Cleric hails Imam Khomeini for fostering spirit of fraternity in Muslim world

The vice-president of Lebanon's Supreme Islamic Shia Council,
Sheikh Ali al-Khatib made the statement in a ceremony held in the Lebanese capital of Beirut to commemorate the 34th anniversary of the passing of the founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini.
"We appreciate the Islamic Republic, which has stood by Lebanon since the past and during the occupation of Lebanon by the Zionist regime," Khatib said.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran shares in Lebanon's triumph over its enemies, and that's because of the spirit of brotherhood, which was institutionalized in the Islamic Republic by Imam Khomeini to help the oppressed nations."
Emphasizing that the Islamic Republic is still firmly committed to its founder's pledges, Khatib said Iran "stands with the resistance and supports the issues of the Arab world and the Islamic world in Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq."
Ayatollah Ruhullah Mosavi Khomeini passed away in 1989 at the age of 86, almost a decade after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, which saw the overthrow of the US-backed Pahlavi regime in Iran, headed by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, known as the Shah.
Imam Khomeini spent many years in exile in Iraq, Turkey and France, from where he led a growing grassroots movement, which ultimately ousted the Shah and led to the establishment of the Islamic Republic.
He founded the Islamic Republic following a referendum held in 1979 when more than 98 percent of eligible Iranians voted 'yes' to the Islamic Republic.
Three decades after his demise, Imam Khomeini is still remembered as a man who changed the course of history in Iran, with an emphasis on freedom and independence.