Leaders need to be like Iran's Khomeini

Tomorrow marks the 27th death anniversary of former Iran leader Imam Khomeini.

It is no exaggeration to say that Iran led by the Imam had a profound impact on global affairs. All subsequent events can be traced to the change he ushered in a country that was considered to be one of the strongest bastions of Western imperial domination.

Only a few months prior to the start of the Islamic revolution, then US President Jimmy Carter had described Iran under the Shah as an "island of stability" in a sea of turbulence.

The revolutionary tide swept the so-called island of stability into the dustbin of history. It did more: the Islamic revolution irrevocably changed the global political landscape.

For those willing to remove their blinkers, they would be able to see that despite decades of illegal sanctions, the Islamic Republic of Iran is the only country in Arab region that is truly independent and has gained strength and influence.

In much of the Middle East, there is chaos and confusion. Iran has weathered all the challenges, internal sabotage, external invasion, and sanctions and come out stronger.

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The Imam's great wisdom in understanding the imposed global order, and his ability to mobilise the Muslim masses of Iran to rise up ensured that they gained their true independence.

Since the victory of the Islamic revolution, the people of Iran have had to pay a huge price in life and blood but they have withstood all these pressures, both internal and external.

While it was expected that imperialists and Zionists would spare no effort to undermine the Islamic Republic because it challenged the colonial-imposed order, what is revealing is that the success of the Islamic revolution also exposed the puppet regimes in the Muslim world.

Their hatred of the Islamic republic is now visible even if initially they were able to camouflage their hatred in sophistry.

The Iranian revolutionary leader's cause was not only to support the cause of Iranians but also that of Islam. His cause was to bring God's justice among those who are oppressed.

The Palestinians were not all Muslims. Yet Khomeini embraced their cause for justice against their oppressors as though it was his own cause.

He also championed the cause of the Black people of South Africa in their struggle against Apartheid.