MNA � Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei pointed to the importance of resisting evil.

He made the remarks in a meeting with members of a committee responsible to commemorate 15,000 combatants of Khomeini Shahr. The meeting was held on Dec. 16 but the remarks of the leader was punlished tonight concurrent with the commemoration ceremony in Khomeini Shahr.

The Leader emphasized the need for maintaining the spirit of defending the right and striving for God�s sake.

In this meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to the outstanding presence of combatants of Khomeini Shahr and Najafabad of Isfahan during the eight years of Sacred Defense (Iraqi imposed war against Iran in 1980-1988) and said, �the self-sacrifice of combatants and war veterans is tantamount to the sacrifice of martyrs, the issue of which should be taken into consideration as a great value.�

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader emphasized the importance of the spirit of resistance against evil and perseverance in the right path and added, �if the spirit of resistance does not exist in a country, it will be destroyed; that is to say that this society will lose its honor dignity and independence.