Ayatollah Khamenei Visits
The families of Martyrs: Haiqan and Edmond Musesian
And martyr Gagik Toumanian
Visit Date: 1/1/1999
The Photo of
Martyr Haiqan Musesian
Assassinated in Tehran
Martyred on 3/9/1981
The Photo of
Martyr Edmond Musesian
Assassinated in Tehran
Martyred on 13/6/1981
The Photo of
Martyr Gagik Toumanian
Martyred in Marivan, Kurdestan
Martyred on 15/8/1987
It is a cold winter and streets are covered with ice and snow. Yet we are also nearing the end of the months of Ramadan, that is, the evening of the 23rd day when the possibility of it being the Night of Glory is stronger than the two previous occasions (19th and 21st). Thus this evening should be of great importance to all Muslims.
The most valuable month of the year is Ramadan and the highest night of this month is the Night of Glory, the night in which the Holy Quran was sent down unto the heart of the Prophet. In such evenings the faithful spend their time in prayers, Quran recitation and beseeching God, I am truly restless. It is the night when the future of mankind will be decided. And I wonder what goes on in the mind and heart of our Leader who has so many engagements regarding our country and the world.
I am at home, sitting on my prayer-mat when our telephone rings and I am told that the Leader is to visit the families of some martyrs.
What! Very strange, at such a night. The evening and night devoted to worship and prayers. Worried and Disappointed I go to my office to take some copies of the Quran with me but I’m told that it is not necessary. To-night people place Qurans on their heads. Why should we not take copies to the martyr families? I am informed that the families to be visited are Armenians. Now I remember that these days coincide with Christmas and the Leader usually chooses these times to visit the families of Armenian martyrs.
The car I am in drives behind the leader’s car. We see people going to mosques for the mourning ceremonies of Imam Ali’s martyrdom and we are going to meet people who celebrating Christmas! I really feel bad but, when the cars stop, I see the happy, smiling face of the Leader and I am spiritually elevated. For some 40 years of my acquaintance with the Leader, his face and features have never become repetitive; on the contrary, seeing him, I become more humble and more patient.
Following the Leader we go up the stairs of the martyr’s family’s two-storey building; the martyr’s house is on the second floor. This family has two martyrs, the father and the son who were both murdered in street fights by so-called Mojahedin-Khalq or the Hypocrites as the people call them.
A bewildered -20year old young man, who must be both the brother and son of the martyrs, is standing at the entrance-door; he says ‘salaam’ and warmly shakes hands with the Leader. We enter the house and a lady, about 60 years of age, excitedly and repeatedly says: Welcome, welcome, you are most welcome, and guides the Leader to their guest-room.
The son still does not believe what he sees but the mother looks happy and smiles. But the son is standing at the door in unbelief and so I take his hand and say: Let’s go in, the Leader is waiting. And he says: oh yes, yes, now I believe it, the Leader has come to meet us.
The Leader sits on an arm-chair with the mother on his left and the son on his right side. Opposite the armchair, there is a table, on which two photos of the martyrs in frames are placed, the two martyrs of the Musesian family.
It seems that the son is still anxious; maybe because he has been a shy orphan for years. Anyway, as soon as the Leader sees the photos, he wants to look at them closely and says: Introduce them to me.
The first photo belongs to the father of the family and the Leader asks the mother? Was he martyred earlier than your son?
No, my son was the first martyr, she answers.
The Leader then puts down this photo and picks up the framed photo of the first martyr of the family, Edmond Musesian. The Leader, always studies the photos of the martyrs carefully as if he has known them for long; this is a sympathetic gesture to families who only have the photos of their martyrs to remember them. 
ـ Where was he martyred, dear lady?
ـ My son was murdered in the streets and my husband was assassinated in this alley where we live.
The Leader lays the son’s photo on the table and picks up the photo of the father again and says: May God bless you and grant you patience.
