The commemoration ceremony for the second anniversary of the martyrdom of Haj Qasem Soleimani, was held on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, in the prayer hall of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly in Qom.
In this ceremony, on the mission of the Shiites in the age of Awaiting for Imam Mahdi (a.s.), Ahmad Ahmadi, an expert on regional and international issues, said, “We have responsibilities and duties in the era of the Occultation of Imam Mahdi (a.s.). One of our missions is to remove the obstacles of the Reappearance and prepare the ground for the realization of the government of Imam Mahdi (a.s.).”
Necessities and requirements for Awaiting for Imam Mahdi (a.s.)
“Since the rule of Imam Mahdi (a.s.) belongs to the whole world, our duties are also universal. Therefore, we cannot limit our activities to a particular region,” he added.
On the necessities and requirements of the Awaiting, and the duties of the Shiites during Occultation, the expert on international affairs said, “Policymaking, having an organization and institution to implement the strategy, and qualified and capable people in charge, are the three necessary principles in the awaiting age, and without these three, the collective mission is unattainable.”
“Not everyone has the necessary power and competence for great missions. This is where a man in the field is needed and who is better than Haj Qasem Soleimani? During the Holy Defense (Iraq’s 8-year imposed war against Iran), Haj Qasem passed the test proudly. He also fought counter-revolutionary elements and drug traffickers after the 8-Year War, and gained valuable experience,” he said, explaining the third principle.
“General Soleimani had advanced by himself, enjoyed no favoritism and was given no biased hands. The Supreme Leader of the Revolution appointed him as the head and commander of the IRGC’s overseas unit, and after the events in Iraq and Syria, we know only a part of the activities of the Quds Force,” Ahmadi adde.
It is not appropriate to consider Martyr Soleimani just as a military man: Ahmadi
“Haj Qasem was a thinker, and he took measures based on thoughts and ideas. He was also a scholar, and it is not correct to consider him just a military figure,” he said, on the features and characteristics of Haj Qasem Soleimani.
“General Soleimani had a high level of expertise in several disciplines. He was a strategist in the military affairs. Ordinary wars usually are fought according to the capabilities of the enemy and can be calculated. But in urban and irregular wars, the battle is very difficult. Because friend and foe are not easily recognizable. General Soleimani had knowledge and skills in both classical and civil war, at a high and strategic level, and had the necessary techniques. He was not sitting in the command room only, but he was present in the field,” continued the international affairs expert.
“He was a manager who knew the action, and the time of the action, and pondered wisely. To manage a scattered group is very difficult, and even more difficult is the management of scattered groups, each of them are thousands of miles apart. Haj Qasem was aware of the activities of all the forces and received feedback from them. This type of management is not an easy task. He was not a manager to succeed by trial and error,” he said, considering the tactics and jihadi management as other characteristics of Haj Qasem Soleimani.
Mastery of security and intelligence affairs
“General Soleimani was so in control of security issues that even some commanders were unaware of his actions,” Ahmadi added, referring to his mastery of security and intelligence affairs as another characteristic of General Soleimani.
“The combination of these characteristics had made Haj Qasem a transnational, trans-temporal and trans-spatial figure whose horizons had been generalized, and he was not confined into any party, faction or group,” he added, introducing familiarity with Islamic culture, practical commitment to Islam, stability and perseverance on principles and values as other characteristics of Haj Qasem.
“In his planning, he considered all aspects of security, politics, economy, culture, and so on. Haj Qasem was also patient. On the other hand, he was constantly growing and improving his knowledge and insight, without seeking a university degree, and without the slightest bit of scientific pride,” continued the expert on international affairs, pointing out that comprehensiveness was another characteristic of Haj Qasem.
A memory of giving a book as a gift to General Soleimani
“I once gave a book to Haj Qasem. He said, ‘Prepare for me any book you need me to read. Provided I pay for it’,” he said in a memoir about the importance of science and knowledge from the perspective of Martyr Soleimani.
“Haj Qasem attracted people as much as possible, and seldom repelled anyone. His motives and goals were divine. He fought for God for 40 years, and whoever lives like a martyr, his life ends with martyrdom,” Ahmadi said in the end.