Imam’s Statement on the 1st of April

On the 1st of April 1979 98.2% of the Iranian people voted for an Islamic republic. Imam Khomeini issued a statement on this auspicious day declaring Iran as an Islamic Republic, and thanking the people for their extensive participation in the referendum. The following is the Imam’s statement:
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
‘And we wish to be gracious to those who were being oppressed in the land, to make them leaders) in faith (and make them heirs).’ I would like to congratulate the great Iranian nation, who had been humiliated by the monarchial despotism throughout the course of its history. The Exalted God has blessed it with an able hand, the power with which the oppressed people crushed the despotic regime and made our great nation the leader and guide of the oppressed nations, and with the installation of the Islamic republic, it will be endowed as the legitimate inheritance of this nation. On this auspicious day, which is the day of the Islamic community's leadership and victory, I would like to proclaim the Islamic Republic of Iran. I would like to announce to the world that in the entire history of Iran, there has never been such a referendum in which people swarmed into polling places to cast their votes affirmatively in ballot boxes and bury the regime of taghouti in the dustbin of history forever.
I am thankful for this unique solidarity by which all people, except a handful of adventurers and God-ignorant elements, responded almost unanimously in the positive to this Divine call ‘and hold fast, all together, by the Rope which God stretches out for you and be not divided among yourselves’, and gave their votes to the Islamic Republic and demonstrated their socio-political growth to both the East and West. Blessed be this day when you ripped to shreds the ghoulish and Pharaoh like adversary after the martyrdom of your youths leaving bereaved mothers and fathers nursing unbearable pain in their hearts and announced the setting up of the just Divine Islamic government with your decisive vote, a government in which all strata of the people are considered equal and the light of divine justice shines upon all the people with no discrimination and where the graces of the Qur'an shower on everyone. Auspicious be a government in which there is no discrimination against any ethnic groups, be they white or black, Turk, Persian, Lori, Balouchis, etc. All people are equal and are brothers. Nobility may be achieved only through piety, and superiority derives from righteousness and moral deeds.
Blessed be this day when all strata of the people attain their rights. There is no difference in implementing justice between and among men and women, religious minorities. The satanic regime had been interred after which insurgence and rebellion against God will also be buried. The country will be emancipated from the claws of domestic and foreign enemies, looters and plunderers. Now, it is you, the brave nation, who are the guards of Islamic republic. Now, it is you, who should safeguard this divine heritage with might and decisiveness and allow not the lurking putrefied enemies, who are the supporters of international thieves and oil spongers to infiltrate your closed ranks. Now, it is you, who should take the reins of your fate and give the opportunists no chance. Take the next steps with the divine might, which is manifested in the community of people who will have ratified the constitution of the Islamic republic by sending erudite individuals and those whom you trust to the constitution parliament. You should give your votes to those whom you trust with the same love and enthusiasm with which you voted for the Islamic republic.
The dawn of April 1, which is the first of Allah's government, is among our religious and national holidays. Our nation should consider this day a cause of celebration and keep its flame alive and burning. This is a day the parapets of the 0052- year palace of the satanic monarchial rule collapsed and Satan's domination left this country for good, and a government of the oppresses, which is a divine government, replaced that of the taghout.
Oh, dear nation, which reclaimed your right, endear this right and safeguard it, and implement divine justice with your support under the banner of Islam and the Qur'an. I shall be at your service with all my might and this is serving Islam. This is how I will spend the rest of my days. I expect the nation to defend Islam and the Islamic republic with all its power. I ask the government to purge the country of the remnants of the taghouti regime whose stigma has tainted every aspect of the nation with an independent thought and determination and transform the country's education, justice administration and other departments and offices, which have been set up based on Western concepts and westernization, into a system of an Islamic nature, and demonstrate to the world social justice, educational, economic and political independence .I implore the Exalted God for the grandeur and independence of the country and the Islamic community. May God's peace and mercy be upon you.

Rouhullah al-Mousawi al-Khomeini
(Source: Sahifeh, vol.6, pp. 400-401)

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Q. 28:5
Q. 3:103