Basij, Major Element of All-out Defense Strategy for Islamic Revolution: Safavi

According to the Mehr News Agency, the IRGC commander stated, "Basij has conduced to the stability of our Islamic system through its powerful participation in cultural, political, defense and security fields."

Brigadier General Safavi, delivering a speech to an assembly of 20000 Basijis in Qom stressed the role of the Basij in different historical stages of the Islamic Revolution and noted, "Basij is the manifestation of faith, power and insight of Iranian men and women"

"We should struggle to provide the Basijis with a brilliant and hopeful future in economical, scientific, cultural and creative fields in order to retain our unity under the umbrella of Islam, the jurisprudence and the constitutional law and to be prepared to defend the Islamic Revolution, the Islamic System and our homeland against foreign threats," he said.

He stressed that the Basijis should help provide security in the country, saying, "The Basij is capable of playing a major role in the construction of the country. Therefore we ask the authorities to use the Basij force for constructing the country and removing poverty."

"We shouldn't let the art fields to be occupied by unconscientious people," he said.

Referring to the U.S.-Britain-led attack against Iraq, he said, "The U.S. was deceived by the Zionists in attacking Iraq while none of their reasons for this action was justifiable. Now after nine months of Iraq's occupation, the U.S. forces have not yet been able to find any weapons of mass destruction."

"The U.S. secret goal in Iraq was to dominate the Muslim world and to suppress Muslim movements. All Muslim nations and states of the Middle East should therefore lead this U.S. strategy to failure through political unity," he added.

JH/IS

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MNA