The following is the full text of the speech delivered on May 2, 2008 by Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution to a group of families of martyrs in Shiraz, Fars province.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all sentient beings, and peace and greetings be upon our Master and Prophet, Ab-al-Qassem Al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his immaculate and infallible household, especially the one remaining with Allah on earth.
Unparalleled wonders were not few and far between during the Revolution. From the beginning of the great movement of the Iranian nation which culminated in the victory of the Islamic Revolution, to the present day, a sequence of extraordinary and wonderful events caught eyes and attracted hearts one after the other. However, among these extraordinary events, martyrdom has exceptional features.
Anything that is concerned with the spiritual being of martyrs is wonderful. Their motivation to move towards jihad is itself a wonder. It is a wonder when a young man decides to disregard tempting material attractions, rise up for Allah's sake, and go to battlefields. In addition, risking their lives on battlefields, their efforts, and their outstanding and courageous deeds on battlefields are all wonders that set prominent and everlasting examples. Having extreme enthusiasm and sensing the manifestations of Allah the Exalted beyond the material world - which were manifest in all movements and comments made by the martyrs upon martyrdom, about which there are several anecdotes - are also some of these wonders.
I read an autobiography of a martyr who was from the city of Shiraz. The autobiography read something like this: "I am impatient, I am impatient. There is a fire in my heart that has made me impatient. I will not find solace unless I meet You, my dear God." These remarks were made by a youth. This status is something that even a mystic achieves after years of asceticism. However, on battlefields, a young man is granted so much divine grace that he manages to achieve everything overnight and his expression of his feeling of enthusiasm and impatience receives the appropriate response from Allah the Exalted. This enthusiasm is also a divine blessing granted by Allah the Exalted. This is a great wonder.
The blood of martyrs is another wonder. The family, parents, wife, children, brothers, sisters, acquaintances, and friends of martyrs would have been deeply traumatized if the martyrs had died an ordinary death. But they faced the news of their martyrdom with so much patience and forbearance that one could not help being astonished. The mother of two martyrs told me: "I buried my sons myself, but my hands did not shake when I was burying them." A father who had lost some of his sons in the war said: "If I had more sons, I would be prepared to offer them to God." What is the essence of all these things? What is the nature of this glowing light that Allah has placed at the heart of martyrdom which sheds so much light on this dark world? For eight years, the Iranian nation lived with this light glowing in the hearts of its men and women.
Martyrs were the vanguard on battlefields, while their families and other revolutionary devotees supported them from another trench. They advanced and removed the obstacles, and thus they managed to help turn a nation - which had for centuries been accustomed to passiveness and listlessness under bullying rulers - into a lively, grand, honorable and determined nation. This was a great deed that our martyrs, soldiers, and disabled veterans did. We owe this accomplishment to the families of martyrs and to the resistance that our POWs put up in the enemies' prisons. Iran and the Iranian nation will always owe them a debt of gratitude, and the history of Iran must consider itself indebted to the families of martyrs.
Shiraz has offered more than 14,500 martyrs, and this is no trivial matter. Shiraz was a city which the domineering powers had decided to turn into the centre of impiety and inattention to religious principles and values. They intended to turn the city into a place where nothing but the carnal and lowly aspects of life could be observed. They did not like to find any trace of religious values in the city. They set their policies based on this goal and even took measures to achieve that goal. But the people of Shiraz and Fars province reacted by dealing a death blow to the enemies, offering 14,500 martyrs, more than 34,500 war-disabled veterans, and about 2,500 POWs. Greetings be upon you. May God bestow His mercy upon you.
Shiraz was a sanctuary for the magnanimous descendants of the Imams (a.s.). Their tombs are found in no other part of the country more than they are in Shiraz. This is indicative of the fact that these descendants of the innocent Imams (a.s.) opted to go to Shiraz or other cities in Fars province whenever they were in need of the people's help or sought refuge from the caliphs' oppression. The spirituality which was embodied in the great martyr Ayatollah Dastgheib was rooted in the family of these descendants of the innocent Imams (a.s.) and in the bountiful source of spirituality which rested in the household of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a). This fact is indicative of the depth of their religious motives. Such spirituality results in such characters as the great martyr Dastgheib whose words made the hearts of the youth enchanted with spirituality - the youth who were present in the battles of Sacred Defense from the very first days.
