Statements at the Celebration of the Birth of Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her)

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 and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and infallible family, especially the remainder of God among the worlds.

Welcome, dear brothers and sisters. We have greatly benefited from the performance of the esteemed brothers who have presented the program here. The profound and meaningful poems have brought the gathering to life. Many gatherings have crowds, but they are not relevant to this time. This gathering is of this time. These poems, these movements, these statements, and your gathering and enthusiasm have made this assembly contemporary.

I congratulate you on the birth of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) and also on the birth of our dear Imam. Regarding Lady Fatimah al-Zahra, I will only say one sentence, as the virtues, merits, and distinctions of this divine and celestial lady are beyond what we can express in our statements; they are far beyond our understanding and perception; however, it can be said that she was a role model. Do we not want to act? Do we not want to live a Fatimid life? She was a role model; we must act and move according to the behavior and actions of the role model. She was a role model of piety, a role model of justice-seeking, a role model of jihad. The jihad that Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) undertook is among the most difficult of struggles. If one were to compare, perhaps all the battles of the Prophet would be one side and the jihad of Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) would be on the other. She was a role model of jihad. She was a role model of clarification; that eloquent sermon in the Mosque of Medina was an extraordinarily unique and enlightening exposition. She was a role model of feminine duties; being a wife, raising children, nurturing Zainab, and many other Islamic values. These are the apparent and understandable aspects from our perspective; the inner and celestial aspects are beyond our view and cannot be described.

Now, I would like to speak about the art of eulogy; my words today are a few sentences about eulogy. Today, eulogy is one of the very important fields that deserves research. Today, eulogy is not just about coming, reciting, and making people cry; today, eulogy has become a phenomenon in our country that is worthy of research and investigation. What does research mean? "Depth-finding"; understanding what lies behind this poetry, song, and behavior. "Pathology"; it may lead us to some weaknesses. Searching for "ways of growth"; what can we do to advance eulogy towards growth, towards evolution, and in the path of evolution? This is a collection that a group of researchers should and can work on; today, this is necessary.

Of course, eulogy existed in the past; in our youth, there were eulogists, though not to this extent, not in this number, not with this awareness, not with this literacy, but they existed. They had certain advantages — for example, they would recite long and eloquent poems — but overall, the distance between the eulogy of our youth and today's eulogy is very vast; today, eulogy has become a remarkable phenomenon in our society. I mention this so that our dear eulogists know what they are doing. Of course, you know; today's poetry and today's words have shown that eulogists know where they stand and what responsibility they have taken on. Today, after several decades, this very important phenomenon of eulogy has emerged as an influential element in the country. We need this. We need influential factors that affect minds, brains, and hearts; first, we must recognize them, and second, we must strengthen them. My main point is what I will now express.

Of course, not all eulogies are at the same level; there are variations. All phenomena are like this; they are not all the same; some are superior, some are more moderate; however, what can be stated approximately and in general is that today, eulogy is one of the bases of "resistance literature." Today, eulogy is a base for resistance literature. If there is a "thought" and there is no corresponding "literature" for that thought, that thought dies, it disappears. Producing literature that is suitable for thought is a great art. One of the centers and bases that compiles, expands, and transmits this literature — resistance literature — is the phenomenon of eulogy and the mourning congregation.

Well, what does "national resistance" mean? When we say "national resistance literature," what does national resistance mean? Today, it is said "the front of resistance"; what is this? What do they resist against? "National resistance" means resilience against any pressure that the enemy exerts in one of the aspects of human life to force that nation into submission; our meaning of "resistance" is standing firm against this pressure; to endure, to resist, to stand firm, to persist, to cut off the enemy's foot, to sever the enemy's hand.

This pressure that we speak of may come in various forms; it does not matter what it is; sometimes it is military pressure, which we have seen; the youth have not seen it, but we have seen it; we saw it forty years ago. Military pressure to compel the Islamic Republic to accept an imposition! This pressure may come through military means, economic means, or pressure through media hype and propaganda. Look at the virtual space, see the foreign radios, observe not only the statements of journalists and reporters but also the high-ranking military and political officials in the world; all of these focus on one point and one center, and that center is the pressure on the steadfastness and resistance of nations, with the Iranian nation at the forefront; this is how it is today. Therefore, this pressure can be military pressure, economic pressure — for example, sanctions — media pressure, pressure in virtual space, espionage, and similar matters.

