ruhollah khomeini
Post on 03-Apr-2018
220 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 1/34
Ruhollah KhomeiniFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Khomeini)
This article has been nominated to be checked for its neutrality.Discussion of this nomination can be found on the talk page. (December 2007)
Ruhollah Khomeini
1st Supreme Leader of IranIn office
December 3, 1979 – June 3, 1989
Succeeded by Ali Khamenei
Born24 September 1902Khomein, Markazi Province, Iran
DiedJune 3, 1989 (aged 86)Tehran, Iran
Religion Shia Islam
Ruhollah Musawi Khomeini (Persian: (help·info),
Rūḥullāh Mūsawī Khumaynī ) (September 24, 1902[1][2] – June 3, 1989) was
a senior Shi'a Muslim cleric, Islamic philosopher and marja (religious
authority), and the political leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution which
saw the overthrow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran.
Following the revolution, Khomeini became the country's Supreme Leader
—the paramount political figure of the new Islamic Republic until his death.
Khomeini was a marja al-taqlid , ("source of imitation") and importantspiritual leader to many Shia Muslims who developed the innovative theory
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 2/34
of velayat-e faqih, the "guardianship of the jurisconsult (clerical authority)"
that provided the theological basis for his rule of Iran. He was named
Time' s Man of the Year in 1979 and also one of Time magazine's 100 most
influential people of the 20th century. Internationally he also had great
influence, and has been called "the virtual face of Islam in Western popular
culture."[3]
Contents
[hide]
1 Early life
2 Teacher and scholar
2.1 Political aspects
2.2 Literature and poetry
3 Early political activity
3.1 Opposition to the White Revolution
3.2 Opposition against capitulation
4 Life in exile
5 Supreme leader of Islamic Republic of Iran
5.1 Return to Iran
5.2 Establishment of new government
5.3 Islamic constitution and its opposition
5.4 Hostage crisis
5.5 Relationship with other Islamic and non-aligned countries
5.6 Iran-Iraq War
5.7 Rushdie fatwa
6 Life under Khomeini
6.1 Suppression of enemies and opposition
6.2 Minority religions
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 3/34
6.3 Emigration and economy
7 Death and funeral
7.1 Successorship
8 Political thought and legacy
9 Appearance, habits
10 Mystique
11 Family and descendants
12 Works
13 See also
14 References
15 Bilbliography
16 External links
[edit] Early life
A young Khomeini
Ruhollah Musawi Khomeini was born to Mustafa Musawi[4] and Hajiyah
Aga Khanum in the town of Khomein,[5] about 300 kilometers (180 miles)
south of Tehran, on[6] September 24, 1902.[1][2] His family claims to be
descendants of Muhammad through the seventh of the Twelve Imams,
Musa al-Kazim;[5] thus, Khomeini is considered a sayyid . Several of his
close ancestors were dedicated to Islamic studies: his father and both of
his grandfathers were all Shia clerics.[7] Khomeini's paternal grandfather,
Sayid Ahmad Musawi Hindi, spent many years in India before returning to
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 4/34
Persia to purchase a home in Khomein that his family would own until the
late twentieth century.[4][8]
,[9] Many historians today believe his father may have been the victim
of a local dispute.[10][11][12]
Khomeini's mother and one of his auntsproceeded to raise him until 1918, when both of them died.[13]
Ruhollah Khomeini began to study the Qur'an, Islam's holiest book,
and elementary Persian at age six.[14] The following year, he began to
attend a local school, where he learned math, science, geography, and
other traditional subjects.[13] Throughout his childhood, he would
continue his religious and secular education with the assistance of
his relatives, including his mother's cousin, Ja'far,[13] and his
elder brother, Morteza Pasandideh.[15]
After World War I, arrangements were made for him to study at the Islamic
seminary in Esfahan, but he was attracted, instead, to the seminary in
Arak, under the leadership of Ayatollah Abdul Karim Haeri Yazdi.[16] In
1920, Khomeini moved to Arak and commenced his studies.[17] The
following year, Ayatollah Haeri Yazdi transferred the Islamic seminary to
the holy city of Qom, southwest of Tehran, and invited his students to
follow. Khomeini accepted the invitation, moved,[15] and took up residence
at the Dar al-Shafa school in Qom.[18] Khomeini's studies included Islamic
law (sharia) and jurisprudence (fiqh)[14], but by that time, Khomeini had also
acquired an interest in poetry and philosophy (irfan). So, upon arriving in
Qom, Khomeini sought the guidance of Mirza Ali Akbar Yazdi, a scholar of
philosophy and mysticism. Yazdi died in 1924, but Khomeini would
continue to pursue his interest in philosophy with two other teachers,
Javad Aqa Maleki Tabrizi and Rafi'i Qazvini.[19][20] However, perhaps
Khomeini's biggest influences were yet another teacher, Mirza Muhammad
'Ali Shahabadi,[21] and a variety of historic Sufi mystics, including Mulla
Sadra and Ibn Arabi.[20]
[edit] Teacher and scholar
Muslim scholar
Name: Ruhollah Musawi Khomeini
Title: Imam Khomeini
Birth: 24 September 1902[1][2]
Death: June 3, 1989 (aged 86)
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 5/34
Region: Iran and Iraq
Maddhab: Shia Islam
Main
interests:Fiqh, Irfan, Islamic philosophy, Islamic ethics, Hadith, politics
Notableideas:
Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists, Dynamic Fiqh
Works:Islamic Government, Tahrir-ol-vasyleh, Forty Hadith, Adab asSalat
Influences:Mulla Sadra, Abdol-Karim Haeri-Yazdi, Hassan Modarres, Mohammad-Ali Shah Abadi
Influenced:Mohammad Beheshti, Hossein-Ali Montazeri, Morteza Motahhari,
Ali Khamenei, Akbar Hashemi, Fazel Lankarani
Ruhullah Khomeini was a lecturer at Najaf and Qum seminaries for
decades before he was known in the political scene. He soon became a
leading scholar of Shia Islam.[22] He taught political philosophy[23], Islamic
history and ethics. Several of his students (e.g. Morteza Motahhari) later
became leading Islamic philosophers and also marja. As a scholar and
teacher, Khomeini produced numerous writings on Islamic philosophy, law,
and ethics.[24] He showed an exceptional interest in subjects like philosophy
and gnosticism that not only were usually absent from the curriculum of
seminaries but were often an object of hostility and suspicion. [25]
[edit] Political aspects
Although during this scholarly phase of his life Khomeini was not politically
active, the nature of his studies, teachings, and writings suggest that he
believed early on in the importance of political involvement by clerics.
