--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After the revolution the borders were…" description: "\"After the revolution the borders were left open. Pens were free, expression was free, political parties were free. Even if these people are not Moslems..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/ayatollah-khomeini-40984_democracy_after-the-revolution-the-borders-were-le_21787.jpg" --- # After the revolution the borders were left open. Pens were… ![“After the revolution the borders were left open. Pens were free, expression was free, political parties were free. Even if these people are not Moslems, it was assumed that at least they are human. But it is clear now that they are foreign puppets. For us the identity of these writers, the…” quote by Ayatollah Khomeini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/ayatollah-khomeini-40984_democracy_after-the-revolution-the-borders-were-le_21787.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/ayatollah-khomeini-40984_democracy_after-the-revolution-the-borders-were-le_21787.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/ayatollah-khomeini-40984_democracy_after-the-revolution-the-borders-were-le_21787.jpg) > “After the revolution the borders were left open. Pens were free, expression was free, political parties were free. Even if these people are not Moslems, it was assumed that at least they are human. But it is clear now that they are foreign puppets. For us the identity of these writers, the identity of these political parties, the identity of these nice and meaningless phrases are now very clear. We will no longer give freedom. These people are not the type who will stop their activities just from advice. We have to deal with them harshly” [Ayatollah Khomeini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayatollah-khomeini/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker argues that once freedoms are granted, perceived foreign influences become threats, just to authoritarian control and suppression of dissent. **In simple terms:** Freedom is portrayed as a danger from outsiders. Key Takeaway Freedom can be weaponized to justify repression. Themes political control identity freedom authoritarianism propaganda Mood defensive critical Type political ideological When to use this quote - post‑revolutionary regime tightening - censorship of media - nationalist rhetoric against minorities Key Concepts social engineering in‑group/out‑group dynamics Practical Applications - Monitor policy shifts after political upheaval - Educate on how language frames 'otherness' Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports the link between openness and foreign manipulation? - How can societies protect genuine dissent? A Different Perspective The claim that all dissent is foreign may overlook legitimate domestic grievances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Free expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-expression/) [Free people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-people/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Islam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islam/) [Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logic/) [Political parties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-parties/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) ## Related quotes > [Freedom is not something that anybody can be given. 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People confuse the two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/what-we-know-to-be-true-is-that-comfort-isn-t-always-freedom-people/) [DeRay Mckesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) > [Freedom! To fill people's mailboxes, eyes, ears and brains with commercial rubbish against their will, television programs that are impossible to watch with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/freedom-to-fill-people-s-mailboxes-eyes-ears-and-brains-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For more than two centuries since winning our own freedom, we the people of the United States have repeatedly answered the call to lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-thornberry/for-more-than-two-centuries-since-winning-our-own-freedom-we-the/) [Mac Thornberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-thornberry/) > [“Freedom is not something that anybody can be given. Freedom is something people take, and people are as free as they want to be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-lasky/freedom-is-not-something-that-anybody-can-be-given-freedom-is-2/) [Kathryn Lasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-lasky/) ## More by Ayatollah Khomeini > [We would like to run the Islamic government like Islam at its beginning, so that people know how different the Islamic democracy is from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayatollah-khomeini/we-would-like-to-run-the-islamic-government-like-islam-at-its/) [Ayatollah Khomeini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayatollah-khomeini/) > [If cultural and educational problems are solved in line with the country's expediencies, other problems will easily be solved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayatollah-khomeini/if-cultural-and-educational-problems-are-solved-in-line-with-the/) [Ayatollah Khomeini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayatollah-khomeini/) > [In history, revolutions similar to Iran's revolution are achieved only with the help of messengers of God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayatollah-khomeini/in-history-revolutions-similar-to-iran-s-revolution-are-achieved-only/) [Ayatollah Khomeini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayatollah-khomeini/) > [Those who give their entire attention to animal husbandry cannot become human, and those who give their entire attention to horticulture cannot become human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayatollah-khomeini/those-who-give-their-entire-attention-to-animal-husbandry-cannot/) [Ayatollah Khomeini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayatollah-khomeini/) > [These words that you have heard regarding women in the future Islamic government are all hostile propaganda. 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Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/) [Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Browse all 11,220 Democracy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "After the revolution the borders were left open. 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