RNA – In his Friday prayer sermon delivered to a large and fervent crowd of believers in Qom’s Qods Prayer Hall, Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammad Sa’idi referred to the fire and collapse of Tehran’s Plasco building on Thursday, which led to the deaths of 20 firefighters and said that this painful incident is a source of sorrow, regret and deep concern among the Supreme Leader, officials and the people.
The custodian of the Holy Shrine of Lady Fatimah al-Ma’sumah praised the courage and sacrifice of the firefighters, saying they sincerely sacrificed their lives in the operation to rescue those who were trapped. “The hearts of the people of our nation are full of praise on one hand and are on the other hand, they are full of concern and sorrow,” he stated.
Ayatollah Sa’idi said the tragic incident is sorrowful for all of us but undoubtedly, it was an act sincere jihad for those warriors “who crossed the bridge to happiness for the sake of God” and heaven’s doors are open for them.
“The Prophet Muhammad said that when a group of Muslims rescue others from incidents such as floods and fires, paradise becomes obligatory upon them,” the renowned cleric said.
His Eminence said, “Today, we pray for the health and healing of those injured in this bitter incident and we ask God to grant the victims mercy and forgiveness. We also call on the authorities to continue to carry out their combative efforts and call on those who gathered at the scene to disperse so as not to make the work of the relief workers more difficult and slow.”
The Iranian cleric said Saudi Arabia’s brutal war on Yemen, which began in March 2015, had led to much damage and many casualties in the impoverished Arab country and added that this war has been supported by the United States and its allies.
“As a result of the bombardment of Yemen, a severe food shortage has been imposed on the oppressed people of Yemen and dozens of Yemenis have lost their lives due to malnutrition but still bravely resist,” he stressed.
Ayatollah Sa’idi referred to a protest rally in Yemen on Wednesday, wherein more than 3,000 women marched in the capital Sana’a against exiled president Mansour Hadi
and Saudi Arabia’s ongoing military onslaught to reinstate his rule and said these fully veiled women carried weapons such as machine guns, rocket propelled grenades and mortar shells and their message to the Saudi invaders and criminals was that they’re determined and resilient against these invaders until the last person.
He said that the ongoing crimes by Bahrain’s Al Khalifah regime against the tiny Persian Gulf country’s majority Shi’ah population has fueled the anger of the people and added that the execution of three young revolutionaries after being tortured has entered the country into a new phase of struggle.
Ayatollah Sa’idi stated that since 2011, the oppressed people of Bahrain have called on their unjust rulers to grant them their voting rights but the Al Khalifah are opposed to demands of the people and want to suppress the voice of the people.
“By the grace of God, they have not been able to and in the future, we will witness the victory of the resistant Muslims of Bahrain,” he noted.
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