Baghdad: The head of the Popular Mobilization Forces, Faleh al-Fayyad, affirmed on Sunday that certain entities have spent hundreds of billions of dollars with the aim of “distorting the image of Iraqis and changing their identity,” noting that the Iraqi people have preserved their identity and authenticity.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, al-Fayyad made these remarks while speaking at a ceremony commemorating the fortieth day of mourning for Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. He said, “It is a source of pride and honor to stand here today remembering the martyred leader.” Al-Fayyad described the martyr as someone who represented a unique approach, enduring hardships and difficulties, with an unprecedented attachment from the people in contemporary history.

Al-Fayyad emphasized that leaders offering their lives at the beginning of battles is a significant and unprecedented act, highlighting that the funeral procession in Iraq was a notable event. This, he stated, confirmed the martyr’s exalted status among humanity and rekindled the defense of dignity and sacred sites.

He further stated that the martyr forged a nation and revived a conscience, with forces of evil unable to extinguish his insight. Al-Fayyad underscored that there are those who have invested heavily to manipulate the image of Iraqis and alter their identity.

He elaborated that the Iraqi people, guided by Grand Ayatollah Sistani and the noble tribes, showcased their identity and authenticity by organizing the grand funeral procession. Al-Fayyad remarked that the martyr’s funeral in Iraq demonstrated that the nation is a cradle of great figures, with its people committed to their authentic identity.

He noted that the tribes of Iraq were the first to lead, ahead of any other entity, in organizing the funeral procession for the martyred leader.