国际英语新闻：Iranians hold rallies condemning insult to late leader

TEHRAN, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Iranians held rallies across the country on Friday to condemn the alleged insult to late supreme leader and father of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khomeini.

    In Tehran, thousands of Iranians gathered before Tehran University to voice their outrage at the destruction of Khomeini's picture during a recent anti-government protest and also show their support for the current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Many demonstrators held posters of Khomeini and Khamenei and waved national flags along the Enghelab Street before Tehran University, chanting slogans in support of the two leaders.

Thousands of Iranian hold up portraits of Ayatollah Khomeini during a rally to condemn alleged insults to the Islamic republic's late founder after Friday prayers in Tehran, capital of Iran, Dec. 18, 2009

    "Imam Khomeini was our leader and we will follow him until the last moments of our lives. And we will also follow his successor Ayatollah Khamenei the end of our lives," said a 22-year-old female university student, who declined to give her name.

    The demonstrators, who took to the streets after the Friday prayers, issued a statement to vigorously condemn the reported insult to Khomeini by "some rioters" recently, according to the official IRNA news agency.

    "The holy system of the Islamic Republic was an invaluable inheritance of the late Imam Khomeini...and the Islamic Revolution, since its very victory, prompted the dominance-seeking and oppressive nations to mobilize efforts to tarnish Iran's image," the statement said.

    "Unfortunately, during the past few months and in the post-election riots, some of our former 'brothers' would out speed the world hegemonic powers and the harshest enemies of the Islamic Revolution in preparing the ground for insults of the ideals of the late Imam Khomeini," it added.

    On Dec. 7, Iranian student supporters of the opposition leader and the defeated candidate in June presidential election Mir-Hossein Mousavi clashed with police around Tehran University campus on Iran's Students Day.

    Iran's state media have reported that some people tore up and even burned a picture of Khomeini during the opposition protests on Dec. 7, which has caused widespread indignation in the country.

    Pro-government hard-liners blamed opposition supporters for the incident, but opposition leaders said the reported insult was "suspicious" and they also planned to have a rally to condemn such an action.