AhlulBayt News Agency: In a rare and widely discussed move, a large banner has appeared in a part of Mumbai featuring an Indian Sunni politician alongside the image of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
The banner carries a powerful Urdu message:
“We are fortunate to have been born in your era and seen you in person; otherwise, we would have only read stories of courage in books.”
According to local media outlets, the banner was installed by a prominent Sunni political figure in Mumbai. Although his exact name has not yet been publicly revealed, his image appears next to both Ayatollah Khamenei and the late Ayatollah Khomeini, signaling clear admiration for Iran’s leadership.
The banner was put up as the sacred month of Muharram begins and is seen as a gesture of cross-sectarian solidarity between Sunni and Shia communities. Muharram, which commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (A.S.) in Karbala, is observed across India with joint ceremonies in many regions, and this gesture appears to align with that tradition.
While no official response has yet been issued by Indian authorities or political groups regarding this banner, similar instances in cities like Pune and Bhopal have previously sparked objections from Hindu nationalist groups. In some areas, such posters were removed under pressure from groups such as the Bajrang Dal.
So far, the Mumbai banner remains in place and has attracted widespread attention on social media, with many viewing it as a symbol of respect for bravery, spirituality, and steadfastness.
This kind of political and religious expression within India may indicate Iran’s growing spiritual influence among segments of India’s Muslim population — especially against the backdrop of regional developments and opposition to the Israeli regime.
The banner is not only a political statement but also a cultural and ideological expression of the historical ties between Iran and India — a relationship now finding new expressions in the modern era.
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