In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Rabi` al-Awwal 19,1398 AH
Greetings to the courageous and religious people of dear Azerbaijan! Salutations to the worthy people and the zealous youths of Tabriz! Salutations to the people who rose against the very nasty Pahlavi dynasty, and with their roars of" Death to the Shah", brought them disgrace for all their absurdities! Long live the dear mosque-going people of Tabriz that have struck a hard blow on the mouths of the prattlers who, with their tools of propaganda, have named the bloody revolution of the imperialists, to which the noble people of Iran are a hundred per cent opposed, the" Shah and People's White Revolution", and who reckon this demoralized slave of the foreigners and imperialists to be the savior of the nation.
A person who is the savior of the country is the one that presents with both hands the resources of this meek nation to the foreign powers, and gives the paltry sum of money he thereby obtains for scraps of iron that are of no use at all for the country! That person is the savior who, by giving immunity to foreigners, has degraded the country and turned it into the form of a backward colony! The person who upholds the nation's freedom is one who does not allow a single person in the country to utter a single word of the truth and to criticize, while his ignoble police have cast their shadow over the entire nation! A Shah who administers justice is the one that plunges the nation in mourning every now and then by slaughtering the people!!
I cannot find the words to express my condolences to the respectable people of Tabriz, the bereaved mothers and the grief-stricken fathers, nor in what manner can I condemn these successive massacres. I do not know exactly how many atrocities were committed, nor the numbers of those killed and wounded. However, it is known that the crimes are more than what we think. Notwithstanding all that has happened, the Shah wants to put those police personnel on trial who have not acted according to his wish in killing the people. The very grievous memory of Qum had us still plunged in grief when the most unsavory tragedy occurred in Tabriz that has brought sadness to every Muslim and has left us steeped in sorrow.
I wish to give good news to you and the great people of Azerbaijan; the good news of ultimate victory. You, the zealous Azerbaijanis, were the ones that spearheaded the Constitutional Movement and made sacrifices for crushing despotism and putting an end to the self-centeredness and obstinacy of the kings of cruelty. The tyranny of Muhammad Rida Khan Pahlavi and his ignoble father has made the despotic kings appear honorable. The history of Iran does not recall such bloodletting and massacre after massacre being perpetrated by this cruel traitor. The history of the constitution does not recall such a Senate and Consultative Majlis that show the venerable and pious people of Azerbaijan to be a bunch of irreligious hooligans. Nothing more can be expected from the Shah's puppet Majlis. Now, after all the slaughter and atrocities in Tabriz, they have gathered together a handful of the security organization employees and some workers, compelling them at bayonet point to clamor in every corner of the country. They have also orchestrated demonstrations in favor of the criminal, treacherous establishment. By such means they want to wash away the stain of ignominy from the face of this bloodthirsty despot, oblivious of the fact that this cannot be done even with the waters of Kawthar and Zamzam. «1» The suffering of the nation and the oppression and atrocities of this father and son have been recorded in history and will be published in due time.
Now that I am busy writing this letter of woe, I do not know what the dear Tabrizi, brothers are undergoing. Has the Shah stopped his atrocities, even if temporarily, or not? After all that slaughter, does he want to so crush the survivors that they are not able to breathe? But he should know that it is too late. The Iranian people have found their bearings and will not rest until the criminals are put where they belong; until they have taken the revenge of themselves and their fathers from this cruel dynasty. By the will of the Omnipotent God, there is uproar against the Shah and the regime being heard all over the country which will become yet louder. The banner of Islam, borne by the venerable clergy, will be unfurled for wreaking vengeance on this tyrant of the time. The Islamic nation, univocal and unidirectional in safeguarding the soul-nourishing precepts of the Qur'an, will wipe out the vestiges of this anti-Islamic, Zoroastrian-promotin regime." Is not the dawn (of freedom) at hand?!" «2»
The dear and dignified people of Tabriz, may God the Almighty always assist them, should know that they are not alone in this cause of truth, and the struggle for liberty and independence, as also the defense of the Holy Qur'an. The large cities such as Shiraz, Isfahan, Ahwaz and others, the foremost being Qum, the seat of the clergy and the base of Hadrat as-Sadiq, may God's peace be upon him, and also the great city of Tehran, are in unanimity with them for a common cause, all of them being disgusted with the vile Pahlavi dynasty. Nowadays, the slogan of" Death to the Shah" is being heard in the streets and quarters of every town and village. No matter how much the despicable agents attempt to deflect the atrocities from the actual focus, which is the Shah himself, to the government and the officials, there is nobody who believes them.
Strange that, as we hear, delegations sent by the regime have arrived in Azerbaijan to announce the Shah's ignorance of the atrocities committed. And who are the likely ones to have done this except the security organization's agents and members of the Majlis and Senate! They, on their part, pretend that they are also ignorant about the matter.
I pray to the Exalted Lord to improve the lot of the Muslims, to uproot the mischief of the wrongdoers and wipe out the vestiges of this family. May God's peace and mercy be upon you.