2004/04/25,17:44 - Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah
Seyyed Ali Khamenei eulogized the life and works of Martyr Ayatollah
Morteza Motahhari here on Sunday, saying he offered timely, profound,
and scholarly challenges to foreign ideas and upheld true Islamic
concepts.
In his message to a conference on the martyr's thoughts, Ayatollah
Khamenei also stressed the need to continue the genuine and profound
movement of Martyr Motahhari, which is of great assistance to
intellectuals because of its scholarly critique of foreign ideas.
He said the jihad against ideas imported from both the East and the
West initiated by the martyr continues to this day, adding that
Ayatollah Motahhari ventured into unexplored realms.
The Supreme Leader went on to highlight Motahhari's role in
introducing genuine Islam to the world and pointing out wrong
interpretations, which helped establish the scholarly foundation of the
Islamic Revolution.
Ayatollah Khamenei also urged conference participants to explore ways
to follow the martyr's example through encouraging profound elaborations
on Islam in order to silence those who have been treacherously
challenging Islamic ideas, particularly since the victory of the Islamic
Revolution 25 years ago.
An international conference on the thoughts and philosophy of Martyr
Ayatollah Morteza Motahhari opened here on Sunday morning. President
Mohammad Khatami attended the opening ceremony.
The four-day conference was organized with the intention of
familiarizing Iranian youth with the martyr's ideology and thoughts and
encouraging religious and philosophical centers throughout the world to
study and analyze Motahhari’s ideas.
Ayatollah Motahhari, a prominent Islamic intellectual, was
assassinated by the terrorist group Forqan in 1979.
Over 80 experts from 30 countries are participating in the conference.
Tehran, April 18, IRNA -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that the army and other
sectors of the armed forces are the hope and strength of the nation in
the face of foreign threats and they are proud of their duty. In his
remarks to students of Imam Ali (AS) Military Academy during a surprise
visit, the Supreme Leader drew distinction between the Iranian army and
that of the other countries and said that the Iranian Army personnel are
honored and held in high reverence by every individual of the community,
because the Iranian Army observe humanitarian values and works for a
political system which advocates justice and freedom. "Service to
such (Iranian) people and this country is an honor," Ayatollah
Khamenei said. "There are armies that have either stood against
their own nations or just like the US Army have been involved in
suppressing other nations to help the US oil companies reap the benefits."
"But, the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran is only involved in
defending the country's territorial borders and protecting its
independence. This is a honor for the Army," the Supreme Leader
said. On the military operations in Iran's neighborhood, the
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces said that the US military action
in Afghanistan and Iraq are of the same nature as the colonialist powers
in the 19th century. "Under conditions when the hegemonic powers
are trampling upon the basic humanitarian principles, thanks God, the
Islamic Republic has hoisted the flag of humanitarian and moral values,"
the Supreme Leader said. Elsewhere in his remarks, the Supreme Leader
said that the country's eye-catching progress in the field of science
has annoyed the arrogant powers. "Those who have embarked on a
propaganda campaign against Iranian nuclear program, well know that Iran
has never been after nuclear weapons. They don't like to see Iran's
progress in the fields of science and technology," Ayatollah
Khamenei said. 215 / 212
04:00:59 Tehran, April 14 - Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei termed as an Islamic tenet people's being
accountable for their performances and said accountability means
responsibility.
Making the remarks during a meeting with thousands of people from
different walks of life here Wednesday, the Supreme Leader referred to
verses from the Holy Quran on need for and value of being responsible
and accountable and stressed that all officials and authorities in the
country, regardless of their ranks, should be accountable for their
decisions and performances.
Commenting on world situation including the chaotic conditions in
Iraq, he said all such conditions resulted from America's refusal to be
accountable and responsible.
He said the harsh, brutal and unbelievable crimes being committed in
Iraq are motivated by the US desire to protect its political and
economic interests there.
He believed America was refusing to assume itself accountable before
the international community while it has occupied a foreign land,
through committing crimes and murders, only to fill the pockets of
Zionist and oil companies.
The Supreme Leader assessed the present situation in Iraq as the
natural reaction of its people against the humiliating measures being
taken by occupiers.
He further noted that Americans were accusing others of provoking
Iraqi nation and also of intervening in its affairs while it is a
well-proven fact that their own crimes and humiliating treatment of
Iraqi women and youth have driven the brave nation of Iraq, whether
Sunni or Shiite, to react against the occupiers resulting in the
existing situation which was predicted from a long time ago.
Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the objections of world community
including a number of American figures to the lies the American
administration has been telling regarding fighting terrorism and weapons
of mass destruction and said such reactions indicated that the true
nature of US administration has now been disclosed to all.
The Americans arrived in Iraq claiming to establish 'democracy' there
but have actually started killing people making their profile darker
than ever before, he added.
Pointing out that the present US policies in Iraq much resembled the
'iron fist' policy of the Zionist regime against the Palestinian nation,
the Supreme Leader went on to underline that according to all humanistic
values and standards, the US measures in Iraq were condemned and doomed
to failure and Americans would be forced to leave Iraq with humiliation.
Ayatollah Khamenei referred to vigilance and unity on the part of the
Iraqi nation as a way to shorten the duration of occupation and said
reliance on Islam, keeping their unity and avoiding traps by the US and
the UK to saw ethnic and religious discord among Iraqi people, would
speed up the process of establishment of a free, independent and
democratic state.
Leader urges Bam reconstruction
04:28:47 Tehran, April 12 - Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stressed here Monday the need for speedy
implementation of reconstruction projects in the quake-stricken city of
Bam to accommodate local people.
In a meeting with representative of Valiy-e Faqih (supreme religious
jurisprudent) to the Housing Foundation of the Islamic Revolution,
officials of the foundation and Minister of Housing and Urban
Development Ali Abdolalizadeh, Ayatollah Khamenei expressed appreciation
for measures adopted by the Housing Foundation and government
organizations in Bam.
"All relevant organizations must fulfill their duty and play
their role in various phases of Bam reconstruction very quickly and
seriously so that the city of Bam can be reconstructed in the earliest
time," the Supreme Leader said as he pointed to climatic conditions
of the region.
He termed the Bam issue as a very important one and stressed the
importance of presence of officials in the Bam city.
"The officials concerned are expected to visit Bam more often
because their presence would be very effective in solving existing
problems and accelerating the state of affairs," he added.
Ayatollah Khamenei said the Housing Foundation of the Islamic
Revolution was among valuable gifts left by the late Imam Khomeini and
pointing to proper activities of the foundation in various regions
including the quake-stricken city of Qazvin, he stressed continuation of
such activities.
03:46:47 Tehran, April 11 - Thousands of students held mourning
ceremony Sunday for Arbain in the presene of the Supreme Leader of the
Islamic Republic Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.
The students, from various Tehran universities, gathered in Tehran
University campus before marching towards the Late Imam Khomeini mosque
to mark Arbain, marking the 40th day after the martrydom anniversary of
Imam Hussein (AS).
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims thronged the Iraqi city
of Kerbala for a Shi'ite ceremony on Sunday.
The Arbain ceremony falls 40 days after the Shi'ite holy day of
Ashura.
The ceremonies commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, grandson of
the Prophet Mohammad, in battle near Kerbala more than 13 centuries ago.
Shi'ites have walked from all over the country for Arbain, which
reaches its peak on Sunday morning.
The fall of Saddam Hussein ended decades of oppression for the
60-percent Shi'ite majority and left them free to observe Ashura and
Arbain.
