During last years of Shah regime Religious discontent grew, and the shah became more repressive, using his brutal secret police force to suppress public, which had launched struggle for the revolution under leadership of Imam Khomeini.
Shah’s brutal policies and his reliance on the US-led western powers had alienated students and intellectuals in Iran, and support for Imam Khomeini grew by the passage of time.
Discontent was also rampant in the poor and middle classes, who felt that the economic developments of the White Revolution had only benefited the ruling elite.
Imam Khomeini who had been exile for years, was personally monitoring each moment and issuing messages to guide the people
In 1978, massive anti-shah demonstrations broke out in Iran’s major cities.
On September 8, 1978, the shah’s security force fired on a large group of demonstrators, killing hundreds and wounding thousands.
Two months later, thousands took to the streets of Tehran, rioting and destroying symbols of westernization.
Imam Khomeini called for the shah’s immediate overthrow, and on December 11 a group of soldiers mutinied and attacked the shah’s security officers. With that, his regime collapsed and the shah fled on January 16, 1979.
Two weeks later, Imam returned to his homeland after spending nearly 15 years in exile. Imam Khomeini’s historic return resulted in full collapse of Shah’s puppets and his remnants.
Parts of Imam Khomeini historic messages regarding unfolding developments across Iran at the time come as following:
The mere exit of the Shāh is not the victory, but it is the dawn of the victory... Of course the dawn of victory is the dawn of the elimination of the foreign domination as well. (Sahifeh-ye-Imam, Vol.5, page 471)
You, the courageous, steadfast nation proved to the oppressed nations that it is possible to overcome the difficulties, whatever they might be, through devotion and resistance and achieve the objective—whatever it might be. ( Sahifeh-ye-Imam, Vol.5, page 473)
The secret of success in toppling and annihilating a 2,500-year-old dictatorial monarchy is the Iranian nation’s unity of expression, which has overthrown the Shāh with all the power that he possessed, but it is this power of the nation, which has made the powers supporting him such as America, the USSR, China, and Britain to withdraw their support. ( Sahifeh-ye-Imam, Vol.6, page 57)
While being very powerful himself, Muhammad Ridā had the support of all the powerful countries of the world. They were all for him, but against us...Nevertheless, this movement was a divine, national one. All the powers were not able to protect this satan. He has gone, and will never return.
( Sahifeh-ye-Imam, Vol.8, page 39)
The Shāh would not have fallen had he heeded the advice of the clergy and had served the nation. But he did not serve the nation. But he did not serve it and was treacherous. Therefore, he lost the support of the people who rejoiced when they heard that he had left, just as they did when his father had also left.
(Sahifeh-ye-Imam, Vol.8, page 80)
Because of Muhammad Ridā Pahlavī’s attachment to the world, his inner self could not understand anything... Because of their attachment to the world by which their inner selves could not perceive anything other than the world, his friends, who were devils themselves—because of this very attachment—were the source of all the misfortunes that ensued for the nation and, worse, for themselves. They ruined the nation and all that it had as well. And they also ruined themselves. ( Sahifeh-ye-Imam, Vol.8, page 238)
Some psychologists have said the Shāh was an intelligent person. I want to say that if he were intelligent, he would not be afflicted with the sufferings he is now undergoing. If he had been shrewd, he would have listened to the advice given by the Islamic clergy. That he is now burdened with tribulations is because he was quite stupid and dimwitted. The other two attributes bring power-hungry and ego-centered, befit him perfectly. And to extant, that is why he met with so many problems.
( Sahifeh-ye-Imam, Vol.11, page 73)
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