The 4th of June marks the death anniversary of the founder of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Imam Khomeini. To mark this event the Islamic Centre of England in cooperation with AhlulBayt Islamic Mission (AIM) organized a conference on Sunday 5th of June 2011.
The objective of the organizers was to provide a contribution towards a better understanding of the thoughts and legacy of one the most influential Islamic leaders of this century.
With the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979 under the leadership of Imam Khomeini, Islam emerged once again on the world scene re-proposed to the world by the vision of Imam Khomeini who provided a re-elaboration and a blueprint for a contemporary system of governance based on Islam, under the system known as the Wilayat ul Faqhih (The Guardianship of the Jurisprudent).
The organizers put together a panel of selected National and International speakers which were asked to focus on specific aspects of the thoughts and vision of Imam Khomeini in an effort to provide a comprehensive view of Imam’s life and ideas.
The programme which lasted four hours was attended by over 600 people from different backgrounds and ages all motivated by the interest they have on the founder of the Islamic Revolution Imam Ruhollah Khomeini.
First of the eight speakers to address the audience was Hujjat ul-Islam wal-Muslimin Moezi director of the Islamic Centre of England, who after thanking the participants and the organizers focused his speech on the strategies and methods adopted by Imam Khomeini during the years of his religious and political activism. HIWM Moezi was followed by Sheikh Shabbir Hassanally who discussed the roots of the Islamic Revolution and its foundation. Hujjat ul-Islam wal-Muslimin Bahmanpour, the next speaker, further elaborated on the Islamic concept of governance envisaged by Imam Khomeini that is the Wilayatul Faqhih.
Hujjatul Islam Mirza Abbas from Nottingham in his presentation focused on the spiritual aspect of Imam Khomeini and on his self-purification which is a prelude for any leader who intends to undertake a divine struggle.
Dr. Yaqub Zaki from Glasgow discussed the current `awakening` of the Arab world and warned against the highjack of this Muslim popular movement in the Middle East by those who wish it to be a secular movement. He underlined the importance of the message that Imam Khomeini gave to the Muslims and of his emphasis on self-purification as preparation to face difficulties.
A Further explanation of the theoretical foundation of the system of Wilayat ul Faqhih was given by Hujjat ul-Islam wal-Muslimin Ahmed Vaezi invited from Iran for this special occasion. HIWM Vaezi who is the Deputy Head of the Judicial Office and Head of the Propagation Office in Iran, explained the foundation of the above system which he defined as `Islamic Democracy` and how it compares with the Liberal Democratic systems used in the Western world. He also explained the difference between a totalitarian system, a liberal one and Islamic Guardianship.
The last speaker, Alexander Hainy, a British student at the seminary in Qom described how the strength of Imam Khomeini stemmed from his firm adherence to the principle Islamic belief of ‘Tawhid’, the absolute oneness of God, which made him ready to stand against idolatrous challenges, becoming a true teacher and inspiration for future generations. He praised Imam for his support of the oppressed worldwide and reminded us of the danger of becoming negligent of the situation of those who are suffering.
A full recording of the programme is available in the archive section of our website under the title ‘Imam Khomeini Annual Conference 2011’.
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