Iran to Mark Khomeini's Death AnniversaryIran will hold various ceremonies to mark the 12th anniversary of the death of the country's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Mussavi Khomeini, the official IRNA news agency reported on Saturday.Khomeini, father of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution and the founder of the Islamic Republic, died on June 4, 1989. The main ceremonies to mark the anniversary will be held on June 4 throughout the country, the agency said, adding that the mausoleum of the late Imam Khomeini is well prepared to receive Muslim pilgrims coming from foreign countries to take part in the ceremonies. A procession will be launched earlier Sunday evening at the Azam Mosque in the holy city of Qom, which will be attended by the present Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. Khamenei's office said in a communique that the procession will take place after the sunset on Sunday and called on the people to take part in the ceremony. It was learnt that several hundreds of local and foreign reporters and photo journalists are to cover the anniversary. The ceremonies will be coincided with the country's eighth presidential elections slated on June 8, which the incumbent pro- reform President Mohammad Khatami seems to be the favorite to win. Analysts here said that the conservative-dominated Islamic regime might use the anniversary as a chance to teach millions of young voters to follow the cause of Islamic Revolution founded by late Khomeini. |
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