Tehran, Sept. 27, 1998 irna - the leader of the Islamic
revolution,
ayatollah Ali Khamene’i, here on Sunday termed martyrs and their families as
''the
bright lights of history and the Islamic system,'' adding ''based on religious
principles,
there is no value loftier for a human being than to wilfully sacrifice his life and
existence for sublime divine ideals.''
addressing an audience of families of the martyrs of the armed forces
and the construction jihad corps, the leader further highlighted the impact of martyrdom
on the progress of nations, and stated ''any nation which learns the art of martyrdom is
forever proud, not ever being overcome by any power.
''this is because any nation which can bring its youth, men and women
to come to terms with dying in the path of god, will never be affected by
threats, seductions, propaganda and military campaigns by the enemies, and thus will never submit
to the powerful.''
stating that the martyrs are responsible for the Iranian nation's
resistance to pressures by the world arrogance, ayatollah Khamene’i added
''the
arrogance has failed and will fail in all its assaults on the Islamic Iran.
''various plots of satanic powers including economic
sanctions,
propaganda campaigns, baseless accusations, efforts to create discord in the nation and
encroachment on people's faith would be frustrated and this is all owed to the blood of
martyrs.''
the leader further referred to those attached to material attractions
of life as the source of adversity for nations and governments, adding ''it's religion
that secures the life and afterlife of the people, and saves a nation from its
enemies.''
tehran, sept 18, irna -- leader of the islamic revolution ayatollah
Seyyid Ali Khamene’i on friday attended the funeral procession held in tehran for the
iranian martyrs massacred by taliban in afghanistan. six diplomats and irna journalist
were laid to rest today. the people chanted for Khamene’is jihad decree to deal with
taliban.
''we are waiting for the leader to decree the jihad to deal with
taliban, the world armies cannot stand before us,'' the people. ''these are our
petal-strewed flowers dedicated to the leader,'' was another slogan chanted by the people.
tehran, sept. 15, irna -- the leader of the islamic revolution, ayatollah ali
khamenei,
here today called for full readiness on part of the military personnel regarding the
taliban sedition in afghanistan, and also issued warning regarding the creeping cultural
assault facing the nation. addressing the top brass of the islamic revolution's guards
corps (irgc), the leader called on all cultural and judicial bodies to deal with the group
of the press which are abusing the freedoms to unleash an assault on the people's
faith.
speaking of the creeping cultural assault initiated by the enemies some six years
ago, the
leader said that what saved the nation from oppression and tyranny was ''nothing but its
faith in the illuminating truth.'' recognizing that, ayatollah khamenei said, the enemy
has now embarked on an assualt on people's faith and unfortunately certain misguided
groups are aiding and abeting the enemy with that goal. those who did not have an active
presence in the sacred defense (1980-88) are now pursuing some dangerous cultural agenda
to wipe out the memory of the sacred defense hn the country, said the supreme
leader. the
leader added that efforts should be continued to keep alive the memories of the sacred
defense and that this epic should be reflected by writers and artists.
turning to political preferences, the supreme leader said that those
who believe in islam, the revolution, the late imam, treading on path of god, piety and
sacrifice can surely resolve such differences. ayatollah khamenei added that the problem
arised when a group of people opposed to islam, imam and the system hid behind another
group and started targetting people's faith. ''i see that a group of the press in the
country is gripped with such crisis and they should salvage themselves.'' the leader of
the islamic revolution referring to freedom as the gift of the islamic revolution and the
late imam, stressed that freedom is not an absolute concept and has its own boundaries
according to the teachings of islam. the leader further warned the group of the press
which misuses freedoms and said stopping their moves is not anything difficult.
however,
he added, ''i keep waiting to see what the responsible bodies will do.'' the culture and
islamic guidance ministry, judicial and security bodies should identify those who have
targetted the people's faith, and have desecrated the revolution, the leader
added. ''this
is the second time i am warning in this regard and i am making it clear for the officials
that they should take measures and find out which paper is going beyond the boundaries of
freedom,'' ayatollah khamenei said. brushing aside the statements made by certain papers
as well as world circles about measures against those who misuse the freedom, the leader
recalled that the western media and certain world organizations never acknowledged the
outstanding characteristics of the late imam khomeini and instead presented a distorted
image of him. the same media now try to promote the taliban, ayatollah khamenei
said, adding, therefor, ''we will never wait for international organizations permission on how
to run the country.''
