TEHRAN- A new painting by Iranian artist Hassan Ruholamin depicting Reyhaneh Soltan-Nejad, a two-year-old girl who was martyred in a terrorist attack in Kerman, unveiled in the presence of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Tuesday. 

The unveiling of the artwork took place during the meeting between the people of Qom and the leader in Tehran, Mehr reported on Wednesday. 

The painting, entitled "The Two-Year-Old Girl with a Pink Jacket and Heart-Shaped Earrings," serves as a poignant depiction of the martyrdom of this young child. Reyhaneh Soltan-Nejad tragically lost her life in the terrorist attack, alongside her mother and six other members of her family.

Ruholamin, who is best known for his paintings on early Islamic historical events, has created a captivating collection of artworks dedicated to the theme of Ashura over the years.

One of the works of the collection is “Daddy” depicting the Imam in his final farewell to his three-year-old daughter Roqayyeh (SA).

The 110 X 130-centimeter oil painting shows the Imam embracing Roqayyeh before going to the battlefield while his horse, named “Zuljinah”, and the enemy forces can be seen in the background.

The collection also includes “The Sky Fell Down”, “The Farewell”, “After Abbas (AS)”, “Are You My Brother?”, “Monastery of the Monk” and “Beginning of Silence”.

“The Sky Fell Down”, featuring the last moments of the life of Imam Hussein (AS), is a highlight of the collection.

The painting depicts the Imam on his horse, severely injured by arrows, while the enemy is waiting to bring down the Imam. 

Ruholamin spent nine months doing the painting, which was unveiled at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art in November 2018.

“Monastery of the Monk” is another artwork from his Ashura collection.

The painting depicts the meeting of a monk with Khawli ibn Yazid al-Asbahi, a member of Umar ibn Sad’s army, when he was taking the head of Imam Hussein (AS) to Yazid ibn Muawiya, the second caliph of the Umayyad dynasty, after the Ashura event.

The artist has also blended modern events and with stories from Islamic history in some of his works.

Last week's terrorist attack in the southern city of Kerman resulted in the tragic loss of 89 lives.

The attack took place near the tomb of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the revered Iranian anti-terrorism commander, during a memorial ceremony commemorating four years since his martyrdom.

On Thursday, the ISIS terrorist group claimed responsibility for the dual explosions that rocked Iran. According to a statement released on its affiliate Telegram channels, two ISIS members detonated explosive belts amidst the crowd gathered at the cemetery in Kerman on Wednesday. The extremist Sunni Muslim group, notorious for its acts of violence, took pride in its role in the deadly incident.

The memorial, held in honor of General Soleimani, marked the fourth anniversary of his untimely death. The esteemed commander was assassinated in Iraq in 2020 by a U.S. drone strike. In the wake of this bloodiest attack since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Tehran has vowed to avenge the loss of lives and ensure justice prevails.

SAB/