‘Incredible day’: Netizens react to Iran Leader’s first Friday sermon in five years

Netizens have flocked to X (formerly known as Twitter) to praise the sermon delivered by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei during the Friday prayers, attended by hundreds of thousands in the Iranian capital Tehran.

Palestinian-American journalist Ali Abunimah described the leadership of the Islamic Republic as “unprecedented,” despite long-standing efforts to isolate the country on the global stage. He posted on X, stating, “By its actions, Iran is assuming unprecedented stature and leadership, despite the decades-long Western, Zionist, and Arab regime campaigns to weaponize anti-Shia sectarianism in an effort to isolate it.”

Dr. Shama Junejo, a distinguished political scientist, highlighted a key sentence from Ayatollah Khamenei’s sermon, emphasizing the importance of Muslim unity in supporting the oppressed. She quoted Ayatollah Khamenei as saying, “An enemy of one Muslim is an enemy of the whole ummah… All Muslims must unite to support the oppressed Muslims!” Junejo called it “a rare Friday sermon by the Leader of Iran.”

Another user named Arya_ shared brief footage of the Friday prayer showing large crowds chanting before the Leader began his sermon, writing, “This is called power, strength, and being fearless.

“This is called power, strength, and being fearless. Thousands of Iranians have showed up to listen to the Leader Rahbar Khamenei live, in a known location to the world in the face of threats by our enemies,” he wrote, adding, “The people’s slogans: ‘Death to Israel.’”

Lebanese political commentator Maryam Charabaty shared an old photo of the late Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah with Ayatollah Khamenei, emphasizing that the resistance will “only grow.” She stated, “Imam Khamenei speaks to the Arab and Islamic Umma for the first time after the martyrdom of the great leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah. The Resistance will only grow, it will not retreat, it will not diminish. This is the guarantee of our existence, Christians and Muslims.”

Syed Hassan Kazim, an India-based journalist, highlighted the massive turnout for the Friday prayer “amid fears of war with Israel and America’s threats to his (Ayatollah Khamenei’s) life by the Zionist entity.” He also praised Ayatollah Khamenei’s leadership, stating, “This man has always led his nation from the front, regardless of the circumstances.”

He added, “A crowd of over a million gathered in Tehran to attend Friday prayers led by Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, amid fears of war with Israel and America’s threat to his life by the Zionist entity. This man has always led his nation from the front, regardless of the circumstances. It is said that people from far-off villages and towns have descended on Tehran. May God bless and protect him.”

Dr. Tariq Tramboo, a Pain Management Specialist, responded to threats against the Leader of the Islamic Revolution circulating on the internet, referencing Ayatollah Khamenei’s public appearance to lead Friday prayers. He stated, “Any misadventure will melt away your country.” He wrote, “Gentlemen, Imam Khamenei is about to lead the Friday Prayers. His location is open. If you have guts, try to harm him. You surely will not dare to. Any misadventure will melt away your country. Don’t believe CNN, Iran is not Egypt or Lebanon.”

A Nigerian user, Colonel Afzal, remarked on the Friday prayers, coupled with the Iranian foreign minister’s presence in Beirut, as a revelation of Israel’s “weakness.” He noted, “The weakness of Israel is being revealed by the audacity of the Islamic Republic to land its foreign minister & his delegation in besieged Beirut, a few days after raining down 200 ballistic missiles across Israel, while Syed Ali Khamenei leads the Friday prayers in Tehran.”

Another X user, سيد هاني موسوي, described the day as “incredible,” emphasizing that the Friday sermons were even watched by non-Muslims. He wrote, “Today’s Friday sermon might have easily been the most watched by Ayatollah Khamenei ever before… I had non-Muslim friends message me showing them watching it live from their offices… This is unprecedented… Incredible day.”

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