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

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الحمد للّه ربّ العالمين، و الصّلاة و السّلام علي سيّدنا و نبيّنا ابي القاسم المصطفي محمّد

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و علي آله الاطيبين الاطهرين المنتجبين، سيّما بقيّة اللّه في الارضين

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This is a meeting, which is very sweet and eloquent and rich in meaning and beneficial;

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I do not mean this meeting per se [is like this], [but] I say this about the process, which has led to this meeting, [during] which you made effort

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and set up the “night of memories” sessions as a lasting move and,

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well, praise be to God, today, this humble one succeeded to sit down [with you] and listen to and take advantage [of what you say].

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It was very good, [and] I took great advantage [of this meeting and] was greatly benefitted [by it].

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Of course, memories of the likes of this humble one are not important memories,

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because just in the same way that he [film director, Masha’allah Shahmoradi] said, when [the southwestern Iranian city of] Khorramshahr was liberated [from occupation of the Iraqi forces], he heard the news in [city of] Kermanshah,

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[and] I heard the news in Tehran. Of course, it would be appropriate to say that

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– now, I don’t remember whether the news was aired on the radio or not – [but] Martyr [Ali] Sayyad Shirazi contacted me at the president’s office

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and told [me about this development] and explained some details as well. Among other things, he said, “Now that I am talking to you,

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Iraqis have formed a line in order to be taken into captivity.” It was a very interesting interpretation [of what was happening].

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I got into the car and went to meet the late Imam [Khomeini] at the afternoon on the same day, and of course, other people were on the streets in throngs

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and expressed kind remarks and expressed happiness [when they saw me]. I met with the Imam and told the same to the Imam.

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I said, “Mr. Sayyad says that Iraqis are in line to come and be taken into captivity;” it was a long line, [including] ten [or] fifteen thousand people!

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My memories are not important memories, [but] the memories of [those] brethren and sisters, who were at war for long periods of time and saw [different] developments, those [memories] are important.

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I believe that this war [with Iraq] – [and] this Sacred Defense – apart from losses, which it entailed for us,

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had big benefits and gains as well; these gains are much bigger and higher than those losses.

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Our losses there included human and material losses; I mean, we lost young people,

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families lost their loved ones, all of us became mournful for the young persons [who were killed at war], and material damage was inflicted [on the country as a result of which]

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the country somehow lagged behind in terms of the apparent reconstruction work at that juncture; these were losses of war.

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All wars entail losses like this. However, the benefits of war were long-term benefits, [and] were lasting benefits.

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Of course, [the war] had short-term and near benefits as well.

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One of the biggest benefits of the eight-year war [with the Iraqi aggressors] and the eight-year defense was maintenance and strengthening of the spirit of revolution and movement

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among our young generation and in our society.

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If this jihadi and sacrificing movement had not come about,

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the revolutionary spirit, which had not run its roots deep in those early days [after victory of the Islamic Revolution] would have been damaged.

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Yes, the honorable Imam was there and his personality was the one that

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guaranteed many things, but dangers [posed to the revolution] were grave; [if there was no war] the revolutionary spirit would have been certainly exposed to [various kinds of] threats.

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Through presence in the arena of the Sacred Defense, the revolution become lasting.

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Another benefit [of the war] was that once again, we experienced this idea and concept of defending the national identity as well as religious and revolutionary identity,

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and we have frequently said and heard and quoted [others as saying] that the Almighty God helps and makes humans

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victorious in the face of obstacles and barriers that exist on the right path; this is very important.

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A society, which is moving in the direction of [achieving] lofty goals, will naturally face many obstacles,

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especially in the materialistic world of today; and if those ideals are spiritual ideals and opposed to power seeking

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and opposed to seeking [mundane pleasures of] the world and the likes of these, obstacles will be naturally faced.

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[The fact] that a nation will feel that it can overcome obstacles is a very important thing.

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Yes, in [Islamic] traditions and verses [of the Holy Quran] we read about putting one’s trust in God and

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وَ مَن يَتَوَکَّل عَلَي اللّهِ فَهُوَ حَسبُه   that “whoever relies upon Allah, then He is sufficient for him,”

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and say them and believe in them; however, it is a totally different

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thing that one would observe “whoever relies upon Allah, then He is sufficient for him” in practice.

