The Spirit of Allah

a musical about Ruhollah Khomeini and the Iranian Revolution

Posted by Jew from Jersey
15 July 2003

Scene12. “Khomeini’s return”

Ayatollah Khomeini, Bani-Sadr, assistant ayatollahs, lesser mullahs, students, townspeople, peasants, politicians, intellectuals

[The stage is full of excited people. From offstage comes an Air France passenger jet. It moves slowly towards center stage. Surrounded by people. Finally, the door opens, a stairway is attached, and ARK walks out, surrounded by assistant Ayatollahs, lesser mullahs, and Abolhassan Bani-Sadr.]

• ARK: The Shah is gone, the tyrant is on the run
• Now I’m gonna be the new number one

[Bani-Sadr sends him an ugly glance.]

• I mean, now the people can really be free
• As long as they share my philosophy

• Islam has the cure for all your ills
• You don’t need the Shah or his westernized thrills
• And how could Islamic faith be true
• Without the kindly old clergy to tell you what to do?

[Mullahs bow their heads in affected meekness.]

• The Shah was a pimp and junkie, too
• And Rumors have it he was secretly a Jew
• He was the running dog of foreign powers
• But now this land will really be ours

• There were twelve Imams who once ruled the Shi’ite nation
• And the twelfth, well, he went into occultation
• But I’m bigger and better than all those guys
• So just stop thinking and look into my eyes

• Neither East nor West, but me
• Because only Islam can set you free
• You may think you’re happy, but you’re not
• And if you are, you’re evil and should be shot

• We’ll spread our message far and wide
• And discontents everywhere will be on our side
• First Baghdad, then Jerusalem, then New York
• They won’t remember there ever was such a thing as pork.