He then asks: What was your husband’s occupation?
He used to work in a taxi-agency. She then describes how her husband was assassinated: I telephoned my husband to tell him that a terrorist hideout was discovered in our alley and asked him not to come home or if he does, he should not be driving a car. But he had already left the agency. I wanted to go out and see if my husband was coming home, but some Revolutionary Guards member warned me and said that I would be in danger because soon there could be shootings between them and the Mujahedin terrorists. So I stayed inside the house, then I heard the sound of bullets fired from different sides. After the shooting and firing stopped, I came out of our house and sadly I saw my husband’s car with him behind the wheel and blood all over the place!
After this account by the mother, the Leader, pointing at the photo of her son, says: And your son must have been a student?
The mother, even after some 17 years of her son’s death, says in a choking voice: Yes, he was a student, the third year of high school, a year before he would obtain his diploma.
The Leader affectionately tries to comfort this mother’s heart by saying:
ـ God willing, these catastrophes you’ve suffered from, will be the means of your nearness to God Almighty and comfort your trouble heart. May the Light of God bring about God’s mercy on you.
The mother comments: Yes, yes, but it’s very hard.
Yes, I agree, says the Leader, “These incidents are very hard to bear, especially when they happened within 3 months only”.
ـ Yes, within 3 months or less than that, I faced two martyrdoms.
It’s too hard to bear; I can feel what hardships you faced, especially in bringing up the children, the Leader comments.
The mother’s face reveal what she has undergone and how older she has become; to lose all your support and baking within 3 months.
The martyrs in this family were victims of assassinations; they were murdered in the most unfair, ruthless ways, they didn’t even have the chance to defend themselves.
How shameless are those who constantly talk about human rights and, at the same time, allow such terrorist organizations to operate freely in their countries.
This is more obvious in the case of Mujahedin terrorist organization which according to documented evidence and its own statements assassinated some 17000 innocent people throughout Iran.
The Leader then turns to the young man and asks: Well, what do you do?
The young man who is sunk in his own thoughts says: pardon me!
The Leader says in a kind voice:
ـ I wanted to know what you do these days.
He replies, I left high-school after the 9th grade and started to work.
Why didn’t you continue your studies? The Leader asks in a fatherly tone.
ـ There were problems.
ـ That is, you needed to work.
Yes, he says. He now looks more relaxed, and he looks at the Leader with kind interest.
The Leader adds smilingly: there’s nothing wrong with working; it’s good to earn something for the family. Of course the purpose of studying is to be able later to do some good work. Obviously if you could study and learn more, it would have been better.
Then the Leader asks the mother: was the martyr your only son?
ـ No, I had three sons. One was the martyr. My eldest son got married and lives somewhere else. He was with us till last year but his child had grown up and there was not enough space in our house. So now I live here with my younger son.
The Leader looks around; the house is small but clean and cozy. He immediately asks: Are you in contact with the Martyrs Foundation?
Yes we are, I receive financial assistance from this Foundation, she says.
ـ Do you have any occupation yourself?
ـ No, I own this house but I have some heart trouble and a weak nervous system, so I can’t have a job.
ـ Are you under treatment for these problems?
ـ Yes, there’s a doctor I go to treat my nerves and another doctor for my heart; I use the pills and medicine they have given me to be in control of myself.
ـ God willing, you’ll be in good health.
It’s Christmas and the atmosphere in the house is cheerful. There is a table on one side of the room on which you notice some bowls of nuts, plates of sweets and chocolates as well as different kind of fruits. Behind where the Leader is sitting, there is a shelf decorated with various things, postal cards, photograph frames and a small Christmas tree, all illuminated with small bulbs.
Now the Leader says a few words regarding Christmas: I pray to God that you will all be blessed at this occasion of the birth of Christ Jesus. I know that your celebration of Christmas is not in late December but in early January of the New Year according to the Armenian Churches while the Catholics and some other denomination celebrate it in December.