I mentioned in the presence of the armed units yesterday that I traveled to Abadan and Khorramshahr during the first days of the Revolution and the Iraqi imposed war. Those days the battlefields were full of grief and vast areas of the city of Khorramshahr had been occupied by the invaders. There were a number of very pure-hearted, faithful, and enthusiastic youth who had come there to fight while they were equipped with some very primitive weapons only. I asked them where they had come from and their answer was "Shiraz". All through the Iraqi imposed war, the people of Shiraz who were fighting in different divisions, such as Al-Mahdi and Fajr, or army units based in the city played an influential and prominent role. Those who caused these youth to enter the battlefields to defend Islam, their national independence, their country, and the greatest event of our history - the Islamic Revolution - were great figures such as the martyr Ayatollah Dastgheib. This happened, above all, under the influence of the words of Imam Khomeini (r.a.). This is one of the greatest wonders of our Revolution.
My dear ones, several years have passed since then. Many of you dear youth were not present during the Sacred Defense era, and did not realize this event. Some of you have distant memories of that time. With the passage of time, the memory of events starts to fade. Some events are forgotten. It is like the ripples which are caused by throwing a stone into a water pool. These ripples become smaller and smaller until they finally disappear in a minute's time. But there are some events which are quite the opposite. Not only does the passage of time not make them seem less important, but they are made even more prominent. One such event is that of Ashura.
Everyone was wondering what had happened on the day of Ashura. The greatness of the event, the greatness of the jihad done by the Prophet's (s.w.a.) loved one and his companions was not known to anyone. Neither was the magnitude of the catastrophe in which the Holy Prophet's (s.w.a.) sons and loved ones were martyred. The majority of those who were present in that battle did not recognize the importance of this issue. And those who were fighting for the enemies were so ignorant and unaware that they did not realize what had happened. Those enchanted by arrogance, lust, and animal urges cannot understand what is happening in the human world. Of course Sayeda Zeinab (s.a.), Sukayna (s.a.), and those innocent girls and women did recognize the magnitude of the event. This is what happened on the day of Ashura.
The magnitude of this event was immediately proven after it took place. It was reflected in what happened on the 12th day in Kufa, and then in what happened a few weeks later in Sham, Medina, and the whole Islamic world. Two years had barely passed since the end of the war when that satanic rebel who had caused this event vanished off the face of the earth. And a couple of years later, the whole family vanished without a trace. Later another family from the Umayyad dynasty came to power. That family was also overthrown and annihilated after a few decades. The Muslim world got more interested in and fascinated by the ideology of the household of Prophet Muhammad (s.w.a.) on a daily basis, and this event strengthened the bases of the Islamic principles and Islamic ideology in history. If this battle had not taken place in Karbala, we would not be aware of the principles of Islam to the extent we are today, and there was probably just a nominal trace of Islam. Not only were this great event and the holy blood of the martyrs not undermined, but they also gained more prominence in history. This is an outstanding example.
Your Revolution and the martyrdom of your martyrs also fall in the same category. At first, it was like a temporary earthquake. Many people believed that such events were like an earthquake - temporary events that would be forgotten soon. But this never happened. It was quite the opposite. Today, the principles of the Islamic Revolution are penetrating deep into Muslim nations' hearts. This is not a personal opinion. Rather, it is the outcome of the interpretations of those who consider the Islamic Republic as their most bitter enemy. They confirm this fact and bear testimony to it. This interpretation is the reason behind their intimidations and threats against the Iranian nation. They are afraid of the Islamic Revolution. They see that this movement has never stopped. They see that this wave [the Islamic Revolution] never diminished and is constantly growing. Therefore, they are afraid of the Islamic Revolution.
Once they believed that the Islamic Revolution had come to an end in this country. The reason behind their assumption was the idea upheld by some ignorant and uninformed people who believed that the Revolution has come to an end. They were encouraging others not to remember the martyrs any longer. They believed that Imam Khomeini should be consigned to history and things like that. Those ignorant people who were seeking to take advantage of such words in their interpretations believed these words. They presumed that the Islamic Revolution had come to an end. When one reconsiders the issue today, there are traces of despair in their words and interpretations. They are concerned about the Iranian nation, its grandeur, and its independence. They are afraid of the talent of the Iranian youth.
Why does a certain group in the world consider the scientific achievements of our country as threatening? This is because they are monopolists. This is because they are domineering. They consider Iran as a bait. They intended to swallow up this country with all its resources and its prominent strategic position in the world. But the vigilance of the Iranian nation and the Iranian youth plus their talent and scientific achievements will stop them from doing so. And it is due to this reason that your technological advances, your nuclear energy plan, and other achievements make them annoyed.
