The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution spoke about some of the characteristics and actions of the hero of the Islamic nation, Martyr General Soleimani, in his statements on December 16, 2020, and January 8, 2020. On the occasion of the anniversary of Gen. Soleimani’s martyrdom, Khamenei.ir is reviewing 12 of these features:
Well, these days, many things have been said about that great personality, that good, dear, courageous and fortunate comrade of ours who went to heaven. And what they said about him and his personality traits are correct, but I too wish to raise certain points which I think are important:
1. He was brave and a strategist, and a man of action at the same time
Shahid Soleimani was both brave and insightful. His actions were not merely marked by courage. Some people have courage, but they do not have the necessary wisdom and acumen to utilize their courage. And some people enjoy wisdom, but they do not take action. They do not have the guts to take action. Our dear martyr both had the necessary guts and the necessary acumen. He would embrace danger and he had no fears. His courage showed itself not only in recent events but also during the Sacred Defense Era during which time, he was the commander of the Tharallah Army. Both he and his army showed exemplary courage. And he was a man of wisdom as well. He would think carefully and he had reasons for his actions. This simultaneous courage and acumen manifested itself not only in the arena of the military, but also in the arena of politics. I said this many times to the friends active in the arena of politics as we were witness to his behavior and his actions. He was courageous and wise in the arena of politics as well. His words would exert tremendous influence and they were convincing.
2. He used his courage and acumen on the path of God
Above all, he was pure and sincere. He would expend his courage and acumen on the path of God and he was not a hypocrite and a pretentious man. Sincerity is very important. We should practice sincerity as well.
3. He strictly observed the limits set by God
Another one of his qualities was that despite being a commander who had mastery over the military, he was very careful to observe shar’i principles. Sometimes, people forget about shar’i principles in the arena of war, saying that there is no time for that, but he was very careful in this regard. He would not use weapons if he did not deem it necessary. He would take care not to transgress against other people’s rights. He would exercise caution in areas that many people do not deem necessary, but he would try to be cautious. He would embrace danger, but at the same time, he would protect others’ lives as far as he could. He would watch over the lives of his comrades, his soldiers and his colleagues from among other nations who stood beside him.
4. The Revolution and being a revolutionary were his red line
The Revolution and being revolutionary were his definite red lines. Some people should not try to undermine this aspect of his personality. This is a reality about him. He was absorbed by the Revolution and being a revolutionary was his red line. Of course, he was not interested in aligning himself with different parties, different factions and the like, but he was completely committed to the idea of being a revolutionary. He was committed to the Revolution and to the auspicious and dazzling guidelines of our late Imam (may God bestow paradise on him).
5. He neutralized all of the illegitimate plans of the US for the West Asian region
One example of his insight and his courage was that – the enemies might know this well, but some friends might not know it – is that he managed to foil all illegitimate plots of the Americans in West Asia with the help of regional peoples – or it could be said with the support that he offered to them. That man managed to stand up to all the plots that had been hatched with money, with vast propaganda efforts made by the Americans, with the diplomatic capabilities of the Americans and with the bullying that they exert on politicians – particularly on some weak countries. He managed to foil all the schemes set up by them in West Asia.
Regarding Palestine, the Americans intended to consign the issue of Palestine to oblivion and to keep the Palestinians weak so that they would not dare speak of fighting, but that man empowered the Palestinians. He did something to make a small region like the Gaza strip – which is a small strip of land – stand up to the Zionist regime despite all their extravagant claims. He created such a disastrous situation for them that they asked for ceasefire after just 48 hours! This was done by Hajj Qasem Soleimani. He empowered the Palestinians. He helped them stand up and resist.
This is what our Palestinian brothers have said to me time and time again. Of course, I was already aware of his feats, but they testified to that. All Palestinian leaders acknowledged the same thing on their numerous trips to our country. That is while when we had meetings with such officials, who were in contact with him – these were ordinary official meetings – he would sit in a corner in order not to be seen by others. If we needed to know his opinion and if we needed his testimony, we had to look here and there to find him. He would not place himself within sight and he was not a man of pretentio.
The US plans in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon were foiled thanks to the assistance and actions of that dear martyr. The Americans would like Iraq to be like the taghuti regime of Iran – the Pahlavi regime which existed in the past – or like today’s Saudi Arabia. They want it to be a region full of oil where they will be able to do whatever pleases them. As that person said, they want that country to be a “dairy cow”. They want Iraq to be like that. However, pious and brave personalities, youth and marja taqlids of Iraq stood up to the Americans and Hajj Qasem- may God bestow paradise on him- helped and supported that vast front in its entirety. He proved to be an active counsellor and supporter in that country.
The same thing can be seen in the case of Syria and Lebanon. As for Lebanon, the Americans are willing to deprive Lebanon of its most important element of independence – in other words, the Resistance Force and Hezbollah – so much so that Lebanon would be defenseless in the face of Israel and so that they would be able to advance as far as Beirut. As it happens, they did so years ago. However, Hezbollah became stronger on a daily basis. Today, Hezbollah serves as both the hands and the eyes of Lebanon. And our dear martyr played a brilliant and prominent role in this regard. He enjoyed acumen and courage. He was a brave mujahid and a diligent brother.
6. His martyrdom showed the whole world that the Revolution is alive
Another chapter about Shahid Soleimani is the blessings ensuing his great martyrdom. Whenever that dear martyr delivered a report – be that a verbal or a written report about the tasks that he had carried out – I would praise him both verbally and deep in my heart, but [today] I bow down in respect to what he started and brought about for the country and for the whole region [Audience weeps]. A great feat was accomplished. He caused a movement. His spirituality and his martyrdom made him so prominent and outstanding. See how the Iranians and the Iraqis bid farewell to him. Notice how the people in Kadhamayn, in Baghdad, in Najaf and in Karbala behaved in bidding farewell to that body torn to pieces. [Audience weeps]. I thank his pure soul from the bottom of my heart.