underlining the need to distinguish between proper exercise of freedoms
and conspiracies, the leader asked ''how can one allow those looking towards the west and
specially the u.s. to, after 20 years of opposition with the islamic revolution and the
late imam khomeini, raise questions about the glorious past of the nation.'' the leader
further underlined the necessity for preservation of the system's integrity and respect
for the officials and called for preventing any offenses carried out under the pretext of
defending velayat and religion. ''we have rules and regulations and officials and the
system should be respected,'' he added.
turning to the current situation in afghanistan and the taliban's
crimes against the oppressed people of afghanistan, the leader stressed that all the
bodies and the armed forces should be on alert to speedily implement any decision that top
officials make. the leader who is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces
underlined the importance of afghanistan issue from human, religious, political and
national aspects and said that the iraninan nation blames the global arrogance for what is
going on in afghanistan. troubles created by the cruel taliban in afghanistan necessitate
alertness on the part of all officials and those in charge, including irgc, the
army,
security `pparatus, news `nd publicity organizations to take swift, decisive and timely
action to implement decisions made by political and security officials. ''seditions of
bruel froup nf taliban has put the afghan muslim nation in big trouble. the iranian nation
considers the current situation in afghanistan as among the major crimes of world
arrogance and is deeply moved by what the oppressed afghan nation is going
through.''
ayatollah khamenei touched on the aims and objectives of western gas and oil
companies,
those of the u.s. in particular, in supporting the criminal taliban group.
the commanders welcomed the supreme leader's remarks by chanting
slogans in his support pledging their full obedience to the orders of the
commander-in-chief of the armed forces. prior to the leader's speech, hojjatoleslam
movahedi kermani and the irgc commander major general rahim safavi voiced the irgc's
readiness to implement the leader's commands.
tehran, sept. 14, irna -- leader of the islamic revolution ayatollah
Ali Khamene’i on monday expressed deep shock over the massacre in hazarajat, central
afghan province of bamian, by taliban militia. in his message the supreme leader said the
criminal actions already carried out by taliban in mazar-i sharif with massacre of
civilians and the iranian diplomats and journalist, obligated the muslim nations around
the world to take a decisive action against the savage group which has no knowledge of the
illuminating teachings of islam and the international law. reports from
hazarajat, bamian province, are more horrible than the cruelties committed by taliban in the earlier
occasions, the leader said. those who now are exposed to massacre by taliban are the same
people who bravely defended their dignity and prestige during the soviet occupation of
afghanistan and gave numerous martyrs for freedom of afghanistan, the supreme leader
said.
the leader further referred to the reports that the taliban leaders
have said that the blood of hazaras can be shed and thus have given orders for killing of
any boy over the age of seven. the leader of the islamic revolution also touched on
reports of involvement of pakistani army planes in destruction and massacres in bamian
province, asking for the reasons behind this savagery and massacres. are the people of
hazarajat being punished for their long struggle for the independence of
afghanistan, or
for not surrendering to the well-calculated plots of the u.s. oil and gas
companies,
carried out by certain segments of pakistani army through taliban? asked the supreme
leader. is massacre of hazaras a reprisal for their faith in prophet mohammad (pbuh), or a
religious or ethnic prejudice? the leader further asked. the iranian nation grieving over
the tragedy of massacre of its own diplomats and journalist in mazar-i sharif, is
impatiently awaiting the decisions of the officials in this respect, the supreme leader
said. the leader called on the religious leaders of the muslim world to help the oppressed
people of hazarajat as well other afghan ethnic groups.
