Iran-Russia relations

From Imam Khomeini’s letter to the collapse of the Soviet Union

When Mikhail Gorbachev, Head of state of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, received Imam Khomeini’s letter from the Imam’s chosen delegation party, he turned to them and said: “Although the people of the Soviet Union and Iran are followers of different schools of thought, this does not prevent us from cooperating with each other based on our common principles and traditions.” On January the 4th 1989, when Eduard Shevardnadze, the Soviet foreign minister, traveled to Iran after his visit to Iraq and delivered Gorbachev’s official response to Imam Khomeini, he was also instructed to talk about bilateral relations.

Imam Hussein (as) & his revival of Islam

The Master of Martyrs (as) has kept Islam alive

Imam Hussein (as), the Master of Martyrs, fought against oppression and tyranny and gave everything he had, his children, his family and himself in order to save Islam. Imam Hussein’s (as) movement was able to destroy a dynasty. The reason we cry for Imam Hussein (as) and hold mourning sessions, which we were told to do by Imam al-Sadiq (as), is not only because the tragedies of Imam Hussein (as) truly breaks our hearts and fills us with sorrow but it is to continue his uprising against oppression and tyranny.

Everyday is A'shura and everywhere is Karbala

The Real Meaning of

People mistaken the phrase 'Everyday is A'shura and everywhere is Karbala' to mean that they should cry everyday. However they do not know the real meaning of this phrase. What did Imam Hussein (as) do at the battlefield? He fought against oppression and tyranny and although he sacrificed a lot, in the end he was the victor. This phrase tells us that we should fight against oppression everyday and treat every land like Karbala, a land where tyranny can be beaten.

The true aim of the Master of Martyrs (as)

The society at the time of Imam Hussein (as) was in such as state that, the holy Imam (as) was forced to take a strong stand and endure great tragedies to save the TRUE Islam. The ceremonies and other acts of mourning we carry out and hold are not only to achieve merits but rather to remember the message of pure Islam and keep it alive.

Foreigners present at Imam’s shrine

Pakistani mourners present at Imam Khomeini’s Shrine

A group of Pakistani men and women carried out their own mourning ceremonies on the day of Ashura at the Imam’s shrine.

Muharram pictures

Only pictures of head slashing are shown in Europe

After taking photographs of the Muharram ceremonies held in Iran, two Polish photographers talked of the new way they viewed the Shia and Iran. They stated that they saw Iran as a family, whose most loved member was Imam Hussein (as).

Muharram ceremonies

The Ashura and Tasu’a ceremonies at Imam Khomeini’s Shrine and Husseiniah Jamaran

Imam Khomeini’s shrine and Husseiniah Jamaran opened its doors to welcome those who love and admire Imam Hussein (as) and to mourn the loss of Imam Hussein (as).

Sayyid Hassan Khomeini:

“Ashura is an uprising against oppression and deviation.”

Sayyid Hassan Khomeini said: “We are now faced with a society, which more than ever is in need of learning and understanding the lesson of Ashura. We must always keep Ashura as a fountain of truth in our minds.”