The 45-year-old Shi'ite cleric described the mood of the people of Iraq as joyful. As for Iran, Khomeini said he had not been directly threatened there, but he was worried not only about the welfare of his wife and three children, who currently live in Qom, Iran, but also for the welfare of all Iranian people.
Asked about his future plans in Iraq, he said, "I'd be happy to do anything in this environment -- everything from peddling in front of Hazrat Mooseh-Abn-Jafar (a religious site) to creating a theological school. That way I'll be released from being referred to as someone's son, or grandson or son-in-law. If you depend on yourself, you don't have to depend on others."
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