The years I deliver a message on this occasion-because I don’t do that every year- I try to deliver my Christmas message at a time when it may be well-received by all Christians! In doing this, I specially have our Armenian fellow-countrymen in mind. 
The mother who’s enjoying the Leader’s comments and moves her head in confirmation and the young man listens to what he says calmly and interestedly.
The Leader then, pointing at the young man, asks the mother: how old was he when his elder brother was martyred?
ـ He was only three and now he’s twenty.
The Leader asks the young man: Do you remember anything?
ـ No, nothing.
ـ And that elder brother’ how old is he?
ـ He’s 39.
The Leader then asks him: Do you do any technical work?
ـ Yes, I am a mechanic.
Ayatollah Khamenei looks at the rather rough hands of the young man and says: Yes, I know, Armenians are very good at mechanics and related fields. You do have the hands of a noble worker.
The young man seems to like the Leader’s comment and the mother is delighted.
ـ Are you quite skillful in your field?
ـ Yes, I am.
ـ Do you have your own shop or you help a master?
ـ Yes, I’m an assistant to the shop-owner.
ـ How about your wages, sufficient?
– 8 thousand Tumans a week.
ـ It is not much, 4 times 8 is 32 thousand Tumans a month?
And then as if weighing something in his mind, the Leader adds: Does that mean that the rates in your field are as you mentioned or your wages were less when you started?
The young man says, it used to be 2500 Tumans a week, but now, after 4 years of working, my wages increased.
The Leader says: Weekly payments are not customary in Iran. Is your master Armenian also?
ـ Yes, he is.
The Leader then says: Well, God willing you’ll advance in your work and become a master yourself.
The mother of the family feels that meeting is about to end and she says: Allow me to pour you a cup of tea.
That’s alright, the Leader says.
And again talks to the young man: you don’t seem to be married?
ـ It’s early for me, now.
ـ It is early, as you say or, you don’t have the means?
Both, sir! The young man replies.
ـ Well, in what age do Armenians usually marry?
The young man says: 23 or 24 and jokingly adds: If they could manage.
The Leader smiles when he hears the phrase “if they could”.
Then the Leader, who is very keen on the youth continuing their studies especially in the case of the children of martyrs, emphasizes the importance of the greatest capital of the young people, that is, their youth. So he adds: It is never too late to obtain more education and knowledge. You ought to do something about it. Some young people spend their days seeking short-lived, passing joys, such desires are not worth wasting your youth on. One should turn this capital into some skills, something valuable and lasting.
While the Leader is talking, the mother brings tea and offers it to the Leader, he picks it up and thanks her for it and then asks: Do you attend Church ceremonies?
ـ Yes, we do, on Sundays.
ـ You mean every Sunday regularly?
ـ Usually.
And then the Leader addresses the martyr’s mother and asks: How about you lady?
ـ Yes, I go every Sunday.
ـ Which Church do you go to?
ـ The one on Villa Street, near us.
The Leader then asks them about Arch-Bishop Ardaak Manoukian and if he is still preaching at this central Church on Villa Street.
All-in-All, it is a pleasant evening for this family and the mother and the son are eagerly looking at him and smiling. I take a look at my watch; it has taken a longer time than the Leader’s usual visits.
Now the mother offering some sweets to the Leader, tells him about difficulties in her daily life such as the small financial assistance she receives from the Martyrs Foundation and her residence being too old and too small. The Leader looks around the place and saying in a tone of good humour: This is a nice, cozy residence and there are only two of you living here! But immediately after saying this, he turns to us and adds: You follow this lady’s affair and help her in any way possible.
I write down the Leader’s order not to forget.
After all these talks, the Leader drinks his tea and asks the mother: have you cooked these cakes yourself or you bought them?
The mother says in a rather embarrassed voice: I bought them. The Leader takes a piece and eats it along with his tea.
