Iran began the second day of funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with a crowd of people gathered.
Khamenei was assassinated in February, in the first air strike of the war launched by the United States and Israel against the Persian country.
This Saturday (4), the population gathered at the Great Mosalla, the country’s main religious and cultural complex, located in the capital Tehran.
The ceremonies officially began at 6 am local time, but crowds were already gathering around the mosque during the early hours.
According to data from local authorities, 30 million people participated in events spread across the country. In the capital, the organization already counted 10 million people in the early hours of the day.
The demonstrations of mourning and consternation included hymns, poems and gigantic posters with the image of the ayatollah, as well as banners demanding justice and attacking the United States and Israel.
During the event, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that Khamenei’s death is not the end of the road, but rather the beginning of a new stage of unity for the country.
Next to Khamenei’s coffin, on the main stage, were also the coffins of other members of the leader’s family who were killed in the airstrike, including his granddaughter, who was murdered at 14 months old.
The funeral is scheduled to last six days and pass through five cities, an itinerary designed to send a political and religious message of resistance to the rest of the world.
Part of this feeling of continuity was expressed in the participation of young people and students, who gathered to take photos next to the image of the new supreme leader, Ali Khamenei’s son.
On Monday (6) a grand procession of around 10 kilometers is planned through the streets of Tehran.
The procession will head to the holy city of Qom the next day. On Wednesday (8), he will visit the Iraqi Shiite cities of Karbala and Najaf, at the request of politicians from the neighboring country.
The burial will be in Mashad, Iran’s second largest city and one of the most important pilgrimage centers in the Shiite Islamic world.
Ali Khamenei was assassinated in an operation carried out by Israeli fighter jets. The leader dedicated most of his life to keeping Iran independent of US influence.
He was 88 years old and had held the post since 1989, when he replaced the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ruhollah Khomeini.
After his death, Tehran declared official mourning for 40 days and warned the world: “this great crime will never go unanswered”.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br