AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The transnational status of the martyred leader, his deep connection with Muslim nations and the resistance front, his role in regional developments, and the outlook on the consequences of his funeral are the main axes of the interview between ABNA reporter and Hojat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Tashkhiri, International Deputy of the University of Religions and Denominations. In this interview, referring to the civilizational dimensions of the martyred leader's personality, he believes that his popularity has transcended geographical borders and has become a spiritual asset for Muslim nations; an asset that, in his view, will also influence the future developments of the Islamic world and the resistance front.
Dr. Tashkhiri, explaining the dimensions of the personality and transnational status of the Supreme Leader and martyred Imam, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei (r.a.), said, "Truly, one cannot provide a comprehensive analysis of the unbreakable bond between the lofty human ideals and the truth of his guardianship. His cross-border status and heartfelt influence among Muslim and oppressed nations depend on several factors. The greatest asset was courage in speech and truthfulness in action. At a time when many world political leaders were forced to accept the domination of great powers or observe false diplomatic considerations, he proclaimed independent Islamic identity with a firm logic and penetrating expression. This frankness was a balm on the wounds of humiliation of nations that had long found their identity lost under the shadow of Eastern and Western colonialism."
He considered the simultaneous observance of national interests and transnational ideals as another characteristic of the martyred leader and stated, "His dual but convergent view of the Iranian nation and the Islamic Ummah saw Iran not as a fortified fortress, but as the 'mother of the Islamic world.' This worldview transformed him from a mere political leader into the spiritual father of the oppressed. The expressions he issued in support of the oppressed people of Yemen, Palestine, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Kashmir were not merely political statements, but heartfelt concerns that connected with the very souls of those nations."
Dr. Tashkhiri continued, "The third factor is the firm bond of guardianship with the Muslim nations of Islamic countries. In societies such as Iraq, Lebanon, and Pakistan, his status transcends the legal structures of a statesman. Many people in these lands see him as the embodiment of justice, religious authority, and the wisdom of guardianship. When he stood by these nations in their existential crises, such as the ISIS sedition in Iraq or natural disasters in Pakistan, with firmness and wisdom, and by utilizing capable arms such as the martyred Commander Haj Qasem Soleimani, a spiritual and emotional bond was formed between the leadership and the nations of the region that no enemy media propaganda can sever."
This seminary and university professor considered nation-building and avoiding division as other factors of this status and said, "His sincere efforts to bring sects closer together and prevent ethnic and religious conflicts, especially in the civilizational sphere of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, transformed him into the axis of unity. People in various corners of the Islamic world saw him as a figure who did not seek territorial hegemony, but rather moved to revive the dignity of a single Ummah."
The International Deputy of the University of Religions and Denominations, referring to the martyrdom of the martyred Imam, stated, "His oppressed martyrdom was not an end to a path, but rather the beginning of a mighty blow to the body of the arrogance front. Martyrdom is the highest degree of a leader's connection with divine ideals, and this very sanctity of blood will provide a ground for liberation movements throughout the Islamic world to prepare themselves more strongly and with greater motivation than ever to uproot the oppressors. It seems that after the funeral of the pure body of our martyred leader, we should await promising developments on the international stage; changes that will awaken the world of truth-seekers against the arrogant American dominators and their regional dependents, and will reveal civilizational revolutions, in a way that the child-killing Zionist regime will see its end in them. Muslim nations, whether in Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan, Kashmir, and Afghanistan, or in other Western countries, consider themselves belonging to our martyred Imam, who was the Imam of all. His popularity was achieved not through force and wealth, but through compassion for the oppressed and steadfastness against the oppressor; a truth that transcended geographical borders and conquered the borders of hearts."
Continuing his remarks, the professor at the University of Religions and Denominations, referring to the civilizational image and transnational bonds of the martyred leader, stated, "The status of the wise martyred leader in the vast expanse of the Islamic world was defined beyond a conventional political actor and at the level of the 'refuge of dignity and authority of the Islamic Ummah.' This lofty status did not arise from transient and sudden events, but rather from many years of sincere struggle, deep faith-based connections, and interactions arising from sincerity of intention that connected the Muslim masses to him. Although the Islamic Republic system has always been the standard-bearer of defending the Palestinian cause since its earliest days, during the leadership of the martyred Imam Khamenei, this bond found new strategic and emotional dimensions. By moving beyond merely diplomatic positions, he institutionalized the 'school of resistance' in the heart of Palestine. Great men such as the martyrs Abdulaziz al-Rantisi, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Shaqaqi, Haniyeh, and Sinwar, in the realm of his educational school, received the meaning of 'practical love'; a love that was manifested not in speeches, but in the most complex periods of jihad, through strategic and unifying support. Therefore, his martyrdom was not only for the Iranian nation, but also for the Palestinian resistance nation, a loss of a caring father and an impregnable support."
The International Deputy of the University of Religions and Denominations considered Iraq as another arena of this bond's manifestation and said, "The leaders of the resistance movement in Iraq, from the golden era of the mujahid scholar, the martyred Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Hakim, to the proud commanders of the post-Saddam era, all flourished in the school of his thought and conduct. This close bond, manifested in fateful junctures such as steadfastness against the ISIS invasion, continuous economic assistance, and facilitation of the Arbaeen civilizational uprising, has become so intertwined with the fabric of Iraq's new identity that no conspiracy can sever it."
