MNA � Commander of IRGC Quds Forces Maj. Gen. Ghassem Soleimani has said undermining Basij achievements is an unpardonable sin.

Soleimani who was addressing the 3rd Basij commanders meeting held just ahead of Basij Week on Wednesday, believed that in a world of foreign encroachments and threats, Basij should not be weakened or its achievements downplayed; �during the Imposed War (1980-88), Basij helped create and foster a mentality and a culture unique to the Revolution and which was considerable force behind the success of the war fronts; the time of war was time of solidarity when no individual would care for personal welfare and a community of believers participated in a selfless display of courage,� he added.

�In a university thus created, all were of equal standing and equally contributed to the scene; Basij achieved what the Cultural Revolution would not manage to do: export of the Revolution,� said the general. �Islamic movements such as Hezbollah of Lebanon and Palestinian HAMAS received inspiration and spiritual aid from Basij. This is why Iran�s flag would fly in those countries; apart from the theoretical contribution, Basij contributes also to practical matters of security and in trenches then in the 1980s,� he said.

�No one in this country, except the anti-Revolutionary opposition, would cast doubt on the functionality of the Basij; it would be an unpardonable sin to disparage Basij role and achievements during all those critical years,� Soleimani concluded.