Protesters have learned collective prayers in squares from Khomeini: Iran's consul

Erbil, April 5 (AKnews) – Iran's consul in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan Region, says the collective prayers in the squares in the Muslim countries where people are demonstrating for political reforms is Ayatullah Khomeini's tradition. Sayyid Azimi Husseini told Bas – a weekly newspaper in Kurdistan – in an interview that the wave of protests that has spanned through the middle east where people, in particular in Egypt, and Kuridstan's Sulaimaniyah city gather for the Friday sermons instead of going to the mosque, belongs to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Protesters in Sulaimaniyah city have been demonstrating against corruption and calling for political reforms for more than 45 days. During the six weeks, they have had six Friday sermons in the main Sara Square of the city where they gather every day. Regarding the way of protests and Friday sermons in the squares as a way of strength and solidarity, Husseini says "this belongs to Imam Khomeini that's they have learned this from the Islamic Republic of Iran" he has told the weekly newspaper. "We are happy that Iran and the words of Imam Khomeini have become symbols for the whole peoples of the world and the (course of) changes in the Middle East." Raber Y. Aziz (AKnews)   Tuesday, April 5th 2011 1:29 PM