Khomeini studied not only traditional subjects like Islamic jurisprudence
(fiqh al-shari`ah), and principles (usul ), but also philosophy and ethics. Histeaching often focused on the importance of religion to practical social and
political issues of the day. He was the first Iranian cleric to try to refute the
outspoken advocacy of secularism in the 1940s. His first book, Kashf al-
Asrar (Uncovering of Secrets) [26] published in 1942, was a point-by-point
refutation of Asrar-e hazar salih (Secrets of a Thousand Years), a tract
written by a disciple of Iran's leading anti-clerical historian, Ahmad Kasravi.[27] In addition, he went from Qom to Tehran to listen to Ayatullah Hasan
Mudarris- the leader of the opposition majority in Iran's parliament during
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 6/34
1920s. Khomeini became a marja in 1963, following the death of Grand
Ayatollah Seyyed Husayn Borujerdi.
Khomeini held a moderate standpoint vis-à-vis Greek Philosophy and
regarded Aristotle as the founder of logic.
[28]
He was also influenced byPlato's philosophy. About Plato he said: "In the field of divinity, he has
grave and solid views ...". [29] On the other hand, Khomeini attacks the
philosophy of Descartes and regards it as weak. Among Islamic
philosophers, Khomeini was mainly influenced by Avicenna and Mulla
Sadra.[30]
[edit] Literature and poetry
Apart from philosophy, Khomeini was also interested in literature and
poetry. His poetry collection was released after his death. Since hisadolescent years, Khomeini has composed mystic, political and social
poetry.
“"We" and "I" are both from reason
That are used as ropes to bind
In mass of those who are drunk
Neither "I" is nor "We" to find [31] ”
His poetry works were published in three collections The Confidant, The
Decanter of Love and Turning Point and Divan.[32]
[edit] Early political activity
At the age of 60, Khomeini found the arena of leadership open following
the deaths of Ayatollah Sayyed Husayn Borujerdi (1961), the leading,
although quiescent, Shiite religious leader; and Ayatollah Abol-GhasemKashani (1962), an activist cleric. The clerical class had been on the
defensive ever since the 1920s when the secular, anti-clerical modernizer
Reza Shah Pahlavi rose to power. The "White Revolution" of Reza's son
Muhammad Reza Shah, was a further challenge to the ulama.[33]
[edit] Opposition to the White Revolution
In January 1963, the Shah announced the "White Revolution," a six-point
program of reform calling for land reform, nationalization of the forests, the
sale of state-owned enterprises to private interests, electoral changes to
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 7/34
enfranchise women and allow non-Muslims to hold office, profit-sharing in
industry, and a literacy campaign in the nation's schools. All of these
initiatives were regarded as dangerous, Westernizing trends by
traditionalists, especially by the powerful and privileged Shiite ulama
(religious scholars).[34]
Khomeini and his son Mustafa
Ayatollah Khomeini summoned a meeting of the other senior marjas of
Qom and persuaded them to decree a boycott of the referendum on the
White Revolution. On January 22, 1963 Khomeini issued a strongly
worded declaration denouncing the Shah and his plans. Two days later the
Shah took an armored column to Qom, and delivered a speech harshlyattacking the ulama as a class.
Khomeini continued his denunciation of the Shah's programs, issuing a
manifesto that bore the signatures of eight other senior Iranian Shia
religious scholars. In it he listed the various ways in which the Shah had
allegedly violated the constitution, condemned the spread of moral
corruption in the country, and accused the Shah of submission to America
and Israel. He also decreed that the Nowruz celebrations for the Iranian
year 1342 (which fell on March 21, 1963) be canceled as a sign of protestagainst government policies.
On the afternoon of 'Ashura (June 3, 1963), Khomeini delivered a speech
at the Feyziyeh madrasah drawing parallels between the infamous tyrant
Yazid and the Shah, denouncing the Shah as a "wretched, miserable
man," and warning him that if he did not change his ways the day would
come when the people would offer up thanks for his departure from the
country.[35]
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 8/34
On June 5, 1963, (15 of Khordad), two days after this public denunciation
of the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Khomeini was arrested. This
sparked three days of major riots throughout Iran and led to the deaths of
some 400. That event is now referred to as the Movement of 15 Khordad.[36] Khomeini was kept under house arrest for 8 months and released in
1964.
[edit] Opposition against capitulation
During November 1964, Khomeini denounced both the Shah and the
United States, this time in response to the "capitulations" or diplomatic
immunity granted by the Shah to American military personnel in Iran [37] [38].
