PESHAWAR: Speakers paid rich tributes to Imam Khomeini at a function arranged here to mark the 35th death anniversary of the leader who led the Islamic Revolution in Iran 45 years ago.
They were addressing a function hosted at the Cultural Centre of the Islamic Republic of Iran.People from various walks of life, including government representatives, politicians, religious scholars, academicians and literati attended the event which was titled “The status of Palestine in the Islamic world as seen by Imam Khomeini”.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Auqaf, Haj and Religious Affairs, Muhammad Adnan Qadri was the chief guest while Jamaat-e-Islami provincial head Prof Muhammad Ibrahim Khan presided over the programme.
The speakers discussed the aspects of Imam Khomeini’s personality and the importance he gave to Palestine and the youth.They hailed him as a leader, religious scholar and thinker who motivated the people of Iran to rise against the West-backed regime of the time and inspired a large number of people.
“It was his bold and sagacious leadership that brought about the Islamic Revolution in Iran on February 11, 1979, despite all odds,” said Khana-e-Farhang Director General Dr Hossein Chaghomi while speaking to the audience.The Iranian cultural diplomat said Iran faced post-revolution challenges, but the leadership of Imam Khomeini and his companions cleared all the hurdles with support from the masses.
He said Palestine, Palestinians and Al-Quds were dear to Imam Khomeini and that was why he announced observing the last Friday of Ramazan as Al-Quds Day.The representative of the Consul General of Iran, Ali Banafshekhah, attributed the success of the Islamic Revolution to Imam Khomeini and the tiers of leadership he had created which continued to take forward his mission after his death.
Enlisting the achievements of post-revolution Iran, he said his country had made progress in various fields by remaining attached to religious and cultural values.The speaker said both Imam Khomeini and Ali Khamenei gave much importance to the youth as they could effect a change.
He said Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei had written a letter to the students of the United States and the West asking them to protest the crime against the oppressed Palestinians in Gaza.Other speakers also addressed on the occasion.