the director of world center for shia studies has published a message on the occasion of basij day
Basij from the beginning of Islam until now at a glance
The Holy Prophet, the founder of Basij and the Shiite Imams, the guides of this divine movement, and Imam Khomeini, the reviver of this noble lineage that has fixed roots in the hearts, thoughts and beliefs of the Muslim people, in all the ups and downs of Islamic history, always its branches in the movement.
Its effects on Shiite movements have always been ubiquitous and its fruits have always been available. From the beginning of Islam until now, Basij has been one of the important factors in the progress of Islam; Early in Islam, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) did not have an organized army, and it was the integration of the believers that led to the advancement of Islam and the rise of the Prophet with divine intentions, and Jamal, Safin, Nahrawan and Karbala were the manifestations of such integration. The Basij is not just a people’s militant organization, but a divine school founded on Islamic thought. Understanding the nature of basij and its historical background is necessary for it to remain integrated and safe from damage and distortion. If we look more closely, the Basij was not established during the war, but in that period Imam khomeini gave it an objective role and all people understood the role of the Basij in the holy defense and it should be said that the Basij was both the first driving force and the first fruit of Imam Khomeini’s movement. It is to consider his birth as June ٤٢ and his maturity as Azar and to know for sure that what saved the life and permanence of our revolution was mobilization and Basij thinking, and perhaps it is not without merit to say that the pre-revolutionary demonstrations were also Basij demonstrations. All revolutionary events are due to the integrational movement of our Islamic Ummah. Today, with the export of the values of the revolution and the fruition of Imam’s thought, we are witnessing the influence of Basij thought in all parts of the world, including Islamic and non-Islamic countries, and what paved the way for the victory of the nations of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen was Basij thought; Because all members of Hezbollah are Basijis. Friends and foes alike acknowledge that the Imam and the leadership, by promoting, deepening, and developing Basij thinking, have created a strong barrier against arrogance and its manifestations, especially the United States, Israel, Wahhabism, and takfiri movements, and will be unbreakable as long as its divine motive is preserved.
At present, with the rise and spread of waves of doubts and ideological, moral and cultural deviations in society, we must be careful of the damages that basij may encounter, because the enemy has targeted the ideas and culture of society by creating suspicions and immoral thoughts, and if we are not careful, basij may not be the former basij. By being vigilant and by strengthening the divine motivation and highlighting the vital element of unity and avoiding excesses and having the main goals of mobilization before sub-goals and keeping it away from internal conflicts, something must be done so that basi remain intact and ready so that the enemy is always fearful of basij as the main power of the Islamic system.