Statements at the Meeting with the Organizers of the Congress of Two Thousand Martyrs of Bushehr Province

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad and his pure family.

Welcome, dear brothers and esteemed friends from the fighting and renowned province of Bushehr. As the gentlemen have pointed out - both the esteemed Friday prayer leader, the governor, and the commander of the IRGC - Bushehr province is rich in military honors; this is indeed true. It is a sensitive point, and the threats from the enemies towards Iran have often been directed at Bushehr due to the long-standing presence of colonialism in this region. When Iranian forces were engaged in combat in the eastern part of the country, trying to reclaim some lost territories, the British sent a message that if you move here, we will deploy forces in Bushehr; they abandoned their plans for Bushehr. This means that Bushehr has always been exposed to such attacks and has always stood strong, as was very well and comprehensively explained in the statements of the esteemed Friday prayer leader from Bushehr. I request that you publish the points you made so that everyone knows and understands; these are very important.

The leadership of the scholars in Bushehr is also certain; the late Seyyed Abdullah Baladi was among the very influential figures; then there was the late Reys Ali Delvari, whose status is clear and evident. The other dear martyrs of this region are the same; regarding the martyr Nader Mahdavi, whom you mentioned several times here, someone from our friends who is knowledgeable about these matters said that if he had belonged to the communists, they would have made a Che Guevara out of him; that is, an internationally recognized figure of struggle. This young man has such a profile: his presence in the Persian Gulf region, his confrontation with the Americans, and then his arrest, torture, and martyrdom; there are such personalities in Bushehr. Or the martyr Abutaleb Ashouri, whom you mentioned, who was martyred before the establishment of the Islamic Republic; he was martyred during the struggles. This struggle there was so intense and engaging that a respected cleric like martyr Ashouri was martyred amidst these struggles; these are good signs; they indicate a depth of revolutionary understanding and jihadist understanding of Islam in this region; they signify such a thing. It is evident that what exists in this region regarding jihad, struggle, and defense of Islam and the country is not merely superficial and fleeting emotions; rather, it is profound; because it has been repeated through successive generations and has been carried out by prominent and great individuals through significant actions.

I have noted down the names of two or three of these martyrs; for example, the martyr Sadegh Ganjii, who was mentioned as having been martyred in Lahore; these are truly very prominent; that is, there have been such distinguished personalities in cultural, military, and various environments; these are assets. What I recommend is that the activities mentioned - such as busts, statues, sessions, and organizations - are very good works, but ensure that the memory of these martyrs, the memory of these individuals, these personalities remains in the minds of new generations. You can observe now, for example, Reys Ali Delvari, a person of such greatness, is not known by a few percent of our young generation. What percentage have heard his name? It is not important for us that a fighting, jihadist personality, a defender of the country's borders, who fought under such difficult conditions at that time, with the poverty he and his companions faced, fought like this and made the British suffer - Reys Ali Delvari truly made the British suffer - and ultimately was martyred due to the betrayal of some insiders, is not recognized? Is it not worthy that now in the country, when you mention Reys Ali Delvari, all those in every region of the country should know who this person is and recognize him? This is not the case; for example, all the children know the name of a football player from a certain country, but they do not know the name of Reys Ali Delvari, and they have not even heard of Nader Mahdavi; something must be done to keep these names alive; these are role models.

For instance, consider printing and writing their photos, characteristics, and names on children's booklets, notebooks, the back covers of books, in the textbooks themselves, and on clothing. This is not just for you; you must also do this, but the country's propaganda apparatus everywhere, especially in sensitive and important centers, must strive to expand and deepen this idea of jihad by highlighting the great jihadist figures. Therefore, this work is very important.

We must ensure that people feel that following the path of these individuals is the path of salvation; as it indeed is. If a country that has oil, mines, various resources, a sensitive geographical position, and a vast climatic diversity - like our country with eighty million population - which is coveted by the powers, cannot defend itself, cannot engage in jihad, cannot showcase its capabilities, and cannot manage itself, then its dignity and honor will be trampled upon. We must be able to spread this spirit among everyone to stand firm; as fortunately today, thanks to the revolution, the Iranian nation stands firm, but these must be institutionalized for the future so that the path of jihad, the path of standing firm, the path of resistance, becomes the definitive path for successive generations. Just as we recite every day in the Holy Quran in Surah Al-Fatiha, we say, "Guide us on the straight path, the path of those whom You have blessed," this "those whom You have blessed" refers to these martyrs; one of the great examples of martyrs is "They are with those whom God has honored [that is] with the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous"; these are among "those whom You have blessed."

Of course, "those whom You have blessed" are of two types: one type is "those whom You have blessed" who later show ingratitude, become ungrateful like the Children of Israel - the Children of Israel were also among "those whom You have blessed," but they showed ingratitude and "God was angry with them" - and another group is "those whom You have blessed" who are "not of those who have incurred wrath, nor of those who have gone astray"; our martyrs are of this kind; since martyrs have departed from this world; thus, we must follow their path, learn from them, and teach this to various generations.

God willing, may you be successful and supported. Hold the session well, and let this session be the beginning of a movement, not the end of a movement; convey our greetings to the people of Bushehr in the Friday prayer, God willing.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.