In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
The deprived and downtrodden people: the forerunners of the Revolution
There are various groups of people present here today and I apologize for not mentioning the names of each of the groups individually, lest I miss out some of them. All of you are the nation of Islam, the followers of the Holy Qur'an, who work hard to protect the honor of this country. This Islamic Revolution is the outcome of the efforts of the oppressed strata of society that succeeded in selflessly making the movement victorious. In my opinion, the oppressed sections of society are greater in status than the rich and the famous who live in palaces. I, in fact, doubt if any comparison can even be drawn between them and you. During the days of the Revolution I felt proud when I saw old men emerge from their modest homes, saying that they were going, along with their children, to participate in demonstrations. A single strand of your hair is worth much more than all those wealthy people and the ones who did not do anything for this Revolution and instead caused, and are still causing, whatever hindrances they can.
You people made this Revolution victorious. Those who ultimately strived for this Revolution throughout the country were the suppressed men and women who were being oppressed by the rich people. These oppressed ones succeeded in proving that the rich people were, in fact, so flimsy and corrupt that they have never done and will never do anything for this nation. This Revolution is the result of the struggles of the university youth from among the oppressed strata of the society whose hearts were filled with faith and love for Islam. It was they who propelled this movement and gave martyrs without making any demands in return. Those who did not take any steps toward this Revolution have only proved to be destructive and they are, even today, engaged in sabotaging the country. They silently sat aside, waiting for either side to emerge victorious, so that they could then surface and reap the benefits. However, as soon as they later realized that the Islamic Republic does not permit such undue advantages they began to sabotage the country, on the one hand, and extended their consent to the various sabotages that took place in some parts of the country, on the other. They even got involved in the Kurdistan and Balouchistan turmoil. Even now as we are caught up with the imposed war in the south and the west of the country, they are indulging in spreading false propaganda, and are trying to divert the people's attention from this war.
It was you who saved the country from the clutches of the superpowers. This beloved, endeavoring stratum of our society does not expect anything from anyone except God. We are all indebted to you and hope to deserve to be at your service. It was you who poured onto the streets, and bravely faced the tanks and the machine guns, and every one of you- men, women, the young and the old- made sacrifices and offered martyrs until victory was achieved. Even now, as this war has been imposed upon us, it is the oppressed stratum of society that is busy serving at the warfronts and everyone can see their contribution on television. The affluent people have not contributed a single Shahi «1» to this war and they shall not be so even in the future. If at all they are not engaged in mischief and corruption, they remain indifferent.
In appreciation of the bravery of the Air Force pilots
I have to appreciate the role that the Air Force has played in this( imposed )war. The bravery demonstrated by the Air Force yesterday, through their air-strikes on the farthest places within Iraq, was an unprecedented move. I must thank these pilots as well as all those who are making sacrifices for Islam and their country at the warfronts, on behalf of the nation- and I hope that the nation grants me this right to do so. By the grace of God, they managed to strike Iraq without suffering any losses yesterday and they made the Iraqi regime realize that if they (the Iranians) did not fear bringing damage upon innocent civilians, the Iraqi army would be no match for our youth. Only yesterday, the military commanders were here; and as they were leaving, Mr. Fakouri, the Air Force Commander, mentioned quietly to me that they had made certain plans for action, without mentioning any details. It soon became clear that they had planned to teach Saddam a hard lesson. Similarly, the nation appreciates the efforts of the army and the revolutionary guards as well as the other forces that are bravely involved in the war. They, too, come from the oppressed strata of society. You will fail to find a single pilot or revolutionary guard or gendarme or military person hailing from the affluent families of the northern part of the town. They are all from this (oppressed) stratum of society. Thus, our revolution is indebted to this stratum. It is this stratum that ignited the sparks of this movement and blazed it and is, even now, making sacrifices at the borders. It is this section of society that shapes the value system of our nation. These people have proved to the world that the depths of their bravery cannot be fathomed by ordinary calculations.
Everyday, we witness victories at the warfronts that are achieved by those who come from the oppressed strata of society. The same applies to all you men and women who are making sacrifices and are supporting the war from behind the warfronts. Those people fight the enemy at the warfronts while you do so from behind the scenes. And this is one of the characteristics of Islam and the Islamic Revolution and this is what Islam has taught.
You revolted for the cause of Islam, and since you believe in Islam and believe that your army is faithful to Islam, you make sacrifices jointly and without any ulterior motive. The manner in which the Iranian nation supports its army is perhaps the most unique and unprecedented in the world. History has probably never recorded a similar situation in which even young children, adolescents, women, old ladies, and also newly-wed brides and grooms are present on the warfronts and the entire nation is present at the warfronts.
The anxieties of the rich and the contentment of the poor
I hope that you, the great oppressed nation of Iran, do know that the deprived people are dear to God Almighty and I trust that you will not be under the illusion that the rich people live a tension-free life. On the contrary, their lives are filled with anxiety and their hearts are not at peace. The apprehension that the rich suffer in their lives is unheard among the downtrodden. And the peace and serenity that the oppressed strata of society enjoy cannot be found among the so-called" elite" strata. If you pay attention, you will see that the anxieties that the leaders of the big and powerful countries face, cannot be seen among you who work selflessly for the cause of God. This is a blessing that God has bestowed upon you. And we, perhaps, underestimate the importance of divine blessings such as the peace, tranquility, and serenity that you people possess and that the rich," upper classes" do not. They are all filled with anxiety. They live miserable lives in their palaces while you face no such misery. This is a mercy from
God Almighty and I am hopeful that He will continue to shower His mercy upon the Iranian nation as well as the other Muslim nations. I am hopeful that, by the grace of God, the arrogant powers as well as your oppressors will soon be defeated. May God make them perish by His will!
May God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.