In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
All praise is due to God, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master, Muhammad, and his pure Progeny, particularly the Remnant of God on earth.
Certainly, one of the best activities that can be done in this day and age is the very activity that you have undertaken. It has cultural, political, revolutionary, forward-thinking, human, and ethical aspects. It serves as a tribute to those who sacrificed their lives so that we can sit here today and talk to each other without worry. Therefore, this activity has many different aspects. Thank you. May God grant you success.
Of course, the battles fought by the units from Tehran Province — other than Tehran city — during the Sacred Defense are clear to us. So this is not something that can be hidden from anyone who is familiar with the issues of war and the Sacred Defense. However, these things must be articulated, written, and made well-founded. They must be repeated in an artistic way. Experience has shown that if a truth is not reiterated, no matter how clear and outstanding it is, it will be forgotten. Once it is forgotten, the opportunity arises for ill-wishers to promote and express the opposite of that phenomenon, its antithesis, or its distortion. Therefore, this work is necessary.
The Greater Tehran area — the city and province of Tehran — played a truly significant role during the Sacred Defense, after the end of the Sacred Defense, and continuing up to the present day. For example, the Sayyid al-Shohada Brigade, which carried out great endeavors and work during the war, its commanders, both the commanders of the brigade itself and the commanders of the battalions — some of whom were mentioned by him [Brigadier General Qorban Mohammad Vali Zadeh (Commander of Tehran Province Revolutionary Guard Corps and Secretary of the Congress)] — truly did great, valuable things.
It is necessary for these things to be spoken about, explained, and preserved. We are not doing enough in these areas. Now, he mentioned that the documents have been collected. They need to be used in the best possible way. You should sit down and see how these thousands of documents can be used for explanatory, historical, and revolutionary purposes. Specific groups should be identified to carry out this task and to make use of these documents so that they are not neglected. They are like valuable treasures. Sometimes you may uncover a treasure, and at other times it remains underground. It is a treasure, but it isn’t useful [if it’s left uncovered]. [This treasure] must be extracted and made use of.
One of the blessings of this work that you are doing is that it demonstrates the perseverance of a revolutionary force and revolutionary motivations in the area you are responsible for discussing — that is, Tehran province and Tehran city. When the Sacred Defense began, many of the motivations and aspirations that possessed potential and readiness but lacked a place for manifestation and emergence found a platform for expression. Perhaps if there had been no Sacred Defense, the way the Revolution progressed would have been different. The Sacred Defense became a stage for talents, abilities, motivations, and the love that existed in people’s hearts to be demonstrated. With the Sacred Defense coming to an end, some imagined that this matter was over. [But] that was not the case.
The reason for this is that after 30 or so years since the end of the Sacred Defense, you see that your youth, using all kinds of methods and excuses, are trying to get to the battlefield to fight the Zionist regime or the Daesh — which is a puppet of the Arrogant Powers, the US, and others — and they are succeeding in doing so. This is a very important matter.
Or let's say, during the seditious events that took place in Tehran in recent years, who stood up against these seditions? It was the youth. These young people had neither seen the war nor Imam [Khomeini], but they came forward and thwarted all these seditions. They thwarted the plans that the enemies had devised to overthrow the Revolution and to create problems for the country and the Revolution.
In the sedition in 2009 and [in the seditions] before and after it, who were the ones who extinguished these seditions? It was these young people. Whether it was with their participation in the Basij, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or the Law Enforcement Forces, they entered the field in various forms, putting in their utmost effort with dedication. This is a testament to the blessings of the sacrifices made during the Sacred Defense. In other words, the Sacred Defense served as an example for motivated, action-oriented individuals. Furthermore, it also sent a message of steadfastness and resistance to people outside of Iran.
Today, it is widely acknowledged by many experts that much of what is happening around the world in support of Palestine is rooted in the spirit of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic. We may be cautious and hesitant to state this openly, but others are expressing it loudly and clearly. And as you can see, the events taking place in the world today in support of Palestine are the same things that the Iranian nation had stated, the same words that Imam [Khomeini] expressed, and the same chants that rose up from the hearts of the people, reached their tongues, and were proclaimed. And they are now being echoed on a regional and global scale.
Look at the universities in the US! I have heard that this student movement is now ongoing in about 200 American universities. This is of great importance. What they wanted to do to Iran is now happening to them. These students are forcing the US government and the US police to contradict its pronouncements and claims. Before the eyes, cameras, and contemporary media of the world, they are trampling the young students underfoot, beating them, and handcuffing professors and students in such a manner!
What these students have done is so significant that it has compelled the US government to put aside their hesitations and directly intervene. That is what has happened. The US has lost its reputation in the world, and their words have been contradicted. These are very important events.
This is a result of the movements that began in the early days of the Revolution due to the blessed presence of Imam [Khomeini]. May Almighty God elevate the ranks of this great man day by day and ensure his legacy continues even stronger. The magnanimous Imam was truly a phenomenon, a phenomenon like none other.
No matter how much I ponder over our long history, I can find no individual similar or equivalent to this man. This is due to his inspiring presence, the power that Almighty God had blessed his soul and determination with, and his faith in God. This faith that he held in his heart served as a wellspring from which emerged a belief that overflowed and touched the hearts of the people. “The Messenger (pbuh) and the faithful have faith in what has been sent down to him from his Lord. Each [of them] has faith in Allah and His angels …” (Quran 2:285). If the Messenger had not been a believer and if he had not possessed deep faith himself, the believers would not have attained such deep faith. It is the same case here. It was his [Imam Khomeini’s] faith that brought such deep faith to others.
Anyway, what you are doing is a commendable, outstanding act. And, praise God, the movement of the Revolution and the same motivation that drove our youth — these outstanding individuals from cities in Tehran Province — to take action is present today as well. You have witnessed how in the events of the past year, the youth of Tehran have shown themselves, both in Tehran itself and also in a number of surrounding cities.
May Almighty God grant success to all of you, support you, and approve of you. May this course continue, God willing.
May God’s greetings, mercy, and blessings be upon you.
Comment