It’s farewell time now and the Leader asks the young man about his forename. He says: My name is Armen; and the Ayatollah repeat: Armen, Armen Musesian in such a tone that shows he likes the name.
Finally he gets up and gives two gifts to the mother and her son and says: This is only for the occasion of “Eid” (meaning a present for the New Year).
Both of them thank Ayatollah Khamenei for the gifts and especially for taking the time to come and visit them.
The Next Visit the Same Evening
We drive from Villa Street to Khoram-shahr Street, in central Tehran. At this house, two ladies come to the entrance-door to welcome the Leader; one is about 60 years of age and the other about 40: the mother and sister of the Armenian martyr.
Like our previous meeting, we go to their guest-room and Ayatollah Khamenei does not sit down before the martyr’s mother and asks her: Where are you going to sit down?
The martyr’s mother, who seems to be a few years older than the Leader, says: I like to sit next to you.
And the leader says: please sit here; so they sit down on the sides of the same coach, and the martyr’s sister next to her mother.
After they sit down, the sister brings the framed photograph of her brother, hands it to the Leader and says: this is my martyred brother. The Leader studies the photo and asks the sister: Are you this lady’s daughter?
Yes, she says and adds: He was martyred in Marivan, Kurdistan in 1987.
ـ Was he in Marivan as a soldier?
ـ Yes.
The Leader then says: May God grant you your rewards and bring happiness in your hearts. May God reward you for the hardships and sufferings you went through all this time.
The sister shows the Leader another photograph and, with a choked throat, says: This is my other brother who died exactly one year after the martyrdom of my brother. He had gone to Mashhad to do something for the company he worked in. On his return, he was driving too fast in order to reach Tehran and participate in the mourning ceremony of his brother; there was an accident and he died.
The Leader now picks up the brother’s photo and asks: What a bitter accident! Was he the elder brother?
The sister, with tears in her eyes, says: Yes, he was the elder brother.
The Leader repeats: Indeed a bitter accident. How about your father?
ـ My father died too.
Saddened, the Leader asks: When was that?
5 ـ years ago.
ـ So he was alive when his son was martyred.
ـ Yes, but after the death of the elder son, he fell ill, some heart trouble and he was hospitalized for some time and died later.
The Leader says:
May God Almighty grant best rewards to him, to your two brothers and all of you. Surely such worldly events have certain spiritual follow-ups; they do attract God’s mercy and blessing. There’s no bitter incident in this life for which God will not grant some sweet rewards.
That’s how God’s justice works. Any bitterness in life, if not caused by the person himself, will be rewarded by God properly. There are some incidents caused by men themselves but even then God, in his boundless mercy will forgive and grant rewards. This is God’s tradition. And I pray that, God willing, you will all taste God’s mercy.
He then asks: Do you have other children?
No, I don’t, only this daughter, the mother replies.
Ayatollah Khamenei, clearly saddened, adds: Two sons passed away! And he looks again at the photos, closes his eyes and takes a deep breath and looks away for a few moments; I am thinking about what he just said: “God rewards according to his boundless Mercy.”
In this meeting, the Armenian representative in the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis), Mr. Vartan Vartanian is also present. Since finding out about the Leader visiting the families of the Armenian martyrs, he tries to attend these meetings whenever he can. I have heard that he belongs to the Armenian elite and is quite famous in the Armenian community. Vartanian who is sitting on the left side of the Leader, tells him about the sister’s activities at the Armenian Ararat Club, especially in charitable projects and public service to the people.
The Ayatollah asks the sister: Apart from the activities at Ararat, what else do you do?
ـ I am a computer supervisor at a private company but the company is reducing its personnel at present; I’m still working there.
ـ Why are they reducing their staff? Is it because of economic conditions?
ـ Yes, our company has been making refrigerators for the last 6 years, but there were some problems in producing the necessary materials. We hope it will become active again.
