogans used and procedure followed by those concerned are communist.