The famous "capitulation" law (or "status-of-forces agreement") would
allow members of the U.S. armed forces in Iran to be tried in their ownmilitary courts. Khomeini was arrested in November 1964 and held for half
a year. Upon his release, he was brought before Prime Minister Hasan Ali
Mansur, who tried to convince Khomeini that he should apologize and drop
his opposition to the government. Khomeini refused. In fury, Mansur
slapped Khomeini's face.[39] Two weeks later, Mansur was assassinated on
his way to parliament. Four members of the Fadayan-e Islam were later
executed for the murder.
Advisers to the Shah recommended executing the ayatollah perhaps, anaccidental death. The Shah refused and sent Khomeini into exile to
Turkey. "Former royalist officials now living in London, Paris and Los
Angeles still grumble about the decision not to kill Khomeini in 1964."[40]
[edit] Life in exile
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 9/34
Ayatollah Khomeini in his Exile
Ayatollah Khomeini at Neauphle-le-Chateau
Khomeini spent more than 14 years in exile, mostly in the holy Shia city of
Najaf , Iraq. Initially he was sent to Turkey on 4 November 1964 where he
stayed in the city of Bursa for less than a year. He was hosted by a Turkish
Colonel named Ali Cetiner in his own residence, who couldn't find another
accommodation alternative for his stay at the time.[12] Later in October
1965 he was allowed to move to Najaf, Iraq, where he stayed until being
forced to leave in 1978, after then-Vice President Saddam Hussein forced
him out (the two countries would fight a bitter eight year war 1980-1988
only a year after the two reached power in 1979) after which he went to
Neauphle-le-Château in France on a tourist visa, apparently not seeking
political asylum, where he stayed for four months. According to Alexandrede Marenches, chief of External Documentation and Counter-Espionage
Service (now known as the DGSE), France would have suggested to the
shah to "organize a fatal accident for Khomeini"; the shah declined the
assassination offer, as that would have made Khomeini a martyr.
While in the 1940s Khomeini accepted the idea of a limited monarchy
under the Iranian Constitution of 1906-1907—as evidenced by his book
Kashf al-Asrar—by the 1970s he did not.
In early 1970 Khomeini gave a series of lectures in Najaf on Islamic
government, later published as a book titled variously Islamic Government
or Islamic Government: Authority of the Jurist (Hokumat-e Islami: Velayat-
e faqih).
Main article: Hokumat-e Islami : Velayat-e faqih (book by Khomeini)
This was his most famous and influential work and laid out his ideas
on governance (at that time):
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 10/34
That the laws of society should be made up only of the laws of God
(Sharia), which cover "all human affairs" and "provide instruction
and establish norms" for every "topic" in "human life." [41]
Since Shariah, or Islamic law, is the proper law, those holdinggovernment posts should have knowledge of Sharia. Since Islamic
jurists or faqih have studied and are the most knowledgeable in
Sharia, the country's ruler should be a faqih who "surpasses all
others in knowledge" of Islamic law and justice,[42] (known as a
marja`), as well as having intelligence and administrative ability.
Rule by monarchs and/or assemblies of "those claiming to be
representatives of the majority of the people" (i.e. elected
parliaments and legislatures) has been proclaimed "wrong" byIslam.[43]
This system of clerical rule is necessary to prevent injustice,
corruption, oppression by the powerful over the poor and weak,
innovation and deviation of Islam and Sharia law; and also to
destroy anti-Islamic influence and conspiracies by non-Muslim
foreign powers. [44]
A modified form of this wilayat al-faqih system was adopted after
Khomeini and his followers took power, and Khomeini was the Islamic
Republic's first "Guardian" or Supreme Leader .
Ayatollah Khomeini in Turkey where it is prohibited to wear a religious turban
in government institutions
In the meantime, however, Khomeini was careful not to publicize his
ideas for clerical rule outside of his Islamic network of opposition to the
Shah which he worked to build and strengthen over the next decade.
Cassette copies of his lectures fiercely denouncing the Shah as (for
example) "... the Jewish agent, the American snake whose head mustbe smashed with a stone", [45] became common items in the markets of
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 11/34
Iran, [46] helped to demythologize the power and dignity of the Shah
and his reign. Aware of the importance of broadening his base,
Khomeini reached out to Islamic reformist and secular enemies of the
Shah, despite his long-term ideological incompatibility with them.
After the 1977 death of Dr. Ali Shariati, an Islamic reformist and
political revolutionary author/academic/philosopher who greatly
popularized the Islamic revival among young educated Iranians,
Khomeini became the most influential leader of the opposition to the
Shah perceived by many Iranians as the spiritual, if not political, leader
of revolt. Adding to his mystique was the circulation among Iranians in
the 1970s of "an old Shia saying attributed to the Imam Musa al-Jafar."
Prior to his death in 799, al-Jafar was said to have prophesied that `A
man will come out from Qom and he will summon people to the right
path. There will rally to him people resembling pieces of iron, not to be
shaken by violent winds, unsparing and relying on God.` Khomeini
was said to match this description.[47]
As protest grew so did his profile and importance. Although thousands
of kilometers away from Iran in Paris, Khomeini set the course of the
revolution, urging Iranians not to compromise and ordering work
stoppages against the regime.[48] During the last few months of his
exile, Khomeini received a constant stream of reporters, supporters,
and notables, eager to hear the spiritual leader of the revolution.[49]
[edit] Supreme leader of Islamic Republic of Iran
[edit] Return to Iran
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 12/34
Arrival of Ayatollah Khomeini on February 1, 1979
Main article: Iranian Revolution
Khomeini had refused to return to Iran until the Shah left. On
January 16, 1979, the Shah did leave the country (ostensibly "on
vacation"), never to return. Two weeks later on Thursday,
February 1, 1979, Khomeini returned in triumph to Iran, welcomedby a joyous crowd estimated at least six million by the ABC News
reporter, Peter Jennings who was reporting the event from
Tehran.
