Hawzah News Agency- Speaking at a symposium examining the various dimensions of the funeral, Hojatoleslam Lyali, a board member of the Association for Contemporary History and Islamic Revolution at the Qom Seminary, stated that what unfolded during the funeral procession was unparalleled in the history of the Muslim world and even in contemporary global history. He called upon researchers, academics, and media professionals to study this event meticulously from historical, social, and civilizational perspectives.
Lyali noted that no comparable funeral of such magnificence has ever been witnessed in the Islamic world. While the historic funeral of Imam Khomeini (RA) was long recognized as one of the largest funeral gatherings in the world, the funeral of Iran's martyred leader, with tens of millions participating across Tehran, Qom, Mashhad, Najaf, and Karbala, opened a new horizon of popular presence and demonstrated the unbreakable bond between the Islamic Ummah and the ideals of resistance.
He added that had such a ceremony been permitted in other Islamic countries—or even in European and American nations—it would undoubtedly have left a profound cultural, social, and identity-shaping impact on global public opinion.
A Display of Shia Power and Identity
Lyali stressed that the funeral transcended a religious event, presenting a vision of human and spiritual identity in the face of the intellectual and moral crises afflicting the contemporary world. It proved that spirituality, morality, freedom, and resistance still possess the capacity to shape a renewed human identity.
He identified unity and cohesion among Shia Muslims, the broader Islamic world, and the freedom-loving people of the globe as one of the most significant outcomes of the ceremony. This massive turnout demonstrated that free people worldwide, regardless of political and ideological boundaries, can rally around the axis of resistance thought and universal human values.
Reviving the Culture of Ashura in the Present Era
Highlighting the link between the discourse of resistance and the culture of Ashura, Lyali stated that one of the most striking features of the funeral was the revival of the message of the Ashura uprising in today's world. The martyred leader had repeatedly invoked the stand of Imam Hussain (PBUH), emphasizing slogans such as "Hayhat Minna al-Dhilla"—Never to Humiliation—and "One like me will never pledge allegiance to one like him." He championed the culture of sacrifice, dignity, and resistance as the strategy for confronting oppression and global arrogance.
This funeral, Lyali said, demonstrated that the school of Ashura continues to possess the power to inspire great social epics and can serve as a source of inspiration for nations facing hegemonic forces.
A Global Message: The Authority of the Islamic Revolution and the Decline of Arrogance
Addressing the domestic and international messages of the funeral, Lyali stated that its most important message was the display of the authority of Shia identity and the strategic depth of the Islamic Revolution—an identity that, through the massive presence of millions, succeeded in broadcasting its message against liberal, secular, and other opposing schools of thought.
Echoing Imam Khomeini's (RA) declaration that Islam would bring the superpowers to their knees, Lyali affirmed that this immense popular turnout signaled the beginning of the decline of arrogant powers and the failure of projects aimed at dominating nations. It proved that the discourse of the Islamic Revolution continues to wield global influence.
The Civilizational Message
In conclusion, Lyali underscored the civilizational message of the funeral as one of its most overlooked dimensions. He emphasized that the ceremony showcased the capacity to reconstruct the cultural and civilizational identity of Shia Islam centered on the pillars of Imamate, Ummah, and religious governance. This potential, he noted, demands deep scholarly and civilizational research and can open new horizons in studies related to modern Islamic civilization.
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