The End of a 69-Year Separation: The Martyred Leader of Iran’s Final Journey to Visit Imam Hussein
According to Sedaye Sama News, on the evening of Wednesday, July 8, the body of the martyred Leader of the Revolution, currently being received by the people of Iraq, arrived in the holy city of Karbala after several hours of delay caused by large crowds along the route. With the arrival of the procession, the people of Karbala concluded their long wait to welcome what the report describes as the “martyred leader of the nation.”
The report states that the arrival in Karbala marks not only the end of the city’s anticipation but also the end of what it describes as a 69-year separation between the late leader and the shrine of Imam Hussein (Abu Abdullah al-Hussein).
The article notes that the Instagram page of the Office for the Preservation and Publication of the Works of the Supreme Leader recently published a post about his last visit to Karbala.
According to the post, the Leader last visited Karbala in 1957 (1336 in the Iranian calendar) and had not returned during the following 69 years.
The post also states that his first pilgrimage to Karbala took place in 1946 (1325 in the Iranian calendar), when he was seven years old, accompanied by his family during a journey to the holy sites in Iraq.
It further says that his last visit to the Iraqi holy shrines took place when he was about 18 years old. During that trip, he traveled with his mother, brother, and other relatives to visit family members living in Najaf, attended classes taught by scholars at the Najaf Seminary, and returned to Mashhad about two months later at his father’s request.
The article also recounts that in 1968 (1347 in the Iranian calendar) he intended to travel to Karbala again, but, according to the report, his passport request was referred to Iran’s former intelligence agency (SAVAK), which opposed issuing the travel document. The report says this travel restriction remained in effect until the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
According to the article, following the revolution, he likewise did not have another opportunity to visit Karbala.
Source: Tasnim News Agency.
