TEHRAN -- President Mohammad Khatami said on Tuesday that the martyrs serve as a symbol of dignity for Iranian nation and they have contributed a lot to national credibility Khatami also noted commemoration of the martyrs should not be exploited for factional considerations.

Addressing a one-day ceremony to pay tribute to the martyrs of government including ministers and 15,000 employees, President Khatami said that martyrs belong to Islam and the country.

No political group has the right to claim affiliation with the martyrs.

"It is unjust to exploit the martyrs for our own narrow-minded demands in order to justify our own deeds under the sacred name of the martyrs." "Let's cherish the martyrs' reminiscence forever. They are the backbone of the nation who inspire us to make progress and attain sublimity," he said.

He said that the families of the martyrs shoulder the heavy responsibility of safeguarding the martyrs' lofty goals and ideas.

President Khatami said that all should respect the families of the martyrs and appreciate the sacrifices made by the dear martyrs.

"The war was imposed on us and the Iranian nation bravely stood up to the aggression while very little equipment was available.

They came out with honor thanks to their resistance to the aggression relying on their religious faith and national sentiments," President Khatami said.

The president said that the martyrs are the symbol of faith, dignity and national pride adding that they are the heroes of the Iranian nation.

He said that that the imposed war deprived the Iranian nation of 300,000 brave martyred fighters.

He paid tribute to late president Mohamamd Rajaei and late prime minister Mohammad Javad Bahonar and 15 martyrs who had been cabinet members.

Prior to the president's speech, Minister of Oil Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said that the number of the government martyrs has been 22,517 and the number of the government's war veterans exceeded 238,000.

Zanganeh said that the commemoration service is an opportunity to express allegiance to the lofty aspirations of the late Imam Khomeini and to the dear martyrs.

Commander of Basij (volunteer forces) Brigadier-General Mohammad Hejazi told the one-day conference that the commemoration service is a reply to the enemy that the Iranian nation will stand up to any aggression in line with the religious faith and Islamic teachings.