The Holy Defense Week

Victory of the Islamic revolution on February 11, 1979 triggered deep developments in the Middle East.

With the overthrow of the despotic shah of Iran the US and the western states lost one of their key allies in the strategic Persian Gulf and the Middle East.

The US and its allies spared no efforts to hatch every plot to deal a blow on the nascent revolution of the Iranian people against the dictator ruler. Helping the separatists and terrorist groups on the border provinces, assassination of prominent revolutionary figures and even ordinary people to create fear and horror in the society and the economic sanctions were part of the US measures in collaboration with some European and regional allies to undermine the Islamic revolution. But the Iranian people nullified all the plots with the leadership and management of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran Imam Khomeini (May his soul rest in peace) though many combatant figures and ordinary people were martyred by the US-sponsored terrorists. Having failed to confront the Islamic revolution, the USA regime resorted to a military ploy to deal a blow to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

This ground was set by the deposed dictator Saddam of Iraq who had always sought an opportunity to materialize his ambitions for separating the oil-rich province of Khuzestan from Iran.

Saddam attacked the Islamic Republic of Iran from air, ground and sea on September 22, 1980 with the green light and support of the two western and eastern superpowers. Despite all differences the then two superpowers namely the US and the Soviet Union united to counter Iran.

As a matter of fact the Iranian people were not fighting the single of army of Saddam regime but they resisted against huge military machinery supported by the oil dollars of the reactionary Persian Gulf Arab rulers and the weapons of the eastern and western blocs. Moreover, the Islamic Republic system had not yet been strengthened enough; and some elements of anti-revolutionary forces through influence in some political, economic and even military organs would hinder the Holy Defense of the brave Iranian youths who were fighting the armed-to-the-teeth Iraqi military.
Therefore, the war imposed by Saddam regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran is unprecedented in the history of the world wars. On the one hand there is the army of Saddam regime and on the other there are the enthusiastic and revolutionary youths who resisted with their firm faith and will against a fully equipped army and its supporters.

In the second year of the war, most anti-revolutionary agents and terrorists were either arrested or fled the country clinging to the apron of their western godfathers who claimed to defend human rights and democracy. These elements of the west continued their plots against the Iranian people and the Islamic revolution. As the Islamic Republic of Iran stood firmly on its bases, in the second year of the war it managed to take the upper hand in the battle field. Launching several great operations, the brave Iranian youths, in most parts, drove Saddam\'s Ba’athist army back to the international borders and nearly the entire territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran was liberated from the Iraqi army. The continuous victories of the brave Iranian combatants worried the supporters of Saddam regime and they were forced to extend more support for him because Iran\'s victory in the war meant a crushing blow to their policies.

The US AWACS spying planes deployed in Saudi Arabia were put in the service of the Iraqi army to monitor the smallest moves of the Iranian forces to Saddam regime. The French government chartered Saddam regime a number of strategic Super Etandard aircrafts which were specialized for targeting ships and vessels. The German, British and Dutch governments provided Saddam with substances for development of chemical weapons. The Soviet Union provided the regime with the most sophisticated long-range missiles and aircrafts for targeting the Iranian cities. Apart from these, different types of light and semi-heavy weapons from the eastern and western blocs ranging from Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Romania, and Austria to the Zionist regime were offered to the Iraqi regime.

On the other side of the war front, the Islamic Republic of Iran was facing economic and military sanctions. Iran was even deprived of any access to diving suits and barbed wires which were not military items. But this unequal and unfair war, on the Iranian side, was characterized by the faith in God, full obedience of Imam Khomeini and the bravery of the Iranian youths. Describing the characteristics of the war imposed by the US against the Islamic Republic of Iran through its stooge Saddam, Imam Khomeini said, \"Our war is the war of our creed against oppression. Our war is the war of Islam against all inequalities of the capitalist and communist world. Our war is the war of the bare-footed and the poor against the rich and the indifferent rulers of the Islamic states. This is not the war of weapons and it is not restricted to the borders, this war is not limited to houses, defeat, poverty and hunger. It is the war of belief. It is the war of revolutionary and ideological values against the decadent world of money and power, and profligacy. Our war is the war of sanctity, dignity, honesty and resistance against unmanliness.\"

The news on the bravery of the Iranian people in defending their religion and homeland were not restricted to Iran\'s borders. Despite the efforts of the western media empire to undermine the Islamic Republic of Iran in the world public opinion, the news of the Iranian youths\' courage to defend their territory turned into a role model for the liberation movements of the world.

