Statements in Meeting with Members of the Congress Commemorating the Martyrs of Qazvin Province

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

We are very grateful for the statements of the esteemed Friday Prayer Leader and the honorable commander from Qazvin. The remarks of the Friday Prayer Leader were filled with noble verses of the Quran; it is very good that from beginning to end, [even] the elegy you recite is a Quranic elegy; this is among the very good things, do not abandon this method. Of course, the noble verse "Those who responded to God and the Messenger after the wound had afflicted them" is not for the martyrs, it is for the disabled, meaning those who were wounded after the Battle of Uhud, then [some] came and said: "Those to whom the people said, 'Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them.' But it increased them in faith and they said, 'Sufficient for us is God, and He is the best disposer of affairs.'" They turned back with a favor from God and a bounty; it is for those who, despite being wounded, when the Prophet said that those who are wounded should come to this movement, stood up, went, responded to the enemy, and returned. In any case, we are very grateful for your statements and also for the statements of the esteemed governor.

As you pointed out, Qazvin has a geographical position, a historical position, a cultural position, and a great test related to the era of the Revolution and the Sacred Defense among its honors; there is no doubt about this, and the great figures of Qazvin, whether the scholars of the past like the brothers Barghani, Martyr Salis, and the late Molla Saleh - the grandfather of Mr. Salehi - and others who were until our time, and also the prominent martyrs, Martyr Babaei, Martyr Lashgari, Martyr Rajai, the late Mr. Abutalebi (may God be pleased with him) - father and son - and others are all sources of pride; it is truly as you pointed out.

The martyrs are the source of the flourishing of spiritual life in the country. Spiritual life means spirit, means feeling of identity, means having a goal, means moving towards ideals, means not stopping; this is the work of the martyrs; the Quran teaches us this as well. As long as the martyrs are present, they defend with their bodies, when they leave, they do so with their souls: "And they rejoice in what has come to them of grace from God and good tidings for those who have not yet joined them from behind them; no fear shall be upon them, nor shall they grieve." You see, this rejoicing is for after they leave. As long as they are present, their souls and bodies and their material movement are in the service of Islam and the Islamic community, when they leave, their spirituality, their voice rises only after they have gone. The speech of the martyrs opens up after martyrdom, they speak with the people - "with those who have not yet joined them" - they are speaking to us; [we must] not be deaf to hear this voice. The work you do, the esteemed families of the martyrs do, or the commemorators in various cities - like Qazvin, Birjand, and other places - is to convey this voice to our deaf ears; what is important is that we hear this voice. And the Almighty God has also left an effect in this voice; it truly has an effect; it has become such that when something is quoted from a martyr, a precise and profound word is quoted, it leaves an impact on hearts, it transforms hearts. And all these young martyrs who go these days to defend the shrine or have gone and been martyred - including that dear martyr from Qazvin - their words, their actions, their movements, the memories that are spoken about them, all of these are awakening, all of these are enlightening. Our ears are heavy, we do not hear these messages properly; if we are made to hear these messages, then this inclination towards the East and the West and the enemy and disbelief and atheism and such things will depart from us. These weaknesses that you observe in us are because we do not hear this message; if we hear this message, spirits will be strengthened, the movement will be a serious movement. In any case, the work you are doing - commemorating the martyrs - is very valuable, and I have said, thirty years have passed since the end of the Sacred Defense, but even if three hundred years pass, our dear martyrs will not be forgotten; day by day they become more alive; thanks be to God, in our society they are becoming more alive day by day. [Of course, some] tried to consign the martyrs to oblivion, they tried to undermine the greatness of their work, to create disputes, but they could not; it turned out the opposite. And today, thanks be to God, they are our role models, they are our examples. May God willing, may He unite our dear martyrs with the Prophet, and may God willing grant you who have considered it your duty to commemorate these dear ones and have entered this path, success, may He grant you rewards so that you can carry out this work as best as possible, God willing.

And as we pointed out previously on the occasion of the martyrs of Birjand, use every opportunity to remember these martyrs, write as much as you can about them, listen, record, do artistic work. There is no need for exaggeration and embellishment about them. I sometimes see that some people exaggerate; there is no need for that. The very act of these martyrs is so great that it does not need any adornment or exaggeration; their work is significant. Who sacrifices their life? We ordinary people of the world are willing to do wrong for a small benefit, while these individuals came and sacrificed the dearest thing that exists for a human being - that is, their life, their soul - for God; at a young age, when desires are strong in a person, when aspirations are strong in a person, they stepped on these aspirations, they stepped on physical comfort and ease and moved in the way of the Almighty God and gave their lives. This very movement is so great, so magnificent that it does not need exaggeration. God willing, pursue and carry out the work with this precision and diligence. May God willing grant you goodness and assistance.

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