Speech [Secret of victory: the desire for martyrdom]

[In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful]

I thank you, gentlemen, who have come from a long distance to commiserate with us. Our nation's movement is not merely humane, but both Islamic and humane. Islam has respect for this very same humanity. It was not by means of natural (i.e. human) power that we overcame (the enemies); because our power based on norms of nature, is insignificant before enormous powers like those of America and the Shah with all the sophisticated weaponry that is in their hands. That we overcame them and our nation emerging victorious was simply due to the reliance on God. Our nation underwent a transformation, which was unprecedented. This transformation resulted from the fact that they considered martyrdom a great blessing. Young people who come to me, some of them ask me to pray that they become martyrs! This key to our victory was the same key that advanced the Muslim cause in the early days of Islam and our nation advanced with the same key; with this very key nations can advance (their cause).

You should not wait for your governments to do something for you. More than 15 years ago I advised Arab governments to unite and rescue Quds but to no avail because they were thoughtless of such an issue. If ever they had talked about issues, it was in the same way as the ex-Shah used to say about the progress he had made and the" great civilization"! Not even one of them ever thinks of their nations; the nations should think of themselves. If we had waited for governments to do something for us, we would have had the same backwardness and the ex-Shah ruling over us. The power of faith was cultivated in our midst and with this power of faith, we opposed the superpowers, and thanks God we triumphed and severed their hands (from our country). If you wish to prevail over your difficulties, if you want to emancipate Quds, and if you want to liberate Palestine, if you want to save Egypt and the rest of the Arab countries from the claws of these lackeys and the foreign powers, nations should rebel; the nations themselves should carry out something. They should not sit idle waiting for their governments to get involved in these issues. They will act only on those issues that will serve their interests.

Nations should rise; nations should understand this" key" and that this" key" to victory is to wish for martyrdom. They should not put any value to this life, this material, worldly, and animalistic life. This the key through which nations can move ahead: This is the key that the Qur'an brought and made the Arab nations prevail over great powers while they were in the nadir of weakness. Qur'an builds a human being. A divine human being and with this divine attribute he advanced and in less than half a century this divine being overcame empires. We should find this keywe should follow the Qur'an, a" Qur'anic" type of man should be generated. The nations should acquire a" Qur'anic image" so that they can be prosperous. If nations want to advance only through affiliations with political groupings, ordinary social categorizations and formal societies, they will never prosper until the end. Everyone should unite and become a divine being, a human being ready to sacrifice himself for God. If he becomes so, then he will prosper. I am advising all classes of people, Muslims and Arab people to follow an Islamic upbringing if they wish to overcome their difficulties; they should act according to Islamic plans; the Qur'an should be their guide and" Imam". If they acquire this characteristic, they will prevail over all issues. However, if they fail to do so and want to be conventional to ordinary norms of life or political norms and the like, governments will have the upper hand and (nations), will not prosper, either.

I implore the Exalted and Blessed God- may God so will- to awaken all of us and transform us into Muslims like those in the early days of Islam and our nations to be like the early Islamic community when Muslims were of pure faith and their power emanated from their faith and Islam; who making a populace of a few thousand overcame an Empire whose population was more than all the Muslims who wanted to go to the war. Their vanguards were double the number of the Muslim combatants plus the great force in the rear ranks. And it was because of nothing but faith that it was able to prevail.

This same phenomenon was engendered in Iran; this means that Iran was a vanguard and it prevailed over the superpowers. May the Exalted and Blessed God grant us success and bestow on us the opportunity to be able to fulfill our religious and human duties. Once more I would like to thank you for coming, and for granting us this honor.

[In response to the gratitude and congratulations expressed by one of the foreign guests, Imam Khomeini said:]

God willing, you will be successful. Certainly, all Muslims must be united. All Muslims must act as a single hand and must consistently perform their Islamic and human duties. May God grant everyone success. May you all be successful and triumphant, God willing.