The Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei received a group of organizers of and participants in the congress on the birth centenary of late poet Mohammad-Hussein Shahriyar on Sunday, September 17.
In an address to the audience, the Leader considered the commemoration of this honorable poet tantamount to commemorating the Persian poetry and literature. He stated that Shahriyar was a prominent poet whose name will be recorded in the history of the Persian poetry.
Ayatollah Khamenei noted that although Shahriyar's poems were at a high level in terms of Persian literary standards, they were understandable even to the ordinary people. He added that mystic concepts and aphorisms constituted another special feature of Shahriyar's poems.
Further in his statements, the Leader of the Islamic Republic described Shahriyar as a sincere, humble, upright, high-principled and pious personality who was never willing to put his poetry at the service of those wielding power and authority in society. He also referred to Shahriyar's love for and devotion to the holy Prophet of Islam and his household (peace and greetings be upon them).
"Shahriyar's poems about Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali-ibn-Abitaleb (greetings be upon him) and also about Master of the Martyrs Imam Hussein-ibn-Ali (greetings be upon him) clearly indicate this love and devotion. Besides, after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Shahriyar composed some poems about the revolution and also in praise of the Basijis, who made great self-sacrifice in the course of the Sacred Defense, without any expectations," Ayatollah Khamenei told the audience.