Imam Khomeini said in a historic speech that university students, clergymen individual from business background and people from various classes of society who had rendered sacrifices for the historic victory against the monarchial regime of Shah and his colonial backers.
Imam also advised people to keep playing decisive role in protecting and furthering the Islamic revolution and supporting the Islamic-democratic system in Iran.
The text of the historic speech comes as following:
Speech
Date: February 1, 1979 [Bahman12, 1357 AHS/ Rabi` al-Awwal 3, 1399 AH [
Place: Mehrabad Airport, Tehran, Iran
Subject: Imam Khomeini's historic speech outlining the state of affairs of the course of the Revolution
Occasion: The return of Imam Khomeini to Tehran after fifteen years in exile
Addressees: Millions of people
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Gratitude to all strata of the people
I would like to express my gratitude to the various strata of the nation for their devotion. The devotion of the Iranian nation is a heavy burden upon my shoulders for which I cannot compensate. I also would like to thank the clergy for their self-sacrificing devotion and endurance in facing all the difficulties during the past course of events. I also would like to thank the university students who have undergone hardships, the merchants and traders who have been subjected to inconveniences, the young people of the bazaar and universities and science schools, who have shed their blood in these affairs, the university professors, the Justice Ministry, its judges and lawyers, all the classes of the people, the employees, the workers, the farmers and all the ranks of the nation.
The first step toward victory
You have gained victory through your exceptional efforts and unity of expression; of course, as the first step, your victory is now in the initial stage in as much as you have swept aside from the scene the main traitor named Muhammad Rida; although, it is said that he is making frantic efforts abroad. Even now that his own masters have spurned him, and are not allowing him entry, he is seeking help from some of his likes in order to find a way out of his predicament. But he is thinking in vain to be able to hold the reins of power once again, after this dynasty's fifty years of treachery, and after thirty or so years of crimes and treason committed by this treacherous man against this country pushing it backward. He has transformed our country's culture into a culture of colonialism. He has thrown the agriculture to the wind; he has exhausted the Treasury; he has devastated the country and has made his army and the military dependent upon the foreign military and advisers; this is a cause of regret for us and the nation.
Hoping for the ultimate victory
Our victory will dawn when the hands of the foreigners are severed from our country and all the roots of the monarchial regime are pulled out of our native land, and all) their forces (are driven out. The foreign agents who have been making all these attempts and frenzied efforts recently to bring back the Shah- that is, the former Shah- or install another regime, or safeguard the monarchy and all such issues, should realize that all this is now past history. Such issues that you) foreign agents (are bringing up are nothing but hollow words; and if you do not succumb to the nation's will, the nation will dump you where you rightfully belong.
We should thank all the strata of the society for bringing this victory up to this stage by means of their unanimity. We should all understand that the secret of this victory is the unanimity among Muslims- all of them-, the unanimity of religious minorities with the Muslims, the solidarity of universities and educational schools, the solidarity of the clergy and the political factions. We should not lose this victory, lest Satan, God forbid, sow the seeds of discord within your ranks. I thank all of you. I ask God, the Blessed and Exalted, to grant all of you health and honor and to sever the hands of the foreigners and those dependent on them.
Sahifeh-ye Imam, vol6, Page: 9