Imam’s approach was unlike that of any of the other religious authorities. From the very first day that he began his struggle, he would always say: “The people must be present on the scene, step by step.”
In the past, the religious authorities would send messages to the tyrant of the time in order to prevent wrongdoing. However, these messages and letters were private—exchanged between the religious authority and the ruler of the time—with the aim of restraining the tyrant, at least to some extent, from the deviations he was committing.
But Imam’s approach was different. From the very beginning, whenever he wrote a letter addressed to the government or the tyrant, he would say: “It must be printed so that all the people can know about it and be informed.”
Insights from the life of Imam Khomeini (RA); Volume 1, page 118