Imam Khomeini strongly denounced the bill which intended to give immunity to foreigners especially the US authorities inside Iran.
In October 1964, the Shah signed the bill which came to be known as the ‘Bill of Capitulation’.
It exempted American citizens from facing any legal measures even if they were to violate Iranian laws.
Imam Khomeini expressed his strong opposition to this humility of the nation, saying: “If the dog of an American was to bite the Shàh, the latter will have no recourse except in an American court of justice perhaps.”
Under the bill, Iranian judiciary was unable to prosecute those US citizens who committed crimes inside the Iranian soil.
Imam Khomeini harshly censured enactment of this legislation on October 26.
To prevent Imam from delivering any speech, the Shah dispatched an envoy to Qom. Imam Khomeini however rejected the envoy and delivered one of its most epochal lectures in the gathering of a large number of people and clergies.
The historic speech was as a trial of illegal interferences of American governors in domestic affairs of Islamic Iran.
The Imam’s speech was opened with the following sentences: “....Our honor has been trampled on, Iran’s grandeur is smeared. They took a law bill to the Majlis whereby we were joined up to the Vienna Pact....appointing all American military advisors and their families, their technical and administrative employees, and servants...are exempt from trial for any crime they commit in Iran... Gentlemen! I am warning. O Army of Iran, I declare danger. O Iranian politicians, I declare danger! By God, he who does not cry out, sins; he who does not cry out, commits cardinal sin. O heads of Islam, save Islam! O Ulema of Najaf, O Ulema of Qom, save Islam!!”
On the very same day (October 26, 1964) Imam Khomeini issued an announcement saying, "Let the world know that all the troubles of the Iranian and Muslim nations originate from the foreigners, from the America....”
Capitulation had been referred in this announcement as “a document pointing to slavery of Iranian nation”.
In order to divulge the treachery committed by the Shah and his lackeys against Iran and the Islamic society, Imam Khomeini decided that through a vehement discourse and a trenchant declaration he would call the people to protest against the bill and oppose the machinations of the Shah and the United States.
Imam's overt struggle against Mohammad Rida Shah regime had begun in 1960 (1341) with his opposition to the Provincial and District Councils Bill which essentially sought the eradication of Islam.
With its approval by the government of the time, the Islamic stipulations concerning voters and candidates were dropped and the pledge of allegiance was changed from swearing on "the Holy Qur'an" to swearing on "the Holy Book".
Following Imam’s strong opposition to Bill of Capitulation’ in 1964, he was immediately arrested by the regime and exiled to Bursa in Turkey, from where he soon moved to Iraq to take up abode in the blessed sanctuary of Najaf, near the shrine of the Commander of the Faithful, the Prophet’s divinely-designated vicegerent, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (PBUH).
Imam Khomeini migrated to Paris after Shah regime started to create more troubles in Iraq.
After Imam’s historic return from Paris to Tehran in 1979 and with the victory of the Islamic Revolution, capitulation right and all its extensions were cancelled for ever, proposed by Council of Ministers of the Interim Government of Islamic Republic of Iran and ratified by Islamic Revolution Council, on May 13, 1979.
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