AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A ceremony marking the anniversary of the demise of Imam Khomeini (r.a.) was held in Accra, the capital of Ghana, with the presence of Ayatollah Reza Ramazani, Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly.
Speaking at the event, Ayatollah Ramazani stated that the divine prophets placed humanity on the right course of history. “The Prophet (p.b.u.h) had two key missions to guide humanity along this righteous path, one of which was to eliminate ignorance,” he added.
He continued, “According to historical sources, the era of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) is referred to as the Age of Ignorance. Ignorance is the gravest affliction of human society and the root of all evil for both individuals and communities. As Imam Ali (a.s.) says, ignorance is the source of every wickedness.”
The Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly described ignorance as the root cause of moral, economic, social, and cultural crises, stating that these crises ultimately lead people to lose their true identity. “Thus, eradicating ignorance was among the primary missions of the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h),” he emphasized.
Ayatollah Ramazani identified the second mission of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) as calling people to monotheism, both in belief and practice. He described the fruits of monotheism as dignity, spirituality, justice, and rationality. “Imam Khomeini (r.a.), a student of the Prophet, fulfilled these same two missions but in the face of modern ignorance. In this modern ignorance, the concept of human identity was distorted, and people became detached from their essence and truth,” he noted.
He added, “The second mission of Imam Khomeini (r.a.) was to call for monotheism, that all actions should be for the sake of God, just as Prophet Abraham declared: ‘إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ’ (Indeed my prayer and my worship, my life and my death are for the sake of Allah, the Lord of all the worlds) (Holy Quran, 6:162).” Ayatollah Ramazani emphasized that “Imam Khamenei has continued Imam Khomeini’s (r.a.) path and has guided us along the correct trajectory of history.”
Speaking about the requirements for staying on this righteous path of history, he said, “Anyone who possesses two traits is aligned with the correct direction in history: first, to disbelieve in Taghut (tyranny), whether political, economic, or cultural. ‘فَمَنْ یَکْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَ یُؤْمِنْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَکَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقی’ (So one who disavows fake deities and has faith in Allah has held fast to the firmest handle) (Holy Quran, 2:256)”. He explained that those who reject Taghut and believe in God are the ones who respond positively to the call of a reformer and embrace the path of reform; those are the ones who are on the right side of history.
The Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly referred to the letters of the Supreme Leader to the youth of Europe and America, stating, “Imam Khamenei wrote several letters to young people in the West, one of which came after the Zionist regime’s atrocities in Gaza. The Palestinian ambassador noted that Gaza is an international prison; more than two million people were displaced, and over fifty thousand, including women and children, were martyred. ‘بِأَيِّ ذَنبٍ قُتِلَتْ’ (for what sin she was killed?) (Holy Quran, 81:9). Why did international organizations not raise their voices in protest, and it was the youth in European and American universities who stood up in objection?”
“When these students protested,” he continued, “they were punished by being denied their right to education and degrees. The protesters were not Muslim, they were Christian. But they were on the right side of history. That is why Imam Khamenei stated that these Western youth had aligned themselves with the course of true history, because they stood against oppression and responded to the call of Imam Khamenei.”
Speaking about the Quran’s messages, he noted, “Nearly 80 Surahs of the Quran were revealed in Mecca, and they call upon mankind and promote love for humanity. The invitation of Islam is an invitation to humanity, to compassion. Therefore, when someone stands against oppression, he is paving the way for all people to benefit from divine mercy.”
Referring to colonial atrocities against the people of Africa, Ayatollah Ramazani said, “In other African countries, there were islands where Black people were rounded up, sold off, and their families torn apart; a process that continued for three hundred years. For nearly four hundred years in Latin America, they waged war on the Indigenous peoples, stripped them of their rights, and massacred millions. For what crime were they killed?”
He continued, “Those who committed these injustices deviated from the rightful path of history. But those who resisted injustice found themselves on the path of truth.”
Explaining the essence of resistance, he said, “Resistance means being aligned with the true path of history. The Prophet of Islam said that if a non-Muslim asks for your help, and you are able to assist but choose not to, you are not truly Muslim. Those who have taken the path of reform and betterment of humanity are walking in the correct direction of history, while those who spread corruption have strayed from it.”
The Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly further noted, “The prophets walked the path of history and called us to join them on the right course. Imam Khomeini (r.a.) and Imam Khamenei have likewise urged us to take the correct path; one that calls upon us to support the oppressed wherever they may be.”
Regarding the plight of the Palestinian people, he stated, “Palestine and Gaza are oppressed. Since 1948, the Zionists have displaced the Palestinians and expelled them from their homeland. Today, the President of the United States says the people of Gaza should leave this strip. But why should they leave? Isn’t that their homeland? Therefore, we respect anyone who has aligned himself with the right side of history.”
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