Tasnim � The road leading to Islamic civilization is fraught with difficulties, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said, adding, however, that the Islamic Revolution�s growth in Iran heralds a promising and prosperous ending for that goal.

�The path of efforts in the name of God, upholding righteousness and justice, and the road to the Islamic civilization and society are tough and bumpy, but a view of the course of the Islamic Revolution and also the horizon ahead demonstrates quite promising, successful and bright signs,� the Leader said in short comments to a gathering of university students marking Arbaeen, held in Tehran on Thursday.

Praising the magnificent mourning ceremonies in commemoration of Arbaeen -forty days after the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shiite Imam, Imam Hussein (AS)- Ayatollah Khamenei stressed the need for �steadfastness� in holding such religious festivals, saying one should not be affected by the difficulties.

In a speech on November 6, Ayatollah Khamenei applauded the growing enthusiasm for commemoration of Arbaeen, describing the pilgrimage to the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) in Karbala as a major event bestowed by Almighty God.

�Thank God, millions of our people, Iraqis and others take this path,� Imam Khamenei said, describing the huge movement as a �magnificent symbol� of love for the Shiite imams.

The Arbaeen mourning ceremony is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world. Each year, millions of pilgrims, mainly from Iraq and Iran, travel long routes on foot to Karbala.

Last year, around 20 million pilgrims gathered in Karbala on Arbaeen, making the world�s largest human gathering in modern history.