The imposition of the 8-year war on Iran brought into existence the second wave of unity of the Iranian people who had paid a heavy price for living free; and their struggles were so much spiritual that such values like honesty, faith, love, bravery, prudence and self-sacrifice were personified.

Although for a while the southern and western borders of Iran turned into the slaughterhouse of the purest youths, their faith turned the territory into a holy land. The imposed war ended after 8 years while if it was not for the support of the eastern and western powers and their lackeys of Saddam regime, the Iraqi army could never dare to resist against the brave Iranian combatants. Despite all losses and casualties, the imposed war had many blessings. Among the blessings of the war mention can be made of self-belief and resistance of the Iranian people against all bullies of the world.

Other nations of the region also realized that through the power of faith and bravery they could resist against dictators who enjoyed all-out support of foreigners. Therefore, the movement of Islamic awakening which has broken out in the Middle East is among the achievements of resistance and bravery of the Iranian people during the 8-year war. The great leader of the Islamic revolution Imam Khomeini said \"In this war we strengthened the roots of our fruitful Islamic revolution. In this war we have exported our revolution to the world. In this war we pushed aside the mask from the face of the devourers of the world.\"

Imam Khomeini is not physically alive but his everlasting statements show his far-sightedness about the achievements of the imposed war.

We commemorate the memory of tens of thousands of martyrs of the imposed war who sacrificed their lives not only to defend their homeland but to preserve their human and Islamic dignity, too.

