On the occasion of Sacred Defense Week, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei had a friendly meeting with permanently disabled war veterans, including those with acute spinal injuries, as well as their families in Tehran on Sunday.
Highlighting the severe physical pain the disabled Iran-Iraq War veterans have been enduring for a long time, the Leader stated, "The disabled war veterans are the vivid picture of atrocities the enemy committed throughout the imposed war; besides, their presence in the society reflects international, historical and political realities," IRNA reported.
Appreciating the strenuous efforts by the veterans' wives to handle numerous challenges, Ayatollah Khamenei said, "Providing the disabled war veterans with assistance and services is the real meaning of devotion and those who dedicate themselves to fulfilling such a sacred duty must be valued."
Giving a report to the Leader, the director of the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, Hojatoleslam Seyyed Mohammad Ali Shaheedi Mahallati called the disabled veterans "unique role models" and praised them for standing up to international bullies.
In Iran, the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War is known as the Sacred Defense and Sacred Defense Week is held on the anniversary of the beginning of the war. Sacred Defense Week begins on Shahrivar 31 in the Iranian calendar (September 22), which is the day Iraq invaded Iran and began the imposed war.
