In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
If there be a day for woman, why should it not be the birthday of Fatima, peace of God upon her, a day of pride and the day itself proud.
She was the pride of Revelation's Family. She shines like the Sun over the Sky of Islam. She is a woman with a galore and distinguished tributes in the same measure as that of the Prophet. Her house was of purity and sanctity. Every one has a word to say about her according to his outlook. Such a woman she is.
No one has prospered in presenting praise- her due. The tradions which have reached us from the House of Revelation are up to the standard and level of human comprehension. A sea cannot be siphoned into jugs or goblets. Others too, whatever have they said, it is to the extent of their conception and understanding and never to the extent of her entity or personality.
So, it is better to pass through this valley of wonder. Let us have a look at the tributes of woman. The poisonous pens and the erroneous words of uncultured speakers in this black half century of enthralling era of Pahlavi have tried to bring down the status and station of woman to a commodity. Women who could easily be hurt were pulled to the centers of corporal pleasures.
Tongues are at a loss to narrate beyond this. Those who want to know something of these crimes may revert to the newspapers and magazines and the poems of the days of compulsory unveiling of women and onwards in the era of Rida Khan. They can trace the centers of corruption. Those who claim to be open-minded- their faces be blackened and broken their pens. It should not be doubted that these crimes were sketched by world hungry international criminals under the name" Free Women and Free Men".
One of their plans was to push the youths to the places of lust and licentiousness and lewdity. They succeeded in their errand. They nullified our youths who are a vigor of the country. They brain-washed them. They divested them of thinking power. The effect of this is that the youths will be in different to every plunder and pillage of their country. Whatever is spoiled and taken away, they will show no reaction nor wouldn't pain them.
But today, by the blessings of Islamic appraisal, woman has become an active member of the society. She has regained her station to a certain extent. There are a few at a higher station. They have inherited the heritage of the black days of that depraved past regime. In their view, the place of woman is to attend the gatherings of licentiousness and pleasure. They embellish themselves like a commodity. They follow the same fashion of the past regime. They carry out the same plans of the foreigners. They help the SAVAK. Well, but our women are lion-hearted. They go spell to spell with men in rebuilding Iran. They make themselves- but that is in knowledge and learning. You have ignored women of the villages. The women have created there associations of culture and learning among women. They are the ladies of Islam, committed to the country and the revolution.
This change among men and women is due to the Islamic appraisal and the blessing of Islam. They have paced the way of hundred years length in the one night.
You, the noble nation of Iran, have seen for yourselves that these respected ladies of Iran are ahead of men in the field. They have broken the barriers of the Shah. We and all are indebted to their appraisal. After breaking the big powers and annihilation of the roots of corruption, we can rightfully name the day as the Woman's Day. We can proudly narrate to the world and the human societies the achievements of women in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Today in the Islamic Republic, women are shoulder to shoulder with men. They too endeavor in building their country. So this is the real sense of" Free Women and Free Men". What they used to say in the days of the Shah was not the real meaning. It was in the prisons, tortures and atrocities.
I recommend to women to forget the behavior of the women in the days of the Shah. They should build Iran what is befitting. Iran is theirs and their sons. We may rescue ourselves from all sorts of dependencies by the grace of their courage of all the classes.
I congratulate women on the 20 th Jamadi ath-Thani, which is a sacred day for women. I wish health and happiness to them and glory to Islam and Muslims from God.
Rouhullah al-Mousawi al-Khomeini