Referring to developments in the Levant region, especially Lebanon, he stated, "Lebanon, this land of sacrifice, during the era of our martyred Imam, was the meeting place of guardianship and devotion. In this land, the concept of 'Wilayat al-Faqih' is not a theory, but a lifestyle and a path to salvation. The legends of resistance, from Sheikh Ragheb Harb and Sayyid Abbas al-Mousawi to the martyrs of the Path of Jerusalem, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, Sayyid Hashem Safieddine, Imad Mughniyeh, and others, all learned the lesson of courage and freedom in the school of Imam Khamenei. This blood bond is a truth that not only does not weaken in the storm of events, but with every martyrdom, its roots become stronger."
Dr. Tashkhiri, referring to the people of Yemen, also said, "The people of Yemen, these contemporary epic-makers, will never forget the paternal wisdom of the martyred leader in saving the mujahid family of Badr al-Din. The bond between the Revolution's leadership and the people of Yemen is a bond of pure spirituality; a bond that no bullet, shrapnel, sanction, or massacre can sever, because its foundation is based on 'sincerity' and 'divine victory.'"
Continuing, he raised the question, "Can the contemporary world solve the riddle of love for the leader through material calculations?" and stated, "For the world's arrogant powers, who understand only the language of force and material criteria, the millions of roaring Muslims from all corners of the globe mourning this wise leader is an incomprehensible phenomenon. They are incapable of understanding the truth that the bond between the 'Guardian Jurist' and the 'Ummah' is not based on expedient and profit-oriented calculations, but on 'transcendent love.' This all-encompassing love, which has crossed geographical borders and encompassed from Lebanon to Palestine and from Iraq to various parts of Asia and Africa, reflects the brilliant truth of a personality who, beyond being a politician, was the spiritual authority of hearts yearning for truth."
Dr. Tashkhiri, referring to the funeral ceremony of the martyred leader, stated, "Without a doubt, the event that lies ahead will be beyond a mere ceremony and a manifestation of a truth. The event that will take place will not be just a funeral ceremony, but we will witness a transition from time to history. As it has been said, 'A person who thinks globally, the world also thinks of him.' When a leader, beyond the geographical borders of a nation, carries the heavy burden of the sufferings of the world's oppressed, the world in turn finds itself bound by his mourning. This event is the rise of a 'global identity' beyond conventional nationalities. This funeral heralds the collapse of the unipolar order and the questioning of power by the oppressed. From the perspective of political science, this funeral will be a symbol of the paradigm shift of power, from the centrality of the arrogant to the margins of the oppressed."
He stated, "The presence of the masses of people in Iraq and other countries will be a kind of historical revenge against the currents of arrogance. This presence is a bond between the oppression of Karbala and the oppression of the present age, as stated in the Holy Quran: 'And We wished to confer favor upon those who were oppressed in the land and to make them leaders and to make them the inheritors.' Dr. Tashkhiri, stating that the funeral of the martyred leader is a political declaration against all symbolic faces of oppression, said, 'From Yazid ibn Muawiya to all contemporary tyrants such as Trump, Netanyahu, and other politicians of the colonial policy, all stand before this message. This means the moral defeat of power systems based on force against the power of spirituality arising from nations.'"
He added, "This funeral will reveal the bond between the 'nation' and the 'Ummah' and a return to civilizational identity. From a sociological perspective, this event is beyond a physical gathering; it is a collective and symbolic action that connects the concept of 'nation' to the 'Ummah.' This historic event is the continuation of the bond of suffering. One who, in addition to the Iranian nation, carries the grief of Muslims and the oppressed of the world, at the time of his passing, is no longer merely a national leader, but a reference of conscience for the world. The reaction of people in Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Kashmir, Yemen, and other countries shows that political borders collapse against emotional and ideological bonds."
He stated, "The funeral of our martyred and oppressed Imam is a manifestation of unity amidst diversity. This funeral will show how an intellectual current can build a global community based on shared values from amidst ethnic and linguistic differences."
Tashkhiri stated, "I say clearly, the funeral of his pure body is the beginning of a new movement and the overthrow of material civilization. This event will be a turning point in the transition from material-consumer civilization to value-oriented modern Islamic civilization. The world will see with its own eyes that this event is an overthrow of thrones, not an ordinary funeral; in fact, it is the overthrow of the thrones of the arrogant. The modern Islamic civilization, which was the lifelong dream of the late leader, will emerge from this funeral and from amidst the tears and cries of the oppressed."
The International Deputy of the University of Religions and Denominations, emphasizing the permanence of this event in history, said, "Do not doubt that this event will be unprecedented; because in history, the death of a leader usually marks the beginning of a decline, but here, the martyrdom of a leader will be the birth of a global movement. This is the paradox of life after death on the path of truth."
Dr. Tashkhiri concluded by noting, "The funeral of the martyred leader means the revival of the Karbala tradition and the bond of blood and martyrdom. This funeral is the practical manifestation of the theory of 'martyrdom' in Islam. The bond between the name 'Khamenei' and 'Hussein ibn Ali (a.s.)' in the minds of the masses conveys the message that the path of truth, from Karbala to the contemporary era, is a single and unchangeable path. The world on this day will witness the end of the era of 'Western hegemony' and the beginning of the era of the 'emergence of truth.' This funeral is not an end, but an epistemological and historical revolution that will shake power structures, give the glad tidings of the fulfillment of divine promise to the world, and prepare the ground for the emergence of the establisher of divine justice in the world and the eliminator of oppression and oppressors, namely the Savior of humanity, Hujjat ibn al-Hasan al-Mahdi (may my soul and the souls of all the worlds be sacrificed for the dust of his feet)."
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