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[According to the Quran,] Prophet Abraham, despite all his grandeur,

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tells the Almighty God that “I want to see how dead people come back to life [on the day of Resurrection].”

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The Almighty says, “Have you not believed?” [Abraham] answers, “Yes,

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I believe. But [I ask] only that my heart may be satisfied.”

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This satisfaction of one’s heart [and] this acceptance of a truth from the depth of one’s belief and heart is a very important thing;

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this was shown to us by the war [and by] the eight-year defense [of the country].

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At the present time, we can claim  the Islamic Republic

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with all our power that despite all challenges that [enemies] pose to it, can fight off [those challenges] and can overcome all of them,

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because we have experienced this.

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[As put by the Quran,] “So, do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers.”

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If faith exists in one’s heart and action,

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mountains will be turned to dust in the face of a society, a [human] complex, [and] a powerful person,

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and will not be able to resist.

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This was one of the benefits of war for us. Well, these are true statements.

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Of course, the benefits of war are more than these; now, these are analytical remarks and the likes of these [and] I don’t want the time [of this meeting] to be spent on such things.

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This auspicious incident, [and] this huge incident, and

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at the normal level of us, simple and superficial people, [this] really unbelievable [incident], took place in our country;

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I mean, we had nothing at the start of the war; let me tell you this; we had nothing; we were empty-handed,

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[and] our weapons were both few and faulty, and out of reach;

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some of the existing items, which were stocked in our warehouses,

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did not come into use until long after the beginning of the war.

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I was here at the General Staff [of the Armed Forces] at the advisory bureau and was in touch with the military personnel.

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Well, there were committed and faithful youths in the Army who came [to the General Staff and] reported to me;

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I also followed up [on developments] as the Imam’s representative. They told me that “we have some canons

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known as 203-mm cannon, which are our heaviest artillery and this had not been used [in the war] so far, and [its use] had not been proposed at all.”

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Now, in such a war [and] with all these tools that are available to the enemy, we have a means [of defending our country] that we can use and we have not.

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In our meeting, a meeting that I had with these gentlemen – [including then Iranian president, Abolhassan] Banisadr and others – I brought this up;

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Banisadr basically did not know anything about it [and] some others [in that meeting] did not like such issues to be discussed;

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then one of the [military] commanders, who was martyred [in the war later] – May God Bless His Soul – said, “Yes, we have this, [and] this is a very important thing.”

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I said, “Alright, why we do not use it?” I mean, there were things, which were available and we did not use [them in the war].

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[When I was] in [city of] Ahvaz, a young army officer informed me that at a garrison manned by the Division 92,

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we had [a number of these] new personnel carriers – which are called BMP-2,

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[and] which were made available later.

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I repeatedly said that we needed that given [military] equipment, [and] they said we didn’t have it.

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One morning, I woke up and along with the same person – the same Army brother –

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entered the garrison from another way and through another place, because you could not enter the garrison through the normal gate – and went toward the middle of the garrison;

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I saw that yes, there were perhaps, for example, nine [or] ten of these brand-new BMP-2 [personnel carriers]

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– I mean, they were still in boarded packaging – [at that garrison].

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Of course, some of them had been exposed to weather and wind and rain; [and] they were left derelict beneath the sky!

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We were in such conditions at the beginning of the war. We did not have equipment of war,

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[and] did not have a disciplined and regular force ready to work, or we had very small of that [force];

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we also had certain things of this type of which we did not take advantage,

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because the person or persons, who were in charge, did not care;

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we advanced under such conditions. This [memory] that I recounted here is related to the second half of the [Iranian calendar year, 13]59 (second half of 1980);

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that is, during the first six months after the start of the war.

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Well, how long is the interval between the first six months of the war, that is, the second half of [Iranian calendar year, 13]59 to the first six months of [the Iranian calendar year, 13]61 (1982)?

