Leader warmly received by grand ayatollahs in Qom

QOM, Oct. 23(MNA) -- During his visit to Qom, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei met with a number of ayatollahs and maraja taqlid (Shia clerics who are regarded as sources of emulation)including Naser Makarem Shirazi, Mousa Shobeiri Zanjani, and Jafar Sobhani late on Wednesday and was warmly received by them.

Ayatollah Khamenei also met with Grand Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli and Grand Ayatollah Hossein Nouri Hamedani on Tuesday night.

The Leader started a nine-day visit to Qom on Tuesday and was heartily welcomed upon his arrival.

Ayatollah Khamenei also addressed tens of thousands of clerics and students of the Qom Seminary early on Thursday who had queued in a two-kilometer line to welcome him.

During his speech, the Leader warned that the enemies are attempting to undermine Islam and isolate clergymen and seminaries.

The religion will certainly suffer a blow if the clerics act “passively”, Ayatollah Khamenei warned.

He went on to say that the fates of the Islamic system and the seminaries are interlinked.

He also noted that creating a new move in the seminaries is only possible through an efficient management.

The Islamic system is in need of religious scholars and seminaries, he noted, adding the system is responsible to financially help the seminaries without meddling in their affairs.

Moreover, in an unannounced visit, the Leader met with families of three martyrs of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war late on Thursday.