If the Iranian nation is carefree and our youth are thoughtless - if they do not seek employment, science, production, and innovation or if they spend their time on debauchery - our enemies will be delighted. This is what they want. They do not want Shiraz to be the center of scientific achievements. I previously mentioned that Shiraz is at the vanguard of industrial progress among the different cities and provinces of the country, and also that your youth, men, and women have gained global fame in some scientific areas. This is what our enemies are opposed to. They do not want our universities, our Islamic seminaries, our laboratories, and our production centers to flourish. They want such things as unhealthy relationships among boys and girls, lust, and debauchery to prevail in our people's lives. These are the things they want. But you acted against their will, and this is the reason behind the annoyance and the propaganda of the US and the Zionist regime.
Some people say why do you provoke the Americans into enmity? The answer is that in order not to do so, we should stop working and making efforts and disregard our honors. It is only then that the US will be pleased with us. This is the nature of the US. Will the Iranian nation be satisfied with such a situation?
The reason behind their enmity is not our policies or what some of our officials say in the country. Rather, it is due to the vigilance of our nation that they are opposed to us. Wherever there is a centre of vigilance across the country, it will be the more important place for the enemies to attack. If you take a look, you will see that they are more hostile towards those places which are the centers of vigilance - those places whose youth are more prepared, conscious, and enthusiastic. They are against the families of martyrs.
Thanks God, the families of the martyrs of Shiraz are among these people. A feeling of enthusiasm and honor prevails in this atmosphere. You should be proud. One should really be proud to have offered a dear one or a youth on the path of God, knowing that this has pleased Allah the Exalted. "Be patient, and you will be rewarded." You should know that these dear ones whom you offered on the path of God were strongholds which were broken by the enemies' assault on this nation's grandeur and independence. Every one of your martyrs is like a stronghold, and so are the disabled veterans of the war. This is what you should be proud of.
War-disabled veterans are like martyrs who are alive. You dear disabled veterans of the war are like martyrs. Martyrs suffered as much as the war-disabled veterans did. However, their destiny was meeting Allah but the destiny of the war-disabled veterans was to stay alive. The families of martyrs, their parents, their wives, their children, their brothers and sisters, and their relatives should be proud of their martyrs.
One of the feelings I have always had is respect towards the wives of the war-disabled veterans. Some of these dear ladies accepted these war-disabled veterans as they are. I would say well done! Some of these ladies suddenly saw the handsome youth whom they had married turn into a war-disabled veteran. They accepted this fact and welcomed it. I have to say well-done! The wives of the disabled veterans of war are very precious.
The wives of the martyrs - who brought up these dear youth - are highly valuable. I saw in the biography of some of the martyrs of Shiraz that some of their sons had achieved high positions in science and research. How could these achievements be made? They could only be made through the efforts of their mothers - the wives of the martyrs - and those brave women who struggle on God's path. This is a form of jihad. This is "caring for one's husband". It means saving the face and the personality of their husbands. This is what "caring for one's husband" means. For example, when their husbands were martyred on the path of Allah, they brought up their children in a way that they would be proud of their fathers and would continue the path of the martyrs.
Let me make a final point here. Dear people, if the martyrs are dear to us - and they are - and if we love them - which we truly do - commemorating them means that we should continue their path and pursue their goals. Following their path means that we should consider and pursue the goals of the Islamic Republic and the principles of Islam which are the prominent criteria and the strong bases of this nation's honors both in this world and in the hereafter. Both men and women play an equal role in this regard. The sons and daughters of the martyrs, their brothers and sisters, and those who are relations to the martyrs play an equal role in this regard. The closer they are to the martyrs, the more honored they are and the heavier their responsibilities are.
The country belongs to you. The country belongs to the youth. The future belongs to you. Those who were martyred opened the path ahead of us. We should move on this path. If we do not follow the path which they opened ahead of us, we are being ungrateful. Gratitude towards the martyrs warrants that we move ahead on the paths they opened ahead of us. This is our duty today, and the Iranian nation will fulfill this duty. The government officials are hopefully committed to this responsibility, and the Islamic principles and mottos are of primary importance to them. God willing, this nation can achieve its highest and loftiest goals through its determination, spirit, youth, and the light of the martyrs' blood which has enlightened the path.
Dear God, bestow Your mercy and blessings on the martyrs. O God, bestow Your mercy and blessings on the families of the martyrs. Dear God, associate us with the martyrs. And bestow martyrdom upon us. O God, put us among those who will benefit from the prayers of the magnanimous Imam (r.a.), the martyrs - Martyr Dastgheib - and above all the prayers of the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for his sake).
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings