Supreme Leader’s Speech to Families of Martyrs and War Veterans from Qom

Supreme Leader’s Speech to Families of Martyrs and War Veterans from Qom
20/10/2010

The following is the full text of the speech delivered by Ayatollah Khamenei on October 20, 2010 to a group of the families of martyrs and disabled war veterans from the city of Qom.

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Greetings be upon Hazrat Fatima Masoumeh, the Holy Prophet's (s.w.a.) granddaughter. Allah's greetings be upon her and her immaculate ancestors.

I seek permission from the immaculate soul of Hazrat Fatima Masoumeh (s.a.). This spiritual meeting has been arranged under the blessed shade of that honorable lady.

Qom plays a leading role in many issues. Regarding the issue of martyrdom, martyrs and their families, Qom is considered a prominent city. This city has offered nearly six thousand martyrs to Islam and the Revolution. During certain years of the Sacred Defense Era, more than one thousand people were martyred in the way of Allah within a year. And the people of this great city buried the bodies of those martyrs without batting an eye. About eleven thousand people were disabled, and these honorable veterans are in fact martyrs who continue living among us - distinguished martyrs who are a source of pride both for Qom and for the entire country. [For this city] These are great advantages.

Dear people, the issue of martyrdom is a very substantial issue. It is an important issue. Our people practically resolved this issue among themselves relying on their faith, religious feelings and courage. They offered martyrs to the Revolution, and there were fathers and mothers among them who did not even cry for their martyred children. There were families among them who did not wear mourning clothes at the funeral ceremony of their children. Therefore, this issue was practically resolved in the minds of the people. However, we have a lot of opportunities to think about martyrdom.

If I was asked to summarize the issue of martyrdom and its importance in one single sentence, I would say that believing in martyrdom and greatness of martyrs shows the spiritual depth of the identity of a nation. How does a nation come to be recognized as great in the eyes of the people of the world? How does a nation affect all events in the world instead of being influenced by different political factors in the world? How does a nation achieve such a position? How does a nation influence other nations and attract their love without having advanced military weapons and great propaganda facilities at its disposal? Take the welcome that the people of Lebanon offered to the President of the Iranian nation. These things are not insignificant. They deserve to be studied. They deserve to be analyzed. How come the President of our country attracts so much attention in another country? Where did the greatness of this nation come from? Paying attention to the importance of the issue of martyrdom is the answer to all these questions. When the people of a country, its youth and parents accept sacrificing themselves for a divine cause as an element of religious faith, that country achieves great power. Naturally, that nation becomes a powerful and leading nation - without having military weapons and without having extraordinary sources of financial wealth.

One hundred people against another one hundred people are equal in terms of number. One hundred against one hundred, one thousand against one thousand, one million against one million - these are all equal. One group may be more powerful in terms of physical and material capabilities. But when the opposing group - which may not have equal physical and material capabilities - is equipped with faith in God and believes that it will not lose anything by making sacrifices in the way of God, it will gain so much power that it will overpower the opposing group, no matter what material advantages it enjoys.

In the Battle of Badr, the enemies of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) far outnumbered the Muslims. Their weapons, wealth and facilities were several times more than those of the Muslims, but the Muslims won the battle. Why? Does victory not depend on physical power? Does it not depend on the sword? Does it not depend on money? Does it not depend on material power? No, victory does not depend on these things. Victory depends on a kind of power that cannot be gained through money, material facilities and atomic weapons. It is gained through faith in martyrdom and faith in self-sacrifice. It is gained through a belief that when one makes sacrifices, one will be rewarded by God in return. If we think of power in this way - which is quite appropriate - the Iranian nation enjoys more power and glory than all other nations.

Who gave this glory to the Iranian nation? First and foremost, it was honorable martyrs like Marttys Zeinoddin, Sadeqi, Vakili and Heidarian who showed this belief - not just in words, but in actions.

The day when Shahid Heidarian went to Kurdistan with a limited number of other people in order to fight the enemy, the Iranian nation was completely alone. All western camps had deployed their forces against us. All global facilities had been deployed against us. A few youth from Qom and other cities and villages of the country showed their faith in the divine covenant through their actions. "Surely Allah has bought of the believers their lives and their property for this, that they shall have the garden. They fight in Allah's way, so they slay and are slain. [It is] a promise which is binding on Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Quran." [The Holy Quran, 9: 111] The divine promise is one that will undoubtedly be honored. Our martyrs are at the forefront. Our war veterans are at the forefront. The soldiers who were disabled in the war led the way. They were the pioneers of this righteous camp. They went to the battlefields and showed their faith in martyrdom and the divine covenant in the arena of action.

Families were the second line of defense who contributed to this glory. You fathers, mothers, children and wives of martyrs who were steadfast and who tolerated this apparently bitter event were the second line of defense. It is difficult and dreadful to lose a loved one. Mothers and fathers who had made a lot of efforts to raise their beloved children had to bring home the bodies of their children from the war fronts. This is extremely difficult. It is not easy. Mothers, fathers, wives and children of our martyrs welcomed this apparently bitter event with open arms. They showed that they have faith in the divine covenant.

I have seen mothers who sincerely said that even if they had had ten children, they would have been prepared to give them up for a divine cause. They were saying that sincerely. I have seen fathers and mothers who felt proud because their children had been martyred in the way of God. Of course they have every reason to feel proud. As Zeinab al-Kubra (s.a.) said, "I did not see anything but beauty." Was the event of Karbala something insignificant? Her divine eyes saw a beautiful truth in that event, in that bloodshed and in that unbearable tragedy. "I did not see anything but beauty." I have seen many families who had the same feeling as Zeinab al-Kubra (s.a.). They also said, "We did not see anything but beauty." These are the factors that make a nation powerful. These are the factors that create a sense of self-confidence in a nation. These are the reasons why such a nation is not frightened by the threats of materialistic powers of the world and the drunken cries of the arrogant and belligerent powers of the world.

Today the Iranian nation is not afraid of the threats and cries of materialistic presidents who are submerged in the passions that have dominated the world. As the honorable fathers and mothers of our martyrs said in this meeting, the Iranian nation is firmly defending its ideals. The families of our martyrs and the Iranian people are standing firm relying on the spiritual power that is rooted in their religious faith. It is necessary to strengthen this faith.

What I am trying to say is that our officials, people and families should appreciate this faith, and they should deepen it in their hearts on a daily basis. It is religious faith that provides the Iranian nation with power. It is religious faith that can support our scientific, technological, political and social advances. You should know that after Imam Khomeini (r.a.) passed away, some people made every effort to eliminate this religious faith from among our people. For this goal they repeatedly spoke and wrote. The enemy focused its efforts on annihilating this religious faith. Of course they failed, and they will continue failing in the future as well.

Our current young generation is very good. The young generation that has been raised in this atmosphere and among these religious feelings is an auspicious generation. If events similar to the events of the 1360s happened today, our youth would not be less prepared than the youth of those times to go to the battlefields. At that time, the Iranian nation was faced with that event, and the youth decided to go and fight at the war fronts. If a similar event happened today, our current young generation would be equally prepared to fight. Our youth are good. They are pure-hearted. They are prepared. I advise our dear youth, especially the young children of our martyrs, to appreciate their dignity. I advise them to appreciate being associated with our dear martyrs, and this is a source of pride both for you and for the entire Iranian nation.

Dear God, make us appreciate our martyrs. Make us appreciate our selfless war veterans. Dear God, always keep the path of faith in spirituality and sincerity open to us, a path that was created by the martyrs. Make the holy heart of the Imam of the Age satisfied with us.

Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings

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