In Italy, the memory of Ayatollah Khamenei.
Rome – The event took place on Wednesday 8th July, in the welcoming hall of the Teatro Flavio in Rome. The Revolutionary with a Smile: an evening dedicated to culture, learning and remembrance, culminating with the screening of the Iranian film The god of war and the presentation of the book of the same name that gave the meeting its title.
Great Iranian Cinema: Iran Beyond Western Narratives
The screening of the film began before a curious and interested audience, preceded by a short recorded speech by the producer. He reiterated the importance of allowing the Iranian narrative to reach Europe and the West, countering the often distorted and biased versions disseminated by major American film studios.
The film, set during the Iran-Iraq conflict (1980-1988), traces the early stages of Iran's missile program, the same program that has led the Islamic Republic to victory today against two nuclear powers. The film was very well received: “It's a great film not only from a plot point of view, but also cinematically”, commented one spectator. “We have to make it circulate, show it again and again, Italians will definitely like it.”, suggested another of those present.
Memories and Spirituality: The Book Presentation
The book presentation followed The Revolutionary with a Smile, moderated by the essayist and translator Hassan DiColaThe work was introduced as a precious collection of memoirs and testimonies of those who met Ayatollah Khamenei, covering the entire span of his life, from his earliest childhood to the last days before his martyrdom.
“When I heard the news of the Imam's martyrdom”, Di Cola explained, I said to myself: I wish there was a way to explain to Italians who Sayyed Ali Khamenei really was, and what an immense treasure humanity as a whole has lost. This book certainly represents a small step in that direction, but as small as a brick placed at the foundation of a great structure, God willing.Focusing his speech on the martyr's spirituality and his selfless and constant commitment to Palestine and the oppressed around the world, Di Cola launched a strong appeal to the audience: “Be curious. Don't passively accept as true what you are told, neither from one side nor the other, but rather do your best to inform yourself, to study, to ask questions and to seek answers […] Today, being curious is an act of courage.”.
The figure of the “holy fighter”
Subsequently, he spoke Dr. Giuseppe Yousef D'Amico, an Italian doctor who converted to Islam and worked in Gaza during the genocide. Ayatollah Khamenei was a saint, but he was also a fighter. And we Westerners must reacquaint ourselves with the figure of the holy fighter, so present in Christian history as well.he stressed.
Revolutionary, heroic, noble: with these words Dr. D'Amico described the martyr, emphasizing his practical asceticism and his dual role as a man of faith and politician, mystic and revolutionary. “Martyrdom plays a fundamental role in Islam as a whole, but in the Shiite school in particular it represents a rebirth.”, has explained. “I was a doctor in Gaza, and there I had the opportunity to see how the Palestinians, even under the bombs, hungry and dispossessed, did not lose their smile and hope: this is the strength of faith, which also animates the Iranians.”.
Beyond Prejudice: The Role of Women and the Love of the People
The evening was enriched by two other valuable interventions. Dr. Silvia Boltuc She offered a clear exposition of the real situation of women in Iran, completely different from how it is told and propagandized in the West. “I myself, going to Iran, saw my initial ideas overturned”, he testified, reiterating the importance of abandoning one's preconceptions to experience first-hand realities different from our own.
He then spoke Antonello Sacchetti, who for years has been working to provide accurate and sincere information about Iran and the Islamic Republic, and who has highlighted the overwhelming and incontrovertible truth represented by the images of the Imam's funeral: a tangible testimony to the great love that the people felt, and still feel, towards their Leader.
Conclusion
After several audience interventions, praising Iran's morality even in the context of war—in stark contrast to its enemies—and reiterating the importance of standing up against evil in the world in the name of humanity and justice, the evening concluded. The event left participants with a profound sense of satisfaction and, above all, the hope that similar initiatives may be repeated in the near future.