The goal of this pressure can be territorial expansion, like what the Americans are currently doing with some Latin American countries; it can be for underground resources, exerting pressure to seize the oil resources of a certain country; or it can be cultural and religious issues; or pressure to change lifestyles, which is mainly done through media tools; or fundamentally, pressure to change identity. For a hundred years, the Westerners have tried, since the late Qajar period, to change the identity of the Iranian nation; their religious identity, their historical identity, their cultural identity. Reza Khan took the first step, but he was not successful; later, they moved more politically, did some things, but they were not successful; the Islamic Revolution came and washed it all away. Pressure to change the identity of the Iranian nation. In any case, in all these cases, resistance is necessary. We said, what does resistance mean? It means resilience, persistence, standing firm, not submitting, thwarting the pressure factor; this is the meaning of resistance. When we constantly speak of the front of resistance, this is what we mean; one day it was only Iran, today it has expanded to the countries of the region and even in some cases to countries outside the region; resistance has gradually expanded.

Of course, our nation has been able to resist since the formation of the Islamic Republic and the victory of the Islamic Revolution; it has been able to stand firm, it has been able to not submit to the pressure of the enemy. They did everything — now, since we have said these things many times and repeated them, I do not want to repeat what they did — some of the actions that the enemy took against the Iranian nation were such that if they had been done to any country and any nation, they would have been devastated, but the Iranian nation stood firm, the Islamic Republic stood with complete resilience, with complete resistance.

Our eulogy has moved in this direction since the beginning of the revolution; not all, but it started; it reached its peak during the war. During the war, each of these martyrs became a banner for keeping the Iranian nation alive, through the eulogists; the eulogists did this. When that martyr's body came, if there had not been that eulogist, if that poetic epic had not resonated in the atmosphere and attracted hearts, that martyr would have been forgotten. Zainab did the work; Zainab kept Karbala alive and preserved it in history. This work started from the beginning of the revolution and has continued to this day; it is still present today. Of course, not all eulogy gatherings are like our gathering today, I know, but in all gatherings, there is a tendency, a perspective, a movement towards the concept and instance of resistance in Iran.

Now, my point in summary is this; I only want to say this one sentence that today we are beyond military confrontations — which existed, you saw, and they constantly give the possibility of [repetition] as well, some intentionally blow this up to keep the people anxious, to create unease, which they will not succeed in, God willing — we are at the center of a propaganda and media confrontation; with whom? With a vast front. We are in a propaganda war, in a spiritual war. The enemy has realized that seizing this land and this divine and spiritual territory is not possible with pressure and military tools. They have understood that if they want to make a seizure, to intervene, they must change hearts, they must change minds and thoughts; they have gone in this direction. Of course, we stand firm against them, but today the danger is this, the line is this, the enemy's goal is this. The enemy's goal in our country is to erase the brilliant effects of revolutionary concepts; their goal is to gradually divert the people from the memory of the revolution, from the memory of the goals of the revolution, from the memory of the actions that took place in the revolution, from the memory of the Imam of the revolution; they are working for this, they are striving for this; they spend billions; they do not say it, but we know. They employ writers, artists, book authors, novelists, Hollywood, and others, using various tools to change the minds of the Iranian youth. The active front in this area against us is a vast front; of course, the center is America, surrounded by some European countries, and on the periphery are mercenaries, traitors, and those without a homeland who have gathered in Europe and elsewhere to achieve some gain, and they have made this their method. We are facing them.

Therefore, the front of the revolution and the agents of resistance must recognize this enemy situation, and arrange themselves according to this enemy's order and purpose. In military matters, our formation depends on the enemy's goal; when we see the enemy wants to attack a certain point, we take a military formation to thwart the enemy; this must be done in propaganda as well. The propaganda formation must go in the direction that the enemy has targeted, which is the Islamic teachings, the Shia teachings, and the revolutionary teachings; the enemy has targeted these; we must stand firm against them. Of course, this is not an easy task, but fortunately, today we have many scholars in the religious seminaries who have worked in these areas, have thought about them, have products, and the eulogist community of the country can fully benefit from them.

