KARACHI: Speakers at a seminar on Friday night praised the leadership of Iran for not only making the Iranian Revolution possible but also sustaining it for so many years despite the economic restrictions imposed by the Western world.

Speaking at the event held to celebrate the 39th anniversary of the revolution, Dr Mairajul Huda, Jamaat-i-Islami’s Sindh chapter president, said difficulties of the Iranian nation persisted but the way the country was progressing was remarkable.

He said Imam Khomeini suffered incarceration, long years of exile and threat to his and his family’s lives but nothing deterred him from pursuing his goal.

“The 20th century has in its lap several revolutions. There was the 1917 Soviet revolution, the idea for which was provided by Karl Marx. There was the 1948-49 revolution of China, the basis for which was given by Red Book and it was led by Mao Zedong. But for the Islamic Revolution of Iran, the basis and inspiration was provided by the Holy Quran.”

Allama Ghulam Abbas Raeesi narrated how Iran had been ensnared in conspiracies since the revolution led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini materialised. He said a war was imposed on the country making Iraq as a frontline state, which was aided by 35 countries and supported with $140 billion.

He said it was heartening that despite the adversities, Iran was making steady progress. “Price hike is there indeed, but Iran has a stable economy,” he said. He said praise for all that went to it leadership, both past and present.

He said it was true that some people were drifting away from the revolution, but that was true for life too. He said some people were moving off the track but they were being replaced by more dedicated people.

Ahmed Mohammadi, Iran’s consul general in Karachi, also compared Iran’s revolution with other revolutions of the 20th century. He said China and Russia’s revolutions were against the prevailing economic systems, but Iran’s was “a divine revolution. Its goal was to seek Allah’s approval and blessings and not the success of the revolution itself”.

He said earlier it was believed that Islam was not meant for progress. They had perceived that Islam would gradually slip out of its adherents’ practical lives because of the pressures of modern needs.

The consul general said the revolution proved that Islam had the potential to introduce its own economic and political system against the West’s communist and imperialist systems.

The director general of the Iranian cultural centre, Dr Raza Baqri, also said Iran’s revolution of 1979 was religious in nature as its leader was a marjaa [religious leader]. He said the revolution was meant not for the followers of a particular school of thought but it was aimed to protect the rights of the Muslims across the world.

At the beginning the national anthems of the two countries were played with a request to the audience to stand up as a mark of respect.

Children in the age group of six to 10 were invited to the stage to say freely whatever they could — a piece of poetry, a Quranic verse, a hadith. None came forward except for a little girl, who did not seem to be more than four years of age. She confidently recited a popular naat and earned accolades from the audience and a prize pack from the organisers. Encouraged, some other children also came forward one by one and collected appreciation and their prizes.

A group of schoolchildren presented Surood-i-Inqilab-i-Islami, which received a hearty round of applause. Two girls in black burqas highlighted the struggle for the revolution; one read out her speech in Persian and the other in Urdu.

Videos highlighting the revolutionary struggle were also played.

Outside, the building and whole premises were illuminated. The stage also reflected the festive occasion.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2018