AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): On Tuesday, July 16, 2024, during the mourning ceremony of the night of Ashura in Imam Hassan Asgari Mosque (a.s.) in Pol-e Taleshan neighborhood of Rasht, Ayatollah Reza Ramazani stated, “More than 1,300 years have passed since the sad event of Ashura, in which the best people were martyred, and 18 people from the pure progeny of Immaculate Imams (a.s.), sacrificed their lives in the way of helping the truth.”
Secretary General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly added, “The enemies of the truth never gave up trying to extinguish the light of the great event of Ashura. From Abbasid Mutawakkil’s crimes in the demolition of Imam Hussain’s (a.s.) Shrine, to the Wahhabi attacks on the tombs of Imams buried in Al-Baqi Cemetery and Karbala, all of them show the long-standing grudge of the enemies of AhlulBayt (a.s.).”
“Despite all these crimes, not only the light of Ashura was not extinguished, but its glory and greatness increased day by day. The Shrines and Mausoleums of Immaculate Imams (a.s.) in Najaf, Karbala, Samarra, and Kadhimiya, every year welcome pilgrims from all over the world more magnificently than the previous year,” he stated.
“Mourning ceremonies for Imam Hussain (a.s.) and mourning processions are held in most parts of the world, from Los Angeles in the United States to the heart of European cities. In cities such as London, Paris, Berlin, Montreal, etc., huge congregations of mourners gather to keep the Ashura alive,” Ayatollah Ramazani noted.
“Imam Hussain (a.s.) rose up, not to seek power and gain wealth, but to save humanity and revive Islam,” said the representative of the people of Gilan in the Assembly of Leadership Experts, “Imam Hussain (a.s.) rose against the oppression and tyranny of Yazid and his followers, who mocked God’s religion. He stood against the deviations and heresies that had emerged in Islam and raised the banner of truth.”
Further in his speech, he pointed to some examples of the oppression and tyranny of Yazid and his followers. “At the time of Umayyads, the deputy of the Caliph, in a state of drunkenness, said a two-rak’a salat, four rak’as, and no one dared to object to this. Yazid himself was a depraved and corrupt person, and he had no commitment to religion and morals.”
“In such a situation, Imam Hussain (a.s.) sacrificed his life as a role model for all the free and truth-seeking people of the world and taught the lesson of self-sacrifice to humanity. Ashura became eternal due to the sacredness of its purpose and means. Ashura is a shining beacon for the path of humanity, and the lessons of this tremendous event continue to guide us,” Ayatollah Ramazani expressed.
Regarding the eternity of the Ashura Event, the Secretary General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly emphasized, “Ashura became eternal due to the sacredness of its purpose and means. Imam Hussain (a.s.) and his companions came to the field of struggle against the oppression and tyranny of Yazid and his followers with pure and sacred intentions, using legitimate and ethical methods. While the enemies of Imam Hussain (a.s.), who suffered from the darkness of ignorance, committed every crime. They deprived the Imam’s family of water, set their tents on fire, martyred their children, and took women captive.”
“As mentioned in Ziyarat Arbaeen, the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (a.s.) was a light on the darkness of ignorance and misguidance. He sacrificed his life to liberate humanity from oppression and tyranny and they achieve truth and justice,” Ayatollah Ramazani noted.
“Because in the event of Ashura, the goal was sacred, its leader was righteous, and his companions were devoted, it became an eternal uprising. This movement showed that the victory of truth over darkness is certain, and any revolution that has the mentioned characteristics will reach a good result,” stated the representative of the people of Gilan in the Assembly of Leadership Experts.
“The Islamic Revolution of Iran was another clear example of a holy and victorious movement. The ingenious leadership of Imam Khomeini (r.a.), as a role model of piety and justice, along with the faith and sacrifice of the Iranian people, led to the victory of this revolution,” he said.
“Imam Khomeini (r.a.) restored honor and pride to the country by denying dependence on foreign powers and reviving Iranian Islamic national identity. During the Pahlavi era, Iran was a humiliated country and dominated by foreigners. However, the Islamic Revolution brought pride and freedom and turned Iran into a powerful country in the region,” Ayatollah Ramazani added.
“Today, Islamic Iran has a position beyond an ordinary country and is known as a regional and global power. Iran’s significant progress in the scientific, military, and medical fields is proof of this claim. In scientific and technological fields, Iran has risen to the 16th in the world from the 57th rank in the era before the Islamic Revolution, and even in some fields, it is among the top 10 or 5 countries in the world. However, despite these valuable achievements, there are still challenges in livelihood and employment that must be solved by the government. Iranian people, who sacrificed their lives and property for the Revolution, now deserve service and justice,” said the Secretary General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly.
Ayatollah Ramazani further mentioned, “The Supreme Leader of the Revolution, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, as a worthy disciple of the late Imam Khomeini (r.a.), continues the prosperous path of the Revolution. His lessons in politics are taken from the school of Ashura and the Revolution which is a beam of the Imam Hussain’s (a.s.) school.”
“In their demonstrations in Tasua and Ashura, with the slogans of dignity, independence, and freedom, the Iranian people made a revolution in which real freedom was manifested – a freedom in which, unlike Western-style freedom, no one is punished for expressing his or her opinion, (such as Holocaust denial),” emphasized the representative of the people of Gilan in the Assembly of Leadership Experts.
“The goal of the Islamic Revolution has been the realization of justice, rationality, and spirituality and not domination over others, country expansion and oppression. However, in the face of any aggression and attack, Iran will firmly defend itself. This lesson of standing up and not accepting humiliation is taken from the Ashura school and the Imam Hussain’s (a.s.) teachings,” he stated.
“As Imam Khomeini (r.a.) said, Ashura teaches us politics. Weeping and mourning for Imam Hussain (a.s.) must be accompanied by commitment and action and lead us to the field of struggle to realize the ideals of the Revolution. As a beam of the Ashura Revolution, our Revolution has lessons for the authorities. They should be a worthy role model for the people by following the Ashura teachings and continuing the path of Imam Khomeini (r.a.),” added the Secretary General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly.
At the end of his speech, Ayatollah Ramazani emphasized, “Today, with the grace of Ashura, we are witnessing the spread of Resistance all over the world. Inspired by the Ashura movement, young students in different parts of the world, including Central America, cry out for awakening and justice.”
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