The Leader listens to her with interest and she adds: This house we live in was given us by the Armenian Khaliphate Council with an inexpensive rent. Well, I work and we make a living and we have faith in God and we’ll see what happens.
The Leader, noticing the self-esteem of this family says: I pray for you to be in more comfortable circumstances and not to face any more problems.
The Leader then turns to us, his companions, and says: It was so good to come here this evening and meet and talk to this respected mother and the family. 
I again remember that it is the night of Al-Qadr in which we should be performing our own rituals but Ayatollah Khamenei opines: How good it was to come and meet this family!
We’re now about to say farewell to the family. The mother and the sister of the martyr, repeatedly and simultaneously, thank the Leader saying: Hajj Agha, we’re most grateful, you really made us happy; you devoted your precious time to visit us.
No, not at all, says the Leader.
ـ it’s my duty. Only I choose Christmas days to meet our Christian and Armenian citizens, I believe these are lucky, sweet days.
The Christmas being mentioned, the mother says something that touches me deeply in my heart:
ـ As you know, our custom is to buy a Christmas tree for these times, but after my sons were gone, it’s more than ten years that I did not buy a Christmas tree!
I look around the room.
No, there is no Christmas tree and this reminds me of the mothers of Muslim martyrs who, during the Iranian New Year celebrations, do not prepare the traditional “Haft Seen” items.
The Leader is silent for a while and then, with a kind smile, says:
ـ Nothing wrong with celebrating Christmas, try to be cheerful, your sons are already enjoying God’s mercy, particularly the one who went to the war-front to defend his country and his principles. As you know, the concept of martyrdom does exist in other religions also. 
And then he adds: I should express my heart-felt affections and ties with you.
The mother and sister seem to be happy to hear these words.
The Leader then turns to Mr. Vartanian and asks: You’re still in Majlis, aren’t you?
ـ Yes, I am and here I’m at your service, I had heard that you were closely familiar with the families of Armenian martyrs.
ـ yes, it’s been years, some 16 years, I often go to visit these families especially around Christmas, and sometimes I also visit the families of Assyrian martyrs according to arrangements made by my Office staff. The Christian families I have met and sat with, as I said, were Armenian and Assyrians.
After this the Leader says:
ـ well, how is your Arch-Bishop Ardaak Manoukian?
ـ He has great respect and reverence for you and does pray for your health in our church gatherings.
The Leader’s repeated mention of Manoukian in every such meetings shows how Islam respect and honours the dignitaries of other religions which has a long, historical background.
Vartanian then asks:
ـ Will I be allowed to print the news about this meeting in our Armenian newspaper?
ـ As you wish, here we are your guests and you may write about it if you like.
The sister now says: We haven’t even served our guest with a cup of tea!
And she goes to the kitchen to bring tea.
The Leader, in the meantime looks around the room and a big picture in a frame on the far side of the room attracts his attention and so he asks: whose picture is that?
ـ It’s a picture of our martyr.
ـ What a beautiful picture! Is it a photograph or a painting?
ـ It’s a painting, sir.
What a beautiful painting! He repeats.
I look at the painting; it is an excellent painting and the eyes of the martyr are looking exactly in the direction of the Leader. Now everybody in the room is focusing on the painting, even the martyr’s mother.
Mr. Vartanian says that the painter was one of the best artists at the Ararat Club; he also gives some more information about this Club.
Now the sister brings tea and the mother offers it to the Leader and the Leader looks at the tea-cup and says:
ـ your tea-cup looks so nice and tantalizing! One would like to have more tea in such a tea-cup!
The sister seems delighted at this; she must have bought the tea-cup set! The mother says: let me bring some sweets.
and the Leader says: No please don’t get up; I’ll have it with sugar.
But the mother brings sweets and the Leader drinks his tea with a piece of the sweets. 
She says again how happy indeed she is for the Ayatollah’s visit and he says: I hope you’ll always be happy.
