RNA – Speaking at a ceremony where the newly-elected members of the Assembly of Experts renewed their ideals to Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Revolution, at his mausoleum south of Tehran, Ayatollah Sayyed Mahmoud Hashemi-Shahroudi expressed his hope that by visiting the late Imam’s burial place, renewing their pledge to follow and comply with him and his righteous successor and by being the true flag-bearers of the line of the Imam, they will express their faith in the Islamic Revolution, the system and the Imam.
The Vice-President of the Assembly of Experts said that after 37 years, the legitimacy and effectiveness of the lofty principles of the ideology of Imam Khomeini has been revealed to the world.
He added that today in the Islamic world or the region, there is no regime which has the power, honour and glory of Iran’s Islamic system. This system which was founded by the late Imam Sayyed Ruhollah Khomeini is based on the principle of Wilayat al-Faqih al-Mutlaq (Absolute Guardianship of the Jurisprudent) and upon this same principle, Iran was able to demonstrate religious democracy to the world.
Ayatollah Hashemi-Shahroudi said that Iran’s Islamic system has shown how Islam and republicanism can be combined. However, Islam – pure and rational Islam not distorted Islam, or in the terminology of Imam Khomeini, “American Islam,” which has appeared today in the Islamic world. “Islamic nations have been set ablaze and are under the domination of the imperialists,” he said.
He said the principles of Imam Khomeini are always emphasized by his successor, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, and we must repeat them and explain to the world that has happened.
His Eminence referred to Imam Khomeini’s emphasis on the global hegemonic system as the main enemy of the Muslim world, saying that protecting the system demands the protection these principles. “The situation in the Muslim world there shows why Imam Khomeini called the United States the ‘Great Satan’ and fought against the imperialists from the beginning, especially the Zionist regime,” he said.
Ayatollah Hashemi-Shahroudi stressed the imperial powers’ roles in wars against countries such as Iraq, Syria and Yemen, adding that this is an important concern which has also been stressed upon by Imam Khomeini and Ayatollah Khamenei.
The Vice-President of the Assembly of Experts warned: “Lest we neglect and assume that we can sit alongside these imperialist regime. The Great Satan is a devil and we cannot work with the devil.”
In conclusion, he expressed hope that we adhere to the principles of our system and with compliance to the Supreme Leader, we will see the day when pure Islam will be restored throughout the entire world.
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