Excerpts from His Imperial Majesties speech
On the creation of the Literacy Corps and the obstacles in the path of modernizing Iran - January 9th, 1963

With the creation of the Literacy Corps intended to facilitate the means for compulsory public education, the clouds of illiteracy and abjectness will no longer cast their shadows upon the Iranian nation and as a consequence, the populace will become more cognizant of their own rights and that of their compatriots.

Carrying such reforms and preparing the Iranian people for this race in regaining their grandeur and rightful place in the world community, is the unswerving aim and intention of reform-minded patriotic Iranians and myself. 

Insofar as these reforms, what has been carried out till now, is the foundation for a modern Iran, one based upon a free, democratic, progressive and prosperous society which must move ever onward until the fruition of these aspirations and until they create a nation of cheerful, united, affluent and successful Iranians from the existing hard-working kind hearted populace. This process ought to persist until the social and the economic injustices are alleviated and the distance between various social classes are removed. 

Undoubtedly and in order to protect their own interests, the "dark" forces of obscurantism, who wish to see the people of Iran suffer in an infested pool of abjectness, poverty and injustice, would not remain inactive in the face of such fundamental and deep reforms. Also, the destructive "Red" forces who aim to shred apart the very existence of our nationhood - yielding it to the ill-wishers of Iran - are agitated and wish to see these programs fail miserably. They too will not sit quietly on the sidelines. 

Here, based on the duties bestowed upon the King and my loyalty to the oath which I have taken in safeguarding the fundamental rights of my people and the perseverance of my nation, cannot remain an impartial by-stander in the battle of Light against Darkness and evil, because, I myself am the flag-bearer in this sacred struggle.