“My mother was a computer engineer and my father had a PhD in this field. Besides, my parents were very fond of each other, Sir! Even at the moment of martyrdom, they were holding each other’s hands!”
This is what 17-year-old Mahdi, who is standing at the closest distance to the Leader, says. 14-year-old Mohtadi, 10-year-old Zahra and 8-year-old Mohammad are standing next to him. 3-year-old Fatemeh is also in Mohtadi’s arms. All of them are the children of martyrs Masoumeh Karbasi and Reza Awadeh, who were martyred by an Israeli drone a few days ago. Mahdi describes how it happened to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution: “An Israeli drone detected them in Jounieh and fired three rockets at their car, which did not hit it. My father pulled over. He got out of the car. He also took my mother’s hand and got her out of the car, but the drone followed them and, praise be to God, it martyred them!”
Many teenagers of his age may not be able to fathom the deep concepts he utters: “Allah charges no soul except to its capacity.... Dear sir! Certainly, if God did not see this capability in us, He would not have subjected us to this great test.”
The Leader confirms and adds that “He also pays the reward”. Mahdi, instead of asking for a keffiyeh or a ring, asks the Leader to pray for all the Lebanese fighters.
The Leader asks about the father of martyr Reza Awadeh. His mother says in Farsi: “He is a heart surgeon and in these war conditions in Lebanon, his presence was much needed and he did not come.”
The mother herself studied medicine in Iran 47 years ago and is now a professor of Persian at a university in Lebanon. She does not say anything else. But I know what’s going on in her heart! Before the meeting, when I asked her if she had ever seen the Leader up close, she said: “It’s been one of my wishes, but Reza and Masoumeh wished to see him more than me. Now I wish they were here themselves.” She pauses and says: “Of course they are!”
