In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
On the eve of the third anniversary of the establishment of the Islamic Republic and the birth anniversary of the great Islamic personality, Hadrat Siddiqah Kubra( r ), all the evil conspiracies of the superpowers of the East and the West, who were determined to eliminate Islam and the Islamic Republic and who believe that the only way to succeed in achieving their evil goals is to create dissension in the noble Iranian nation and to debilitate the spirits of the masses, have been thwarted. Our honorable officials have identified the parties that are connected with foreign hands as well as their last few agents who had infiltrated into our ranks in the name of Islam- that too the Americanized version of it- posing as believers and planning to establish a so-called" people's" rule and a democratic republic, and have jointly thwarted their evil plans and have revived the hopes of the nation.
I felicitate the noble Iranian nation and especially the ever-living martyrs of the Iraqi-imposed war and their survivors as well as the war-afflicted peoples of this nation on the occasion of the New Year and pray to God Almighty for the victory of Islam over kufr and the victory of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic over the deluded forces of the kafir Ba`ath party of Iraq as well as all the agents of the East and the West, who are looking forward to the elimination of Islam and the Islamic Republic, and are lying in wait to gain a comprehensive control over its huge resources. Let me now raise a few points that are in the interests of the Muslim ummah and especially the revolutionary nation of Iran. I hope that the beloved Iranian nation will achieve a final victory and will succeed in hoisting the proud banner of Islam and eliminating oppression and tyranny by working upon them.
1. Our nation has just succeeded in thwarting yet another conspiracy that had been brought about due to certain recent incidents, because of which our nation almost got hoodwinked into neglecting our main enemies- the Eastern and the Western superpowers- headed by the world-devouring America who is responsible for all the miseries of mankind and who we are at war with and who is also responsible for all the problems of our nation, and instead almost got involved in internal hostility. We should never forget the fact that our great nation is facing major world traitors. Such a confrontation is bound to cause even worse problems. In spite of the fact that our country was neutral during the World War II, we faced such severe shortages, that even bread and the most basic amenities were hard to find. Now that we are involved in such a war, our nation should brace itself to face the consequences of confrontation with big powers and should cooperate with the government and should not lend an ear to the negative propaganda of the deviated elements in order for us to attain the final victory.
2. How auspicious it would be if we declared this year as the" Year of Mercy, Compassion, and Brotherhood"! And strive to bring hearts closer together! And pray to God to bring our hearts closer and to honor us with the blessing of Islamic brotherhood and save us from the dangers of disunity, self-centeredness, and selfishness that, in this world, lead to disgrace and bondage and in the hereafter, lead to darkness and the Inferno.
O Muslim brothers and sisters! If you desire independence, freedom, and an Islamic Republic- for which you have already sacrificed your dear youth and for which you have borne the torments and pressures of the imposed war- strive, in this year, to liberate yourselves from the clutches of the internal devil and save yourselves and Islam, which is dearer to you all than your own selves, from the harm and the evils of the superpowers and their agents through renewed bonds, unity of purpose, and by seeking refuge under the proud banner of Islam; and overpower the satanic powers by clinging to the rope of Allah [habl-Allah].
3. I appeal to this great nation and especially to the statesmen to take lessons from the bitter situations that had escalated, making life gloomy and bitter for one and all over the recent months, after the initial unity that had earned you this victory. Strive at least for some time toward the revival of brotherhood and unity and foster affinity, mercy, cooperation, and unity among yourselves even if it may seem difficult. Cooperate with each other for reconstructing the country and forgive and overlook shortcomings. If these suggestions do not bear fruit, there is all the time and opportunity in the world to alter your approach. But you can rest assured that God Almighty has promised salvation to those who foster brotherhood of faith, friendship, and warmth among one another.
4. I appeal to all the great scholars and the leaders of the Friday and other congregational prayers to relate with mercy and compassion with this Islamic Republic and the officials and develop those who commit mistakes through guidance and kindly counsel. This is the way of the prophets (`a) and the Friends of God. The effect of kindly counsel is much deeper than criticism and viciousness. It is quite possible for derogatory pens and words to lead some people to further obstinacy and to have a damaging effect on them instead of having a positive one and to generally result in more harm than good. All of you honorable people should know that despite the mistakes and errors committed by some of the officials, their positive contribution, with the help of this beloved nation, has been much more than the harm they may have done. If all the pens and words unite to guide them, and if they treat them with mercy and in the tradition of the prophets (`a), all the shortcomings will be eliminated with the blessings of the Compassionate God.
5. I appeal to all the officials of this country, and particularly the clergy, to scrupulously follow the path of Islam in administering the affairs of this country and to avoid being influenced by factionalism and ethnocentrism. Interact with people through Islamic justice and the compassion that can be expected of an Islamic Republic so that you do not end up portraying a distorted picture of the Islamic government. Strongly avoid indulging in the misconduct and the red-tape that was characteristic of the previous regime because the Islamic Republic is a divine trust placed in the hands of this entire nation, and especially you officials, making your responsibility toward the Creator and His Creation greater.
6. I request those of you who are involved in the fields of education and I request all the judges and the officials of the Judiciary and the Revolutionary Courts to take this major responsibility that they are vested with seriously because any digression among you can drag the culture of the entire nation toward deviation. The children and the youth who are the hope of Islam and this nation are grand and noble trusts placed into your hands and any treachery as regards this trust is like treachery toward Islam and this country. The future of the country lies in the hands of these children and youth and that is why all our schools should seriously impart a good Islamic training to them to insure our country against all damage. Our Judiciary and the Revolutionary Courts are vested with a very sensitive responsibility dealing with the lives, property, and honor of the nation. The importance that Islam has given to the issue of judgment, it has not given to much else. Today, our Judiciary and the Revolutionary Courts are the guardians of the reputation and honor of Islam and the Islamic Republic and any aberration in the area of judgment will only cause the people to lose hope in the Judiciary as well as the Islamic Republic. It is the responsibility of the top judicial officials to supervise the complete functioning of the judiciary and the Revolutionary courts and to prevent deviation. The clerics who have been given the responsibility of justice between people should clearly keep in mind that they have taken on the most important responsibility and any deviation on their part will not be dealt with lightly.
