Imam Khamenei: A legacy forged in unshakable faith, bravery and steadfastness

By Iqbal Suleiman

The US and the Israeli regime initiated a new war against the Islamic Republic of Iran last week – unprovoked and unjustified – with two audaciously barbaric acts: the assassination of Iran’s Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and the massacre of 165 children at a primary school in southern Iran.

Imam Khamenei was a leader in the true sense of the word. He led from the front and was ardently loved by people – in Iran and across the Muslim world.

There he stood, tall and unyielding – 86 years old, with a body that refused to bend or buckle. It was as though his physical being was perfectly attuned to his heart and soul.

Quite remarkably, even at 86, he remained resolute in his mission and spoke with exemplary conviction. His companions loved and admired him and were prepared to take risks for him. They knew war was coming. They knew his life was in danger.

They had a request to Imam Khamenei, "Let us take you deeper into the country, far from Tehran, where you will be safe." His reply was clear: "No. If you can take every citizen of Tehran to a safe bunker, only then will I go. If not, I will stay here with the people."

Iran, unlike the Israeli regime, is not wealthy. It has endured decades of crippling and unjust sanctions. It does not have bomb shelters and bunkers for all its citizens. For Imam Khamenei, it was a matter of principle: he believed he should face the same dangers and risks as any other Iranian. This is because he emulated the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in letter and spirit, who always led from the front.

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu are both brash and brazen – wealthy, privileged, rich, white men. Both are quintessential showboats, proud and arrogant individuals sailing on ego trips. Trump hasn’t sent his son to fight in the war, while Yair Netanyahu plays on American beaches.

On the opposite side stood Imam Khamenei, in all his human greatness – soft spoken, modest, humble, and kind. He courageously stood with his people until the very end.

Imam Khamenei was both a political and a religious leader – an Islamic scholar, philosopher, poet, writer, and avid reader. He was a deep thinker and a devout ascetic.

His home was the simplest, devoid of luxury or extravagance. He lived as an ordinary working-class man, entirely averse to opulence. How different was he from the rest of the rulers in the Muslim world, who retreated to their lavish palatial villas while the people of Gaza were starved to death and endured genocide.

His parents named him Ali, after Imam Ali (AS). There is a mystical wisdom in this. Like Imam Ali (AS), he was the leader of an Islamic government and was martyred in the holy month of Ramadan, struck in the most cowardly manner by enemies who attacked him while he was in prayer.

Martyrdom while fasting and resisting in the month of Ramadan is among the most noble and glorious deaths, a station God bestows only upon a select few of His beloved.

The spilling of Imam Khamenei's blood marks one of the most decisive moments in human history, and some may argue it is the most critical moment since Karbala.

Now we can begin to understand why Imam Khamenei chose martyrdom. He could have escaped to Russia, convincing himself that he would evade death now and return to fight after the war. That would have been the rational choice, but one he refused.

He could have chosen to hide in a bunker beneath a remote mountain, beyond the reach of intelligence agencies. Instead, he chose to remain in Iran, at his residence and workplace, a location known to everyone, where his movements could be easily tracked.

Why did he choose martyrdom or why did martyrdom choose him? Why this moment? And why, in the wisdom of God, was he martyred precisely at this time?

Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, in essence: "Beware of the committed Muslim when he begins to see with the light of God."

Imam Khamenei was among the most spiritually developed characters, one who saw with that divine light. He knew war was coming. He recognized this as his Husseinic moment.

As an heir to the Prophet (peace be upon him), he understood his responsibility as a leader: to lead from the front just as Muhammad (peace be upon him) would do in his battles.

Just before his martyrdom, in a public address, he recited the words of Imam Hussein (AS) to Yazid: "A person like me will not surrender and pay allegiance to a person like you."

Leader of the Islamic Revolution reasoned that the independent, freedom-loving, and justice-seeking people of Iran – rooted in the values of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) – would never surrender to American imperialists and Israeli Zionists.

His blood raises public consciousness. From the very moment the war started, the Yazidic character of Trump, Netanyahu, the imperialists, and the Zionists was exposed. Imam Khamenei was martyred alongside members of his family, just like Imam Hussein (AS).

The defender of the oppressed people worldwide and the children of Gaza is now clearly seen for who he was: a true disciple of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Imam Hussein (AS). Trump and Netanyahu stand exposed as the reincarnation and manifestation of Yazid – the tyrant, the thug, the rapist, the baby killer.

The assassination of Imam Khamenei is straight out of the Karbala school. In the same cold, callous, and cowardly manner that Yazid martyred Imam Hussein (AS) and the children from the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Trump and Netanyahu martyred Imam Khamenei and 165 children.

The parallels with Karbala are striking. The blood of those 165 Iranian children immediately invokes the memory of Ali Asghar (AS), the spear piercing the soft skin of an infant's neck, a child from the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

To the human heart, nothing is more loathsome or repulsive than the killing of babies.

At age 86, this was Imam Khamenei's last stand. A heroic stand of defiance. Like Imam Hussein (AS), Imam Khamenei went out screaming a defiant NO! No to injustice, no to genocide, no to imperialism, no to Zionism, no to occupation, no to Epstein, no to subjugation, no to tyranny, no to baby killing, no to surrender.

After assassinating Imam Khamenei, Trump immediately called on the Iranian people to take to the streets. And they did – in their millions, amid the rain of American and Israeli bombs falling on Iran. But not to support Trump and Netanyahu, but to curse them.

They took to the streets to express their love for Imam Khamenei. This reveals just how profoundly Trump and Netanyahu miscalculated. The blowback against this unjust war was instantaneous and immediate. Within hours, the Iranian armed forces fought back with courage, launching unprecedented military strikes that killed American soldiers and Zionists and decimated their military bases.

Imam Khamenei was not just a leader for Iranians. He was revered throughout the world as both a just political and spiritual leader. He held a special place in the hearts of Muslims.

He intuitively knew he would be martyred. This was the purpose of his life. He once said, "My body holds little value. My life bears no significance. Even if they kill me, do not count it as our loss, as long as you remain steadfast on the principles of Imam Hussein (AS)."

There is no doubt that the Empire will come to regret this act. A grave miscalculation, to assassinate the Iranian leader and initiate a war of aggression.

The blowback from this stupidity will no doubt return to haunt the Empire. The nightmare has just begun. The Persian Gulf is on fire. American soldiers are returning in coffins. Iranian missiles are smashing through Israeli bunkers. The global economy is reeling.

All because of an imprudent and illegal war that should never have started.

Iqbal Suleiman is a social justice lawyer and former head of the law clinic, Lawyers for Human Rights (Pretoria, South Africa). He is also a research associate with Media Review Network

(The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Press TV)

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