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In this interval, the movement of the Iranian nation and our armed forces become so [energetic] that

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two big and important operations were carried out during the first couple of months of the year 1361;

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I mean, Operation Fat-hol-Mobin at the beginning [of that year] in April, and Operation Beit-ol-Moqaddas and the liberation of Khorramshahr in May;

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I mean, we went ahead like this, [and our] movement was so rapid!

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That is, during the same month that [the Iraqi forces] pounded Ahvaz with mortar shells from a distance of 10 kilometers q

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– I mean from Dob Hardan, which I think is about 10 kilometers from Ahvaz, they fired mortar shells at Ahvaz –

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we progressed from that position [of weakness] to this position [of strength] in which [we took into captivity] several thousand prisoners of war in [Operation] Fat-hol-Mobin

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and several thousand [more] prisoners of war in [Operation] Beit-ol-Moqaddas, and recaptured large swathes of land and recaptured Khorramshahr

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and strengthened our forces and other issues. This state of affairs continued right to the end of the war;

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I mean, we could get the grasp of and become knowledgeable of our identity,

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[and] our power day by day, and move ahead and know ourselves [better]; and this happened [in practice].

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For eight years, the entire world joined hands against us and fought us; this is a reality, the entire world!

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I mean, the United States was against us in practice, NATO was against us in practice, then Soviet Union was against us in practice,

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[and] reactionaries of the region – these very Saudi [Arabia] and Kuwait and the rest of them – were all against us in practice!

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I mean, all of them took part [in the Iraqi imposed war] against us. [However, although] we were a newly grown sapling

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with limited experiences, we could overcome all of these [adversaries]; this is our experience. Isn’t this enough [evidence so] that “my heart may be satisfied?”

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This example is [similar] to the example of birds that came to life, when Prophet Abraham (PBUH) asked the Almighty God, [and] God said, “Act in this way

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so that your heart would be satisfied.” We must have this heartfelt satisfaction; anybody who does not have it, is faulty;

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I mean, a better description [for such a person] is to say that he is faulty, [because] if we look optimistically, we must say that he is faulty; [

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however, if] we look pessimistically, well, we must pass a different judgment.

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We can overcome all hardships and all challenges like a faithful person [does];

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this is the result of keeping and safeguarding memories.

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I want you to pay attention to the importance of this task; q

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do not let the memory of these eight years of the Sacred Defense be forgotten.

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These very details, [and] these very things that [our] friends said [in this meeting] all of these are important.

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These books, which are being written [on this subject], are important, [and] these [books] are valuable; [because] they are not merely a work of art.

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Of course, a good artistic work is also being done [in this regard]. Both in writing

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and literature, and in movies and similar fields,

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good steps, fortunately, are being taken. Of course, in some fields we have advanced more,

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[and] in some fields we lag behind [and] must move ahead. In terms of arts and from the viewpoint of literary aspects, good works exist;

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but the issue of these [memories] stands at a higher level than this artistic work.

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This movie that this gentleman makes, [and] this book, which that gentleman writes are, in fact,

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like injecting cement into these pillars, when we want to make them stronger, [and] want to make them more lasting.

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[The issue here] is strengthening the pillars of the revolution, strengthening the pillars of the country’s progress,

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[and] strengthening national identity; [therefore,] it is very valuable.

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And let me tell [you] that these memories are, indeed, a national wealth;

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these memories are national wealth, [because] they do not belong to the person who retells and recounts these memories, [but] belong to us;

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[and] everybody must say, [and] must write [them].

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Of course, it is evident – [and] I have frequently said, which is also apparently the case – that exaggeration and overstatement and the likes of these must be totally avoided.

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The [main] context of the incident [that pertains to the war] – just in the same way that it has happened – is so excellent and so beautiful

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and so miraculous that needs no exaggeration; that incident, which has taken place, is like this.

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The same thing that has happened, [narrators] must say [exactly] the same, must bring it to life, [and] must employ artistic methods in order to give better expression to it.

