By K. Isah
The occasion took place at Husainiyya Baqiyatullah, Zaria, Sunday, 8th June 2014. The Leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) spoke on the great Imam whose exemplary teachings and life rekindled hope in the Ummah.
“Imam Khomeini’s death shook the world. The Imam engineered the revolution to its success and lived 10 years at which he guided the country. He passed on and left behind a Will containing guideline on how to run the affairs of the state, which is still being referred and adhered to”, he said.
Sheikh Zakzaky (H) further explained that, the Imam lived at a time of “NO HOPE”, when people were not expecting change or return of Islamic values, despite the fact that the Ummah, irrespective of creed, accept the concept of the Awaited Savior, al- Mahdi (AF). “Even the Rastafarians share the idea of awaiting the Saviour”, he added.
According to the Leader, the Shi’a believe that perfect reform can only be achieved with emergence of Mahdi (AF), and as such they only confined themselves to learning, teachings and rituals without corresponding actions for change, before the rise of the Imam.
On the other side, he said, politics and governance were left in the hands of corrupt people who sold their souls to Satan, adding that the Baha’iyyah in Iran is similarly created with the same viewpoint. “The Imam preached against injustice and corruption to the world starting with Iran. He preached against the rots in Iranian governance and alerting people on how their resources were controlled by foreign countries- especially America”.
He said, it reached a level that an American could not be arrested for any offence he committed, and that a beer imported from America was cheaper in Iran.
There was high level of poverty among the Iranian citizens. No electricity except in major cities. There were over 50,000 prostitutes in Tehran as discovered after the revolution”.
Amidst this level of corruptions and rots, he further said, Imam Khomeini started his Da’awa, and students answered Imam’s call. “Imam’s preaching against injustice was viewed by the Shah as a great threat”.
Sheikh Zakzaky (H) said, Shah had to warn Imam against utterances with regard to America, a condition which Imam considered impossible, saying America was not infallible.
“As the Imam’s Da’awa started to wax stronger, Shah arranged for his arrest. The intelligent Officer who went to arrest Imam spoke to him politely telling the Imam that Governance was not for him, but for the corrupt politicians. In reply Imam told him that ‘ if governance and politics is a trust given to leaders with regard to people’s lives, properties and their pride, then religious people are more deserving to lead people; people’s trust should be in hands of people of God not corrupt individuals’”.
The Leader explained further that, separation of religion from politics paved way for Governance to be in hands of corrupt people, a situation where dispute with government was punishable by death.
“Killing of Imam Khomeini became impossible for Shah as people kept answering his call in multitudes. Therefore, he was exiled to Iraq. During the Imam’s stay in Najaf, he wrote a book called ‘ kitabil bay’i’ ( the book of Business). He wrote it amidst Scholars who did not even recognize him as a Scholar with deep knowledge. While in Iraq, his message kept reaching people in Iran to the extent that people visited the Imam in Najaf on foot”.
Sheikh Zakzaky (H) said, Saddam expelled Imam from Iraq when all the neighboring countries refused him entry. “The only option for Imam was to go to France. Before then, he went to Turkey for a while under strict conditions of abiding by the country’s dress code”.
Upon his movement to France, he added, the Imam stayed under the condition that he would refrain from passing political comments and speaking to the press.
“While the Imam was in France, his followers in his home country marched to France Embassy in Tehran to thank the French Government for hosting him. Through such diplomatic attitude, messages of Imam Khomeini kept flooding Iran. His messages through telephones were recorded into cassettes and distributed across Iran. The Shah was disturbed with the way Imam messages kept circulating, so he ordered for search of cassettes to destroy in addition to torture of Imam’s followers by Shah’s Secret Police, Savak”.
He said, the Savak Shah killed unspecified number of people to the extent that some of Imam’s followers demanded that the Imam make a compromise to stop the mass killings. “In response, Imam asked the delegates to present to him list of those who could run a government. Imam’s confidence surprised them”.
According to the Leader, situation went out of Shah’s control, and this made America to organize a military coup, adding that the protest continued with a new strategy. “As the Shah army were killing the protesters, the protesters through the command of the Imam, kept giving them flowers as a gift. These made the soldiers cried and they started throwing away their guns to join the protest. As such, Shah lost substantial part of his army who joined the protest”.
He explained further that, Shah had to run away putting Bakhtiyar in place, and when Imam planned to return to Iran the government planned to close the airport, there was heavy battle between the protesters and soldiers and the imposed curfew was defied with people sleeping outside on the streets.
“The government was forced to retreat from its plan. With the return of the Imam, all streets were neatly cleared; millions came out to receive him. They lined up all the way from the airport up to Baheshti Zahra grave, where those killed by Shah were buried. Imam delivered his first lecture there”.
He however said, fierce fighting continued between the protesters and soldiers, and in the end Islamic republic was established and the Imam lived 10 years after guiding the new government.
Sheikh Zakzaky (H) pointed out that, many divine attributes were responsible to Imam’s struggle, saying that it was God’s handiwork and not coincidental. “If anyone sees Imams’ affairs as trick or anything else , his mental faculty should be checked as Imam’s affair is the work of God”.
“The enemies are fully aware that the Imam’s ideology is a living one, and it will continue to flourish despite efforts to curtail it from spreading. Imam did not only slap America in the face, he frustrated all its efforts. His Da’wa has paved way for complete downfall of the foundation of falsehood and injustice”.
Sheikh Zakzaky finally thanked Allah for mercy that the traces of the Imam’s revolution are visible in Nigeria, as direct beneficiaries of the positive impact. “We can proudly say that, this is a home for the Imam’s ideology”.