As he paid tribute to the Martyrs Defending the Shrines and the Martyrs of the Resistance Front, especially the martyred general, Qasem Soleimani, Imam Khamenei considered the defense of the shrines as a symbolic aspect of defending the beliefs and aspirations of the shrine owners and the Ahl al-Bayt (pbut).
"The high ideals of the School of the Ahl al-Bayt (pbut), such as justice, freedom, fighting against oppressive powers, and making sacrifices on the path of the truth, have always attracted seekers with pure consciences," he stated.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution pointed to the solidarity shown by students at American universities with the people of Gaza as an example of the existence of pure consciences throughout the world. “What is important is that the message of defending the shrines, which is in fact defense of humanity’s ideals, is conveyed to the pure consciences around the world,” he added.
Imam Khamenei identified another dimension of defending the shrines by emphasizing the global outlook of the Islamic Revolution, noting: “Any movement, any action, and any revolution that only pays attention to its own internal environment and neglects foreign developments will certainly suffer a blow.”
He recognized the Defenders of the Shrines’ presence in countries where the enemy had devised a highly dangerous plot as a manifestation of the global outlook of the Islamic Revolution.
In this regard, Imam Khamenei stated, “The enemy devised a plot and intended to destroy the Islamic system by dominating the region and simultaneously exerting economic and political, ideological and religious pressures on Iran. However, a group of faithful young people, with the Islamic Republic at its core, neutralized this costly plot of the Arrogant Powers.”
Emphasizing this point, he noted that the actions of the Defenders of the Shrines were crucial in saving both Iran and the region. Referring to the brutal, ruthless, and inhumane nature of Daesh and groups aligned with it which were formed with the support of weapons and propaganda from the US and the West, the Leader emphasized, “The goal of these organizations was to destabilize the region, especially Iran, but the Defenders of the Shrine neutralized this significant threat as well.”
Imam Khamenei considered the Islamic Revolution's ability to recreate its inherent fervor and enthusiasm from the early days of victory as another aspect of the Defenders of the Shrine movement.
Pointing to the expectations and analyses of certain individuals with Western ideologies which have predicted that the Islamic Revolution and its principles and ideals are weakening, he emphasized, “The courage, selflessness, sincerity, and deep belief in religious principles of the young Defenders of the Shrine is an incredible and unparalleled phenomenon that has shown the fallacy of Western-oriented analyses.”
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