The following is the full text of the speech delivered on July 1, 2013 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with officials of Martyrs of Najafabad National Congress.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
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The city of Najafabad is really an outstanding city in both religious and revolutionary areas. As the friends in the meeting pointed out, many great ulama have emerged from Najafabad since the time of Sheikh Bahai. The late Mirza Mohammad Najafabadi and the late Sayyid Ali Najafabadi were great personalities who resided in Najafabad and who were the main reason for the gathering of seminarians, ulama and people in Isfahan.
When it came to the Islamic movement, Najafabad was really one of the provincial cities which played a leading role. We know few cities who welcomed Imam's (may God bestow paradise on him) movement like Najafabad. Of course, the main reason was the presence of the late Mr. Montazeri. Well, he was Imam's (r.a.) student. He was interested in Imam and he believed in fighting and the Revolution. This is why there was a group of completely religious people in Najafabad who loved and believed in the Revolution despite the fact that there was anti-religion propaganda and different fake religions were active there.
At that time - that is to say, before the Revolution - I went to Najafabad and was witness to the conditions of this city. These religious people continued after the Revolution. The Najafabad Army that the gentlemen in the meeting referred to was one of the strongest armies in the arenas of the eight-year defense. The late Shahid Kazemi (may God bestow paradise on him) was really one of the outstanding commanders of this army. During the time of war, I went to Khuzestan, where the Najafabad Army had its headquarters, to visit this army. There, I saw things that one could see in few armies: on the one hand, their preparedness and high morale and on other hand, their discipline.
In few armies you can see the discipline that I witnessed in that army. Besides, Najafabad has outstanding martyrs whom Mr. Hasanati referred to. They were university and school students, teachers, seminarians, political personalities and the like. Najafabad really has a special prominence. Without a doubt, Najafabad is one of the outstanding peaks of jihad.
I hope that Allah the Exalted will reward the people of Najafabad. I hope that Allah the Exalted will associate their martyrs with the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.). I hope that He will bestow honor and glory on their families. I hope that He will make the great demonstration that you are holding in this city the source of many good results and blessings.
I ask Mr. Hasanati to send our greetings to the dear people of Najafabad. In one sense, the people of Najafabad are my fellow citizens. My great-grandfather, the late Sayyid Hashem Najafabadi, was from Najafabad. In this sense, I have some relations with Najafabad. I ask Sardar Soleimani to send our greetings to the friends in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Basij and other such organizations. I hope that by Allah's favor, you will be successful.