Message on the Occasion of 'Martyrs' Day' in the Decade of Dawn

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

Thanks be to God, Lord of the worlds, Lord of the martyrs and the truthful.

We praise God who opened the door of jihad and martyrdom, the highest platform for human ascent towards the peak of perfection, to this sincere and devoted nation. He has brought forth from our youth, adolescents, men, and women, shining stars in the dusty atmosphere of today's human life, making sincere jihad their way and martyrdom a bright jewel on their foreheads. Endless blessings and peace be upon the great Prophet of God, Muhammad ibn Abdullah (peace be upon him and his family), who brought the glad tidings of human salvation and opened the path of righteousness and happiness, granting believers freedom and dignity in this world and the hereafter; and upon his pure family, the teachers of humanity and models of the perfect human, the guides and leaders on the path to paradise in this world and the hereafter; especially upon the Proof of God and the Imam of the Age, the absolute hope of the world, Hujjat ibn al-Hasan al-Mahdi (may our souls be sacrificed for him and may God hasten his reappearance).

Among the days of this luminous and dawn-filled decade, today is dedicated to the martyrs. In truth, all the days of this decade and all the days of the year should be considered belonging to the martyrs; for if it were not for the selfless struggle of the youth of this land, which culminated in these martyrdoms, all the days of this nation would have turned into dark nights under the black shadow of oppression, aggression, and the interference of the enemies of Islam and Iran. However, today is an opportunity for everyone to renew their memories with the martyrs, to sincerely appreciate them, to bow in respect before the patience and sacrifice of their families, and to fill the atmosphere with respect for martyrdom, the martyrs, and the families of the witnesses. As long as our nation possesses such a spirit of reverence and respect towards the self-sacrificers of the front lines, the banner of this nation's pride will remain aloft.

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

Seyyed Ali Khamenei