On the airplane on his way to Iran Khomeini was asked by
reporter Peter Jennings: "What do you feel in returning to Iran?"
Khomeini answered "Hich ehsâsi nadâram" (I don't feel a thing).
This statement is often referred to by those who oppose Khomeini
as demonstrating the ruthlessness and heartlessness of Khomeini. His supporters, however, attribute this comment as
demonstrating the mystic aspiration and selflessness of
Khomeini's revolution.[citation needed ]
Khomeini adamantly opposed the provisional government of
Shapour Bakhtiar , promising `I shall kick their teeth in. I appoint
the government. I appoint the government by support of this
nation."`[50][51] On February 11 [(Bahman 22)], Khomeini appointed
his own competing interim prime minister, Mehdi Bazargan,demanding `since I have appointed him, he must be obeyed.` It
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 13/34
was ̀ God's government,` he warned, disobedience against which
was a `revolt against God.` [52]
[edit] Establishment of new government
As Khomeini's movement gained momentum, soldiers began todefect to his side and Khomeini declared jihad on soldiers who did
not surrender. [53] On February 11 [(Bahman 22)], as revolt spread
and armories were taken over, the military declared neutrality and
the Bakhtiar regime collapsed.[54] On March 30, 1979, and March
31, 1979, a referendum to replace the monarchy with an Islamic
Republic passed with 98% voting yes (sic). [55]
[edit] Islamic constitution and its opposition
To comply with Wikipedia's quality standards, this section may needto be rewritten.Please help improve this article. The discussion page may contain suggestions.
Although revolutionaries were now in charge and Khomeini was
their leader, many revolutionaries, both secular and religious, did
not approve and/or know of Khomeini's plan for Islamic
government by wilayat al-faqih, which involved rule by a marja`
Islamic cleric -- i.e. by him.[56] Nor did the new provisional
constitution for the Islamic Republic, which revolutionaries had
been working on with Khomeini's approval, include a post of
supreme Islamic cleric ruler.[57] At the same time, as the
undisputed leader of the revolution with enormous mass support,
Khomeini had considerable leaway to change the direction of the
revolution. In the coming months, Khomeini and his supporters
worked to suppress these former allies now becoming opponents,
and rewrite the proposed constitution. Newspapers were closed
and those protesting the closings attacked.[58] Opposition groups
such as the National Democratic Front and Muslim People'sRepublican Party were attacked and finally banned.[59] Through a
combination of popular support and questionable balloting pro-
Khomeini candidates gained an overwhelming majority of the
seats of the Assembly of Experts [60] which revised the proposed
constitution. The new constitution included a Islamic jurist
Supreme Leader of the country, and a Council of Guardians to
veto un-Islamic legislation and screen candidates for office,
disqualifying those found un-Islamic.
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 14/34
In November 1979 the new constitution of the Islamic Republic
was passed by referendum. Khomeini himself became instituted
as the Supreme Leader (supreme jurist ruler), and officially
decreed as the "Leader of the Revolution." On February 4, 1980,
Abolhassan Banisadr was elected as the first president of Iran.
Helping pass the controversial constitution was the Iran hostage
crisis.
[edit] Hostage crisis
Main article: Iran hostage crisis
On 22 October 1979, the Shah was admitted into the United
States for medical treatment for lymphoma. There was an
immediate outcry in Iran and on November 4, 1979, a groupof students, all of whom were ardent followers of Khomeini,
seized the United States embassy in Tehran, taking 63
American citizens as hostage. After a judicious delay,
Khomeini supported the hostage-takers under the slogan
"America can't do a damn thing." Fifty two of the hostages
were held prisoner for 444 days — an event usually referred
to as the Iran hostage crisis. The hostage-takers justified this
violation of long-established international law as a reaction to American refusal to hand over the Shah for trial and
execution. On February 23, 1980, Khomeini proclaimed Iran's
Majlis would decide the fate of the American embassy
hostages, and demanded that the United States hand over
the Shah for trial in Iran for crimes against the nation.
Although the Shah died less than a year later, this did not end
the crisis. Supporters of Khomeini named the embassy a
"Den of Espionage", and publicized the weapons, electronic
listening devices, other equipment and many volumes of
official and secret classified documents they found there.
Others explain the length of the imprisonment on what
Khomeini is reported to have told his president: "This action
has many benefits. ... This has united our people. Our
opponents do not dare act against us. We can put the
constitution to the people's vote without difficulty, and carry
out presidential and parliamentary elections." [61] The new
theocratic constitution did successfully pass its referendum
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 15/34
one month after the hostage-taking, which did succeed in
splitting its opposition -- radicals supporting the hostage
taking and moderates opposing it. [62][63]
See also: October Surprise [edit] Relationship with other Islamic andnon-aligned countries
Khomeini believed in Muslim unity and solidarity and the
export of Islamic revolution throughout the world.
"Establishing the Islamic state world-wide belong to the
great goals of the revolution." [64] He declared the birth
week of Muhammad (the week between 12th to 17th of
Rabi' al-awwal) as the Unity week . Then he declared thelast Friday of Ramadan as International Day of Quds in
1979.
Despite his devotion to Islam, Khomeini also emphasised
international revolutionary solidarity, expressing support
for the PLO, the IRA, Cuba, and the South African anti-
apartheid struggle.
[edit] Iran-Iraq War
Main article: Iran-Iraq War
Shortly after assuming power, Khomeini began
calling for Islamic revolutions across the Muslim
world, including Iran's Arab neighbor Iraq, [65] the one
large state besides Iran with a Shia majority
population. At the same time Saddam Hussein, Iraq's
secular Arab nationalist Ba'athist leader, was eager
to take advantage of Iran's weakened military and
(what he assumed was) revolutionary chaos, and in
particular to occupy Iran's adjacent oil-rich province
of Khuzestan, and, of course, to undermine Iranian
Islamic revolutionary attempts to incite the Shi'a
majority of his country.
With what many Iranians believe was the
encouragement of the United States, Saudi Arabia
and other countries, Iraq soon launched a full scaleinvasion of Iran, starting what would become the
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 16/34
eight-year-long Iran-Iraq War (September 1980 -
August 1988). A combination of fierce resistance by
Iranians and military incompetence by Iraqi forces
soon stalled the Iraqi advance and by early 1982 Iran
regained almost all the territory lost to the invasion.
The invasion rallied Iranians behind the new regime,
enhancing Khomeini's stature and allowed him to
consolidate and stabilize his leadership. After this
reversal, Khomeini refused an Iraqi offer of a truce,
instead demanding reparation and toppling of
Saddam Hussein from power.[66][67][68]
Outside powers supplied arms to both sides during
the war, but the West wanted to be sure the Islamic
revolution did not spread to other parts of the oil-
exporting Persian Gulf and began to supply Iraq with
whatever help it needed. Most military sales came
from the USSR and the USA, and also from France,
Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Most rulers of other Muslim
countries also supported Iraq out of opposition to the
Islamic ideology of Islamic Republic of Iran, which
threatened their own native monarchies. On the
other hand most Islamic parties and organizations
supported Islamic unity with Iran, especially the
Shiite ones.[citation needed ]
The war continued for another six years, with
450,000 to 950,000 casualties on the Iranian side
and at a cost estimated by Iranian officials to total
USD $300 billion.[69]
As the costs of the eight-year war mounted,
Khomeini, in his words, “drank the cup of poison” and
accepted a truce mediated by the United Nations. He
strongly denied however that pursuit of overthrow of
Saddam had been a mistake. In a `Letter to Clergy`
he wrote: `... we do not repent, nor are we sorry for
even a single moment for our performance during the
war. Have we forgotten that we fought to fulfill our
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 17/34
religious duty and that the result is a marginal issue?
`[70]
As the war ended, the struggles among the clergy
resumed and Khomeini’s health began to decline.[edit] Rushdie fatwa
Main article: The Satanic Verses controversy
In early 1989, Khomeini issued a fatwa calling
for the assassination of Salman Rushdie, an
India-born British author. [13] Khomeini claimed
that Rushdie's assassination was a religious duty
for Muslims because of his alleged blasphemy
against Muhammad in his novel, The Satanic
Verses. Rushdie's book contains passages that
many Muslims – including Ayatollah Khomeini –
considered offensive to Islam and the prophet,
but the fatwa has also been attacked for violating
the rules of fiqh by not allowing the accused an
opportunity to defend himself, and because
"even the most rigorous and extreme of the
classical jurist only require a Muslim to killanyone who insults the Prophet in his hearing
and in his presence."[71]
Though Rushdie publicly apologized, the fatwa
was not revoked. Khomeini explained,
Even if Salman Rushdie repents and becomes
the most pious man of all time, it is incumbent on
every Muslim to employ everything he has got,
his life and wealth, to send him to Hell. [72]
Rushdie himself was not killed but Hitoshi
Igarashi, the Japanese translator of the book
The Satanic Verses, was murdered and two
other translators of the book survived attempted
assassinations. [73]
More of Khomeini's fataawa were compiled in
The Little Green Book, Sayings of Ayathollah
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 18/34
Khomeini, Political, Philosophical, Social and
Religious
[edit] Life under Khomeini
The neutrality of this article is disputed.Please see the discussion on the talk page.(December 2007)Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved.
In a speech given to a huge crowd after
returning to Iran from exile February 1, 1979,
Khomeini made a variety of promises to Iranians
for his coming Islamic regime: A popularly
elected government that would represent the
people of Iran and with which the clergy would
not interfere. He promised that “no one shouldremain homeless in this country,” and that
Iranians would have free telephone, heating,
electricity, bus services and free oil at their
doorstep. While many changes came to Iran
under Khomeini, these promises have yet to be
fulfilled in the Islamic Republic. [74][75][76][77][78][79]
Khomeini was more interested in the religious
devotion of Muslims than their material
prosperity -- six months after his first speech he
expressed exasperation with complaints about
the sharp drop in Iran's standard of living: `I
cannot believe that the purpose of all these
sacrifices was to have less expensive melons` [80]
Under Khomeini's rule, Sharia (Islamic law) was
introduced, with the Islamic dress code enforced
for both men and women by Islamic
Revolutionary Guards and other Islamic
groups[81] Women were forced to cover their hair,
and men were not allowed to wear shorts. The
Iranian educational curriculum was Islamized at
all levels with the Islamic Cultural Revolution; the
"Committee for Islamization of Universities"[82]
carried this out thoroughly.
