Thousands of mourners thronged Iraq’s holy city of Najaf as the coffin of the late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei moved through the city.
The procession marks a tribute to the late leader ahead of his burial on Thursday.
Watch the video below:
By Ali Hashem
This was Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s final passage through a city he first visited as a young man nearly seven decades ago. He came here in 1957 as an 18-year-old seminary student, walking the streets that produced some of Shia Islam’s most influential scholars. Now, his mortal remains have returned to Najaf for the last time. The symbolism this time goes beyond his personal story.
The funeral of Iran’s late supreme leader has become a transnational event, stretching beyond Iran’s borders and into the spiritual centre of the Shia world, here in Iraq.
The ceremonies moved from Tehran, south to the holy city of Qom, then to Iraq’s holy cities Najaf and Karbala before ending in Iran’s second-largest city and pilgrimage site, and home to Shia Islam’s eighth Imam, Mashhad, Khamenei’s hometown, where he will be laid to rest on July 9.
For the Iranian government, this is more than a farewell to a slain leader. It is an opportunity to project continuity after his assassination, and to reinforce the image of Khamenei not only as Iran’s political leader, but also as a religious figure whose influence transcended national boundaries.
Millions have already participated, with delegations arriving from across the region and beyond.
The images of millions of mourners, some crossing borders and others gathering at the shrines of Imam Ali and Imam Hussein, sent a message that Iran’s religious and political networks remain intact despite the war assassination of its supreme leader.
By bringing Khamenei’s funeral to Najaf and Karbala, Tehran is also placing itself within this sacred geography, projecting its image of leadership and authority over the whole of the transnational Shia community.
https://aje.news/9wgqf3?update=4750443
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