May 24, Reminder of Liberation of Khorramshahr

It is source of pride and honor that Khorramshahr, the city exuberant with red blood and sacrifice, was liberated on May 24, 1982. The city was liberated during the Beit-ul Moqaddas Operation which began on April 30, 1982 after ups and downs which are common in the wars. The operation liberated Hoveyzeh and Khorramshahr in a 23-day war and pushed away the enemy forces to keep cities of Ahwaz and Soosangerd away from the range of Iraq Army’s artillery fire.

IRAN NEWS POLITICAL DESK

During this battle, 9,000 divisions and 19 brigades of Iraq Army were involved and Iranian forces killed and wounded over 16,000 Iraqi troops and took 19,000 hostages. Iraq President Saddam Hussein after defeats in Hoveyzeh and Khorramshhr executed some of his army’s commanders who had been several times decorated with order of merit and loyalty in the past. This victory boosted the morale of Iran’s resistance so that both Army and IRGC forces claimed the victory and the founder of the Islamic revolution and ummah Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (R) cautioned them by saying “God liberated Khorramshahr.”

And Iran with liberation of Khorramshahr changed its position in the world, and consequently views towards the country were totally changed. The rhetoric of the world mass media fully changed and May 24, 1982 once again showed the world Iranians as a “united nation”. The word which never sounded pleasant for those who used to create separation, pan-Arabism or other “pans” as they used to show Iran as a multi-ethnic country with different mentality and races in order to divide the country by resorting to Iranian nationalism and pan-Iranism.

But Iranian people through the time and during thousands of proud events like liberation of Khorramshahr have shown that in the nick of time they rush to defend and support their sovereignty and country with a national consolidation and sacrifice.

So every year since May 24, 1982,as this year is 38^th anniversary, the day is marked in order that we should not forget that many people have sacrificed their lives, and bloods have been poured for safeguarding the sovereignty of this hero-nurturing land as they have become eternal assets for the nation.

When we talk about sovereignty, it does not mean only political and military dominance over the land but it covers all values and honors of all provinces, cities and waters. Iranians living in the West Asia may have different dialogues but all are Iranians and they are proud of being Iranian because Iran is the cradle and host of Imam Mahdi (A) and they are proud of it. We still do not forget that from October 26, 1980 till May 24, 1982, and almost for 18 months Khorramshahr was under occupation of Iraqi Baath Army forces. On October 26, 1980 and when Iraqi forces entered the city, they arrogantly wrote on the walls of the city that they had come to stay but their words did not last more than two years and they suffered heavy casualties and were pushed back out of the city with humiliation and their forces were forced to escape or they were killed or taken hostages.

Some of Iraqi troops after being taken as hostages begged Iranians by saying they wanted to have Imam Khomeini’s protection. Of course their beg discredited what they had written earlier on the walls. Undoubtedly, Saddam Hussein did not know Iranians well. Iranians love foreigners till they do not think of any aggression and harm, as they have never left any aggression unanswered and for this reason their land and sovereignty has remained intact to date. The Greek, Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs and Mongols all had invaded Iran but when they wanted to leave, they were not as before because they burned in Iranian culture furnace. They either became Iranian or suffered humiliating defeats and returned to their countries like Saddam Hussein and Baath Party forces exactly did on May 24, 1982 as the wretched commander of Qadisiyyah and his troops, after 575 days of battle during the Beit-ul Moqaddas operation, were expelled out of Khorramshahr with humiliation. Of course they had earlier suffered another defeats in Dehlaviyeh, Bostan and Soosangerd. This victory is congratulated to Iran’s armed forces, both Army and IRGC, and the nation whose sweetness will be as sweet as honey for ever in the history.

 By: Hamid Reza Naghashian