His martyrdom showed the whole world that the Revolution is alive in our country. Some people wanted to pretend that the Revolution is over and that it is dead – of course, some people are still trying to make this happen. However, his martyrdom showed that the Revolution is alive. You saw what happened in Tehran and in other cities. With his martyrdom, Shahid Soleimani cleansed dust-covered eyes. The enemies felt humble in the face of the greatness of the Iranian nation. Of course, they may not show it, but they have no other option. The enemies who are trying to describe that grand mujahid and that Sardar and Commander of fighting against terrorism as a terrorist – in other words, the unfair and untruthful Americans who rave and rant all the time and whose words are actually worthless – had such intentions in mind, but the Iranian nation slapped them across the face! [ Jan 8, 2020 ]
7. He became the champion of the Iranian nation and the Islamic nation
The Soleimani martyrdom is a historic event. It is not a normal event that will be erased from historic memory. That event was recorded in history as a brilliant incident. Shahid Soleimani turned into the champion of the Iranian nation and the Islamic Ummah. This is a fundamental point. Iranians are proud of themselves for the fact that a man rose from a distant village who turned into a brilliant personality and a champion of the Islamic Ummah as a result of his endeavors and self-edification.
8. He was the embodiment of Iran and Iranian cultural values
He is the champion of the Iranian nation because the people saw in him their own cultural, spiritual and revolutionary assets and values. While he was still alive and while he was pursuing his work – in a very simple manner and without any ostentation – the people would put up his photos on the street and they would feel proud of him. And when he was martyred, it was not only revolutionaries who commemorated him. Rather, people from all social backgrounds showed their sentiments towards him: even those who were not expected to show their feelings for a revolutionary figure. Why is that? It is because of this fact: he was the embodiment of Iran’s and the Iranians’ cultural values. This is really valuable. From another perspective, he enjoyed a spirit of courage and resistance. Courage and resistance are among Iranian qualities. Humiliation, retreat, passiveness and other such negative qualities are the antithesis of our national sentiments. Those who claim to be nationalists, but who act in a weak and humiliated manner are self-contradictory. He was the embodiment of courage and resistance. Everyone could see and witness this in him.
9. He was very bright
We could equally refer to his acumen and intelligence. He was very smart. There are many points about this aspect of his. Long before its realization, he predicted the emergence of a so-called religious orientation that was inclined to a particular denomination and that worked against the Resistance and he shared his thoughts with me saying: “According to what I see in the world of Islam – he mentioned the names of some countries – a certain orientation is coming into being.” And after a while, DAESH came into being! He was a shrewd and intelligent person. When dealing with the affairs in the countries where he was involved, he would act in a very wise and judicious manner. I could easily feel this. Well, we were constantly in contact with one another about different matters. He was shrewd. This is another Iranian quality. This is another quality of our Iranian cultural assets.
10. He exhibited a spirit of self-sacrifice and love for human beings
He also exhibited a spirit of self-sacrifice and love for human beings. He did not attach significance to this or that nation. He loved all human beings and he sacrificed himself for everyone. Moreover, he was a man of spirituality, purity and piety. He was really spiritual, pure and mystical and he did not pretend. Well, these are a collection of valuable virtues and ethics. The people saw these in him and he embodied them. In the deserts and mountains of such and such countries, he faced different enemies and he embodied and reflected the values of Iranian culture. Therefore, he turned into the champion of the Iranian nation.
11. He was a manifestation of Resistance against Arrogance’s coercion in the Islamic world
On the other hand, we said that he was a champion of the Islamic Ummah. Why? Because with his moves and ultimately, with his martyrdom – his martyrdom also complemented his actions – he became the code word for inspiration and for rallying the Resistance front in the world of Islam. In today’s world of Islam, whenever some people wish to resist in the face of arrogant bullying, their role model and their code word is Shahid Soleimani. He is respected and commemorated in different countries. His photo is put up here and there, his name is chanted on every tongue and they hold different occasions in his memory. In fact, he taught the people how to use the resistance software and the fighting paradigm and he promoted them among nations. Well, these are very important and very sensitive roles. That is why he is an outstanding personality and a champion icon in the world of Islam.
12. He defeated Arrogance both during his lifetime and with his martyrdom
These are facts that have been proven. He defeated arrogance in his lifetime. The reason being that the American president [Donald Trump] once said: “We spent seven trillion dollars in Iraq, but we gained nothing.” He even had to travel in the dark of night to pay a visit to an American base in Iraq. The whole world believes that the US did not achieve its goals in Iraq and Syria – in particular, in Iraq. Why? Who was the agent behind their failure? It was Soleimani who was the champion. Therefore, he defeated them in his lifetime.
He defeated them after his martyrdom as well. The burial ceremony that was organized in Iran for him was really astonishing and unforgettable. The same is true of the burial ceremony in Iraq with the presence of millions of Iraqis. They bid farewell to his body in Najaf and Baghdad: with the participation of millions of people! He as well as Shahid Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were bid farewell. That ceremony and the following commemoration events astonished the soft war generals in the camp of arrogance. The outstanding and most influential generals in the soft war of arrogance were astonished to see that incident and they could not understand, in any way, the great movement that defeated them. [ Dec 16, 2020 ]
