Nation will never be intimidated by such atrocities, Imam Khomeini stressed

The lofty ideals of  martyrs Ayatollah Beheshti, Raja’ee, Bahonar, and other esteemed martyrs have been a role-modell for the Iranian nationals. 

The full text follows:

In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful

We are from God and to Him we shall return.

A nation that has risen to establish Islamic justice, implement the message of the glorious Quran, expel the criminal superpowers and lead a life of independence and freedom is also prepared to face martyrdom and dedicate martyrs. This nation will never be intimidated by such atrocities perpetrated by the superpowers through mercenary criminals, for massacring the noblest of its children.

Has not our nation, nourishing martyrs, inherited the ideology of martyrdom from our Imams, who viewed life as the expression of belief and jihad, who safeguarded the illustrious Islamic school of thought with their blood and the blood of their progeny? Are honor, dignity and human values not invaluable virtues for the safeguarding of which our impeccable ancestors and their companions had dedicated their lives?

Do we not subscribe to the virtuous who gave up their lives in achieving the divine goal, that our hearts would waver if our loved ones are martyred? Can our enemies divest our martyrs of their virtues and humane values through these criminal moves? Can these anti-human enemies of virtue strip the faithful and lovers of truth of anything but these earthly garments?

Let these beasts, who think of nothing save their own selves and who satiate their appetite like animals liberate the lovers of the path of God from the shackles of this material world, thereby sending them to the unfathomable eternity, to their eternal Beloved.

Shame be on you, O scion of the devil. Shame on you, cabals of international criminals who have cowered back into dens, conspiring on desperate acts of sabotage against a nation which has risen against the superpowers. The problem with you and your adherents is that you are incapable of discerning Islam -or its spiritual power- or the Muslim nation and the driving force behind the people's self-sacrifice. You have not understood a nation which had dedicated the lives of its youth to topple the corrupt Pahlavi regime and free itself from the manacles of the Great Satan (the U.S. government), and which stood unbeaten with unprecedented courage and without the slightest sign of weakness.

You have not understood a nation whose disabled combatants long for martyrdom in hospital beds and call upon their friends to sacrifice their lives. You, with blind-hearts cannot observe that by martyring the great figures (of the Revolution), the ranks of self sacrificers for Islam further solidify and their determination increases, so you still dare to massacre our dear ones in order to isolate our people from the Revolution. You perpetrated injustice against as many devoted Muslims as you could, such as Martyr Beheshti and our beloved martyrs of the Majlis and the members of the cabinet, vilifying and slandering them, thinking you could seclude them from the rest of the nation.

Now, after you have realized that your weapons have lost their sharpness and have incurred the people’s blame, you have crawled back into your lair and embarked on idiotic crimes in order to intimidate this martyr-nourishing and self-sacrificing nation. It seems that you have not yet realized there is no room for the word "Fear" in the culture of martyrdom.

Islam takes pride in these martyrs and honorably calls this nation to endurance. We hope to see His visage someday to give back the life which belongs to Him.

Our nation has lost 72 personalities in this calamity, the same number as the martyrs of Karbala. The Iranian nation is proud to have dedicated people who are devoted, to Islam and the Muslims. The enemies of humanity have massacred a group who had assembled to discuss issues that would improve the conditions of the country.

Beloved nation, these blind- hearted people who claim to be crusaders of the masses have murdered the best among the most truthful servants of the masses.

Assuming you were the deep- seated enemy of Martyr Beheshti who was oppressed most of his life and died oppressed and was a thorn in the eyes of the enemies of Islam, what hatred did you have against other innocent people, most of whom had been the best servants of the people and among the most staunch fighters of the enemies of the nation? Disguised as "crusaders of the masses," you actually are the enemies of the masses and are tools paving the way for the exploiters of the West and East. Though we have lost many of our friends and our dear ones each of whom was a stalwart pillar and meritorious support for the nation; although we have lost many devout brothers who were merciless towards unbelievers, yet were extremely merciful to the faithful and were the unyielding backbone and the great hope of the oppressed nation and revolutionary institutions, the overpowering multitude of the masses of people and the magnificent power of this nation will retrieve all with their unity and trust in the Almighty.

With faith in the absolute authority of the Mighty God, the nation of Iran will move like a surging ocean and will forever remain in solid ranks as steadily as ever before: the super powers and their mercenaries- will send you all into hell, you who cower into holes breathing your last breath; the Almighty Lord backs this nation and will safeguard it.

I extend once more my congratulations and condolences to Imam az-Zaman, Imam Mahdi, the 12th Shi'ite Imam who is in occultation, may our souls be sacrificed for him, and to the oppressed peoples of the world and to the combatant nation of Iran. I share the sorrow and grief of the bereaved families of martyrs. I implore God the Almighty to bless the oppressed nations of the world with His Mercy and bestow patience upon their bereaved families and aggrieved and honorable loved ones.

May the blessings of God and the praises of our people be upon all the martyrs from Khordad 15th (June 5, 1963) to this day Tir 7th (June 28) and upon the oppressed of the world and Iran since history began.

May the Peace and Mercy of God be upon you.

Ruhullah al-Musavi Khomeini

June 30, 19