Now Mr. vartanian shows a copy of the Armenian newspaper “Alik” to the Leader and adds that Alik is one of the oldest newspapers ever published in Iran, that in fact it is the second one after Ettela’at Daily. 
He adds: it was first published some 70 years ago and today it is sent to some 40 countries.
The Leader books at the newspaper and asks: Does it have a Persian section?
Vartanian explains: All our news and subjects are taken from Persian sources and many of our books are in Persian but the paper, containing items mainly for Armenian, would not be of interest to others, so it doesn’t have a Persian section.
The Leader says humorously: I didn’t want our Armenians to forget their Persian!
All present smile at the Leader’s comment and Vartanian wants to say something about the Armenian script but the Leader says: I know something about it. Your script is originally taken from Aramaic as well as syriac. Aramaic was popularly employed in ancient regions of Assyria and Chaldea, that is, in both the southern and northern parts of those lands.
Vartanian is surprised by the Leader’s knowledge in this respect and says: I am sure many Armenian do not know anything about this. Vartanian then says: It is believed that Jesus Christ’s language was Aramaic.
The Leader says: Of course, the language of Christ’s region was Aramaic and so it was, I believe, in areas such as Jerusalem.
Then Vartanian shows the Leader a picture of a big church and says: Tow of the disciples of Jesus traveled to Iran and one of them was called Tadeus and this church is named after him.
ـ You mean the famous church in Iran which is also called “Qara Kelisa”?
Vartanian hands the framed picture to the Leader and says: this church for Armenians is like the Vatican; in fact the Vatican itself was originally the burial place of another disciple. He adds: two of the disciples of Jesus were martyred in ancient Iran.
The Leader asks: how do you pronounce the name of this church in Armenian?
We say: San Tadeus.
ـ I have heard that many people travel there for pilgrimage every year.
Yes, Vartanian says, and if Marand Airport is completed, many more people will visit this church.
The Leader picks up the newspaper Alik and says: this is a nice, well-printed newspaper, although I don’t understand it!
The Leader then asks Vartanian: Have there been great Armenian poets?
Yes, there have been some good poets and the greatest was “Rafee” born in Salmas, northern Iran, he was also an excellent writer,
answers Vartanian.
He then mentions the fact that the Shiite Iranians have great respect for this church and that in fact its protection and maintenance was the work of Iranians for centuries. He adds: once a year we visit this church but the curious fact is that no Armenians live in that region at all.
Vartanian’s praise for Iranian reverence for this church reminds me of the fact that there is one church for every 500 Armenians in Iran.
Then the Leader describes the historical relations between Muslims and Christians in a precise but beautiful way: According to the belief of Muslims, Jesus Christ, Holy Mary, Christ’s disciples and their followers were the faithful of their time and tried hard to protect and spread their religion. In the Quran, Messiah and Mary have the greatest status. And these Christians who struggled on the part of the only rightful religion at that time and even gave up their lives for it, certainly were martyrs and in our belief they enjoy the highest degree of bliss in God’s paradise, so does the martyr of your family. All Christian martyrs are, for us Muslims, as true saints.
The Leader went on to say: There are times when authorities in different religions compromise and agree to respect each other, some apparent mutual respect but there are religions which have a lot in common, they share their beliefs. This is true in the case of Christianity and Islam. I mean that belief in Messiah, in Holy Mary, may God Almighty bless them, and belief in the disciples who have been mentioned in the Quran repeatedly – they are mentioned together in general, not by their names- these are all parts of our religion, not outside it, and that’s why they are revered and sanctified by Muslims
Then the Leader explains the reason why Christian Gospels differ from one another, a new explanation which even surprises Mr. Vartanian:
ـ At present a film is being shown on our television called ‘The Companions of the Cave’. It tells you a lot about the sufferings, tortures and martyrdoms of Christians in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. The Jews fought against Christianity for many years and Christians were badly suppressed in the Roman Empire; that was probably the reason that the Roman ruler had to turn to Christianity after the conversion of masses into this religion. What I mean is that Christianity, under those horrible conditions, had turned into an underground movement. No one dared to hold an open gathering. The differences you see in various Gospels such as Mark, Mathieu, Luke and John, are caused by such conditions. Activities were carried out under ground; groups were far away from one another, they couldn’t compare notes and had to resort to their memories.
