Mottahedeh. “He was now a national figure, known to peasants
as well as to talabehs as a man who had dared to publicly oppose
the shah.”^21
All across Iran, there was broad and rising discontent, to be
sure. It was aggravated in October 1964 when the government
granted legal immunity to American military personnel stationed
in Iran, as well as to their families. This was a diplomatic gesture
apparently made by the shah in order to obtain a $200 million
loan from the United States. Many Iranians were angered; even
Pahlavi’s supporters frowned on the new law. Khomeini’s temper
exploded. He proclaimed:
They have reduced the Iranian people to a level lower than
that of an American dog. If someone runs over a dog belong-
ing to an American, he will be prosecuted. Even if the Shah
himself were to run over a dog belonging to an American, he
would be prosecuted. But if an American cook runs over the
Shah, the head of state, no one will have the right to interfere
with him.^22
In effect, he stated, the country’s parliament had committed
an act of treason in passing this law. His accusations struck a
cord with the people of Iran. Leaflets and tape recordings of his
speech were widely distributed.
By now, Khomeini’s deepening hatred for the United States
appeared irreversible. He felt the same way toward the Pahlavi
government, which he considered a puppet of Americans.
His open criticism, which was attracting a disturbingly large
following, could not be ignored. After Khomeini rejected the
shah’s appeals to moderate his criticism and demonstrated that
he could not be silenced by force, he was exiled to Turkey in
late 1964.
He soon proved too hot for the neighboring country to hold.
Iranian students in Turkey organized public demonstrations in
support of the ayatollah, who was becoming a martyr figure to
young Iranians. Turkish leaders reacted by deporting him.
In October 1965, Khomeini relocated to Najaf, a Shiite40 AYATOLLAH RUHOLLAH KHOMEINI
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