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 19/34
[edit] Suppression of enemies andopposition
Opposition to the religious rule of the clergy or
Islamic government in general was often metwith harsh punishments. In a talk at the Fayzieah
School in Qom, August 30, 1979, Khomeini
warned opponents: "Those who are trying to
bring corruption and destruction to our country in
the name of democracy will be oppressed. They
are worse than Bani-Ghorizeh Jews, and they
must be hanged. We will oppress them by God's
order and God's call to prayer."[83]
The Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his
family left Iran and escaped harm, but hundreds
of former members of the overthrown monarchy
and military met their end in firing squads, with
critics complaining of "secrecy, vagueness of the
charges, the absence of defense lawyers or
juries", or the opportunity of the accused "to
defend themselves." [84] In later years these were
followed in larger numbers by the erstwhile
revolutionary allies of Khomeini's movement --
Marxists and socialists, mostly university
students -- who opposed the theocratic regime.[85]
In the 1988 massacre of Iranian prisoners,
following the People's Mujahedin of Iran
operation Forough-e Javidan against the IslamicRepublic, Khomeini issued an order to judicial
officials to judge every Iranian political prisoner
and kill those who would not repent anti-regime
activities. Many say that thousands were swiftly
put to death inside the prisons.[86] The
suppressed memoirs of Grand Ayatollah
Hossein-Ali Montazeri reportedly detail the
execution of 30,000 political activists.[87]
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 20/34
Although many hoped the revolution would bring
freedom of speech and press, this was not to be.
The freedom of speech and press was much
more limited under Khomeini than it ever was
under the Monarchy. In defending forced closing
of opposition newspapers and attacks on
opposition protesters by club-wielding vigilantes
Khomeini explained, `The club of the pen and
the club of the tongue is the worst of clubs,
whose corruption is a 100 times greater than
other clubs.` [88]
[edit] Minority religions
Life for religious minorities has been mixed
under Khomeini and his successors. Earlier
statements by Khomeini were antagonistic
towards Jews, but shortly after his return from
exile in 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa
ordering that Jews and other minorities (except
Baha'is) be treated well. [89] [90] In power,
Khomeini distinguished between Zionism as a
secular political party that enjoys Jewish
symbols and ideals and Judaism as the religion
of Moses.[91] As Haroun Yashyaei, a film
producer and former chairman of the Central
Jewish Community in Iran has quoted[92]:
By law, four seats in the parliament are reserved
for the three minority religions. Khomeini also
called for unity between Sunni and Shi'a Muslims
(Sunni Muslims are the largest religious minority
in Iran).[93]
Non-Muslim religious minorities, however, do not
have equal rights in Khomeini's Islamic Republic.
Senior government posts are reserved for
Muslims. Jewish, Christian and Zoroastrian
schools must be run by Muslim principals.[94]
Compensation for death paid to the family of anon-Muslim was (by law) less than if the victim
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 21/34
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 22/34
the Baha'is are not a sect but a party, which was
previously supported by Britain and now the
United States. The Baha'is are also spies just like
the Tudeh [Communist Party]. [101]
During the drafting of the new constitution the
wording intentionally excluded the Bahá'ís from
protection as a religious minority.[102]
Main article: Persecution of Bahá'ís
[edit] Emigration and economy
Many Shia Iranians have also left the
country. While the revolution has made Iran
more strict Islamically, an estimated "two to
four million entrepreneurs, professionals,
technicians, and skilled craftspeople (and
their capital)" have emigrated to other
countries. Partly as a result, the economy
has not prospered in terms of inflation,
unemployment and living standards. [103] [104]
The poor have also exhibited dissatisfaction.
Absolute poverty rose by nearly 45% duringthe first 6 years of the Islamic revolution [105]
and on several occasions the mustazafin
have rioted, protesting the demolition of their
shantytowns and rising food prices.
Disabled war veterans have demonstrated
against mismanagement of the Foundation
of the Disinherited.[106]
[edit] Death and funeral
After eleven days in a hospital for an
operation to stop internal bleeding,
Khomeini died of heart attack on Saturday,
June 3, 1989, at the age of 86. [107] Iranians
poured out into the cities and streets to
mourn Khomeini's death in a "completely
spontaneous and unorchestrated outpouringof grief." [108] Iranian officials aborted
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 23/34
Khomeini’s first funeral, after a large crowd
stormed the funeral procession, nearly
destroying Khomeini's wooden coffin in
order to get a last glimpse of his body. At
one point, Khomeini's body actually almost
fell to the ground, as the crowd attempted to
grab pieces of the death shroud. The
second funeral was held under much tighter
security. Khomeini's casket was made of
steel, and heavily armed security personnel
surrounded it. In accordance with Islamic
tradition, the casket was only to carry the
body to the burial site. Khomeini's grave isnow housed within a larger mausoleum
complex.
[edit] Successorship
Grand Ayatollah Hossein Montazeri, a major
figure of the Revolution, was designated by
Khomeini to be his successor as Supreme
Leader. The principle of velayat-e faqih and
the Islamic constitution called for the
Supreme Ruler to be a marja or grand
ayatollah, and of the dozen or so grand
ayatollahs living in 1981 only Montazeri
accepted the concept of rule by Islamic
jurist.[14] In 1989 Montazeri began to call for
liberalization, freedom for political parties.
Following the execution of thousands of
political prisoners by the Islamic
government, Montazeri told Khomeini ̀ your
prisons are far worse than those of the Shah
and his SAVAK.`[109] After a letter of his
complaints was leaked to Europe and
broadcast on the BBC a furious Khomeini
ousted him from his position as official
successor.
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 24/34
Writers in the West report that the
amendment made to Iran's constitution
removing the requirement that the Supreme
Leader to be a Marja, was to deal with the
problem of a lack of any remaining Grand
Ayatollahs willing to accept "velayat-e
faqih."[110][111][112] However, others say the
reason marjas were not elected was
because of their lack of votes in the
Assembly of Experts, for example Grand
Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Golpaygani had
the backing of only 13 members of the
assembly. Furthermore, there were other marjas present who accepted "velayat-e
faqih"[113][114][115] Grand Ayatollah Hossein
Montazeri continued his criticism of the
regime and in 1997 was put under house
arrest for questioning the unaccountable
rule exercised by the supreme leader. [116][117]
[118] He was released in 2003.
