TEHRAN – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Aytaollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei met with a large number of elegists and eulogists in Tehran on Thursday to mark the birth anniversary of Lady Fatimah Zahra (pbuh), the beloved daughter of the prophet (pbuh).

Ayatollah Khamenei congratulated the birth of Lady Siddiqa al-Tahira (pbuh) and conveyed that the virtues and qualities of the Lady Fatimah Zahra surpass human understanding and comprehension. He added that one must strive to be Fatemi and follow that exemplary Lady in all aspects of life, including religious devotion, the pursuit of justice, Jihad of Clarification, being a good spouse, raising children, and other essential areas.

Ayatollah Khamenei then defined National Resistance as resilience and steadfastness in the face of the various pressures imposed by hegemonic powers. He stated that sometimes these pressures are military, while at other times they take economic, media, cultural or political forms.

Ayatollah Khamenei described the agitation and noise-making by Western media agencies and political-military officials as an example of the enemy’s propaganda pressure. He stated that the aim of these pressures on nations, and especially on the Iranian people, is sometimes territorial expansion, as seen in what the US is currently doing in Latin America. He went on to say that at other times, the goal is to control underground resources. In some cases, it is to alter lifestyles, and most importantly, to carry out an identity transformation, which he identified as the core objective of hegemonic pressures.

Ayatollah Khamenei noted that arrogant global powers have been attempting for over a century to change the religious, historical and cultural identity of the Iranian nation. He stated that the Islamic Revolution rendered all those attempts ineffective, and in recent decades, the Iranian people, through their resilience and refusal to submit, have continued to thwart the extensive pressures of their enemies.

The Leader described the spread of the concept and language of Resistance from Iran to regional countries and even beyond as an undeniable reality. He stated that some of the actions the enemy carried out against Iran and its people would have completely destroyed any other nation.

Referring to the deeply influential, Zainabi-inspired role of eulogies in preserving the memory of the martyrs and strengthening the concept of Resistance, he said that today, beyond the military confrontation recently witnessed, the country is at the center of a large propaganda and media war being waged by a broad enemy front. He added that the enemy has come to understand that this divine and spiritual land cannot be subdued or occupied through military pressure.

The Leader added that some repeatedly raise the possibility of renewed military conflict, and that certain individuals deliberately fuel such talk to keep people anxious and unsettled, although, God willing, they will not succeed.

Ayatollah Khamenei considered the objective and strategic direction of the enemy to be the erasure of the symbols, aims and principles of the Islamic Revolution and the fading of Imam Khomeini’s legacy. He stated that the US stands at the center of this broad and active front, some European countries surround it, and mercenaries, traitors and rootless individuals in Europe seeking personal gain occupy its margins. He emphasized the need to understand the enemy’s goals and its operational formation. He said that just as in a military front, the country must shape its own formation in this media and propaganda confrontation in accordance with the enemy’s structure and objectives, focusing attention on what the enemy targets: Islamic, Shia and Revolutionary teachings.

He described standing firm in the face of the Western propaganda and media war as difficult but entirely possible. He stated that in this effort, eulogists should turn religious gatherings [heyats] into centers of loyalty to Revolutionary values. Through the development and transmission of the language of Resistance, eulogies and gatherings today significantly reinforce this essential task.

The Leader concluded his remarks with several recommendations for the eulogists. These included explaining religious teachings and teachings of struggle based on the lives of all the Imams (pbut), attacking the enemy’s weak points while mounting an effective defense against the doubts it spreads, and clarifying Quranic concepts across personal, social and political spheres and in confronting the enemy.