Ayotollah Mahdi Mahdavipur, India representative of Ayatollah Hazrat Syed Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, on Sunday visited Chittoor town and held a conclave with the Shia community. About 500 families from Chittoor and surrounding areas attended the meet.
Later, Mr. Mahdavipur said a majority of the families were languishing in poverty, bereft of basic education and healthcare.
He said that in the absence of sufficient number of Urdu schools and Madarsas, the children of the Shia community faced the threat of dropping out of school. “We will take steps to construct new buildings to strengthen educational facilities for the children of Shias,” the envoy said. He appealed to the gathering to strictly adhere to the principles of peace, love and charity. He emphasised that any act that would obstruct the other faiths was against Shia principles.
Inaugurates dormitory
Later, the envoy inaugurated a dormitory meant for the poor and downtrodden students among the Shia families.
Ali Razza Alaikhisallam Welfare Society chief Shaik Jani Basha said nearly 40 students would be provided with food thrice a day and accommodation at the dormitory.
Hazrats of various mosques welcomed Mr. Mahdavipur and urged him to initiate steps for extending financial assistance to the poor families intending to undertake holy pilgrimage to Mecca.