''i call upon the muslim people of pakistan, certain segment of whose
army is at the service of oil companies, to help the defenseless men, women and children
in bamian province. don't let the millions-strong afghan people to fall victims to the
taliban atrocity,'' the leader said. addressing his remarks on people of
pakistan, the
leader said: ''don't let the religious war initiated by the backwarded
taliban militia in afghanistan to engulf other muslim-populated
areas.
don't let certain segment of the pakistani army sow the seeds of unrest in the region and
go on with its war-mongering schemes. don't let the u.s. oil companies reach their ominous
interests in afghanistan and central asia at the cost of tens of thousand muslim
lives.''
the leader of the islamic revolution stressed, ''till now i have prevented escalation of
war in the region which would not be easily extinguished. but, all should know that the
threat is to the extent that it would not come to an end until the pakistani army is
forced to stop interference in afghanistan and until the taliban are forced to surrender
to logic and abandon their criminal and make up for their past errors.''
the leader said in conclusion, ''i extend my heartfelt sympathy with
tearful eyes to the young fighters of hazarajat. i understand your grief and i'm carefully
following up the events in the province.'' the leader called on the hazaras to bravely
resist the brutality of taliban and prayed to god for their imminent victory and bringing
the criminal taliban to their knees.
tehran, sept. 11, irna -- the office of the leader of the islamic
revolution and the supreme religious jurisprudent ayatollah Seyyid Ali Khamene’i here
thursday night issued a message of condolence over the martyrdom of the iranian diplomats
at the hand of afghan taliban group in mazar-i sharif.
the message said that the news of martyrdom of the innocent iran's
diplomats and irna's correspondent in mazar-i sharif at the dirty hands and unislamic
taliban criminals has caused sorrows and remorse among the officials in charge and the
brave iranian nation.
it added that the leader of the islamic revolution condoling the
martyrdom of the dear iranian diplomats to the 12th infallible imam of the prophet's
(sawa) household (may the almighty Allah hasten his reappearance), the honorable iranian
nation and the families of the deceased, announced a 3-day mourning period starting
saturday september 12 throughout the country.
tehran, sept. 3, irna -- the leader of the islamic revolution,
ayatollah Seyyid Ali Khamene’i, here thursday elaborated on different aspects of
freedom as a divine and islamic concept, and further called on the educated youth to try
to make up for the backwardness imposed on the nation during past era of tyrannical
regimes. paying a surprise visit to a gathering of students at the tarbiat-e modarres
university, the leader said the raising of the issue of freedom in the country's press is
something ''auspicious'' helping to deepen the culture of the revolution. while focusing
on the issue of freedom, one should safeguard the independence which is another motto of
the islamic revolution, the leader said.
cautioning against copying other's models of freedom, the leader said
that if the western line of thinking becomes the model, ''we should expect bitter
results.'' ayatollah Khamene’i highlighted the common denominator of the western
influenced and those with reservations about freedoms both intending to separate freedom
from sphere of islamic principles. ''one group keeps quoting philosophers of the last few
centuries to portray freedom as a gift of the west,'' the leader said, adding that the
other group includes those who equate freedom with abandoning religion. this is despite
the fact that ''proper and rational freedom'' is the most important gift of the religion
to the society, because it is the freedom that spurs growth of thoughts and the blossoming
of talents which undermine tyranny, the leader added.
the leader said that the islamic concept of freedom is far superior to
that promoted by the west, adding that in islam, freedom is the most precious of human
rights, and it's considered to be on the same level as the right to life.
therefore, the
leader said, ''in islamic iran, we should think independently and rely on our islamic
sources.'' regrettably, this fact is neglected by media think-tanks, he added. the leader
went on to say that in islam freedom brings responsibility while in western outlook
freedom and responsibility are diverging concepts. the leader stressed that freedom should
not be misused, further rejecting the notion that press freedom is something attained
recently. ''the press has had freedom over the past years as well, being able to even
opine about the revolution's principles,'' ayatollah Khamene’i added.
referring to the 7th presidential elections last year, the leader said
that ''some with stained past records'' have tried to portray the 30-million turnout as
something other than a manifestation of people's support for the system. continuing on the
issue of freedom, ayatollah Khamene’i called as wrong the reservations by some that
extended exercise of freedoms harms the freedom itself, adding that it is most desirable
to fully exercise this divine right. the leader also referred to the upcoming election for
the experts assembly, slated for october 23, and said that the elections is an important
event in the islamic iran.
calling on the people and especially the youth to take part in the
election, the leader said that the event can become ''a national maneuver vis-a-vis
foreign enemies.''