Of course, promotional efforts must be logical and reasonable. However, such symbols constitute a people’s great cultural heritage.
A nation that forgets its past is bound to err in its future. Why did we emerge from this cruel war with pride? Because we had civilization. First, we had a very strong governmental structure. Second, we had a stable government with a century-long foundation.
Third, we had a robust administrative and ideological system. And fourth, we are a nation with a vast and deep history."
During the meeting, held this morning at the Jamaran Hosseinieh, Ayatollah Hassan Khomeini also praised those involved in the successful registration of the Alamut Complex on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
He said: "I hope we have better days ahead. Registering a monument is only the beginning. Preserving it, maintaining it, developing it, and creating tourism capacities around it are the issues we must now address."
Referring to verses from Surah Ash-Shu‘ara, he stated: When Prophet Abraham prayed, he said, “Grant me a mention of honor among later generations.” But the question is: Why would Prophet Abraham, who is the father of the prophets, the monotheists, and the mystics, ask God in his prayer to make his name endure among later generations? Why would a mystic seek to have his name remembered in the future? It is because Prophet Abraham knew that some people become symbols. And when they become symbols, their survival becomes the survival of a civilization.
Ayatollah Seyyed Hassan Khomeini emphasized: “A nation that forgets its past will walk into the future in error and misguidance. Why did we emerge with pride from this unjust war? Because we had civilization. Of course, we also had a very strong governmental structure. We had a very solid, established 100-year-old government. We had a very strong administrative system and a very strong ideological system. And third, we are a nation with a very great history.”
He continued: “For a nation with such a great history, it is names, flags, and symbols that have come down to us from the past to the present. And if you forget these, you have forgotten your own identity. A nation’s cultural heritage is not merely its past; it is the light of its future. We have 2,500 years of history behind us. We come from a civilization.
But we have learned from its mistakes, and we must reinforce its virtues. A human being who does not make mistakes is not human.”
The grandson of the Imam, stressing that “the heritage of our predecessors is what shapes our identity,” said: “We all say that the Imam’s name must remain as the most important symbol of the Revolution.
May God have mercy on our beloved martyred Leader. When the new national anthem of the Islamic Republic of Iran was being composed, he said: ‘Put the Imam’s name in it.’ Why? Because this name is a guiding light. It brings no benefit to the Imam himself, but it benefits us. Of course, one must be careful that such promotion is logical and reasonable. But symbols are, in truth, a nation’s great cultural heritage.”