Imam Khomeini shook foundations of US hegemony with his faith: Analyst

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

Imam Khomeini, the founder-leader of the Islamic Revolution, was able to single-handedly shake the foundations of American and Western hegemony due to his exemplary reliance on and faith in Allah.

Abdullahi Danladi, a professor at Ahmadu Bello University in northern Nigeria’s Kaduna state, made these remarks in an interview with the Press TV website on Friday ahead of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s 34th anniversary of passing.

Imam Khomeini passed away on June 3, 1989. His funeral features in the Guinness world record for the record number of people who took part in it – more than 10 million.

Every year, people worldwide come together to pay glowing tribute to the greatest revolutionary and visionary leader and reaffirm their pledge of allegiance to his sacrosanct principles.

Danladi, who is a senior member of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) and national chairman of the resource forum of the movement led by Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, hailed Imam Khomeini as the champion of human rights and supporter of the oppressed people across the world.

“The support and guidance of Imam Khomeini to the oppressed people of the world is and will remain relevant always. He will continue to serve as a source of courage and inspiration to the weak and downtrodden masses across the world,” he told the Press TV website.

On the impact of Imam Khomeini’s ideology in Africa in general and Nigeria in particular, the prominent Nigerian academic and activist said an Islamic movement "was in the making" in Nigeria before Imam Khomeini launched his movement but Imam “infused hope” among people in Nigeria.

“Islam as a source of guidance and government had been established in what is considered today as Northern Nigeria and even some parts of West Africa. However, with the invasion of the British and its allies (in the mid-nineteenth century), the Muslims were defeated,” he remarked.

“So there was this aspiration and yearning to return to the Islamic way of life. The emergence of Imam Khomeini and the Islamic Republic of Iran gave Sheikh Zakzaky and the Islamic Movement in Nigeria greater hopes and has since served as the movement’s role model.”

He said the fact that Imam Khomeini “devoted his life to Allah and Allah alone” made him an enduring figure, because of which he is loved and admired across the world even 34 years after his death.

Danladi hastened to add that the events unfolding across the world today prove that Imam Khomeini was correct and that the United States is indeed the “Great Satan”.

“They are globally involved in bloodletting and spreading mischief and evil. What can best describe them other than Imam's words,” he stressed.