Eurasia Press & News
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that the nation should get acquainted with experience of the Constitutional Movement and see how it was diverted from its true path.
In a meeting with members of central council and scientific committee in charge of organizing a conference marking the ‘100th anniversary of culmination of the Constitutional Movement’ and a conference on 100 years record of legislation in Iran’, the Supreme Leader said that the British colonialists achieved their own goals when the constitutional movement was diverted from the aspirations of the then religious leaders guiding the movement.
Ayatollah Khamenei said that religious leaders were the vanguard of the Constitutional Movement and their role cannot be compared with other political groups.
“The religious leaders were guiding the Constitutional Movement to get rid of foreign dominance and to put an end to despotism of the then governing system,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
The Supreme Leader said that religious leaders were also seeking social justice by obliging the governing system to observe justice in administering the state affairs.
“The religious leaders favored establishment of a legal government on the basis of the Islamic law in such a way that the mandate and authority could be relegated to the government by people in democratic elections to put into practice under precise supervision.” The Constitutional Movement climaxed in 1906 with a signature Mozaffar eddin Shah of Qajar put on the then Constitution obliging his government and his successors to respect the Constitution, putting an end to despotism and forming parliament from which the government could receive a vote of confidence.
“The people also had the same demand under leadership of religious leaders. But, the British colonialism reestablished absolute despotism by bringing to power Reza Khan and gradually stripping the then governing system of its religious and national aspects within 14 years. The UK achieved its goals by sowing discord between religious leaders and intellectuals.”
Prior to the Supreme Leader’s remarks, Majlis Speaker Gholamali Haddad Adel offered a report on preparations made so far to hold the two conferences on ‘100th anniversary of Constitutional Movement’ and ‘100 years record of legislation in Iran’.
Prior to the Supreme Leader’s remarks, Majlis Speaker Gholamali Haddad Adel offered a report on preparations made so far to hold the two conferences on ‘100th anniversary of Constitutional Movement’ and ‘100 years record of legislation in Iran’.
Some members of the scientific committees in charge of organizing the two conferences briefed the Supreme Leader on issues relevant to historical aspects of the event.
