Remembering Gen Qassim Soleimani

Remembering Qassim Solaimani, a hero, and symbol of the fight against terrorism in the Middle East Region

January 3, 2020 will not easily fade in the minds of the Iranian people.

This was the day General Qassim Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, was murdered in the most odiously cowardly fashion imaginable.

As Iran marks the second anniversary of the assassination of General Soleimani, it provides an occasion to remember not only the general, but the nature of the criminal act, the precedent set, and the degree to which Iran and the Middle East region have become the main hunting ground of post-colonial Western imperialism.

In a world where the respect of international law should be the primacy of state relations, the evil deed that was pursued by the Donald Trump administration constitutes a violation of international law, and particular the right to life.

The assassination was based on the ill wishes of some states in the International system who had the sole aim of exerting political pressure on Iran and in the process occasioning the systemic violation of human rights, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

General Soleimani, who was highly acclaimed by the people of Iran and the Middle East region as a “liberator, hero, and symbol of the fight against terrorism, was ambushed by gutless drone operators under the command of President Donald Trump and his allies.

Article II of the United Nations Charter explicitly prohibits the use of force as well as threatening to use force. In addition to being a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, the martyrdom of Commander Soleimani was also against the values of human rights and international human rights provisions.

Violation of the right to life is prohibited under Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 6 of the Charter of Civil and Political Rights Covenant.

Therefore, the commanders and the agents of this operation and the perpetrators of violation of this right should be brought to justice and punished.

General Soleimani, who rightly played the most effective role in suppressing criminal groups, augured well in clearing terrorist embodiments such as ISIS and Al-Nusra Front, and brought security and peace to the Middle East nations.

The greatest achievement of General Soleimani was to be the most effective anti-Daesh leader in the struggle against extremist barbarism in the region, which followed his earlier efforts to defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan. 

The remembrance of his death anniversary is important event to look back, reflect, and reaffirm the struggle of oppressed people.

Personally, what comes to mind of his legacy are courage, integrity and siding with the oppressed people.

Khamis Mohamed is the media officer, Cultural Council Embassy of Iran