The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday stressed that the Iranian nation, during the eight epic years of the holy defence in the 1980s, proved to the world that it is capable of defeating the enemy and successfully navigating its way through "difficult times", given its unity, faith in God, and staunch resilience.
In his address to a gathering of thousands of enthusiastic visitors known as Rahiyan-e Noor (Caravans of Light) bound for the banks of River Karoun in Khuzestan Province in southwestern Iran to visit the former battlefields of the war imposed by the US through Saddam, he emphasized that memories of the selfless sacrifices of all those who were martyred, and all those who played a prominent role in the holy defence, should be kept alive.
Ayatollah Khamenei described the eight years of holy defence as an excellent example of the resilience of the Iranian nation -- the resilience of the younger generation in particular -- saying the memories of this resilience and the fight against arrogant powers should always be kept alive.
He said the fact that pilgrims, and people from all walks of life, visit the former war theatres every year, particularly during the Nowrouz or New Year holidays, and indeed throughout the year, "is a very good thing; a wise choice, which will help keep the memories of the martyrs, and the holy defence era, alive."
The Leader went on to refer to the arrogant powers' attempts to portray Islamic Iran as weak, during eight years of war imposed by the repressive Ba'th minority regime of Iraq, which was fully supported by both the West and the East.
He said through faith in God, and through their resistance, the Iranian nation showed the world during those eight epic years from 1980 to 1988 that it is capable of defending itself against all the world powers.
He added: Islamic Iran can even force the other side to admit to its inabilities.
Ayatollah Khamenei described all the former war operations theatres, including Khuzestan Province, as a place where immense selfless sacrifice was made during eight years of imposed war. He pointedly added: "A nation is defeated when it does not believe in its own abilities anymore; when it feels incapable of achieving a task, but the Iranian nation showed exactly the opposite of this during the holy defence era".
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution reiterated: "A nation can truly hold its head high, and can take pride in itself, if it has been active, and if it has made real achievements in science, in technology, in economy, and in social welfare of its citizens, and more importantly, if it is ready to offer selfless sacrifice".
Elsewhere in his remarks, he said the biggest lesson of the Islamic Revolution for the Iranian nation was that it showed the people lofty ideals and goals which can be achieved if one is prepared to persevere, to fight, to resist and to make sacrifices to achieve those ideals and objectives.
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei went on to add that the events of eight years of holy defence, moment by moment, are unforgettable for the Iranian people, and have had a profound effect on the forward movement of the Iranian nation towards those ideals and objectives.
