“Your martyrs changed the country’s fate in one of the most critical periods of its history,” the Leader emphasized on Sunday while addressing a large crowd of family members of Iranian martyrs in Tehran, according to Press TV.
“The Islamic Revolution took place to preserve the country, which was rapidly falling into moral, religious, and political decay, and salvaged it.”
The Leader further hailed the Iranian youth for defending the country during Iraqi-imposed war in the 1980s — known as “the sacred defense” — and subsequent enemy plots to destabilize the country, saying: “Then, the enemy launched a military attack. It was the youths who resisted for eight years and saved the country. Then, our youths [firmly] stood up against various sedition efforts, various moves to foment unrest, and different sorts of enemy aggressions until today.”
He underlined that the Iranian youths embraced martyrdom, including in last year’s riots, to save the country and steer its fate toward dignity.
The Leader also called on the media and Iranian artists to introduce and highlight the martyrs as role models to the younger generations. He further urged the parents and spouses of martyrs to keep narrating and recounting the stories and lifestyles of their loved ones.
Ayatollah Khamenei then went on to reiterate that the memories of Iranian martyrs should live on as they are ideal “role models” for the youth.
“The behavior of these heroes, their distinguished moral traits, lifestyles, and developments of their lives set an example for the society, especially teenagers and young people,” he said.
He added that publishing the memories of the martyrs’ families will have a significant impact in rightfully promoting the martyrs as true role models.