The End
Source: IRIB World Service

Victory of the Islamic revolution on February 11, 1979 triggered deep developments in the Middle East. With the overthrow of the despotic shah of Iran the US and the western states lost one of their key allies in the strategic Persian Gulf and the Middle East. The US and its allies spared no efforts to hatch every plot to deal a blow on the nascent revolution of the Iranian people against the dictator ruler. Helping the separatists and terrorist groups on the border provinces, assassination of prominent revolutionary figures and even ordinary people to create fear and horror in the society and the economic sanctions were part of the US measures in collaboration with some European and regional allies to undermine the Islamic revolution. But the Iranian people nullified all the plots with the leadership and management of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran Imam Khomeini (May his soul rest in peace) though many combatant figures and ordinary people were martyred by the US-sponsored terrorists. Having failed to confront the Islamic revolution, the USA regime resorted to a military ploy to deal a blow to the Islamic Republic of Iran. This ground was set by the deposed dictator Saddam of Iraq who had always sought an opportunity to materialize his ambitions for separating the oil-rich province of Khuzestan from Iran. Saddam attacked the Islamic Republic of Iran from air, ground and sea on September 22, 1980 with the green light and support of the two western and eastern superpowers. Despite all differences the then two superpowers namely the US and the Soviet Union united to counter Iran. As a matter of fact the Iranian people were not fighting the single of army of Saddam regime but they resisted against huge military machinery supported by the oil dollars of the reactionary Persian Gulf Arab rulers and the weapons of the eastern and western blocs. Moreover, the Islamic Republic system had not yet been strengthened enough; and some elements of anti-revolutionary forces through influence in some political, economic and even military organs would hinder the Holy Defense of the brave Iranian youths who were fighting the armed-to-the-teeth Iraqi military. Therefore, the war imposed by Saddam regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran is unprecedented in the history of the world wars. On the one hand there is the army of Saddam regime and on the other there are the enthusiastic and revolutionary youths who resisted with their firm faith and will against a fully equipped army and its supporters. In the second year of the war, most anti-revolutionary agents and terrorists were either arrested or fled the country clinging to the apron of their western godfathers who claimed to defend human rights and democracy. These elements of the west continued their plots against the Iranian people and the Islamic revolution. As the Islamic Republic of Iran stood firmly on its bases, in the second year of the war it managed to take the upper hand in the battle field. Launching several great operations, the brave Iranian youths, in most parts, drove Saddam\'s Ba’athist army back to the international borders and nearly the entire territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran was liberated from the Iraqi army. The continuous victories of the brave Iranian combatants worried the supporters of Saddam regime and they were forced to extend more support for him because Iran\'s victory in the war meant a crushing blow to their policies. The US AWACS spying planes deployed in Saudi Arabia were put in the service of the Iraqi army to monitor the smallest moves of the Iranian forces to Saddam regime. The French government chartered Saddam regime a number of strategic Super Etandard aircrafts which were specialized for targeting ships and vessels. The German, British and Dutch governments provided Saddam with substances for development of chemical weapons. The Soviet Union provided the regime with the most sophisticated long-range missiles and aircrafts for targeting the Iranian cities. Apart from these, different types of light and semi-heavy weapons from the eastern and western blocs ranging from Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Romania, and Austria to the Zionist regime were offered to the Iraqi regime. On the other side of the war front, the Islamic Republic of Iran was facing economic and military sanctions. Iran was even deprived of any access to diving suits and barbed wires which were not military items. But this unequal and unfair war, on the Iranian side, was characterized by the faith in God, full obedience of Imam Khomeini and the bravery of the Iranian youths. Describing the characteristics of the war imposed by the US against the Islamic Republic of Iran through its stooge Saddam, Imam Khomeini said, \"Our war is the war of our creed against oppression. Our war is the war of Islam against all inequalities of the capitalist and communist world. Our war is the war of the bare-footed and the poor against the rich and the indifferent rulers of the Islamic states. This is not the war of weapons and it is not restricted to the borders, this war is not limited to houses, defeat, poverty and hunger. It is the war of belief. It is the war of revolutionary and ideological values against the decadent world of money and power, and profligacy. Our war is the war of sanctity, dignity, honesty and resistance against unmanliness.\" The news on the bravery of the Iranian people in defending their religion and homeland were not restricted to Iran\'s borders. Despite the efforts of the western media empire to undermine the Islamic Republic of Iran in the world public opinion, the news of the Iranian youths\' courage to defend their territory turned into a role model for the liberation movements of the world. The imposition of the 8-year war on Iran brought into existence the second wave of unity of the Iranian people who had paid a heavy price for living free; and their struggles were so much spiritual that such values like honesty, faith, love, bravery, prudence and self-sacrifice were personified. Although for a while the southern and western borders of Iran turned into the slaughterhouse of the purest youths, their faith turned the territory into a holy land. The imposed war ended after 8 years while if it was not for the support of the eastern and western powers and their lackeys of Saddam regime, the Iraqi army could never dare to resist against the brave Iranian combatants. Despite all losses and casualties, the imposed war had many blessings. Among the blessings of the war mention can be made of self-belief and resistance of the Iranian people against all bullies of the world. Other nations of the region also realized that through the power of faith and bravery they could resist against dictators who enjoyed all-out support of foreigners. Therefore, the movement of Islamic awakening which has broken out in the Middle East is among the achievements of resistance and bravery of the Iranian people during the 8-year war. The great leader of the Islamic revolution Imam Khomeini said \"In this war we strengthened the roots of our fruitful Islamic revolution. In this war we have exported our revolution to the world. In this war we pushed aside the mask from the face of the devourers of the world.\" Imam Khomeini is not physically alive but his everlasting statements show his far-sightedness about the achievements of the imposed war. We commemorate the memory of tens of thousands of martyrs of the imposed war who sacrificed their lives not only to defend their homeland but to preserve their human and Islamic dignity, too. The End Source: IRIB World Service