In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful:
Numerous are the anecdotes on the day of the Islamic Revolution's victory and the day of the referendum, all of which I won't be able to share in this short speech.
The day of the Islamic Revolution's victory is an unprecedented experience in the history of Iran. Because after the early era of Islam, after the short period following the conquest of Iran by Muslims--when the governments were Islamic to a great extent--for the first time throughout expanded Iranian history, a new government was announced. The new government had two characteristics, being widely accepted and divine; that new government was the Islamic Republic.
This anecdote cannot be compared with any other throughout the history of Iran. The day of the referendum on April 1, 1979, which determined the Islamic Republic, was the complementary finishing point for the day of the Islamic Revolution's victory, on February 11, 1979. That is, the referendum was the concluding product of the Islamic Revolution.
There is also another aspect to the Islamic Revolution that makes it important. This is the first example in the modern world that presents different methods of governing to the world population, through different schools of thought, systems, policies and views. This is the first time the people of the world are seeing such an example. Other so-called republics, like socialist republics, republics of the Western democracy model, in all forms or types, are nothing new. The nature of republic was neither something new. But, a republic that has based its essential, basic values and main principles on Islam is unique.
There is still another feature of the day our Islamic Revolution became victorious. It is not only an Eid (day of celebration) for the Iranian people, but also for all the Muslims, over one billion people. Muslim nations are used to viewing Islam from a defensive, passive perspective: marginalized. When a nation represents a position of withstanding the domineering powers, withstanding defective human systems, and announces a republic based on Islam, this brings about pride and self-confidence for all Muslim nations. In sum, there are many positive aspects attached to the day of the Islamic Revolution.
Now for my anecdote: The day of the referendum I was in Kerman [a province of Iran]. I was given a mission by Imam Khomeini, which was to travel to Baluchistan and meet the people of different towns there and share the message of Imam [Khomeini] with them: it was a message of kindness and compassion. From the beginning days, Imam thought of heeding the forgotten and deserted people; he sent me there because I was quite familiar with that area due to previous experiences.
On my way to Baluchistan, I had reached Kerman on the day of the referendum. In the airport, some enthusiastic youth had arrived with their ballots boxes and each wanted me to put my ballot in their box. They knew me since I was in Kerman before and I had met the people. I admired the people of Kerman since long ago; I found them to be kind and interesting. The moment I put my ballot in the box was very dear to me: the moment I dropped in my ballot and noticed the enthusiasm and excitement of the people in Kerman for voting. Then, it was revealed that 99 percent of the votes were 'yes' for the Islamic Revolution.
The anecdote I mention, briefly, here is about the opposition towards voting in this form: there were different opposition groups; they all revealed their true nature later.
For example, the parties that dominated the press; left-wing and center-left, liberal and pseudo-intellectuals, those who controlled that day's press: namely, Keihan and Etela'at. They were all removed from power later. But, at the time, there were no other newspapers: no newspaper to represent the Islamic Revolution or a newspaper that everybody agreed upon. So the press published anything they wanted to.
The atheist or semi-atheist intellectuals from political groups had asked the opinion of various personalities if the appropriate vote was yes or no. Or, they said that several forms of government should be suggested and then voted on. Their purpose was to damage the integrity of the people; though, their efforts had no effect. People would never have voted on other methods, especially after Imam Khomeini had explicitly mentioned: "The Islamic Republic with not a single word less or more."
However, they continued their offensive acts, hoping to possibly divide the people; reduce the high number of voter turnout and divide the vote: they did such things. We had a big problem within the Assembly of the Revolution to convince the liberal wing, or the so-called nationalists--their main feature being opposing the principle line of the revolution--that this method of voting was best.
Interview about the day of the referendum held on April 1, 1979.
March 30, 1985
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