"Our Revolution was a burst of light". This is how the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (may his soul rest in peace) described the Islamic movement of the Iranian people, which he guided to victory during these memorable period of the Ten-Day Dawn 33 years ago. It is a revolution whose dazzle neither confined to the year 1979 nor is limited the geographical and political barriers of Iran. This is evident by the present situation of the Muslim World, which over the three decades has definitely been inspired by Islam to break from the bondage of the West. The Islamic Awakening that has swept into oblivion the dictatorial regimes in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya, and is all poised to topple the tyrannical regimes in Yemen, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and other Arab lands, proves the profound impact of the Islamic Revolution of Iran.

Thus, as is clear, Imam Khomeini, who was totally immersed in Islam and wholly absorbed in his duty to God that also includes service to fellow humans in order to enlighten their minds and deliver them from the yokes of local despotism and foreign hegemony, did not mean that the Revolution in Iran was a mere flash in the pan that eventually gives way to darkness. As borne out by his subsequent statements of the ten years that he was at the helm of affairs and as proven by the events in Iran, in the region, and on the international scene over the past 32 years, the light which this Man of the Millennium referred to was permanent glow, which neither the communist winds of the east could extinguish nor the capitalist gales of the west had the power to snuff out. In other words he meant the divine nature of the light of the Islamic Revolution, which has set in motion chain reactions that continue to brighten up horizons for not just the Iranian people who are resolutely marching towards the pinnacles of progress in the fields of science, technology, medicine, space, culture, arts and spirituality, despite the satanic plots of Global Arrogance, but also for nations in our neighbourhood. The humiliating withdrawal of US forces from Iraq by the end of 2011 is another clear indicator of the defeat of American imperialism at the hands of masses awakened and inspired by the Islamic Revolution.

As is evident from the current developments in North Africa and West Asia, the light of the Islamic Revolution, after having inspired the Lebanese with self-confidence and victories over the Zionist entity; after having restored the spirit of jihad to the Palestinians whose fate was made miserable by retrogressive socialist-nationalist elements surrendering everything to their archenemies; after having re-injected the Husaini culture among the long suppressed Iraqis to the bewilderment of their American occupiers; after having inculcated into the people of Turkey the Islamic revival; after having instilled the benefits of resistance against heavy odds among the Afghans; and after having conveyed the message to the world's oppressed nations that Global Arrogance cannot stand against people's firm resolve in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya; now seems to have breathed into the Yemenis, Bahrainis, Jordanians, Moroccan, and the people of what is called Saudi Arabia, the spirit of steadfastness to bring down armed-to-the teeth dictatorships – even if it means courting immortal martyrdom. This is indeed the message of the Islamic Revolution from Iran, as specified by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who in the recent meeting of over a thousand youths from some 70-plus countries in Tehran, called on the Islamic revolutionaries around the world to be vigilant against the plots and conspiracies of the US and its surrogate, the illegal Zionist entity, to derail their popular movements.

It is worth noting that last year during these days Ayatollah Khamenei had called on the Egyptian army not to tarnish its heroic image of their wars against the usurper state of Israel by making the mistake of obeying the orders of Hosni Mubarak’s beleaguered regime to confront the Egyptian Muslim masses. The light of the Islamic Revolution also shows to the Egyptian people the long experience of the Iranian people in overcoming intricate plots over the past three decades, including the seeds of sedition that the enemies had tried to sow in the Islamic Republic in the aftermath of the presidential elections in June 2009 – defeated through national unity and Islamic solidarity. This is why they seem to be determined to safeguard the fruits of their success against Mubarak’s overthrown regime by assembling on the now famous Tahrir Square of Cairo to press for their rights, now that the new parliament is made up of over 70 percent Islamists, which means the ruling military council should make its exit. The recent 2-day Islamic Awakening Conference in Tehran of youths from all over the world, showed how resolute the new generation is, in reviving the culture of Islam in their societies, thanks to the message of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, which continues to resonate till this day all over the globe.

The secret behind the success of the Iranian Muslims in all fields at home and abroad including the spreading of the rays of revolutionary light, is without doubt the dynamic concept of Wilayat-e Faqih or Governance of the Supreme Jurist that has helped materialize popular religious rule in the country – better than any version of the flawed systems of democracy in the West and client states. No wonder, these enlightened ideas continue to send shivers down the spine of the Americans, the Zionists and their accomplices, whose feverish propaganda of the past 33 years have failed to dim the radiant appeal of the Islamic Revolution to conscientious people at home and abroad. As Iran steps into the 34th brilliant year of the Islamic Revolution on Saturday, February 11, with tens of millions of people pouring into the streets all over the country to reaffirm allegiance to the legacy of Imam Khomeini – surely an energizer for all oppressed people in the region and beyond – here it would not be out of context to cite some prophetic words expressed over 30 years ago by the Founder of Islamic Republic:

"The Egyptian nation should know that if they rise up against these plots just as Iran did, they will attain victory. The Egyptian nation should not fear the martial law and not care about it. In the same way that the Iranian nation broke the martial law and took to the streets, they should follow suit and drive out these American scums. The Egyptian nation should not sit and wait for this almost lost power to pull its weight together and force its influence on the nation.

"This is a duty for the Egyptian nation and for the scholars who do not depend on the government. This is a duty for scholars. Egyptian scholars should rise up and defend Islam for the sake of God. What excuse can the scholars of Egypt give for sitting and listening idly and seeing the same people remain in power!"

How prophetic indeed, in view of the transformation that has occurred in Egypt over the past year, and will definitely have a resounding impact on other Arab lands, much to the chagrin of the US and its minions