The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in a condolence message on the martyrdom of Ayatollah Mohammad Baqer Hakim said the tragedy in Najaf and the martyrdom of the grand combatant scholar was undoubtedly carried out in line with the objectives of the U.S. and the Zionists.
Ayatollah Hakim was the head of the Assembly of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SAIRI) who was killed in a car bomb explosion in the Iraqi city of Najaf when he was returning from Najaf Friday prayers yesterday which he himself had led.
In his message, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the sinful hands of the servants of the hegemonic powers created another disastrous tragedy once again in which the Iraqi nation was robbed of a priceless personality who was considered as a solid stronghold against the occupiers of Iraq.
Pointing to the way the Ayatollah was martyred, the Leader described him as a combating scholar who had spent long years to restore rights of the Iraqi nation against the Baathist regime and then stood strongly firm against American and British occupiers.
The martyrdom of this grand combatant is another proof to the fact that the occupiers have imposed insecurity and chaos to the country with their illegitimate presence in Iraq, the message read.
The Leader further stressed in his message that the enemies of Muslims and of an independent Iraq should be aware of the fact that this sad event would never result in demoralizing the Iraqi nation so as not to confront the plans and goals of the hegemonic powers and the Zionists or to weaken their faith in Islam and the religious leadership.
The message concluded by reminding the Iraqi nation of the fact that the only way for them to get rid of the dangerous plots of the hegemonic powers and the Zionists was their unity under the glorious flag of Islam.
The Leader also declared three days of mourning to mark the martyrdom of Ayatollah Hakim and his associates.
President Mohammad Khatami, too, issued a message on the occasion.
He condemned the killing of the Ayatollah in his message and described it as an "ugly terrorist act".
He also condoled with the Najaf Seminary, Iraqi nation and the Hakim Household over the Ayatollah's martyrdom.
The Majlis speaker, Iranian cabinet, Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi and the head of the joint chiefs of staff of the armed forces issued similar messages on the occasion on Friday as well.