Any way such events as the Companions of the Cave shook the foundation of the Roman Empire and Emperor Constantine had to convert to Christianity. Of course those historians, who have deeply studied the events, believe that Constantine’s conversion was not sincere or genuine. It was a political decision because he realized that Christianity had so progressed that confronting it, would have destroyed his Empire, so he declared that he believed in Christianity! Thus Christianity originated from the East and spread to the West, but the birth-places of Messiah and Mary, Zacharias and Yahya (John the Baptist) are in our own Eastern region; it has nothing to do with Europe or the West. But when the Romans converted to Christianity, they monopolized everything as if it belonged to them only! And today many people think that Christianity originated from Europe!
The Leader then adds: the very good relations between Muslims and Armenians have their roots in the intimate relation between Islam and Christianity.
Although this visit, like the previous one, is rather long but there is no trace of tiredness or dullness in the face of the Leader; and I say to myself: May this night of Glory last till dawn.
Finally Ayatollah Khamenei prays for the family and says: I hope you will all be happy in your hearts and I hope that your grief will bring about some more heart-felt spirituality because such suffering will attract God’s help and mercy and we must all consider ourselves as receivers of His blessings.
After this prayer, the Leader gives two presents to the mother and the daughter; they both thank the Ayatollah and he adds: the value of these presents is not important; their value lies in their spiritual significance.
We are so grateful for your visit despite your preoccupations, the mother and sister say, and the sister adds: the fact that you were kind enough to come and visit us, has already made us happy, we couldn’t believe it.
The martyr’s mother also says: I am grateful for your visit, each time I go to church I pray for you, for your health and for your long, continuous leadership. The Leader says: Thank you, if I might have made you happy by my visit, I’m happy too.
Mr. Vartanian has the last word: Before you come here, I asked the mother what she liked to say to the Leader when he is here? And he points at the mother to say what she had in mind herself.
The mother, with tears in her eyes, says: We don’t want anything; it’s only me and my daughter and we don’t have any small children. But if some people think they want to help us, I beg you that assistance is given to the families of martyrs who have children; then I would be satisfied.
This is touching and I think to myself that the mothers of martyrs are the greatest bounties of God on earth.
The Leader finally says: I pray to God to grant us the chance to recognize our duties and carry them out.
The Leader then gets up and says good-bye to the family of martyr Gogik Toumanian.
***
Now on the way back, I drive by many mosques and Husseinias and I hear the loud prayers devoted to this precious Night of Qadr. I’m going home to continue my rituals, but now I have a feeling very different from a few hours ago before the visits to the families of the martyrs, for I believe that I have participated in a most virtuous service.
What is really more valuable and virtuous than what we did in the last few hours? At a time when the enemies do their best to destroy Islam and the Islamic Revolution, the families of martyrs are invincible trenches to defend Islam: these families trained their young men to give up their lives in defense of their country and their Revolution. These families who underwent great hardships and pains with patience are as praise-worthy as their martyrs. And the enemy tries to destroy these trenches.
Under such circumstances, our wise Leader, inspired by divine and Alavite teachings has realized that the most virtuous ritual at such occasions is to gladden and to warm up the hearts of those mothers whose sons defended the dignity, independence and freedom of our nation. I always questioned myself about the most valuable and virtuous ritual which could have affected the destiny of our nation and Revolution in the coming years? Now I know that the happy smiling of a martyr’s mother, such as the mother of martyr Toumanian and her praying are among the best rituals of this blessed Night.