[During the Pahlavi Regime], the entire government and political system was founded on corruption: from Muhamad-Reza Shah and his entourage to the lower levels. You might have read or heard of their biographies which were published later. Around perhaps 15 different titles on their biographies have been published. One can see [by reading them] how corrupt and pervert they were; from the Shah to the lowest ranks in the monarchy—including his relatives, or the staff in security, military or police departments—and all those who were affiliated with him were corrupt. Meanwhile, there were some honest and virtuous individuals who worked in the system; i.e. they were less affiliated with them. We had some virtuous people in the Army and in the Police Force whom I had met: pious and religious and virtuous officers in the Army, Police or some public departments. They were especially numerous in academic sections. There were many good individuals, but the heads and those affiliated with them were corrupt. Even the clergymen who were affiliated with the Pahlavi regime were corrupt. There were clergymen who associated with the Pahlavis. We refer to them as the clergymen of the crown; however, even the crown ignored some of those clergymen. They were actually affiliated with their local SAVAK; they were submissive to the magistrate or marshal of their local police station. Their corruption was relevant to their status. Anyone who was in some way connected to the crown was corrupt. The closer, the more corrupt. Reaching to the core, it was the center of corruption.
August 17, 1992
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