You eulogists can transform the congregation you are in into a center of commitment to the values of the revolution and other values; especially today, when the youth fortunately have a strong inclination towards the congregation. Today, the youth's inclination towards the congregation is very high; it was not like this in the past. Today, the youth in various cities — which we also learn about or see on television or receive news about — fortunately have an inclination and are working, striving; this should be appreciated, and the younger generation should be safeguarded against the goals of this obstinate and wicked enemy, unfortunately equipped with resources.

I recommend that in eulogies about the Imams (peace be upon them), you highlight the clarification of the teachings. In my opinion, the Imams (peace be upon them) performed two main tasks: one was the clarification of teachings, which preserved Islamic teachings; if they had not clarified the Islamic teachings, today nothing would remain of Islam and the true teachings of Islam; this was one. The other was struggle. The Imams struggled. In this regard, I have said many things over the years. All the Imams were engaged in struggle. From the time of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) — whether in the time of Imam Hasan, whether in the time of Imam Husayn, whether in the time of the subsequent Imams — all the Imams were engaged in struggle; struggle against the caliphate system, struggle against the enemies of truth, each in their own way; each with a different method, but all were struggling; this should be expressed in the lives of the Imams, in the narration of the lives of the Imams. Therefore, [one recommendation] is the clarification of religious teachings, the clarification of struggle-oriented and revolutionary teachings.

One recommendation is that in confronting the enemy, do not limit yourselves to defending against what they create doubts about. Of course, defense is necessary; the enemy's doubt-creation must be refuted, but the enemy has many weaknesses; target those weaknesses, attack them, attack them in poetic concepts, which fortunately some of the brothers have shown good capability in this area.

One recommendation is to fill the eulogy [platform] with the strengths of Islam, whether in personal matters, whether in social matters, whether in politics, whether in confronting the enemy — Islam has important teachings in these areas, it has strengths — so that anyone who sits down to listen to you, your program, benefits and utilizes a large portion from the Quran, from Quranic concepts. Transform eulogy into an effective and important tool for promoting religion and promoting religious concepts and revolutionary issues; this work is already being done to a large extent; expand this, strengthen this, make this public, and ensure that this exists in all cases. Sometimes the impact of a well-structured and meaningful lamentation that you recite in the platform is much greater and more lasting in the hearts of your audience than one or two argumentative and philosophical speeches.

The discussion of well-structured singing has arisen; be careful that mistakes do not occur in this area; the melodies of the era of tyranny should not infiltrate our religious concepts; sometimes one hears it in certain places. Be vigilant! The melody of eulogy is your melody, it belongs to you, it is your innovation; what relates to your enemies — against whom you have risen, your nation has risen against those teachings, against that false culture — should not infiltrate your work and your expression.

Therefore, what I feel and see is that fortunately, among the important tools for the advancement of the country, the phenomenon of eulogy has a special place. You are working, striving, and as I said, it requires research; it must be analyzed for weaknesses, ways of its evolution must be found, suitable content and perhaps suitable melodies for this work must be prepared. Let us preserve eulogy, maintain it, evolve it, and utilize this phenomenon.

I tell you, with God's grace, the Islamic Republic is progressing. We have many shortages; they pointed to the dust in Khuzestan; this is one of the smallest issues. There are greater shortages in the country, but the country is moving forward, it is progressing. The Iranian nation is gradually earning respect for Islam, showing that Islam means steadfastness, Islam means power, Islam means sincerity and purity, Islam means goodwill and justice-seeking; these are what the Iranian nation is gradually demonstrating. Of course, major transformations in a country are not immediately visible, because they are gradual, because they are long-term — they are not short-term and do not happen in a moment for one to see; they happen gradually — but I want to say that with God's grace, society is gradually progressing. Today's youth regarding religious issues — apart from the very early days of the revolution — are far ahead compared to a period in between, and after this, God willing, they will progress even further.

May the sacred spirit of the martyrs and the sacred spirit of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) be pleased, for he opened this path for the Iranian nation.

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