I once asked a question from some politicians who were active crude oil producers in other countries. I said, "Today, we have oil. The countries bordering the Persian Gulf, some African countries and some Asian countries also produce oil. This expensive oil is bought at very low prices - several times lower than its real price per barrel. Because they need the money, these countries have to sell their oil at a low price. Then, the Arrogant Powers make the maximum profit from this oil." The question I asked was this, "Now suppose that instead of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, etc., oil was in the hands of the United States, Britain, Italy, and some other European countries and we wanted to buy oil from them." I asked them, “Would they be willing to sell us even a drop of oil?! If you wanted to buy a barrel of oil from them, they would set a hundred different terms and conditions and then they would sell it to you at any price they wanted! Today, they buy the same oil, the same precious liquid, at the lowest possible price with the help of the betrayal of some of the oil-producing states who are their accomplices. In fact, they plunder it to establish all the foundations of present-day industrial civilization. Their lighting is from our oil. They are heated by our oil. Their movement is from our oil. Their factories and their products are also from our oil!
The aggression of the domineering governments in the world is like this, my dears! This is the arrogant world today and this is how it behaves. If they can, they will exploit weak countries like slaves. And they have done this throughout history – during the period of direct colonization. Today, they do the same thing in another manner. In such a world and such a situation, the Iranian nation has risen up and ousted a government that was the puppet and servant of these aggressors in Iran – the infamous Pahlavi dynasty.
Statements made in Imam Reza’s shrine [Mar. 21, 1994]
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