[edit] Political thought andlegacy
Main article: Political thought and legacy of Khomeini
See also: History of political Islam in
Iran
Wikisource has original text
related to this article:
Author:Ruhollah
Khomeini
Throughout his many writings and
speeches, Khomeini's views on
governance evolved. Originally
declaring rule by monarchs or otherspermissible so long as sharia law was
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 25/34
followed [119] Khomeini later adamantly
opposed monarchy, arguing that only
rule by a leading Islamic jurist (a
marja`), would insure Sharia was
properly followed (wilayat al-faqih), [120]
before finally insisting the ruling jurist
need not be a leading one and Sharia
rule could be overruled by that jurist if
necessary to serve the interests of
Islam and the "divine government" of
the Islamic state. [121]
Khomeini's concept of Guardianship of
the Islamic Jurists ( , velayat-e
faqih) [15] did not win the support of the
leading Iranian Shi'i clergy of the time.
Towards the 1979 Revolution, many
clerics gradually became disillusioned
with the rule of the Shah, although none
came around to supporting Khomeini's
vision of a theocratic Islamic Republic.
[122]
Whether Khomeini's ideas are
compatible with democracy and whether
he intended the Islamic Republic to be a
democratic republic is disputed.
According to the state-run Aftab News,[123] both ultraconservative (Mohammad
Taghi Mesbah Yazdi) and reformist
opponents of the regime ( Akbar Ganji
and Abdolkarim Soroush) believe he did
not, while regime officials and
supporters like Ali Khamenei[124],
Mohammad Khatami and Mortaza
Motahhari[125] believe Khomeini intended
the Islamic republic to be democratic
and that it is so.[126] Khomeini himself
also made statements at different times
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 26/34
indicating both support and opposition
to democracy.[127]
One scholar, Shaul Bakhash, explains
this disagreement as coming fromKhomeini's belief that the huge turnout
of Iranians in anti-Shah demonstrations
during the revolution constituted a
`referendum` in favor of an Islamic
republic.[128] Khomeini also wrote that
since Muslims must support a
government based on Islamic law,
Sharia-based government will always
have more popular support in Muslim
countries than any government based
on elected representatives.[129]
Khomeini offered himself as a
"champion of Islamic revival" and unity,
emphasising issues Muslims agreed
upon - the fight against zionism and
imperialism - and downplaying Shia
issues that would divide Shia from
Sunni.[130] Khomeini strongly opposed
close relations with neither Eastern or
Western Bloc nations, believing the
Islamic world should be its own bloc, or
rather converge into a single unified
power.[131] He viewed Western culture as
being inherently decadent and a
corrupting influence upon the youth.
The Islamic Republic banned or
discouraged popular Western fashions,
music, cinema, and literature.[132] In the
Western world it is said "his glowering
visage became the virtual face of Islam
in Western popular culture" and
"inculcated fear and distrust towards
Islam."[133] This has particularly been thecase in the United States where
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 27/34
Khomeini and the Islamic Republic are
remembered for the American embassy
hostage taking and accused of
sponsoring hostage-taking and terrorist
attacks,[134][135] and which continues to
apply economic sanctions against Iran.
Before taking power Khomeini
expressed support for the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights; in Sahifeh
Nour (Vol.2 Page 242), he states: "We
would like to act according to the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
We would like to be free. We would like
independence." However once in power
Khomeini took a firm line against
dissent, warning opponents of
theocracy for example: "I repeat for the
last time: abstain from holding
meetings, from blathering, from
publishing protests. Otherwise I will
break your teeth."[136] Iran adopted an
alternative human rights declaration, the
Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in
Islam, in 1990 (one year after
Khomeini's death), which diverges in
key respects from the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.[citation needed ]
Many of Khomeini's political and
religious ideas were considered to be
progressive and reformist by leftist
intellectuals and activists prior to the
Revolution. However, once in power his
ideas often clashed with those of
modernist or secular Iranian
intellectuals. This conflict came to a
head during the writing of the Islamic
constitution when many newspapers
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 28/34
were closed by the government.
Khomeini angrily told the intellectuals:
Yes, we are reactionaries, and you are
enlightened intellectuals: Youintellectuals do not want us to go back
1400 years. You, who want freedom,
freedom for everything, the freedom of
parties, you who want all the freedoms,
you intellectuals: freedom that will
corrupt our youth, freedom that will
pave the way for the oppressor,
freedom that will drag our nation to the
bottom. [137]
In contrast to Khomeini's alienation from
Iranian intellectuals was his embrace of
international revolution and Third World
solidarity which "took precedence over
Muslim fraternity, in an utter departure
from all other Islamist movements." Until
Khomeini's death the Iranian press -which was controlled by his supporters -
"devoted extensive coverage to non-
Muslim revolutionary movements (from
the Sandinistas to the African National
Congress and the Irish Republican
Army) and downplayed the role of the
Islamic movements considered
conservative, such as the Afghan
mujahidin."[138]
Khomeini also emphasized the serious
nature of life: "Allah did not create man
so that he could have fun. The aim of
creation was for mankind to be put to
the test through hardship and
prayer."[139]
[edit] Appearance, habits
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 29/34
Khomeini is described as "slim," but
athletic and "heavily boned." He was
"fairly tall by the Iranian standards of his
day", at a height of 1.76 meters (5 ft 9
in).[140] He was known for his punctuality:
He's so punctual that if he doesn't turn
up for lunch at exactly ten past
everyone will get worried, because his
work is regulated in such a way that he
turned up for lunch at exactly that time
every day. He goes to bed exactly on
time. He eats exactly on time. And he
wakes up exactly on time. He changes
his frock every time he comes back
from the mosque. [141]
and for his aloof and stern demeanor.
