Sydney, Melbourne Mourn Khamenei; Premier Slams Gatherings

0:00In Adelaide, it's March 2nd, and here's what is going on. Shiite mosques and Islamic centers in Sydney and Melbourne held prayer sessions this week to mourn Ayatollah, Ali, Kamenay, Iran's supreme leader. Killed in U.S. and Israeli air strikes, he had led the country with Thai control since 1989. Several spots joined in, like Masjid Aramun and Sydney's Kingsgrove and Elzara Islamic Community Center in Melbourne's hoppers crossing. They called the events commemorations for his martyrdom and other victims of the strikes. Kamenay held ultimate power in Iran's theocracy, crushing protests and dissent over decades. His death sparked mourning in parts of the Middle East and India. New South Wales premiere Chris Minnes slammed the gatherings as atrocious, labeling the leader pure evil by any measure. Iranian Australian groups and activists called it deeply insulting. They compared honoring him to celebrating tyrants responsible for mass deaths, raising fears about open support for the regime right here in Australia.

1:04Support for this episode comes from our sponsor. See the description. But do not just fall asleep, drift into what you are listening to. S-O-L-I-SOL-I-PLO dot com.