tehran31 minutes ago
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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be buried almost four months after his death. According to his last wish, Khamenei will be buried near the holy shrine complex of Shia Islam’s famous Imam Reza in the city of Mashhad.
According to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Khamenei may be given a final farewell around June 21. He was killed in a US-Israeli attack on his residence in Tehran on 28 February.
His state funeral was originally scheduled to take place on 4 March, but it was postponed due to the war. Officials expect around 20 million people to attend funerals in Tehran, Qom and Mashhad. Three full days have been set aside for people to pay their last respects and pay their last respects.
A chair and a photograph of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are displayed near his office in Tehran, Iran.
The main funeral ceremony will take place in Tehran
Khamenei’s main funeral ceremony will take place in Tehran, which is expected to last at least 24 hours. The body will then be taken to the religious city of Qum and then to Mashhad, where it will be buried in the shrine complex of Imam Reza.
A Tehran municipal official said Khamenei’s body would be taken on a last journey through the streets of Qom and Mashhad before his burial. This information was given in a statement of IRGC.
1 crore people gathered at Khomeini’s funeral
If 20 million people indeed turn out for Khamenei’s funeral, it would be a bigger event than the 1989 record set by the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
In 1989, about 10 million people attended the funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. This was approximately one-sixth of the total population of Iran at that time.
This program is still counted among the largest funerals in the world. There was such a huge crowd that a stampede occurred, in which at least 8 people died and thousands were injured.
This time the authorities are trying to handle an even bigger crowd and avoid any accident, but organizing such a big event in a country that is recovering from the effects of war is being considered a big challenge.
Funeral of Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran on June 6, 1989. A crowd of mourners is trying to touch his body.
IRGC has the responsibility of Khamenei’s funeral
The delay in the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is considered unusual in terms of Islamic tradition. Generally in Islam a person is buried within a day or two of death. However, according to Iranian officials, the funeral was delayed due to expectations of a large crowd and war conditions.
Mohammad Ali Tavakkolizadeh, deputy head of social and cultural affairs at Tehran Municipal Corporation, informed about the preparations for the funeral. He told state television that a three-day public funeral would be held for Khamenei.
The official did not say when the funeral would take place, but said it could take place at the beginning of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, which falls around June 21. The responsibility of organizing the entire program rests with IRGC.
Why will Khamenei be buried in Mashhad?
Mashhad is the second largest city of Iran and is located in the north-eastern part of the country. It is considered the most important religious city of Shia Muslims.
The biggest identity of Mashhad is the Dargah of Imam Reza. He was the eighth Imam of the Shia tradition of twelve Imams. His Dargah is counted among the largest religious places in the world. Every year crores of devotees from Iran and other countries come here.
Burial in Mashhad will link Khamenei’s name with Shia Islam’s most revered religious figures.
The biggest identity of Mashhad is the Dargah of Imam Reza.
Khamenei was killed in US-Israel attacks
America and Israel started a major military operation against Iran on 28 February. During this period, airstrikes were carried out on many strategic targets including Tehran. According to reports, the house and office of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were also targeted in the attacks.
According to reports, Khamenei was present in the bunker at the time of the attack, but he was seriously injured in the continuous missile and drone attacks. Iranian security sources later confirmed his death.
Along with Khamenei, several senior Iranian military and security officials were also killed in the attacks. These included senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), intelligence officers and members of the Supreme Leader’s security team.
According to reports, many of Khamenei’s close advisors and officials in his office were also killed in the attack. Apart from this, there were also reports of some scientists associated with the nuclear program being killed in the attacks in Tehran.
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