Imam Khomeinialso emphasized that it is rather the continuation of the Shāh’s rule that has created this vacuum.
The interview conducted in the French city of Neauphle-le-Château, where Imam conveyed his message to the entire world via international media.
A brief script of the interview comes as following:
Interview
Date: November 1, 1978 [Ābān 10, 1357 AHS / Dhū’l-Qa‘dah 29, 1398 AH]
Place: Neauphle-le-Château, Paris, France
Subject: The state of monarchy
Interviewer: Elizabeth Targood, reporter of the British newspaper, Guardian
Q: [Your Eminence has stated that you are not seeking power. Suppose the Shāh has left the country and His Eminence Ayatullah has returned to Iran. In that case, how would you fill the political vacuum? What will be your opinion about the possibility of a military coup-d’état?]
A: Departure of the Shāh will not create a political power vacuum. It is rather the continuation of the Shāh’s rule that has created this vacuum. The time to reach a solution by pulling off a coup-d’état has already expired. If foreigners pull off this coup-d’état, the Iranian army will become a more dependant and occupying army, and this will intensify the political vacuum there is in Iran…
Q: [About the communists: Āyatullāh is famous for being against communism. He doesn’t trust the communists. But these days, the young communists in Tehran, not necessarily those seeking specific targets, are willing to have a national government running the country, because they do not agree with only one person ruling, whether that person is the Shāh or Āyatullāh. Does Āyatullāh think that he can concede to their wish? Or better said: Does Khomeinī considers the Communist Party as permanently illegal?]
A: In Islam, the pleasure of God, and not the personalities, is the principle. We measure the personalities with truth, not truth with the personalities. Righteousness and truth are the standards. Contrary to Islam, communists make idols out of personalities and concentrate power in them. Our Islamic government will rely on people’s votes. And all those parties working for the interests of our nation will be free.
Sahifeh-ye-Imam, Vol. 4, page 229