He is said to have "variously inspired
admiration, awe, and fear from those
around him."[142] His practice of moving
"through the halls of the madresehsnever smiling at anybody or anything. ...
his practice of ignoring his audience
while he thought contributed to his
charisma." [143] He preached that `there
are no jokes in Islam. There is no humor
in Islam.`[144]
Khomeini also adhered to traditional
beliefs of Islamic cleanliness, refusing toeat or drink in a restaurant unless he
knew for sure the waiter was a Muslim.[145]
[edit] Mystique
Even more famous was his mystique.
He benefited from the widespread
circulation of "an old Shia saying"attributed to the Imam Musa al-Kazim
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 30/34
who is said to have prophesied shortly
before his death in 799 that
`A man will come out from Qom and he
will summon people to the right path.There will rally to him people
resembling pieces of iron, not to be
shaken by violent winds, unsparing and
relying on God.` [146]
Khomeini was the first and only Iranian
cleric to be addressed as "Imam", a title
hitherto reserved in Iran for the twelve
infallible leaders of the early Shi'a.[147] He was also associated with the Mahdi
or 12th Imam of Shia belief in a number
of ways. One of his titles was Na'eb-e
Imam (Deputy to the [Twelfth Imam).
His enemies were often attacked as
taghut and mofsidin fi'l-arz (corrupters
of the earth), religious terms used for
enemies of the Twelfth Imam. Many of the officials of the overthrown Shah's
government executed by Revolutionary
Courts were convicted of "fighting
against the Twelfth Imam". When a
deputy in the majlis asked Khomeini if
he was the `promised Mahdi`, Khomeini
did not answer, "astutely" neither
confirming nor denying the title.[148]
In late 1978 a rumour swept the country
that Khomeini's face could be seen in
the full moon.
Tears of joy were shed and huge
quantities of sweets and fruits were
consumed as millions of people jumped
for joy, shouting `I've seen the Imam in
the moon.` The event was celebrated inthousands of mosques with mullahs
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 31/34
reminding the faithful that a sure sign of
the coming of the Mahdi was that the
sun would rise in the West. Khomeini,
representing the sun, was now in
France and his face was shining in the
moon like a sun. People were ready to
swear on the Qur'an that they had seen
Khomeini's face in the moon. Even the
Tudeh Party [the party of "Scientific
Socialism"] shared in the [enthusiasm].
Its paper Navid wrote: `Our toiling
masses, fighting against world-
devouring imperialism headed by the
blood-sucking United States, have seen
the face of their beloved Imam and
leader, Khomeini the Breaker of Idols,
in the moon. A few pipsqueaks cannot
deny what a whole nation has seen with
its own eyes.` [149]
As the revolution gained momentum,
even some non-supporters exhibited
awe, called him "magnificently clear-
minded, single-minded and
unswerving."[150] His image was as
"absolute, wise, and indispensable
leader of the nation"[151]
The Imam, it was generally believed,
had shown by his uncanny sweep to
power, that he knew how to act in ways
which others could not begin to
understand. His timing was
extraordinary, and his insight into the
motivation of others, those around him
as well as his enemies, could not be
explained as ordinary knowledge. This
emergent belief in Khomeini as a
divinely guided figure was carefully
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 32/34
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 33/34
In 1929, (some say 1931[155]) Khomeini
married Batoul Saqafi Khomeini, the 11-
year-old[156] daughter of a cleric in
Tehran. By all acounts their marriage
was harmonious and happy.[157] They
had seven children, though only five
survived infancy. His daughters all
married into either merchant or clerical
families, and both his sons entered into
religious life. The elder son, Mustafa, is
rumored to have been murdered in
1977 while in exile with his father in
Najaf , Iraq and Khomeini accusedSAVAK of orchestrating it. Ahmad
Khomeini, Khomeini's younger son, died
in 1995 under mysterious
circumstances.
Khomeini's notable grandchildren
include:
Zahra Eshraghi, granddaughter,married to Mohammad Reza
Khatami, head of the Islamic Iran
Participation Front, the main
reformist party in the country, and is
considered a pro-reform character
herself.
Hasan Khomeini, Khomeini's elder
grandson Sayid Hasan Khomeini,
son of the Seyyed Ahmad Khomeini,
is a cleric and the trustee of
Khomeini's shrine.
Husain Khomeini, (Sayid Husain
Khomeini) Khomeini's other
grandson, son of Sayid Mustafa
Khomeini, is a mid-level cleric who isstrongly against the system of the
7/28/2019 Ruhollah Khomeini
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ruhollah-khomeini 34/34
Islamic Republic. In 2003 he was
quoted as saying:
Iranians need freedom now, and if they can only achieve it with
American interference I think they would welcome it. As an Iranian, Iwould welcome it. [158]
In that same year Husain Khomeini
visited the United States, where he
met figures such as Reza Pahlavi
II, the son of the last Shah. In that
meeting they both favored a secular
and democratic Iran.
Later that year, Husain returned to
Iran after receiving an urgent
message from his grandmother.
According to Michael Ledeen,
quoting "family sources", he was
blackmailed into returning. [16]
In 2006, he called for an American
invasion and overthrow of the
Islamic Republic, telling Al-Arabiyah
television station viewers, "If you
were a prisoner, what would you
do? I want someone to break the
prison [doors open]."[17].
Hussein is currently under house
arrest in the holy city of Qum.
Another of Khomeini'sgrandchildren, Ali Eshraghi was
banned from the 2008
parliamentary elections after he
was considered "not sufficiently
loyal to the principles of Khomeini's
1979 Islamic revolution."[18].
[
top related