The Office of the Supreme Leader

IRI Army secured religious identity

Islamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei Tuesday called on the Army to preserve the religious and revolutionary identity it developed in its structure following the 1979 Islamic Revolution and urged the ranks to foster the great development.

Ayatollah Khamenei told the General Commander and a group of lower ranked commanders of the Army that the army is expected to foster the spirit of faith, revolutionary, innovation, firm resolve, contact with masses, self-confidence and courage to do great works so that it could smooth the path for the young talents to blossom.

In the meeting, planned to mark April 18, the Day of Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Commander-in-chief felicitated the day to the army personnel and their families and called April 18 an Eid (spiritual holiday).

"The defunct regime (of Shah) which was backed by America and other superpowers amassed all its efforts on building an army of irreligious and unpopular identity. Nevertheless, following the Islamic Revolution, the Army picked a religious identity through diligence of faithful, revolutionary and popular figures within the Army," Ayatollah Khamenei affirmed.

Ayatollah Khamenei granted tribute for the change of identity in the Army to several competent, brave, prudent and faithful men within the Army early on the revolution as well as a proper opportunity provided in the Islamic Republic System to help top-ranked revolutionary commanders to emerge, namely Shahid Fallahi, Shahid Sayyad Shirazi, Shahid Sattari, Shahid Babai and the late Zahirnejad.

"These devout and revolutionary commanders alongside several pure and advised men in the body of the Army helped it to acquire self-reliance and innovation so that newer talents emerge and the Army makes advances day by day," Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei said.

"Such an Army, alongside the (Islamic Revolution Guard) Corps and the Basij could secure victory over the equipped Army of the Baathist regime of Saddam despite all the backing lent to it by the superpowers," Ayatollah Khamenei said.

"The Islamic Republic System stands as an innovative system in terms of dependence on religion in the formation of a political and social system," Ayatollah Khamenei affirmed, adding that the system had found a place in the world, especially among the intellectuals and elites of the world of Islam and that the superpowers had found no other way than to bow to it.

Ayatollah Khamenei acknowledged that the premium feature of such a religious system is its capability to help the talents to flourish and to set the stage for the creative minds to emerge.

"The army of the Islamic Republic System, by far more superior than early on the revolution and the Sacred Defense era (1980-8) in terms of equipment, experience and human resources, is expected to keep on burgeoning by preserving its all-embracing preparedness, deepening its religious causes and providing the ground for the growth of faithful men and newer talents," Ayatollah Khamenei urged.

Ayatollah Khamenei instructed the Army to take the necessity to equip itself with super modern military knowledge and make sophisticated equipments through help of its internecine resources.
700 /