Purpose of Imam Khomeini's Stay in France

Question

What was the purpose of Imam Khomeini's stay in France, and what activities did he carry out there?

File:Imam Khomeini in Neauphle-le-Château.jpg

Imam Khomeini in Neauphle-le-Château

Imam Khomeini resided in France, specifically in the village of Neauphle-le-Château, from 14 Mehr 1357 (6 October 1978) until 12 Bahman 1357 (1 February 1979). The Islamic Revolution of Iran reached its most critical and decisive historical phase following Imam Khomeini's decision to move to Paris. It is said that his migration from Iraq to Paris marked the beginning of a new chapter in his movement and the Islamic Revolution. Imam Khomeini stayed in France for a total of 117 days.

During his time in Neauphle-le-Château, Imam Khomeini's activities included leading congregational prayers, delivering speeches, conducting interviews with media outlets, issuing messages and letters, and holding meetings and negotiations with Iranian and international figures. In Neauphle-le-Château, he delivered 65 speeches, gave 117 media interviews, issued 41 messages, held numerous meetings and discussions with Iranian political and religious figures, foreign officials or representatives, and leaders of Islamic movements worldwide, and wrote 27 letters to individuals and organizations.

Migration to France

Imam Khomeini's move from Iraq to Paris opened a new phase in his movement and the Islamic Revolution. The aircraft carrying the leader of the revolution landed at Paris Airport on Friday, 14 Mehr 1357 (6 October 1978). In his will, Imam Khomeini mentioned that the decision to go to Paris was made solely in consultation with his son, Seyyed Ahmad, and no one else was involved in this decision.

One day after arriving in Paris (15 Mehr 1357 / 7 October 1978), Imam Khomeini explained the details of his encounter with Iraqi and Kuwaiti officials and his subsequent journey to Paris, stating: "The Iraqi authorities warned me that due to their relations with the Iranian regime, they could not tolerate my activities. I responded that if they had responsibilities toward the Iranian government, I too had responsibilities toward Islam and the Iranian people and must fulfill my divine and spiritual duty."

Upon arriving in Paris, Imam Khomeini stayed in an apartment in southern Paris rented by a man named Ahmad Ghazanfarpour, who had not yet moved in. The Islamic Revolution of Iran entered its most crucial historical phase following Imam Khomeini's decision to move to Paris. His migration to Paris accelerated the revolution's momentum and facilitated his leadership in several ways, as France offered more advanced communication infrastructure compared to Iraq. Additionally, the abundance of media outlets in France and Europe allowed Imam Khomeini to disseminate his views more effectively. He stayed in France for 117 days.

Stay in Neauphle-le-Château

Imam Khomeini in France

Neauphle-le-Château is a suburban village located 15 kilometers south of Versailles and about 40 kilometers from Paris. On the second night of his arrival in Paris, Imam Khomeini moved to Neauphle-le-Château. His activities there, in addition to leading congregational prayers, included delivering speeches, conducting interviews with visual, audio, and print media, issuing messages and letters, and holding meetings and negotiations with Iranian and international figures. During his stay, he delivered 65 speeches, gave 117 media interviews, issued 41 messages, held numerous meetings with Iranian political and religious figures, foreign officials, and leaders of Islamic movements worldwide, and wrote 27 letters to individuals and organizations. His stay in Neauphle-le-Château ended on 12 Bahman 1357 (1 February 1979), coinciding with his return to Iran.

Residence of Imam Khomeini

On the second day of his stay in France, after consulting with Imam Khomeini, the house of Ali Asgari's wife (one of the students residing in Paris) in Neauphle-le-Château was chosen for his residence. SAVAK (the Shah's intelligence agency) rented a house near Imam Khomeini's residence to continue monitoring his activities and those around him. Imam Khomeini stayed in Ali Asgari's wife's house for about ten days. Due to its small size, another house was rented, but Imam Khomeini disapproved of its luxurious appearance, so a house opposite Asgari's was rented instead. After Imam Khomeini's family joined him from Najaf, three houses in Neauphle-le-Château were allocated to him and his companions. The small House No. 1 was where he lived with his family. House No. 2 (Asgari's wife's house), opposite the first, was used for gatherings and office work, where congregational prayers, meetings, and speeches were held. House No. 3 was for resting and accommodating students and other guests who came to meet him and were allowed to stay for 48 hours. Due to the large number of visitors and limited resting space, a hotel was also rented for overnight guests.

