Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Meeting with Families of Martyrs of Kashan, Aran and Bidgol

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

I express my gratitude to the Almighty God for granting me the opportunity to be present in the first moments of my arrival in this city of believers, filled with love and knowledge, and to have this heartfelt meeting with you, the dear families of the martyrs, the disabled, the freed ones, and the dear veterans of Kashan, Aran, and Bidgol. This gathering is filled with emotions and feelings that stem entirely from spirituality. Usually, gatherings associated with the veterans and martyrs are like this. Where there are feelings, their source is spiritual, divine, religious, and celestial; because martyrs are connected to the divine realm. These feelings are very noble and precious, and I hope our officials recognize the value of the emotions of these dear people, especially the families of the martyrs and veterans, and appreciate this very precious and exalted blessing.

An important point regarding our martyrs is that although our martyrs soared with the wings of emotions, their guide was reason, logic, and reasoning. This is why the great movement of sacrifice, martyrdom, jihad, and selflessness in our country was able to find its place among all segments of society, among the best thoughts, minds, and talents. I believe that the children of martyrs should be proud of their fathers; both because they are symbols of sacrifice, selflessness, dignity, and pride of a nation, and because they are the flowing springs of knowledge and understanding of the truth. One should not think that the young and brave warriors of our battlefield reached the war front from cities and villages and endured hardships solely due to overwhelming emotions. This is not the case. Of course, divine, Islamic, revolutionary, and spiritual emotions are very blessed and valuable; but it was not only emotions; it was rational guidance; they understood what they were doing.

You young people who are the legacies of the martyrs! Parents who nurtured the witnesses and veterans! Spouses who spent time with the martyrs! The dear martyrs were among those who saw the light of truth amidst the dense darkness of their time and rushed towards it. This is what matters. Many do not see or understand the truth; many see the truth but lack the courage and bravery to act for it; however, someone who has both the ability to find and see the truth and the courage to rush towards it and fulfill their duty in this path, is a distinguished human being, regardless of the time they are in, whether old, young, adolescent, woman, or man; in any social class.

Our Islamic system emerged and made its presence known in a world, in an environment, in a period of time where tyrannical domination had engulfed all aspects of human existence. The issue was not merely that a tyrannical government existed here that wanted to be overthrown. The tyrannical government that ruled our country with its oppression, force, violence, and ignorance was supported and endorsed by the international system and the leaders of global power, and fighting against it was a struggle against all centers of international power at that time. When the revolution triumphed and this obstacle was removed from the path of the Iranian nation, those same centers of global power began to sabotage against the Iranian nation. They showed that this octopus-like network of tyrannical power that supported the bloodthirsty Pahlavi regime still claimed to be the truth; it claimed to represent the Iranian nation; it opposed and contested any truth that came from the mouth and throat of anyone. Therefore, during the eight-year imposed war, those centers of power conspired against the Iranian nation. Who can deeply understand these truths that occur in their own time, despite extensive global propaganda, comprehend them profoundly, develop faith in them, and be moved to action? That is the person whose heart is illuminated by the light of knowledge and whose mind is alive and bright. Your youth - those who went to the front and became martyrs - were of this kind.

The battlefronts of truth and falsehood in Iran appeared to be a war with a neighboring country and a defense of Iranian territories; but in essence, it was a defense of the front of justice and truth in the entire world. Wherever in the world there was an oppressed person, wherever in the world a speaker cried out the truth, your youth defended them; they shielded themselves for them and gave their lives in this path. You young people and dear children of the martyrs should know that these martyrdoms, sacrifices, and selflessness of your fathers acquainted a vast multitude of people in the world with Islam, faith, and truth, and they recognized the truth. Our martyrs were manifestations of religious rationality and defenders of truth and justice. This is a great honor.

The greatest betrayal to a nation is when some want to obscure the shining suns that illuminate the life and history of the nation with clouds of propaganda. Today, anyone who belittles the name of the martyrs and disregards the great movement of martyrdom in our country - which occurred through our dear youth during that time - has betrayed the history of this nation.

I say to the fathers and mothers who have lost their loved ones in the long battle of truth and falsehood over these years, to the children who have never seen their martyr fathers, to the spouses who have borne the weight of separation from their husbands and companions: My dear ones! With the martyrdom of your loved ones, you have not suffered loss or damage. Your loved ones, if they have departed from you, are preserved and present in the precious treasury of divine martyrdom. This life passes, and everyone will leave; but the one who is honored and has gained is the one whose departure from this world has brought achievements for the people, religion, history, and country. Such a person is the one whom the Almighty God has deemed higher than the angels.

I have repeatedly expressed with all my being and from the depths of my heart to the survivors of the martyrs, let us pray that God gathers us with your loved ones and martyrs; these are the ones who hold a position before God. Your loved ones have achieved the best achievement that a human can attain. Of course, your reward is immediately behind the reward of the martyr. I have often said that the martyrs' front line against the enemies of religion and truth is the first line; the second line is the families of the martyrs. Behind them are you. These sufferings of yours and these separations and sorrows and deprivations from seeing and feeling the presence of your loved ones have great rewards before the Almighty God. The Almighty God grants a very great reward to the families of the martyrs; especially since they did not show ingratitude. Throughout the war, the families of the martyrs spoke of their loved ones' martyrdom with such pride that they encouraged others to send their youth to the battlefield of martyrdom.

This city has prominent and dear martyrs. Martyr commanders have emerged from this city. It is not possible to name them; their list is long; Martyr Karimi, Martyr Zajaji; great martyrs, commanders; those who were able to achieve great things with their presence on the front. Prominent figures from Kashan, Aran, Bidgol, and the surrounding areas of these cities have done great works and shown great talents in this path.

What is now upon the people is to appreciate you and the martyrs. What is upon the officials is to show practical appreciation for the families and survivors of the martyrs as well as the disabled and freed ones. What is upon you is to keep the name and memory of the martyrs dear and esteemed with your actions, spirit, and words. The enemy must hear something from the children of the martyrs that strikes like a bullet in their hearts. The children of the martyrs are everywhere today; in universities, in schools, in workplaces and responsibilities, at various levels. My dear ones! Wherever you are, do not let the brilliance of the light of martyrdom that is in your essence be extinguished or fade away by the tricks of the enemies. Take pride in the martyrdom and the path in which your fathers and loved ones achieved martyrdom, and know that if there were no martyrs and veterans, if there were no sacrifices and selflessness, this nation would today be one of the most miserable nations in the region. The situation you see in some countries where people have religion and emotions and words, but lack the courage and field to express them, and where officials govern them who do not allow people to express their Islamic beliefs and feelings, would have been much worse in this country due to the prolonged domination of America; the material and spiritual lives of the people would have been trampled by the desires and ambitions of the enemies. The element that gave this nation dignity and honor and truly preserved the dignity and respect of the Iranian nation was your dear ones - these martyrs and veterans.

I believe that just as in the 60s the youth of this country were able to raise the name and flag of Islam high and dear, today’s youth, with their awareness, insight, and purity, will, by the grace of God, be able to raise the flag of Islam, justice, and the legitimacy of the Islamic Republic in the world.

O Lord! Gather our dear martyrs with Your saints. O Lord! Make these pure bloods shed on the ground - which became the source of dignity for this nation - a source of ultimate blessing and pride until the rise of the Mahdi, the Awaited One. O Lord! Bestow Your special mercy and grace upon the survivors of the martyrs - fathers, mothers, spouses, children, brothers, and sisters. O Lord! Make us appreciative of the status of the martyrs and the dignity of their families. O Lord! Make this gathering of ours and what has been said and heard accepted by Your grace.

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