Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei commemorated the founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, on the 31st anniversary of his passing, saying the late leader shattered the presumed aura of superpowers’ invincibility.
In a televised address to the Iranian nation, Ayatollah Khamenei paid homage to the late revolutionary leader and recounted his legacy.
Decades after his departure, Imam Khomeini “is still alive among us, and should remain so”, the Leader was quoted as saying by Press TV.
Ayatollah Khamenei recalled how Imam Khomeini also transformed people’s attitude toward the so-called superpowers and their presumed invincibility to the point that the then US rulers acknowledged that the Imam had “humiliated” them.
“Imam, those who worked for him, and the youths who would mobilize at the wave of his hand, humiliated the superpowers in the true sense of the word, broke down their will and ousted them from the stage,” he said.
"At that time, no one assumed that anything could be done contrary to what the US willed. Imam Khomeini proved that superpowers are not invincible. We witnessed what happened to the Soviet Union. And today we are watching the US and see what is transpiring there," Ayatollah Khamenei said, adding that Imam Khomeini taught the masses how these big powers can be overcome.
US Hidden Realities
The Leader also addressed the widespread protests that have engulfed the United States in the aftermath of the gruesome killing of African American citizen George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis.
Ayatollah Khamenei said what the US has come face to face with today in the form of protests are “realities that had always been kept concealed”, and have now risen to the surface causing disgrace for the American administration.
“The brutality that was used against Floyd is what the United States has been doing across the world. They have done the same in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Vietnam and many other countries. This is the US government’s nature and character that is being exposed today,” he said.
The Leader referred to “I Can’t Breathe” slogan that the American protesters were chanting all across the United States during the protests and called it “the heartfelt words of all nations against which the US has committed many atrocities”.
As another instance of the US disgraceful behavior, he cited Washington’s mishandling of the coronavirus’ outbreak, even though the country came to grips with the disease later than other nations.
The Leader pointed out that Washington has been treating Americans in the worst possible manner, saying the people of the United States have every right to feel embarrassed and ashamed of their administrations, particularly the current one.
No Deviation in Revolution
Ayatollah Khamenei underlined the Imam’s spirit of “seeking and encouraging change”, calling him a “true leader”.
From a young age, Imam Khomeini would call for “rising up in the path of God”, he added, reminiscing how the late leader would invoke “spiritual revolution” among people through his speeches.
The Leader stated that Imam Khomeini managed to eventually bring about “change across the whole Iranian nation”, and prompted the people to abandon the spirit of lethargy and capitulation in the face of oppression.
Iran’s Islamic Revolution “did not deviate from this pro-change approach” even after Imam’s departure, he said, citing various instances of progress and transformation across the country’s various areas in the post-revolution era.
“We underwent change in various areas and became more powerful than before. The revolutionary attitude is still alive today,” he added, citing the country’s scientific and defensive achievements.
Ayatollah Khamenei noted that unlike now, the country’s scientific standing was negligible under the monarchical rule.
In the political sphere too, the country now portrays an “imposing image of itself in the world”, the Leader said.
Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ruhollah Mousavi Khomeini passed away on June 3, 1989, at the age of 87. Hailed as one of the 20th-century’s true revolutionary leaders, he spearheaded the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian nation’s struggle against the tyrannical United States-backed Pahlavi monarchy toward eventual victory in 1979.
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