Statements at the Meeting of the Organizers of the Congress Honoring the Warriors and Martyrs of Khomeini City

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

First, I extend my greetings to the dear people of Khomeini City, especially to the families of the martyrs, and particularly to the distinguished warriors who emerged from that region—from Isfahan and from this area of Khomeini City and Najafabad. As you pointed out, the Khomeini City and Najafabad region, along with the cities and villages surrounding them, has a special prominence in the presence in the field of the Sacred Defense and during the imposed war; this is indeed true, and we have been aware of this since that time; that is, all those involved in the matters of the Sacred Defense were aware that this region is special in terms of its enthusiasm for participating in the fields of jihad and defense.

Well, the congress for the martyrs and the commemoration of the martyrs is held in many cities and provinces across the country, and you are familiar with its examples, but the initiative you have taken is to honor the warriors; this is a very good endeavor. The warriors who struggled, fought, some became disabled, and some endured numerous hardships and showed patience; many of them are not recognized by society; that is, the sacrifice made by this warrior is no different from the sacrifice made by that martyr; both went forth, but the shell exploded, and its shrapnel hit this one and not that one; their only difference is this. Of course, the martyrs have received special grace from the Lord; this grace has not yet been granted to those who have not been martyred, and they may later attain martyrdom in return for their efforts, just as some warriors of the Sacred Defense became martyrs years later due to the effects of the Sacred Defense. However, the warrior possesses the value of warriorhood, and warriorhood itself is a value; this value must be cherished.

In a country, in a society, if there is no spirit of personal readiness to stand against falsehood and to persevere in the path of truth, that society will be destroyed; being destroyed does not mean that it will cease to exist entirely; rather, it means that it will lose its dignity, its honor, its independence, and its reliance on its own will, and others will dominate it; either tyrannies or foreign interventions. This spirit of steadfastness and resistance is very important, and our warriors have demonstrated this spirit; however, our recommendation is that they maintain this spirit within themselves and keep this spirit alive; it is a divine treasure, and it would be a shame to lose it. Some individuals during the Sacred Defense, who were young, enthusiastic, and lively, moved in the fields, but later various attractions drew them elsewhere; this is a shame; it is truly a loss of a real value, a loss of a treasure. That God Almighty grants someone success to accomplish a great good, they must always be grateful for this divine favor; this gratitude is achieved by continuing on this path and cannot be achieved without it. Therefore, we respect, honor, and revere the dear warriors who have strived during the Sacred Defense, but we also recommend that they strive to maintain that spirit within themselves; this spirit of defending the truth, of striving in the way of God, of dedicating oneself and one’s life and opportunities in the way of truth must be preserved and maintained. We hope, God willing, that God Almighty bestows His blessings upon your people.

Yes, as you said, this is truly the case; in fact, all of Khomeini City is a place of mourning; of course, in a sense, all of Isfahan is like this. I remember a long time ago, I traveled to Isfahan; it was not during the days of Muharram; I saw that the small bazaars were holding mourning ceremonies; yes, in Mashhad, it was common that we had seen during the month of Muharram that some of these small bazaars and caravanserais were draped in black and held mourning ceremonies there, but that was for Muharram; however, I saw this was happening outside of Muharram; I was astonished; not just one or two, but several. I asked my companion—who was with me—what this was, what was going on? He said, "This is how it is here; from the month of Ramadan to the month of Muharram and after Muharram, there is continuous mourning here"; that is how it is; the people of Isfahan have an extraordinary and prominent interest in the principles of Sharia, the family of the Prophet, and the issue of Ashura and similar matters; well, Khomeini City is also distinguished in this regard, and we have seen this in some other counties of Isfahan; I have personally visited some of those cities and observed that the people truly have a strong interest. God willing, may God bestow His blessings upon you and increase your successes, and may He grant us all the success to continue our movement in the path of the martyrs and the warriors, God willing.

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

1) At the beginning of this meeting—which was held within the framework of collective meetings—Hojjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Seyyed Mohammad Mousavi (the Friday Prayer Leader of Khomeini City) and Brigadier General Mojtaba Fada (the commander of the Isfahan Province Guard) expressed some remarks.