Iran urges Kenya to embrace 'religious democracy' at Khomeini anniversary

From left Dr Hassan Kinyua Chairman, Muslim professionals league Africa (MUPLA), Dr. Ali Pourmarjan Iran Cultural Counselor, Amb.Esther Waringa President, Public Service Governance(PSG) and Iran Ambassador to Kenya Dr.Ali Gholampour interact at the Iran Embassy in Nairobi on May 31, 2025 during the celebration of the 36th Anniversary of the sad demise of Imam Khomeini who engineered Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution which led to the overthrow of the US-based Shah Regime. [Boniface Okendo, Standard] Kenya has been challenged to adopt religious democracy leadership. The call was made on Saturday during a one-day conference themed; Religious Democracy from the Viewpoint of Imam Khomeini and Ayatollah Khamenei at the Cultural Council of Iran Embassy in Kenya. The event, which brought together diplomats, scholars, and members of the public saw discussions on faith, leadership and governance under the context of Islamic political philosophy. The religious democracy ideology is what Iran's late supreme leader and Imam Ruhollah Khomeini and Ayatollah Khamenei supported. Khomeini was an Iranian revolutionary, politician and religious leader. It featured a distinguished panel of local and international speakers, who shared insights on how Khomeini's concept of religious democracy continues to shape socio-political thought in Iran and beyond. "Religious democracy in Iran is the reason the country has peace, has made huge advancements in a lot of areas 40 years later despite pressures and sanctions. In areas of health, we produce almost 90 percent of medicines being used in the world and have invented equipment like remote surgery machine and also advanced in aerospace among others," said Iran's Ambassador to Kenya Dr. Ali Gholampour. He added: "Our message today is that a nation can have a religious political system and enjoy all that comes with it like peace and all other advancements just like its now happening in Iran." The envoy said currently, thanks to that religious democracy, there is inclusivity and females now occupy high positions of leadership in government and institutions of high learning. Gholampour emphasised Khomeini's role in rallying Iranian people across social and political divides against what he described as oppression and imperialism, which led to a successful nation today. Khomeini was the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the main leader of the Iranian Revolution, which overthrew US-backed Shah regime led by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979 and established a theocratic state based on Islamic principles. He served as the first supreme leader of Iran from December 3, 1979, the highest-ranking political and religious authority of the Islamic Republic until his death in June 3, 1989. Khamenei took over from Khomeini and was an Iranian cleric and politician, who served as the second supreme leader of Iran since 1989. He previously served as the third president from 1981 to 1989. The two espoused religious democracy, which means paying attention to what people want, understanding what they say and pains they have and letting people to take roles. Ambassador Esther Waringa, President of Public Service Governance (PSG) and a presidential aspirant in 2022, said despite Kenya being 80 percent Christians, there are many evils including corruption done by Christians. "It is time we ask ourselves what is the practicality of the values of Christianity and what we learn in our religions. When we talk about corruption in our country, are we really truly living as per our Christian values?" posed Waringa, who said plans to vie again in 2027 to bring in religious democracy. She added: "Its high time Kenya embraces religious democracy and we move from corrupted democracy, self and politically-centred democracy and embrace Khomeini's value." Ms Waringa said some of the values related with religious democracy are accountability, responsibility, integrity and transparency in leadership and which are mostly needed in Kenya today. Dr Hassan Kinyua, chairman Muslim Professionals League of Africa said we can learn from Khomeini truthfulness, which Kenyan leaders need to embrace. "If you are a leader and you promise to do this and that, you have to do it otherwise you will be liar and Imam Khomeini did all that he promised to the people and we must allow people to ask questions on promises just like Khomeini allowed that," he said. He said Kenya's embrace of western and secular democracy is the cause of lying leaders in the country. Ven. Canon Scholar Wayua, a lecturer at St Pauls University, who made a presentation on role of religious leaders in promoting religious democracy, said humanity is what Kenyans should learn from Khomeini leadership. "Whether you are a Christian, Muslim, Hindu or atheist, humanity should be a core value that any leadership of the country should espouse and that is what we learn from Khomeini," said Canon Wayua, who is the coordinator of the Institute of Christian Muslim Relations (ICMR). She added: "Religious leaders play key role in democracy of any country and they have to be involved in any leadership of a country because we have political leaders who are also religious leaders and therefore politics and religion goes hand in hand." The calls for humanity come at the time when Israel war with Gaza in Palestine has led to many deaths with many Muslim countries blaming Israel, which professes Christianity for being inhuman and overseeing genocide.

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