Statements at the Meeting with the Organizing Committee of the National Congress of Martyrs of Sistan and Baluchestan Province

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

Honoring our dear and devoted martyrs is one of the virtues that, thanks be to God, has become common in this period of time. The fact that in various provinces, the martyrs of each province are remembered with grandeur and respect is a very useful and necessary act. However, in some centers of the country and provinces, there is a characteristic that this virtuous act is considered even more virtuous; one of these centers is Sistan and Baluchestan Province. It is very appealing to me to see a group of distinguished individuals from various sectors of Sistan and Baluchestan Province and the esteemed officials of this province gathered together to prepare a commemoration for the martyrs of this province - which is a deprived province - to honor them and remember them; this is very interesting to me, it is very good.

The appeal of this matter for me arises from several factors. One factor is my own interest in this province. We had a period of stay in Sistan and Baluchestan that was not very long, but God Almighty arranged the circumstances in such a way that our bond with this province and its people became like a bond of several years; this was God's work, otherwise we did not stay there for long. Iranshahr was so interesting to me during that time that I even made a will and said if I die during this trip, please bury me in Iranshahr, do not take me out of Iranshahr. I also visited the cemetery there - the Iranshahr cemetery - but it was not meant to be. The Baluch people are very loving; they are warm, sincere, and talented; there is a lot of talent in that province. However, throughout history - whether during the Qajar era or the Pahlavi era - for many years, that region and its people have been wronged and neglected. When we were there, we had a bond with the people and spoke with them; however, not even a half-hearted official had set foot in a city like Iranshahr, which was actually considered the political and geographical center of Baluchestan; or in Saravan, which was considered the scientific and spiritual center of Baluchestan, not even one official - someone like the governor - had set foot there. After the revolution, presidents and officials went to all these cities, even to the villages; the distance is very great. During that period, there was neglect towards the people, neglect towards the issues of Baluchestan; the talents of these people did not emerge and did not find an opportunity; the same goes for the Sistan region. The people of Sistan are unique among all Iranian ethnic groups in terms of their historical past. The past of Sistan is a very remarkable and brilliant past; it too was neglected, and this neglect was accompanied by natural disasters. What one feels when encountering these people is that they are in need of love, and God Almighty has instilled this love for them in our hearts, and in the hearts of the officials as well; many works have been done for Sistan and Baluchestan. All the works that Mr. Governor mentioned are necessary works, but I advise him not to be satisfied with just telling me in this meeting; I am not the one who does these works, the officials are the ones who carry out these works; whether it is the railway, the desalination plant, or many other things; go and follow up, go and seriously ask your higher officials in the government to pursue these matters; they know the ways; if there is a way - and there is - they know how to pursue it. Look at the necessary works in the province. For example, suppose in Iranshahr, which I was a bit more familiar with its issues than other parts of the province, why should the "Baluch fabric" sleep and perish? Why? This is what I was pursuing from the beginning, and it started and was going well, but then it was neglected; go and solve these issues, find people, find the private sector to come and take responsibility for these works; then they can also use the development fund - the development fund belongs to the private sector - there is no problem; that is, go and follow up on these issues. Therefore, one of the reasons I was pleased with your gathering for the martyrs is that I have a personal interest in that province and its people; this interest is not irrational, it is based on logic and reasoning; not just that we had a slight bond with the people; no, it is truly a place that deserves affection. Secondly, this province is a symbol of our Islamic unity slogan. There are a few regions in the country - Kurdistan Province, the Turkmen Sahra region in Golestan Province, and Sistan and Baluchestan Province - where Sunnis and Shiites live together. We want to teach the world this and say that Muslim brothers should cooperate and live together; an example of this is here in Sistan and Baluchestan. The enemy has actually focused on this point, has pointed to this point, and wants to create division. When you come and say that an eleven or twelve-year-old Sunni child is martyred in Shalamcheh defending the Islamic Republic, this is the greatest news of unity and solidarity between Shiites and Sunnis in Sistan and Baluchestan; this is not a small matter, this is a very important issue! When, for example, a certain Sunni cleric is attacked by the enemy for defending the Islamic Republic and is martyred by the counter-revolutionaries, these should be highlighted, these should be emphasized, these should be made visible; we have had such things in Sistan and Baluchestan. It is very important that you display this true and real unity in this province, show it to the people; the way is the same as what this esteemed commander mentioned; that is, various cultural works, from preparing books and memories to cultural products; whether it relates to visual arts or auditory arts, and similar things. Use all of these, embody this truth, make it clear, so that everyone sees that in the Islamic Republic, Shiite and Sunni brothers stand together in the most difficult fields. I have made several trips to Baluchestan and there - in Zahedan, in Iranshahr, in Khash, in Saravan, in Chabahar, in Zabol, and in various places in the province - I have moved around, traveled. When one enters these cities, one feels that the people are genuinely sincere towards the Islamic Republic; this is clearly felt there. Well, these things show themselves more than anywhere else in the battlefield and in the field of sacrifice. The memory of the martyrs must be honored. This country and this system still need the remembrance and mention of our dear martyrs; we all need this. It is with the name and memory of the martyrs that the honors produced by the Islamic Republic manifest themselves. The Islamic Republic is a system that has stood against the modern ignorance for many years, and thus modern ignorance has risen up against it with all its tools; with military weapons, with cultural weapons, with new and emerging tools, with economic sanctions. This modern ignorance - this established and widespread falsehood that unfortunately exists in the world - has used all kinds of tools against the Islamic Republic. Everyone has risen against the Islamic Republic and has not been able to defeat it; they could not force the Islamic Republic to retreat; they could not make the Islamic Republic turn back from its words, to say "I have retreated from this statement, I have retreated from this demand"; they could not. Why could they not? Because the Islamic Republic is very strong. What is the reason for this strength? The strength of faith and steadfastness. When we reach this point, you see that the end of this very important chain leads to the martyrs, to the disabled, to the devoted, to the self-sacrificers; it leads to these. What has enabled this Islamic Republic, thanks be to God, to maintain its dignity in the world and to shine more and more in the world, and for all these conspiracies and such things not to have an impact, is the sacrifices of the people; the reason is these steadfast faiths, the complete and supreme manifestation of which is the martyrs. And you are honoring the martyrs and respecting them and keeping their names and memories alive. We need this; the Islamic Republic needs this honoring and respect for the martyrs. Therefore, your work is a very good work, a completely correct and necessary work.

And everyone should cooperate; there is no distinction between Shiite and Sunni, learned and ignorant; all sectors, all those who can, should cooperate in this matter and keep the memory of these dear ones alive, elevate it, and highlight the memory of these martyrs. I, of course, knew some of the well-known martyrs of Sistan and Baluchestan closely, and I have read the biographies of some in notes and books; however, at the same time, introduce all these martyrs and these distinguished individuals, especially these teenagers - the twelve-year-old, the fourteen-year-old teenagers we do not know and are unaware of their conditions - so that everyone knows them and recognizes them. God willing, may God grant you all success.

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