Statements at the Meeting with Members of the Congress of Commanders and 2500 Martyrs of Najafabad County

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

The city of Najafabad is indeed a prominent city both religiously and revolutionarily; as mentioned, since the time of Sheikh Baha'i and thereafter, great scholars have emerged from Najafabad - the late Amirza Mohammad Najafabadi, the late Sayyid Ali Najafabadi; they were great figures who resided in Najafabad and were also in Isfahan, the center of gathering for students and scholars. Later, when it culminated in the Islamic movement, Najafabad was one of the most pioneering counties; we hardly find a place that welcomed the movement of Imam (may God’s peace be upon him) like Najafabad did; which was mainly due to the blessings of the late Mr. Montazeri. He was a student of the Imam, fond of the Imam, devoted to the Imam, and a believer in struggle and revolution; thus, in Najafabad - at that time, before the revolution, I visited Najafabad, I saw the conditions there - despite the anti-religious propaganda and the activities of various false sects, there was truly a unified group of believers committed to the revolution and interested in the revolution. After the revolution succeeded, it remained the same. The 8th Division of Najaf, which you mentioned, was one of the powerful divisions in the fields of the eight-year defense, and the late martyr Kazemi (may God’s mercy be upon him) was truly one of those distinguished commanders. During the war, I went to Khuzestan to the center of the Najaf Division, and I saw things there that one could hardly observe in other divisions: readiness on one side, very high morale on another, and order and discipline; the order and discipline I saw in that division was rarely observed elsewhere. Well, it has distinguished martyrs that Mr. Hasanati mentioned; students, teachers, clerics, and political figures, and so on. It truly has a special prominence; without a doubt, Najafabad is one of the peaks of jihad.

We hope, God willing, that the Almighty God grants reward to those dear people; may He gather their martyrs with the Prophet (peace be upon him); may He elevate and honor their families; and may this great gathering you are holding in this city be a source of good effects and blessings. Please convey our greetings to the dear people of Najafabad - in a sense, our fellow townspeople; our ancestor, the late Mr. Sayyid Hashem Najafabadi, is also from Najafabad, thus we have a connection to Najafabad through this lineage - and also convey our greetings to our commander, General Soleimani, to the children of the IRGC and Basij, and may God willing, you be successful.