User:Munifi3nt/Seyyed Ruhollah Khomeini's cameback to Iran

Khomeini's return to Iran is an event during Iranian revolution which has happened after 14 years exile on February 01, 1979. Seyyed Ruhollah Khomeini was greeted by almost four to eight million people. In Iranian calendar it is known as first day of Ten days of Fajr.

Preparing for travel
Ayatollah Khomeini decided to come back Iran after Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the king of Iran, fled on Jan. 16, 1979 as he said before that the condition of his return is Mohammad Reza’s exit from the country.The Khomeini welcoming committee was formed on January 21, 1979, providing the opportunity for organizing and securing the return of Ayatollah Khomeini to Iran.

The first plan was that Khomeini would enter Iran on January 26, but Shapour Bakhtiar announced the airport is closed. Ruhollah Khomeini in Paris declared as soon as the opening of the airport he will return to the country. Closed airports led to widespread protests and strikes. Only in Tehran, 28 people was killed. At last on January 29, the airport was reopened on the orders of Bakhtiar and Khomeini’s return date was stated Febrary 1.

Khomeini’s feeling
Khomeini was far from homeland for 14 years. On Feb 1 it was winter and very cold. The presence of millions of people at the airport and main streets of the country's made the most unprecedented greeting in Iran’s history. There were rumours about attacking to Khomeini’s airplane by U.S. support. But Khomeini was relax. On his chartered flight 120 journalists was along with him, one of the journalists, Peter Jennings, asked Ayatollah Khomeini about his feeling about being back in Iran. Khomeini answered: "Hichi" (Nothing). This statement has attracted attentions.

Behesht-e Zahra cemetery
Eventually on February 01, 1979, at 9:27 A.M. Seyyed Ruhollah Khomeini arrived in the homeland. This is the time which is celebrated every year by all people and officials in Iran. After a speech in the airport and responding to sentiment expressing by people, he travelled from the airport to a nearby cemetery, Behesht-e Zahra, where many people who were killed in the struggle against Pahlavi dynasty, were buried. He was welcomed by a very popular joy, millions of his supporters lined on the path cheering his name, and hundreds of thousands gathered at the cemetery to listen his speach.