Islamic Education Center Of Houston Celebrates 40th Anniversary Of Iran's Islamic Revolution; Schoolchildren's Choir Sings: Khamenei Is Our Leader, We Are His Soldiers; Student Speaker: America Fears Iran, Its 'End Games' In Middle East Are Supporting Israel And Saudi Arabia

On February 20, 2019, the Islamic Education Center of Houston, Texas uploaded to its YouTube channel a video of a February 17 ceremony celebrating the 40th anniversary of Iran's Islamic Revolution. Morteza Kazemian, a tenth grader, spoke and said that the United States continues to sanction Iran because it is scared of it and that America's two goals in the Middle East are to support Israel and Saudi Arabia. The audience chanted: "Away with the humiliation... Allah Akbar! Khamenei is our Leader!" In addition, young boys wearing scarves and green headbands sang a song that went: "We are your followers, you are our Leader... We are your soldiers, and together we can all be your power... May Allah always keep your hand upon us... A warrior just like the Battle of Khaybar... May you always be the light to our guidance." In an article about the Islamic Education Center of Houston, one news outlet reported on the mosque's interfaith activities, saying that "they also bring rabbis and pastors in to speak," and that the chairman of its board of directors Faheem Kazimi "has gone to explain Islam at a rural church in Weimar, Texas."[1] Press TV anchor Marzieh Hashemi spoke briefly at the ceremony through a video call. For more about Marzieh Hashemi, who was recently arrested and detained by the FBI during a visit to the United States, see MEMRI TV clip no. 7064 U.S./Iranian TV Anchor Marzieh Hashemi: I Chant "Death to America" Because Oppressive American System Needs to Change; I Will Not Burn My U.S. Passport Because My Ancestors Owned and Built America, February 26, 2019.

 To view the clip of the ceremony at the Islamic Education Center of Houston on MEMRI TV, click here or below.

"America Has Two End Games In The Whole Middle East Region: To Support Israel And To Support Saudi Arabia"

Morteza Kazemian: "My name is Morteza Kazemian, I am in the tenth grade. Today, I want to talk about more of the political side of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, and kind of look at America and the other Western world's influence, not only pre-dating the Revolution, but also following it, in the years afterwards.

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"America and its allies decided that they had enough of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. They continued to place harsh sanctions on the country, and deemed it as a terrorist state. But my question to you, brothers and sisters, is would you put sanctions on a country that you are not fearful of?

"Would you not put sanctions on a country that you are not fearful of? Because in the end of the day, what this message of sanctions on the country of Iran is, is the idea that it continues to remain as an enemy towards America and all of its allies. Because America has two end games in the whole Middle East region: to support Israel and to support Saudi Arabia."

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Man in Audience: "Away with the humiliation!"

Audience: "Away with the humiliation!"

Man in Audience: "Say: 'Allah Akbar!'"

Audience: "Allah Akbar! Allah Akbar! Allah Akbar! Khamenei is our Leader!"

Morteza Kazemian: "Despite these sanctions continuing on the country of Iran, we have not only seen success on a foreign scale, but also seen success on a domestic scale."

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"Allah Akbar! Khamenei Is Our Leader!... We Are Your Followers, We Are Your Soldiers"

Children Singing: "Allah Akbar! Khamenei is our Leader!

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"Oh, Zahra’s beloved, oh, Heydar’s beloved – we are your followers, you are our Leader.

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"We are your followers, we are your soldiers, and together we can all be your power.

[...]

"May Allah always keep your hand upon us.

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"Oh, man of faith, oh, beloved of the nation, a warrior just like the Battle of Khaybar.

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"May you always be the light to our guidance."