Once, an official fourteen-member delegation consisting of Iraqi authorities paid a visit to the Imam. Because a four-member delegation had arrived previously and returned displeased, the Imam stated that the person who was the interpreter to come for interpretation. When we asked him to come, he was overcome with fear. At first he did not come; next he made some excuse and later spoke ill about the person who was supposed to meet the Imam then and that he was a mean provincial governor and so forth and asked me to tell the Imam to beware of him. I told him that he was talking nonsense because way back in 1963, the Imam had in his own residence addressed the president of America and told him that he was the most hated individual on earth and so how could he be afraid of these people! I added that if I conveyed this to the Imam he would throw me out! That interpreter also left the place laughing. When the Ba'athist Iraqi delegation entered the residence of the Imam, I was standing in the front yard and they probably either did not see me or were certain that I did not speak Arabic otherwise they would not have said what they did. The provincial governor was despondent and asked the agent accompanying him what he must do when he went in? To which the agent replied that he should kiss the Imam's hand. Then they entered and were seated. They had brought with them recording and photographic equipment. While they fixed the tripod for the film camera, the Imam spoke not a word. After they had finished their job the Imam asked them to gather their equipments which they did but kept behind a film camera. They spoke a single sentence which meant that they wanted to take just one photograph but the Imam declined stating: "It cannot be done." Then they collected all their equipment and departed after their meeting was over. The Imam was so much in control of the situation that he was not willing to give them any leeway."[1]
[1] You cannot take photographs: Hujjat al-Islam Qarahi