In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
All praise is due to God, Lord of the Worlds, and may peace and greetings be upon our Master and our Prophet, Abul-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his untainted, pure, chosen Progeny, particularly the Remnant of God on earth.
You’re very welcome here, my dear brothers and sisters who struggle on the path of God. I believe that those who work to keep the memory of the Mujahideen and martyrs alive are themselves fighters on the path of God. In other words, this itself is a form of jihad on the path of God. I urge you to "Wage jihad for the sake of Allah, a jihad that is worthy of Him" (Quran 22:78). Carry out this jihad in the way it should be done.
Isfahan was a pioneer in all signs of civilization — in science, industry, art, architecture, in fostering scholars, in bravery, and in all these various kinds of things. This is a historical fact. The events of the Revolution showed that Isfahan is also a pioneer in the field of self-sacrifice and jihad on the path of God. That is, a unique, unparalleled merit was added to Isfahan's merits during the Revolution and the Sacred Defense.
The list of the distinguished martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Islam and our country's independence is extensive. As was mentioned, ten percent of all the country's martyrs are from the province of Isfahan. Considering its population, Isfahan Province has had the highest proportion of martyrs, more than all other provinces in the country. These are facts.
What’s important is that this chain, this thread — the thread of sacrifice and the luminous thread of martyrdom — may be seen in Isfahan from the past and continuing up until today. In other words, there was Martyr Modarres one day, and at a later time there was Martyr Beheshti and the likes of him. In one period, there were Martyr Kharrazi, Martyr Hemmat, Martyr Shahbazi, and others like them. Then in another period, there was Martyr Kazemi. In one period, there were Martyrs Zahedi and Nilforoushan. Or these Martyrs of Security who were martyred recently and three of them were from Isfahan.
In other words, these series of martyrdoms aren’t limited to one period in time for us to say, for example, "Okay, they held a funeral for 370 martyrs in one day, and that was the end of it. It’s over." No, this is something with deep roots in Isfahan. These are important matters. Individuals like you, who commemorate the martyrs, should highlight and show these points. Today's youth, today's generation, needs these and must know about these things. These are things that form Isfahan’s identity.
An important point regarding Isfahan is the matter of religiosity, the religiosity of the people of Isfahan. I may have mentioned this before in my previous meetings with the dear people of Isfahan how I myself witnessed gatherings and meetings in Isfahan at that time that one wouldn’t usually see in any other part of the country, including our own Mashhad. This is regarding many years ago, maybe 50 or 60 years ago. I am referring to the people’s inclination, their attention, and the continuous gatherings starting from the month of Ramadan and continuing to Muharram, which were not even all months of mourning. Where? In the walkways of Isfahan’s Bazaar.
Now, these things are basic and somewhat superficial. The religiosity of the people of Isfahan can be [better] understood based on the long list of scholars from Isfahan. You mentioned the late Sayyid Abul-Hasan Isfahani, who was indeed a great scholar. If you look at the period when his teachers were living in Isfahan, there were so many great scholars at the level of the late Ayatollah Abul-Hasan Isfahani and Mirza Naeini — all of whom were students in Isfahan — that it becomes difficult to describe such a multitude of scholars. They were from Isfahan itself, from Najafabad, from various villages in Isfahan, and from other places like Khansar, which contributed notable figures such as the late Sayyid Muhammad Hashem from the Khansari tribe and others. Therefore, the greatness and religiosity of the people of Isfahan can be seen from the names in this long list of scholars from Isfahan. These scholars aren’t from the 10th or 11th centuries, nor from the time of Majlisi and the Safavids. They belong to the past century. This shows the religiosity of the people of Isfahan.
Now, there is a point to consider here. Why do we emphasize the religiosity of the people of Isfahan? The answer is that Isfahan demonstrates how the currents of religious commitment and practices are intertwined with currents of science, industry, culture, civilization, and the like. Not only are they not contradictory, they are in fact intertwined. This is an example of our Iranian civilization. Iranian civilization that once stood at the pinnacle of human civilization has historically been linked with religion and faith, even prior to Islam.
The fact that some people try to forcibly separate the components of Iranian civilization and create a distance between religion and science, industry, culture, art, and similar fields is not only wrong and contrary to reality but also futile and impossible. Even today, our best youth are engaged in the most advanced scientific centers. In our own era too, our country’s brightest minds have been at the forefront of scientific advancements. The late Dr. Chamran (may God be pleased with him) told me himself that he had advanced to the highest scientific areas in those American universities where he was studying, areas that are restricted to non-US students. Who was this person?
