Imam Khomeini, the great spiritual and religious leader of the Muslim world used to say it is sources of pride for him to consider himself as a Basiji.
Imam Khomeini used to maintain that Basij or mobilization forces had played a crucial role in defending national sovereignty and furthering the objectives of Islamic revolution.
Imam Khomeini once said in a historic message that “Basij is a pure and fruitful tree whose blossoms give out the aroma of spring, the freshness of certainty and the story of love. “ (Sahifeh-ye-Imam, Vol.21, page 189).
Mobilization played significant role in defending the country when then Iraqi dictator Sadaam Hussein, supported by US and some other Western powers, launched the massive military invasion against Iran in 1980.
The Iranian nation under wise leadership of Imam Khomeini managed to foil all plots hatched by the Saddam regime and its colonial backers.
Imam wanted mobilization forces’ members to decorate themselves with divine virtues and played key role in building and developing the country in all arenas.
Following the footsteps of Imam Khomeini, the Iraqi, Syrian, Lebanese and Yemenis people have also formed mobilization forces in order to confront Israeli regime vicious agenda and flush militant groups such as Daesh and al-Qaeda out of their countries.
Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, last year in a meeting with Hujjatul-Islam Ammar al-Hakim, the head of the National Shia Alliance of Iraq and leading members of this alliance in this regard said as follwoing:
“Al-Hashd al-Sha’abi or the popular forces of Iraq is a massive source of wealth and a great provision for Iraq in the present time and in the future and therefore, it should be supported and strengthened.”
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Formation of mobilization forces was smart decision by Imam Khomeini