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And [all] such measures are considered as good deeds, [and all] these [measures] are considered as alms [handed out for the sake of God]. These people who do such things, these brethren who

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are present here, both those who are [active] in the field of writing and literature and the likes of these, and those who are [active] in the field of movies and cinema and the likes of these,

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[they must] know that this step that they take is a good deed, [and]  great spiritual alms.

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[By taking this step,] you are providing this nation, this population, [and] this country with their means of sustenance,

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[and] you are a medium through which the divine sustenance and the spiritual sustenance [reaches] them.

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Appreciate this [state, because] this is very good. [Taking people to see former war zones by organizing] Rahiyan-e Nour [tours] is among these measures;

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Rahiyan-e Nour is among these [spiritual]alms and good deeds.

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Writing memories [is] also like this, [and even] this meeting is like this.

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Do not let this miraculous development be weakened.

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My dear ones! There exists [strong] motivation for weakening this truth

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in the reality of our lives and in the reality of our minds. Some people have [this] motivation.

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There are people who make plans for Islamic countries and notify those plans [to them] and they [Islamic countries] accept to

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take out and erase the issue of jihad or the issue of martyrdom from the religious books

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of schools and universities and other books.

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This [issue] has been notified to some [Islamic] countries; they have been told to remove the issue of jihad and the issue of martyrdom and

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the likes of these [from their books] and they have accepted and removed [them from their books]. These motivations [which I referred to] are like this

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[and] the same motivations continue into [the country], persist

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and are seen in the form of some secondary cultural policies here and there; [therefore,] we must not be negligent.

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[We must] keep the war, the Sacred Defense, the martyrdom, [and] the jihad alive;

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[and to do this, we] must appreciate these memories, [because] these [memories] are very valuable.

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Of course, we still have many things to say in this regard – [when I say] “we,” I mean you and those who were present in the war –

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and these [things] in the real sense of the word can connect and attach the current generation

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to the same generation, which created that climax of the Sacred Defense

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and created this historical climax of ours. People frequently, and very numerous times, come [or] write letters to me

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[and] insist, implore, [and] cry so that they would be allowed to go [to Syria] and defend the [holy] shrine [over there] and become one of the Defenders of the Shrine [volunteers, who are active in Syria].

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I mean, [this is just like] the same things that we saw in those days [during the Iranian calendar years] of the 1360s (1980s) –

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when young people, small kids, [and] those who could not be sent [to war fronts] on some ground and for some reason, came [to us], [and] implored in order to be dispatched.

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Right now, the same conditions can be seen in many of these people;

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[as the Quran says:] [O God!] “Join me with the righteous.”

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This is how you join with the righteous. This is a result of this effort and this endeavor that you are making.

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God willing, the Almighty would bless this effort of yours, [and] this step that you take

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and, God willing, boost its effects on a daily basis.

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I really thank the arts bureau of the Islamic Development Organization and our dear brother, Mr. [Morteza] Sarhangi and other brethren who are in charge;

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their work is a very valuable work. [They must] pursue [this line of work]; both this step, that is, [holding] the “night of memory,”

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and compilation of these memories and these notes; [you must know] how valuable this is.

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And they are everywhere. I knew a limited number of [high-profile] personalities of war,

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[and] had heard memories from them; then they gradually went to [such provinces as] Azarbaijan, Hamedan, Lorestan, Khorasan,

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Isfahan, here and there, and found [former] combatants there, wrote down their memories, [and those memories] came to life.

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[It was then that] I saw what a world it is, [and] what a sea

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of sayings, of logic, of morale, and of inspiration it is.

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This step is a very valuable step and [I advise you to] continue doing this in this way.

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I have repeatedly said that if we keep talking about and working on these eight years of the Sacred Defense for another fifty years to come and

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do new works [in this regard], it would not be too much. And I suppose that we would not reach the end of it in fifty years from now.

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Of course, good methods must be taken advantage of, [and] artistic methods must be taken advantage of.

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Thank you very much. Today was a very good meeting; I availed myself of the remarks [made by these] gentlemen

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and met with some dear friends whom I had not met for a long time.

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God willing, the Allah God would make you successful.

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Peace be unto you and so may the mercy of Allah and His blessings