He was Chamran — a pious Mujahid who took his wife and children from America to Lebanon so he could support the struggle. He was then willing to part from his family so he could stay and continue the fight and participate in the jihad. And ultimately, he received the reward of martyrdom. So, this intertwining of religion and civilizational signs in Iranian civilization and culture is a reality. It is an undeniable fact, and their efforts to prove otherwise are futile.
The efforts and sacrifices of the Iranian nation, especially our youth, have truly served as the basis for the stability and endurance of the Islamic Republic until today, and they will continue to do so in the future. Without these sacrifices, the Islamic Republic wouldn’t have been able to survive or continue. Even if something bearing the name of the Islamic Republic had remained, it would have been impossible for it to preserve its principles and foundations. It would have been nothing but a meaningless entity, like what exists in some other places.
In different periods — from the beginning of the Revolution, the revolutionary struggles, and through to the victory of the Revolution, the various challenges we faced in the early days of the Revolution, to the Sacred Defense era, and afterwards until today — it has always been the youth who have been able to preserve, strengthen, and give durability to the system with their efforts and sacrifices. God willing, this will continue to be the case, just as our scientific and religious movements are also in the hands of the youth.
What I recommend, first and foremost, is that the work you do in these commemorations be carried out in a way that is effective. Merely creating a book is not enough, and merely making a film is not enough. A film may be produced with great effort but fail to attract an audience and no one watches it. If a film lacks a good director, quality production, proper content, and beauty, then you have spent effort and money, but no one will watch it! Go after the best director, the best screenwriter, the best support staff, and the best producer. Make use of such people.
Instead of producing ten films, make two films. However, make those two films in such a way that when they are aired, everyone will ask for them to be shown again. This is what’s needed. This way, you can introduce Martyr Hemmat, Martyr Zahedi, Martyr Kazemi, Martyr Kharrazi, Martyr Raddanipour, and many others. There are many examples. There are so many eminent martyrs from Isfahan that one could talk about them forever. This is an important point. Your goal should be effectiveness. Produce books in such a way that when the first print is sold out, customers come to you requesting the second edition, the third edition, and so on. Work in the same way on your other projects.
Another point to note is that you must evaluate the impact of what you do. I have also emphasized this point to others from different cities. You should have a monitoring system. Study the youth after they’ve seen your efforts and how they change in terms of their behavior, lifestyle, clothing, joining group prayers, participating in religious gatherings, and involvement in political issues. Of course, this is a demanding, challenging task, but it must be done. Your work can only be considered to be truly effective, impactful, and genuine struggle on the path of God when these points are strictly adhered to.
I suggest Isfahan's military units also become active in this matter. For example, the units of the IRGC, the Imam Hussain Division, the Najaf Division, and the Qamar [Bani Hashim] Brigade — although, of course, that area is not currently a part of Isfahan; I believe back then it was apparently a part of Isfahan — or for example, the Army units, specifically the 8th Base that played a significant role in this matter, the artillery center in Isfahan, and other existing centers should sit down and recount their events and experiences of the Imposed War, or even before and after it. How? Using computer games. Today, computer games are one of the tools used for conveying messages around the world. They aren’t just games. Intelligent individuals sit down and design games about a war between Iran and themselves. They design them in such a way that when a young American or a teenage American sits down at a computer and plays this sort of game, it makes them feel powerful, capable, and hopeful that they will be victorious in this battle or that they should take action in a specific manner.
Another [tool] is telling short anecdotes, like a ten-line account of a friend’s martyrdom on the battlefield. Neither the person telling the story nor the person being talked about is famous, but when you read this story or a young person reads it, it has a deep impact in heart. This means we need artists. We need artists to be involved.
I believe if these actions are taken and narrations of significant events of the past are conveyed correctly and wisely, many problems will be solved and progress will be made. Remembering these martyrs in itself brings new life and is a source of inspiration for the outstanding, heroic spirit of today's youth. In other words, the life of Martyr Kazemi produces Martyr Hojaji. When one reads about him [Martyr Kazemi], he [a person like Martyr Hojaji] is produced and comes into being. So you must pursue these matters, God willing. May God grant you success.
May God’s greetings, mercy, and blessings be upon you.
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