Thousands Take Part in Ayatollah Shahroudi’s Funeral Ceremony

TEHRAN (defapress)- The funeral procession for the late Chairman of Iran's Expediency Council Ayatollah Seyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi started early on Wednesday in Tehran, and will conclude late on the day in Qom with laying the body of the deceased cleric in the holy shrine of the Hazrat Masoumeh.

News ID: 74575

Date: 26 December 2018 - 13:48

A huge number of Iranian people and government officials convened at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Prayer Grounds (Mosalla) today in the morning to pay tribute to the late grand cleric and say prayers on his body behind Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.

The heads of the three branches of Iran’s government, namely President Hassan Rouhani, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, and Judiciary Chief Sadeq Amoli Larijani were all present.

Among other participants were government ministers, lawmakers, military top brass as well as members of the Expediency Council and the Assembly of Experts.

After Ayatollah Khamenei performed the special prayers for the late ayatollah, the body was accompanied for a specific distance, and then was transferred to the holy city of Qom, around 100 kilometers south of the capital.

Wednesday has been declared a national day of mourning in honor of Ayatollah Shahroudi.

The prominent religious and political figure succumbed to renal and intestinal malfunctions at Khatam ol-Anbiya Hospital in Tehran late on Monday at the age of 70 after suffering acute ill health for months.

He was born in 1948 in the Iraqi city of Najaf, which has hosted many Muslim scholars.

In Iraq, Ayatollah Shahroudi attended classes held by the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini.

He fought against the dictatorial rule of Iraq’s Saddam Hussein and was jailed and tortured by his forces. He was also one of the founders of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq and was its chairman and spokesman for a while before late Seyed Baqer Hakim.

Ayatollah Shahroudi traveled to Iran after the victory of the Islamic Revolution to serve as an intermediary between Imam Khomeini and Iraqi scholars and leaders.

During his lifetime, Ayatollah Shahroudi served in many other crucial positions in the Islamic Republic.

He took the helm of the Expediency Council in 2017 to succeed late Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. The Expediency Council is mainly responsible for arbitrating between the Iranian Parliament and the Guardian Council, which itself supervises the Parliament.

Ayatollah Shahroudi also served as the head of Iran’s Judiciary for 10 years. His efforts to speed up due processes and establish close contact with the ordinary people were among the achievements the late cleric was credited for.

Ayatollah Shahroudi also was a member and vice president of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, which elects and oversees the performance of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.

He had been a member of the Guardian Council for years as well.

Ayatollah Shahroudi published numerous books and articles in various fields, including Islamic Jurisprudence and law. As a religious scholar and teacher, he was well-known for his precise reasoning and robust approaches.

In separate messages, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, President Hassan Rouhani, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, Chairman of the Guardian Council Ahmad Jannati, Secretary of the Expediency Council (EC) Mohsen Rezayee, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, Judiciary Chief Sadeq Amoli Larijani and Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami extended their condolences to the family members of Ayatollah Shahroudi and the Iranian people over his demise.

The funeral ceremony for Ayatollah Shahroudi is due to be held in Tehran and then in the holy city of Qom in Central Iran on Wednesday.

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