File:Imam in Neauphle-le-Château.jpg

Imam Khomeini in Neauphle-le-Château

Companions

Many individuals accompanied or were associated with Imam Khomeini in France, including Seyyed Ahmad Khomeini, Shahabuddin Eshraqi, Ismail Ferdowsipour, Abolfazl Tookabini, Mehdi Iraqi, Seyyed Mohammad Gharaati, Ebrahim Yazdi, Abolhassan Banisadr, Mohsen Sazegara, Sadegh Ghotbzadeh, Seyyed Sadegh Tabatabai, Seyyed Hossein Khomeini, Seyyed Mahmoud Doaei, Jafar Shojouni, Hassan Habibi, Mohammad Hossein Amalai, Seyyed Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour, Hadi Ghaffari, Seyyed Hamid Rouhani, Mohammad Ali Sedoughi, Mohammad Ali Hadi Najafabadi, Seyyed Mahmoud Mohtashami, Mostafa Kafashzadeh, Hassan Abedi Jafari, Mohammad Montazeri, Seyyed Serajuddin Mousavi, Marzieh Hadidchi Dabagh, and Seyyed Sadegh Mousavi.

Meetings

In addition to public meetings every evening, Imam Khomeini held private meetings with religious and political figures from Iran and other countries. Some of the Iranian religious-political figures who met with him included Morteza Motahhari, Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini Beheshti, Mohammad Sedoughi, Seyyed Abdolkarim Mousavi Ardabili, Hossein Ali Montazeri, Mohiuddin Anvari, Nasser Minachi, Mehdi Bazargan, Karim Sanjabi, Dariush Forouhar, Ezzatollah Sahabi, Hassan Nazih, Seyyed Jalal Tehrani, Ebrahim Amini, Hassan Rouhani, and Seyyed Mohammad Khatami.

My greatest wish is for the people of Iran to be freed from the claws of oppression and to have a free and independent country. They should have an Islamic system where human rights are respected as Islam has commanded, and they should become a model for all nations in progress, development, and human happiness.

(An interview with Imam Khomeini in Neauphle-le-Château)

Activities and Interviews

Imam Khomeini's daily schedule in Neauphle-le-Château, in addition to leading congregational prayers, nightly prayers, and an hour of walking, included delivering speeches, conducting interviews with visual, audio, and print media, issuing messages and letters, and holding meetings and negotiations with Iranian and international figures. In response to a journalist, he noted that he worked 16 hours a day in Neauphle-le-Château. His activities in France included interviews, negotiations, speeches, reviewing prepared reports, examining letters and telegrams, and sometimes responding to them. Key initiatives during this period included the formation of the Revolutionary Council, the Fuel Committee, and the Strike Coordination Committee. The volume of meetings and discussions was so extensive that volumes 4 and 5 and parts of volumes 3 and 6 of *Sahifeh-ye Imam* are dedicated to their content.

In his first interview, Imam Khomeini described Islam as compatible with progress and development, declared his opposition to the monarchy, and proposed an Islamic Republic as its alternative. Subsequently, he conducted numerous interviews with news agencies, radio and television networks, newspapers, and magazines from France, the United States, and other European, Asian, and African countries.

“ Imam Khomeini in Neauphle-le-Château: "After expelling the Shah and dismantling the monarchical regime, we will put an Islamic Republic to a public vote. Under this government, Iran will be liberated and achieve true independence—political, military, economic, social, and cultural independence. In this system, everyone is free to express their opinions. The people of Iran are weary of foreign dependence and domestic tyranny and are willing to stand fearlessly in front of bullets to achieve real independence." ”