Barabanki: A sombre atmosphere prevailed in Kintur village of Barabanki district on Sunday following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei amid reported strikes involving the United States and Israel.
Residents of Kintur, located in the Badosarai area, say the village shares an ancestral connection with Ayatollah Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini, the mentor of Khamenei and leader of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Khomeini is regarded as the founding father of the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to local belief, his forebears migrated from Kintur to Iran nearly 150 years ago.
Though much has changed over time, villagers say the lineage and its historical association with Iran continue to carry deep emotional significance.
Syed Nihal Ahmad Kazmi, who claims descent from Khomeini’s family, told PTI that Kintur is considered the birthplace of Syed Ahmad Musavi, Khomeini’s grandfather. He said Musavi had participated in India’s freedom movement and travelled to Iran on a religious journey in 1834.
According to Kazmi, Musavi was regarded as a freedom fighter, and the then British administration allegedly did not permit his return to India. He subsequently settled in the Iranian city of Khomein, where his grandson Khomeini was later born.
Kazmi noted that Khamenei had been a disciple of Khomeini and carried forward his legacy after the latter’s death in 1989. Expressing grief over Khamenei’s demise, he described it as an attack on humanity.
Dr Syed Rehan Kazmi, nephew of Nihal Ahmad Kazmi and described by the family as a great-grandson of Khomeini, said Kintur shares a profound bond with Iran owing to its ancestral ties to Khomeini. He stated that the death of Khamenei, a disciple of Khomeini, was a significant loss not only for Iran but for Muslims worldwide.
Another resident, Syed Hussain Zaidi, expressed sorrow and anger over the reported killing, saying Khamenei was regarded by many as a guide for humanity. He appealed for peace, adding that violence is not a solution to any issue.
Following the reports, residents of Kintur and nearby areas gathered to offer prayers and hold condolence meetings. Recitations and majlis were organised at several places in remembrance of the departed leader, locals said.
(With PTI inputs)