Head of the Judiciary: The Basij is not exclusive to any particular class or group

According to the Judiciary Media Center, coinciding with the 46th anniversary of Basij Week, Mohseni Eje’i met with a group of Basij members of the Judiciary.

In this meeting, the Head of the Judiciary enumerated the attributes and characteristics of Basij members and said: “The Basij is a pure and blessed tree — a strong and fruitful one — that has today extended beyond the borders of the Islamic Republic of Iran and has become a vanguard in confronting global arrogance.”

Referring to the widespread influence of Basij thinking in Iranian society, he said: “The Basij is not confined to any specific class or group; it belongs to the whole nation. All people benefit from the mindset and righteous actions of Basij members. Even those who may not be familiar or aligned with Basij or religious thinking still enjoy the services that Basij members provide to society. In various incidents and crises, it is the Basijis who step forward and offer selfless service to the people and to Muslims.”

The Chief Justice, emphasizing the idealism combined with rationality in Basij thinking, said: “Basij members are idealists, but they blend these ideals with reason and prudence. In a world that is constantly changing, they devote all their efforts to increasing their knowledge and piety. Basij members are also active in equipping themselves with modern technologies and do not act passively in this field.”

Criticizing the use of fabricated terms such as “radical” or “moderate” in the country’s political discourse, he said: “They have invented terms like ‘extremist’ and ‘slow-moving.’ We should not promote such fake and baseless labels. There is no meaning in being too fast or too slow. Going ahead of the Imam is wrong, falling behind the Imam is also wrong. When a person, in any circumstance — war, peace, or sedition — fulfills their duties, is religious, revolutionary, steadfast in the path of truth, and acts with reason, that person is a Basiji. Such a person is of Hezbollah.”

Mohseni Eje’i added: “A Basiji is faithful and devout; rational and revolutionary; a supporter of the oppressed and an enemy of the oppressor; sincere and hardworking; capable of enduring hardship and steadfast in the path of truth. These are the characteristics by which Basij members are known throughout the world. Thus, notions of ‘extremism’ or ‘moderation’ do not apply.”

The Head of the Judiciary further stated that the main assets of the Judiciary are its judges and staff, and added: “The active Basij members within the Judiciary — whose number reaches an impressive 17,000 — can play an irreplaceable role in improving the quality and performance of judicial personnel in various aspects.”

He went on to outline the areas where Basij members of the Judiciary can make an impact: “We strive to identify and recruit young, talented, and committed individuals. In this effort, Basij members of the Judiciary can be highly effective. They can also assist in pre-service and in-service training of judges and staff.”

The Chief Justice added: “In other areas such as improving professional ethics, expanding good conduct with the public, and safeguarding the integrity of the institution, Basij members can be pioneers and path-breakers.”

He noted: “Giving greater respect to the public and to visitors of judicial centers is a top priority for us. In this important task, Basij members should assist us. In the critical area of protecting the Judiciary and each of its staff members, Basijis must be our partners. We believe that wrongdoing by any individual in any institution is damaging and unfortunate, but when such wrongdoing occurs by a member of the Judiciary, the harm is doubled. Therefore, in this crucial area, Basij members must enter the field with full strength and help us strengthen the integrity and protection of the institution.”

Mohseni Eje’i also referred to the Judiciary’s mission to expand justice and the role Basij members can play in this: “One of our main duties is the expansion of justice. Our responsibility is to promote justice in all dimensions, and this is not limited to the rulings issued by our courts; we must spread justice across all fields and domains. In this important task, Basij members can be our support. Basij members working within the Judiciary should also be active in expanding justice inside the institution itself. If we cannot ensure justice within our own organization, we may fail to spread justice in society.”

In conclusion, the Head of the Judiciary stressed the role that Basij members can have in enhancing the spiritual and cultural well-being of the families of Judiciary staff: “We have repeatedly emphasized that judicial employees must pay special attention to their families, and despite the heavy workload in the Judiciary, they must never neglect them. On the other hand, we, as Judiciary officials, consider it our duty to support the families of judicial staff. In this field as well, we ask for the help of Basij members. You can play a meaningful role in improving the spiritual, cultural, and broader social conditions of the families of Judiciary employees.”