I want the officials to supervise over the conditions of the prisons and to instruct their subordinates to deal with the prisoners in a humane Islamic manner. How blessed it would be to have committed people visit the prisons and speak to the prisoners to inspire them to lead an Islamic and ethical life! It is important to plan health and hygiene programs for the prisoners so that besides the torment of being in prison they are not forced to suffer other unwanted agonies. They should be given more visiting hours under the supervision of the prison officials, especially under the Islamic government which regards even the sinners as human beings like the rest.
7. The Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution is required to strive hard and deliver upon its responsibilities by adding on to its committed groups of experts and to put in its utmost effort to ensure that the universities reopen during this year. I pray to God Almighty to grant them success in this important task.
8. I hope that the armed forces, the army, the gendarmerie, the revolutionary guards, the police force, the Basij, the voluntary forces, the ethnics, and the Pishmargan, «2» who are all involved in making sacrifices for Islam and this beloved country, succeed in purifying this dear Islamic country from the filthy presence of the aggressors who are the agents of the satanic powers, through serious endeavor, mutual support, unity of expression, and obedience to the commanders and in overpowering the army of kufr with their bold attacks. It is mandatory that, after evaluating the strength of their forces, the commanders of the armed forces do not lose any time and opportunity because God Almighty is with the Islamic forces.
9. I once again extend my support and the support of this brave combatant nation to all the armed forces and assure them that all their sacrifices are appreciated and honored by the nation and that all the commanders of these forces are protected under the proud banner of Islam and the support of the great Iranian nation. And I take on the responsibility of supporting them. It is necessary for me to remind you to ignore the rumors spread by a handful of traitors and to persist bravely and confidently.
10. I humbly request this beloved nation to continue supporting the armed forces and to protect this beloved Islamic nation with its unconditional support to the armed forces against all harm. I strongly request the nation to continue extending its brotherly support to those who have been rendered homeless and have lost their beloved ones in the aggression of the Ba`athist kuffar and to ensure that none of them tastes the bitterness of vagrancy. May God's peace and blessings be upon you precious sisters and brothers who have courageously supported our defense against the imposed war and have proved to be faithful friends to our war-stricken countrymen! Certainly the government, too, has and continues to put in all its efforts in this regard but the support of the nation will further boost the morale of the armed forces and the government.
11. Now that all the devious plots of the internal and external enemies of Islam and the Muslims have been thwarted, thanks to the wakefulness and faithfulness of the nation and the government, and now that all their conspiracies to cause rifts among our officials- which would have resulted in dissension among the different strata of this nation- have been neutralized with the alertness of this beloved nation, they have desperately started spreading rumors and propaganda, naively believing that they can cause despair and indifference in this heroic Islamic nation and in this way sidetrack the nation from the mainstream of affairs and drag Islam and the Muslims to the verge of destruction and pave the path for their oppressive lords and masters. It is upon this wise and powerful nation to pay no heed to the rumors and the toxic pens that are at times, unfortunately, even in the hands of our ignorant friends, and to make sure not to lose our beloved Islam which has reached us through the excruciating efforts of the Holy Prophet of Islam (s) and his great companions, because of the rumors spread by a handful of ignorant conspirators.
12. I remind our thinkers, our intellectuals, and our writers- whether it is those who are loyal to Islam, or whether it is those who love this country and their homeland, or whether it is those who hold human dignity and values dear, or those who cannot remain indifferent toward the ones who have been rendered homeless because of the imposed war- that your opposition toward the Islamic government is not in your own interest and will not bear you any fruit. You will only end up dragging your country and this nation to destruction by prolonging the war and postponing the final victory. You will not achieve anything except paving the path for the enemies of Iran and Islam. So please wake up and support this nation in this sacred defense so that victory is achieved from the honor of which you, too, are bound to reap benefits. Remember that chivalry lies in supporting this nation and its oppressed people.
13. I hope this year proves to be the year of the rule of the law. According to Islam, everyone, including the Holy Prophet (s) is considered equal in the eyes of the law and the laws of the Qur'an and Islam cover everyone. Human honor and dignity lies in one's abidance by the law, which is the same as pious self-restraint [taqwa], and anyone breaching the law is to be considered as a criminal and should face trial. It is upon the judicial bodies to defend the lives, the property, and the honor of God's servants from violators and to ensure that the guilty are punished. I am once again declaring that any group or individuals- even if they are my own kith and kin- are responsible for their own acts and words and if any of them, God forbid, violates the Islamic laws, the judiciary is duty-bound to prosecute them. If any individual or organization, whether it is the judges or the courts or whatever, commits any crimes in my name or takes advantage of his/ her proximity to me is a criminal and a calumniator.
I offer my endless greetings to those who strive for Islam, the martyrs of the path of Truth, and those injured or rendered homeless by the imposed war and I pray to God Almighty to shower His endless blessing upon everyone! I appeal to His Sacred Presence to make this New Year auspicious for all the Muslims, the oppressed of the world, and our beloved nation and to make this year the year of the victory of Islam.
May God's peace be upon all His righteous servants!
Rouhullah al-Mousawi al-Khomeini