In 1986 when as the representative of the Imam and supervisor of the Iranian Haj pilgrims I went to perform the Haj pilgrimage, an interview was arranged at the airport in which I spoke of the political issues that must be proposed at the Haj pilgrimage. In particular I referred to the 'Disavowal of Pagans" demonstrations that year for the unity of Muslims and the slogans we had prepared against America and Zionist aggressors and the problems of Lebanon. At that moment, I did not make any mention of slogans against the Soviet Union; rather I said that we would propose slogans against America, Israel and the infidel and atheistic powers. Then when we departed for Mecca, Haj Ahmad called me on the phone and relayed the message of the Imam that the Imam had stated that we should observe the policy of the slogan "neither East nor West" and that just as we attacked America and its policies, alongside it we should also directly attack the Soviet Union as well and not to discriminate between the two superpowers. At that moment I did not understand what had been the issue and simply replied that we would do as instructed. When the Haj rituals were performed and we returned to Iran, Haj Ahmad told me that, "Aqa Karrubi, do you know what the core of the issue why I sent you the message was?" I replied in the negative and he said: "We too were not aware that the Imam had heard the interview you gave at the airport in which you named America and Israel but failed to mention the Soviet Union. Then the Imam stated: "In Mecca he must not put the Soviet Union in an envelope. No, he must name the Soviet Union directly and he must also refer directly to the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union."[1]
[1]Do not keep silent with regard to the Soviet Union: Mahdi Karrubi