RNA – In an interview with the News Agency, Ayatollah Sayyed Ahmad Khatami, a member of the board of the Assembly of Experts, offered his condolences on the death of Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani said that after a life of service and compassion to the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Hashemi-Rafsanjani went to meet God.
The Chairman of the Expediency Council passed away on January 8 at the age of 82 after having an acute heart attack.
Born on August 25, 1934, the influential Iranian politician and writer was the fourth president of the Islamic Republic, serving from 1989 to 1997.
Ayatollah Khatami added that in regard to his relationship with the people and his services to the country, our people have heard a lot of information. Ayatollah Hashemi-Rafsanjani was one of the forerunners of the Islamic Revolution.
“In a previous interview, I said that during the time of the Pahlavi regime, Ayatollah Hashemi-Rafsanjani was the pride of the clergy in resistance and he relentlessly and patiently tolerated the torture by the regime’s executioners,” he said.
The member of the Supreme Council of Islamic Seminaries stated that after the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Hashemi-Rafsanjani applied all of his efforts in the service of Imam Khomeini in different arenas in order to consolidate and strengthen the Islamic Revolution and he had a praiseworthy role in the necessary fields.
Ayatollah Khatami said during the eight-year long Iran-Iraq War, Ayatollah Hashemi-Rafsanjani delivered many calming sermons for our nation and these sermons terrified the enemies of the Iranian nation.
“Also, his great services during the post-war reconstruction period are noteworthy and there were many bright accounts in the life of Ayatollah Hashemi-Rafsanjani which should be explained in a separate interview,” he said.
His Eminence said that he hopes that Ayatollah Hashemi-Rafsanjani’s funeral will be a celebration of his life and his memorial service will be a symbol of the unity of our beloved people and added, “This event should be held in such a way that it will be a source of despair for our enemies who seek every opportunity to divide the Iranian nation.”
Ayatollah Khatami said that due to the vigilance of the people, he predicts that the enemies will be defeated and added that at his funeral, we must praise Ayatollah Hashemi-Rafsanjani for his services and not allow the enemies to take advantage of this great social gathering.
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