UP village mourns Khamenei’s death, recalls link to his mentor Ayatollah Khomenei

Barabanki: A doleful shadow hung over the Kintur village of Barabanki district on Sunday after the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei amid strikes by the US-Israel.

Locals say Kintur in the Badosarai area shares an ancestral link with Ayatollah Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini — the mentor of Khamenei — whose forebears are believed to have migrated from the village to Iran around 150 years ago.

Khomeini is known for leading Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution and as the founding father of the Islamic Republic.

Though much has changed over time, villagers say the lineage and its historical association continue to hold emotional significance.

Syed Nihal Ahmad Kazmi, who claims descent from Khomeini’s family, told PTI that Kintur is regarded as the birthplace of Syed Ahmad Musavi, the grandfather of Khomeini.

Kazmi said Musavi had participated in India’s freedom movement and travelled to Iran on a religious journey in 1834.

As he was considered a freedom fighter, the then British administration allegedly did not permit his return to India, he added.

Musavi later settled in the city of Khomein in Iran, where his grandson Khomeini was born, Kazmi said.

He added that Khamenei had been a disciple of Khomeini and carried forward his legacy after the latter’s death in 1989. Expressing grief over the demise of Khamenei, Kazmi described it as an attack on humanity.

Dr Syed Rehan Kazmi, the nephew of Nihal Ahmad Kazmi and described by the family as a great-grandson of Khomeini, said Kintur shares a deep connection with Iran due to its association with Khomeini’s ancestry.

He said the death of Khamenei, a disciple of Khomeini, was a profound loss not only for Iran but for Muslims across the world.

Resident Syed Hussain Zaidi expressed grief and anger over the reported killing, saying Khamenei was regarded by many as a guide for humanity.

He appealed for peace, stating that violence is not a solution to any problem.

Following the reports, people gathered in Kintur and nearby areas, organising prayers and condolence meetings. Recitations and majlis were held at several places for the departed soul, residents said.