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| Sunday, 5 June 2005 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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June 4th was the 16th death anniversary of Imam Khomeini : Valiant mystic leader
Nothing in the circumstances of the Imam's early years suggested future greatness. Ayatollah which literally means 'sign of God' takes his name from the place of his birth. The future Imam was born in 1902 in the insignificantly small town of Khomeini 349 kilometres south west of Teheran. He was only a six month-old baby when his father Ayatollah Seyed Mostafa Khomeini was martyred by one of the feudal lords backed by the then government in Teheran. His mother Hajar, who was raised in a pious family of scholars died of illness in 1908. From the age of 6 onwards the orphaned Khomeini was raised by his paternal aunt Sahebah Khanoum whom passed away when Imam Khomeini was 15 years old. The loss of his parents and beloved aunt at an early age were his first lesson for mysticism and gnosis. At a tender age he understood that life on earth was transient, impermanent and ephemeral and that one should not attach oneself to the material world obsessively. The lesson on mystician learnt in early childhood and adolescence was to guide the young man as he went from his birth place to Arak Seminary and later to Qum to further continue his studies in religious sciences. His detailed knowledge of religious sciences and his training enabled him to be an excellent scholar, writer, poet, philosopher, political ideologue and gnostic. He finally blossomed out to be a celebrity and beloved charismatic leader of the Islamic revolutionary and founder of todays Islamic Republic of Iran. It was in gnosticism and mysticism that the Imam shone. He traversed the path of (Islamic mysticism) to see the transcendental unseen. There is a Hadith Qudsi tradition which says: "Those who draw near do not draw near to Me with anything more excellent than fulfilment of that which I have established as a duty for them. And my servant continues to draw near to me through supererogatory acts of worship (naufal) until I love him, and when I love Him, I become for him a hearing and an eyesight, a hand and a support, so through Me he hears, through Me he sees and through Me he grasps." Imam Khomeini achieved this status. All his thoughts, words and deeds were inspired by God. That was why when the hostage crises was raising high tension. Imam Khomeini allayed the fears of the Iranian masses by boldly saying "U.S. cannot do any damn thing." In fact the US could not do anything but negotiate the release of the hostages after having failed in a rescue attempt earlier. The Imams most outstanding achievement was in the fields of mysticism and gnosis. He was indeed a master of the art. His mystic powers in actual fact helped him to gain his other outstanding abilities and he became a powerful personality. Politicians and other secular persons who dominate the world could not fathom his behaviour and actions. His vicegeral figure was imposing. He was an ascetic all his life and did not care for the trappings of political power. He lived in a small house in downtown Jamaran near the mosque. They failed to comprehend the motivation and mind-set of a man inspired by the transcendental and resplendent attributes of God of whom He had abounding faith and trust by his knowledge and practice of gnosticism. The scenario in Iran 16 years ago after the day of June 4 that followed the death of Imam Khomeini was that of mass grief and public adulation which highlighted the re-assertion of the love of the masses to their beloved leader. The Imam's funeral was for all practical purpose a re-run of the Islamic Revolution 13 years prior. If 2 million people lined up the streets and roof-tops of Teheran on 1st February 1979 to welcome the Imam, to rule over his dominion, a record 12 million people converged on Teheran from all parts of Iran and some from many parts of the world, to bury the body of Roohullah-Al Musavi-Al Khomeini, infact to make the Imam immortal! It was the most attended funeral that ever was and will perhaps ever be! Since 11th February, 1979, 26 years after the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran the Western powers - especially the US have imposed economic sanctions, demonized Imam Khomeini and his legacy, aided Iraq to attack Iran and have continuously tried and is always trying to destabilize Iran. - Saybhan Samat
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| Produced by Lake House |
Yesterday
was the 16th death anniversary of the late Ayatollah Roohullah Al-Musavi,
Al-Khomeini who strode the world stage like a colossus from 11th February
1979 to June 4, 1989 and left a legacy that changed the history of Iran in
particular and the whole world in general. 
