The following is the full text of the speech delivered on August 15, 2016 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with the officials of the Ayatollah Taleqani Commemoration Congress.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
First of all, I would like to thank the son of the late Mr. Taleqani (God’s mercy be upon him) and his colleagues [Sayyid Mahdi Taleqani and Musa Haqqani] for preserving the name and house of Taleqani the way that personality lived. Some families and relatives of personalities preserve the name of a personality after he leaves this material world but they change his content completely – sometimes 180 degrees! If Mr. Taleqani’s son had not endeavored – of course, in cooperation with other brothers – and had not stepped forward, perhaps Mr. Taleqani would have had the same fate. But thankfully you managed to preserve Mr. Taleqani’s reputation.
Mr. Taleqani was a very valuable personality. The characteristics that you mentioned really existed in him. Allah the Exalted had given him a good mold of character. He was an outspoken, friendly and sincere individual. One of the characteristics of Mr. Taleqani was his friendliness. He was a friendly and sincere person. When we met with him, we really witnessed nothing other than honesty, friendliness and sincerity. We used to have long meetings with him. Whenever I went to Tehran – during the periods of time when he came out of prison – I would pay a visit to his house once, twice and I would speak to him for two hours. We used to enjoy his friendliness and sincerity. This was one of his characteristics.
As well as being friendly, honest and sincere, he was a man who was completely self-confident. One of his characteristics was self-confidence. He was never influenced by powers, by outward appearances and the like. It was in late 1342 or early 1343 when I met him for the first time. He was being tried in Eshratabad. I went there and I witnessed his trial. They said that it was open to public, but there were a limited number of seats. We went there very soon to witness the trial and we fortunately found a place and we went inside. Until then, I had not met Mr. Taleqani.
There was Mr. Taleqani, the late Mohandas Bazargan and others. They were the members of the Freedom Movement and they were being tried there. I think that that was the second trial. It was one of those courts of law which were comprised of five judges with high [military] ranks and epaulets. Mr. Taleqani was sitting in front of us and he was indifferent to them. When his name was mentioned, he should have stood up and spoke, but he did not pay any attention. He did not pay any attention to them while he was sitting there and carrying a cane – at that time, he had a cane despite the fact that he was not very old. He did not stand up and he did not answer. He was like this.
He did not at all pay any attention to that court of law which was usually formed in a way that the accused would be digested in the outward dignity and awe of the court, so to say. During the break, we stepped forward and he behaved towards us in a warm and friendly manner. At that time, I was a young cleric and he had heard of me because some time before that, I had been imprisoned in Qezel Qaleh prison. He and Mr. Bazargan had heard of me. When I was introduced to them, they treated me in a friendly and kind manner. They were indifferent to those officials and they were kind and friendly towards us who were clergymen.
He once said to us that he participated in one of the funeral ceremonies in Hedayat Mosque. This mosque belonged to Hedayat family. It was managed by that family and they used to hold their funeral ceremonies there. Well, the Hedayat family was an old family which was connected to the court and to the regime. Mr. Taleqani was a public prayer leader in that mosque and he sometimes participated in their funeral ceremonies. He said that one of their men or women had died and he took part in their funeral ceremony. There were certain high-ranking military officials – major generals, lieutenant generals and other such military officials. They were standing at the door and they were wearing such and such clothes.
One of them was General Hedayat who was a well-known individual at that time. He said, “I took a look and I saw that I could not sit where they were sitting. Therefore, I took a seat somewhere else.” He continued, “After that event, I was imprisoned.” I think this occurred in those last years. This was one of those last imprisonments: “I was walking in the prison yard where I saw a person stepping forward. He said, ‘Hello Sir.’ Then he bowed down and said, ‘Hello.’ I replied, ‘Hello. Who are you?’ He answered, ‘I am Hedayat.’ He introduced himself and it became clear that he was General Hedayat and that he had been imprisoned. I saw that that seemingly glorious, magnificent and powerful individual was really a small and poor person. But I had not changed either in that funeral ceremony or in prison. I was the same person.” He was like this. He was a self-confident and dignified personality.
This originated from his faith. He was really a pious person. But the same person used to show humility towards Imam (r.a.). I was witness to his humility towards Imam (r.a.), both in the absence and presence of Imam (r.a.). In the absence of Imam (r.a.), he said, “Imam Khomeini (r.a.) says certain things which seem impossible to people, but after that, we see that what he said has actually happened. He is connected to something!” This was Mr. Taleqani’s understanding and interpretation. I do not remember the exact words. He said that Imam Khomeini (r.a.) receive knowledge and that he is connected to something.
In the presence of Imam (r.a.) too, I was witness to his humility. He used to show complete humility towards Imam (r.a.). That person for whom the outward glory and magnificence of that regime was nothing, used to show humility to Imam (r.a.).
Such characteristics are hidden in the eternal personalities of history. These characteristics should be excavated, understood and promoted. In any case, your organization is a good organization and Mr. Taleqani really deserves to be praised and commemorated. You should now allow his name to be consigned to oblivion. You should now allow his characteristics to be forgotten and you should not allow his real relations with the Revolution to turn into unreal relations. You should not allow these things to happen. You should prevent them. I hope that you will be successful and flourishing, God willing.
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