On the seventeenth day of the first month of winter in 1356 (Iranian calendar), on a cold morning, a 900-word article was published with the intention of supporting the Shah and discrediting Imam Khomeini (RA). However, this ill-conceived plan not only failed to gain acceptance among the Iranian people but, exactly 400 days later, led to the establishment of a revolutionary government under the leadership of this well-known and beloved figure of the nation.
Even the Pahlavi officials later referred to it as an ill-advised and foolish act by the regime's propaganda apparatus. It provoked the anger of the revolutionary people of Qom. Outraged by the insults, the people acted with awareness and timely presence. Their efforts accelerated the decline of the Pahlavi regime.
This event was so significant that the preamble of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran references it under the section "The Anger of the People."
The article published in the Ettela'at newspaper was poorly written, aiming to praise the Shah’s actions and tarnish the image of Imam Khomeini. It was later confirmed to have been commissioned by the Shah’s regime. This triggered the righteous anger of the people of Qom, which spread nationwide, creating an unprecedented unity to overthrow the monarchy.
On the morning of January 7, 1978, as the people of Qom learned about the slanderous article in Ettela'at, protests erupted. On January 9, 1978, large gatherings took place at Qom’s Grand Mosque and the residences of some clerics and scholars. That afternoon, revolutionaries marched toward Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani's residence on Safayieh Street. After his speech, thousands of protesters, despite the oppressive atmosphere in Qom, moved silently toward Saheli Street, the bazaar, and Astaneh Square. The regime, alarmed by this movement, opened fire on the people, spilling their blood. This event led to nationwide mourning ceremonies, with the 'seventh-day' and 'fortieth-day' commemorations amplifying public hatred for the Pahlavi regime.
In response to the January 9, 1978 uprising, Imam Khomeini issued a message to the Iranian people, praising the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the Pahlavi regime’s eventual downfall. He praised the uprising of Qom’s revolutionary people, drawing parallels to the June 1963 uprising and condemning the regime's brutality.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei annually commemorates this day in a speech to the people of Qom. In his remarks, he emphasizes the profound impact of the January 9 uprising on the victory of the Islamic Revolution, referring to it as a decisive and historic day.
MP/
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