By Our Reporter
Iranians in Uganda together with their Ugandan friends have today June 2, commemorated the 33rd demise anniversary of Imam Khomeini at Muteesa I Royal University.
Ugandan scholars like Mrs. Hadijjah Katongole, Prof. Adam Sebyala among others profiled Imam Khomeini as the first religious leader to openly condemn the shah’s program of westernization in the Islamic Republic of Iran. In fiery dispatches from his Faziye Seminary in Qom, Khomeini called for the overthrow of the Shah and the establishment of an Islamic state.
In 1941 during the 2nd World War Imam Khomeini is remembered to have insisted that the orders of the dictatorial Reza Shah were valueless and all the laws approved by parliament had to be burned. He stood steadfast in his conviction even at the risk of death.
Knowing such and so much more left H.E. Salehi Mehdi, the Iranian ambassador to Uganda amazed with how much Ugandans have invested interest and time in knowing the great Iranian leader.
He urged the public to desist from racism, an inhuman act that was started by the U.S. and its allies through the continuous support of the apartheid regime of Israel despite international condemnation. He added that U.S. is not the only enemy of Iran but development that is why it’s trying to halt the exploitation of oil in Uganda because they get envious seeing other countries grow.
While answering questions from the audience, Mr. Khorrami, the Economic attaché from the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran said that Iran decided to concentrate on home production for selfreliance in order bridge gaps that would make them vulnerable to seek for aid as other nations do, who in the end are taken advantage of.
Prof. Vicent Kakembo, the Vice Chancellor of Muteesa I Royal University expressed gratitude to the Cultural Consulate of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran for organizing the wonderful lecture about the great personality of the lifetime that brought fundamental change in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
He further hopes for more cooperation in the areas of education and Research, Education exchange programs for students and lecturers among other scientific and academic cooperations.
While giving an overview of the event, Mr. Luyimbaazi Issah Katungulu, the African Youth Ambassador hinted that the rivalry between Iran and other western powers is not derived from nuclear energy but rather envy from successful achievements and development of other countries which are not in their control for example Uganda has been an ally of U.S but on discovering the oil program they have become a barrier to the East African crude oil pipeline.
He rallied participants to always take the lessons from the grand leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran who lived exemplary while serving the interests of his people.
Imam Khomeini was born on May 17,1900, Imam Khomeini became the Iranian cleric who led the revolution that overthrew Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1979.
His background and an early education on religious affairs made him become a prominent scholar around the 1930s and became known by the name of his hometown, Khomayn. As a Shiʿa scholar and teacher, Khomeini produced numerous writings on Islamic philosophy, law, and ethics, but it was his outspoken opposition to Iran’s ruler, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, his denunciations of Western influences, and his uncompromising advocacy of Islamic purity that won him his initial following in Iran and the rest of the world up to today.
Imam Khomeini was the first religious leader to openly condemn the shah’s program of westernization. This was a portrayal of courage and fearlessness a virtual that is necessary for fundamental revolutionalists. In fiery dispatches from his Faziye Seminary in Qom, Khomeini called for the overthrow of the Shah and the establishment of an Islamic state.
In 1941 during the 2nd World War Imam Khomeini insisted that the orders of the dictatorial Reza Shah were valueless and all the laws approved by parliament must be burned. He stood steadfast in his conviction even at the risk of death.
Imam Khomeini believed in the virtue of peace and strongly recommended that masses could achieve victory without resorting to armed violence and all his followers did was to demonstrate on the streets matching in organized rows. Even when police opened gunfire to break the procession the survivors matched again after 40 days to commemorate the death of those killed and the cycle continues till the Shah fled. This illustrated how he was an advocate of peace.
Imam Khomeini further advocated for community engagement by Muslim clerics. He demonstrated that the role of Shariah scholars was not only in the explanation of shariah laws but also its implementation. He called upon these clerics to go out and to the community and engage in religious events, judicial affairs, education among other things. This was done to bridge the gap between the leaders and their people which is an attribute of good leadership.
When Imam Khomeini took over leadership he tried so much to revive Islam and the observation of Islamic principles that had been eroded by the Shah regime and westernization. The new leadership required women to wear a veil, western music and alcohol were banned and many other changes. This would put a check on today’s social problems that have impacted on the lives of Muslims world over.
Imam Khomeini led a frugal and humble lifestyle, being deeply interested in religious matters, and was against the accumulation of land and wealth by the clergy. This is an Islamic virtue that if we as Muslims could emulate we would escape temptations of greed, theft, corruption and power struggle.
Many of Imam Khomeini’s political and religious ideas were considered to be progressive and reformist by leftist intellectuals and activists prior to the Revolution and his definition of democracy existed within an Islamic framework. His last will and testament largely focuses on this line of thought, encouraging both the general Iranian populace, the lower economic classes in particular, and the clergy to maintain their commitment to fulfilling Islamic revolutionary ideals.
