LAHORE, Feb 15: Islamic movements all over the world have been inspired by the Iran revolution, according to speakers at a seminar on the 24th revolution’s anniversary.

The seminar was organized by the Iranian Cultural Centre here on Saturday.

An exhibition of books and audio and video cassettes had also been arranged to highlight various aspects of the revolution.

Cultural centre Director-General Saeed Moeezuddin said the revolution had crossed the Iranian borders to become a voice of the oppressed Muslims throughout the world.

He said Imam Khomeini was against confrontation between armed forces and masses and he had created an atmosphere to unite the two powers to show doors to 40,000 US forces from his country.

The Imam also believed in Muslims’ unity and was a promoter of their religious identity, he said, praising the Iranian leader’s faith in protecting people’s rights by ensuring their participation in elections.

Jamaat-i-Islami Naib Amir Maulana Aslam Saleemi eulogized Iranian President Muhammad Khatami for his efforts to make Tehran a Geneva of the Islamic world.

He recalled the Iranian president’s statement during his visit to Lahore in which he had declared atrocities on the Kashmiri intolerable. He also upheld Iranian supreme leader Ali Khomeini’s support for Iraq, though Baghdad had imposed war on Tehran for 10 years.

He said the liberation movements in Afghanistan, held Kashmir, Palestine, Bosnia, Chechnya and Arakan had been inspired by the Islamic revolution in Iran.

Shahid Husain Naqvi said Imam Khomeini practically enforced Islam at a time when people had been convinced that the Islamic system was centuries old and obsolete and could not meet the present-day requirements.

He said the revolution affected every sector in Iran and did not limit itself to just change in government. It was for this reason that the revolution had sustained there, he added.