Basij, gushing fountain of faith and effort in hard scenes

Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said that Basij has risen up from among the people. As the representative of people, it is present inexhaustibly in any arena that is required and shows its potential while fearing no danger.

The Basij volunteer organization was shaped in 1979 upon the order of Imam Khomeini regarding the threats against the Islamic Revolution and the sensitivities after the victory of the newfound revolution.

Today, with an experience of nearly 4 decades, it has been proved that Basij is an unending and precious asset for stability, progress and security of not just the Iranian nation but other nations and freedom-seeking movements throughout the world.

Ayatollah Khamenei called the fervent participation of the youths in different arenas, especially in the field of struggle against the Global Arrogance, as one of the miracles of the Islamic Revolution. He stressed, "The enemy has intensified its hostility on all sides to annihilate the resistance in the region rising from the revolutionary and Islamic thought; but the faithful and steadfast youths and men brought the enemies to their knees by removing the cancerous Takfiri tumour of Daesh and once more proved the concept of 'We Can' to all."

Basij has turned into one of the basic foundations of the Islamic Republic system. This popular force has proved its efficiency many times during tough and critical conditions.

Today, Basij, as a successful experience in Iran, has attracted the attention of revolutionary moves in other countries especially Islamic nations. One of the conspicuous examples of this model-building was the formation of popular forces in Iraq to fight the Daesh terrorists. The jihadi moves of Hezbollah in Lebanon, Islamic Jihad in Palestine and other resistance groups in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere, which withstand Takfiri elements and aggressors, are clear examples of the strategic depth of Basij in the Islamic world.

The lasting role played by Basij shows that this popular energy can transmit the Islamic message and values through enlightenment and promotion of the culture of the Islamic Revolution.

The Iranian nation, using the spirit of Basij, not only was successful in the sacred defence against the 8-year war imposed by the US through Saddam but has also taken big strides in the fields of construction, science and technology.

It is through relying on the Basiji spirit that the Iranian nation has stood firmly on the path of Imam Khomeini and cleverly foils any plot that is hatched by the US and Zionism against the ideals of the Islamic system. This presence and preparedness clearly manifest the words of the great Basiji of the world, Imam Khomeini, when he said, "If the mellifluous sound of Basiji thought is resonant in a country the avaricious eyes of the enemies and world-devourers will be away from it."

In spite of massive blackening and besmirching to insinuate Iranophobia in the west and the region, the Islamic Republic has turned into the center of Islamic Awakening among the regional nations and this has infuriated the enemies.

The moves of the regional nations ala-Basij will undoubtedly advance so that the puppet regimes and vassals of the Global Arrogance will fall one after the other in face of the ever-increasing power and influence of Islam.

One of the honourable achievements of Basiji thought has been the presence of the volunteers defending the sanctuary of the Ahl al-Bayt vis-à-vis the savage Daesh terrorists. With the grace of God, this selfless presence led to the obliteration of the self-styled Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in both Iraq and Syria.

As the Leader said recently, "Even among some of the neighboring countries there was no belief in annihilating Daesh; but when they entered the field they saw the victory with their eyes and came to believe the message of the Islamic Revolution, namely, 'We Can'."

The Iranian nation, through the Basiji spirit and culture and inspired with ethical and religious teachings, have made feasible the infeasible. Certainly, the persistence of this spirit will bring about further great victories. As Ayatollah Khamenei reiterates, "Basij, as the follower of the honourable school of Ashura, is the everlasting and inspiring legacy of the Iranian nation in history, and is a move from the heart of people for the people."

This statement of the Leader indicates the dynamism and liveliness of the thoughts of the Islamic Revolution, one of whose fruits is Basij.

RM/ME