He made the remark in an exclusive interview with Iran’s Tasnim News Agency. The interview was conducted in Tehran on the sidelines of the Imam Khomeini World Prize, an event attended by a group of thinkers, cultural elites, and domestic and foreign scientific and political figures, which was held to explain and promote the ideas of the late Imam Khomeini and to honor influential figures in advancing the discourse of the Islamic Revolution, during which selected laureates were announced and recognized.
Abdul Hamid said MAPIM, which he described as a conglomerate of 200 organizations, is active in advocacy for peace, Muslim unity, and the transformation of the Muslim world across social and political fields.
“This organization is conglomerate of 200 organizations under this Mapim, which I'm leading,” he said.
“We are doing a lot of work on advocacy for peace, for Ummah, awakening, Ummah unity, and the transformation of the Ummah in every field of life.”
Addressing what drew him to Imam Khomeini’s ideology, Abdul Hamid highlighted the late Iranian leader’s personal and intellectual qualities.
“Well, Imam Khomeini was a scholar,” he said.
“He was also a thinker. He was also a leader of rare integrity.”
He contrasted Imam Khomeini with Western intellectual traditions, focusing on moral and spiritual dimensions.
“So his personality that makes a difference from any scholars in the Western world because he defined what moral courage is about,” Abdul Hamid said.
“He defined spiritual death. He defined steadfastness that under the principles of Islam and under principle of human dignity.”
Meanwhile, Abdul Hamid said Imam Khomeini viewed faith as an active force in public life rather than a private matter.
“And I think Imam Khomeini viewed faith not as only a private retreat,” he said.
“It is a force that empowers people to rise up against tyranny, against colonialism, against imperialism.”
He added that this understanding shaped his own outlook on the Muslim world’s future.
“And this is really something that inspires me,” Abdul Hamid said. “And it involves real courage and real clarity of vision on what the Ummah should be.”
Prof. Abdul Hamid also said Imam Khomeini’s influence extended far beyond Iran.
“Now his influence is much more greater than any scholar of the West,” he said.
“The influence of Imam Khomeini is extended beyond Iran.”
He said Imam Khomeini helped awaken global political awareness among Muslims.
“You know, he awakened a global consciousness,” Abdul Hamid said.
“He also instill people to rise up with courage and the capacity to shape their own future, not to submit to the domination of the West.”
Abdul Hamid also pointed to religion as a central distinction between Imam Khomeini’s thought and Western secularism.
“And I think this is what is different from the West,” he said.
“Another very important difference is that Imam Khomeini is very connected with the divine message of the Quran from God Almighty, which differentiate from the west, which is very secular.”
He said secular systems fail to link faith with social life.
“They do not connect between life and religion,” Abdul Hamid said.
“But Imam Khamenei gave a very clear understanding to the world that without religion, no civilization can survive.”
“And that is the message of Imam Khomeini,” he concluded.
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