June 4th, 2021 marks the 32^nd anniversary of the sad demise of the former leader and of the Islamic Revolution and the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the late Imam Khomeini(RA).

It is no exaggeration to say that Iran led by the Imam had a profound impact on global affairs. All subsequent events can be traced to the change he ushered in a country that was considered to be one of the strongest bastions of Western imperial domination. Only a few months prior to the start of the Islamic revolution, the then US President, Jimmy Carter, had described Iran under the Shah as an “island of stability” in a sea of turbulence.

The revolutionary tide swept the so-called island of stability into the dustbin of history. It did more: the Islamic revolution irrevocably changed the global political landscape. For those willing to remove their blinkers, they would be able to see that despite decades of illegal sanctions, the Islamic Republic of Iran is the only country in the West Asian region that is truly independent and has gained strength and influence.

In much of the Middle East, there is chaos and confusion. Iran has overcome all the challenges, internal sabotage, external invasion, and sanctions and came out stronger. The Imam’s great wisdom in understanding the imposed global order, and his ability to mobilize the Muslim masses of Iran to rise up against the tyranny of the monarchial regime, ensured that the people of Iran gain their true independence.

Since the victory of the Islamic revolution, the people of Iran have had to pay a huge price in life and blood but they have withstood all these pressures, both internal and external. While it was expected that imperialists and Zionists would spare no effort to undermine the Islamic Republic, because it challenged the colonial-imposed order, what is revealing is that the success of the Islamic revolution also exposed the puppet regimes in the Muslim world.

Their hatred for the Islamic republic is now visible even if initially they were able to camouflage their hatred in sophistry. The Iranian revolutionary leader’s cause was not only to support the cause of Iranians but also that of Islam. His cause was to bring God’s justice among those who are oppressed. The Palestinians were not all Muslims. Yet Imam Khomeini (RA) embraced their cause for justice against their oppressors as though it was his own cause. He also championed the cause of the people of South Africa in their struggle against Apartheid.

The greater a purpose the greater pains to attain to it, one must be tolerant. Imam Khomeini (RA)