The Holy Defence (1)

The period covering 22-28 of September has been dubbed as the Week of Holy Defence in the Islamic Republic of Iran. It marks the 8-year-war that was imposed against the Islamic Republic of Iran by the Great Satan (the US) through its puppet in the region, Saddam of the Ba'athist regime.

Now, more than 30 years after the end of the imposed war, the Iranian people with trust in God and relying on His help, have weathered myriads of pressures caused by the US and its accomplices and have come from strength to strength. The aim of the Global Arrogance symbolized by the US and the global Zionism was to annihilate the nascent Islamic Revolution. But, thank God, the Islamic Revolution has turned into the role model for every nation and movement that seeks to salvage itself from the yoke of the bullies and oppressors.

The 8-year holy defence was a great exam to prove the power of faith, rightfulness and perseverance of the Iranian nation in the face of the bullying powers spearheaded by the US regime. The days and moments of that period is replete with the epic of the brave youths who feared none except God and obeyed none but Him. The 8-year war proved resistance as the only option in the face of oppressors and arrogant elements in the world. In fact, resistance was the gist of the 8-year holy defence and it has turned into the main discourse of the oppressed and down-trodden nations, especially after the 9/11 events which were planned and perpetrated by the Americans to wage a lengthy war against Islam and Muslims. Approximately 20 months after the resounding victory of the Islamic Revolution, an all-out war was schemed and waged by the US and its partners-in-crime not to let the voice of freedom and independence be heard by other nations.

The Iranian nation, with the least arms and equipment, defended their country against armed-to-the-teeth army Saddam and forced the Ba'athist regime and its supporters in the West and then East to at least understand that the Iranian Muslim nation will never bow to the dictates of the US and cohorts.

The Islamic resistance in Lebanon and Palestine has stemmed from the selflessness of the youths who seek martyrdom in the way of God. The Iranian youths attained martyrdom for defence of Islam and Iran and didn't allow even a single inch of the country to remain under the enemy's occupation. Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, says, "This war was a defensive war. Defensive war is different from aggressive war. Defensive war is the place of emergence of valour, adherence and deep loyalty of humans to their ideals."

War reminds destruction and death. But when it is for defending a country, belief and humane values, it becomes sacred and praiseworthy. The 8-year holy defence was such a war. The young men and women who selflessly lost their life in the way of Islam and the Islamic Revolution will remain forever in the mind of the Iranian nation. The Islamic Revolution was the start of a new chapter in the political equations in the region and the world. For this reason, then superpowers and their satellites began enmity against this revolution from the very beginning. The Islamic Revolution opened a new way ahead of the nations in the struggle against oppression, arrogance and exploitation. It seriously challenged the long-time unquestioned policies of the poles of power.

Today, more than 40 years after the victory of the Islamic Revolution and 31 years after the end of the imposed war, the Axis of Resistance in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and other places has turned into a determining factor in the military and political equations of the West of Asia. Thus, the US, the Zionists and their allies have badly failed in their sinister plots. Many strategists believe that the 8-year defence of the Iranian nation against the invading army of Saddam was the first war against modern armies that the Iranians successfully defended their country and ideals with the divine motive and unity among different groups. In the second and concluding part of this program we will discuss the motives for waging war against Iran by the Global Arrogance through its puppet Saddam.   

RM/ME