Ruhollah Khomeini

**Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini** (Arabic, ; 24 September 1902 – 3 June 1989) was an Iranian politician, revolutionary and religious leader who was the 1st Supreme Leader of Iran. He was also the Leader of the Islamic Revolution from January 1978 until his victory in the revolution in February 1979 and the Iran–Iraq War from 1980 to 1988.

Khomeini died of intestinal cancer and a heart attack in Tehran on 3 June 1989, at the age of 86. He was succeeded by Ali Khamenei on July 17, 1989

## Political life

On 5 June 1964, Khomeini was arrested and sent into exile. He was exiled to Iraq, Turkey and then to France. Khomeini gave many speeches in France against Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran. Many of his idea's were still reaching the people of Iran via cassette tapes. These tapes became very popular. On 16 January 1979, the Shah left Iran, living in the United States and Egypt, where he died. Two weeks later, on 1 February 1979, Khomeini returned to Iran.

He received a traditional religious education in Qom (city in Iran). When he lived in Najaf (a holy city in Iraq) for some years, he spoke about Islam ideas about Government. During that time, he refined his theory of _velayat-e faqih_ ("government of the jurist"), which was highly controversial amongst other religious scholars.

On 11 February 1979, as soon as Khomeini overthrew the Shah, he appointed his first own Prime Minister, Mehdi Bazargan. On 30 March 1979, a referendum was held and as a result, the Monarchy was replaced with an Islamic Republic. After the Islamic Revolution, Khomeini became the first ever Supreme Leader of Iran.

### Rushdie fatwa

In early 1989 Khomeini issued a fatwā calling for Muslims to kill Salman Rushdie and "all those involved in the publication" of his book called _The Satanic Verses_. This controversy centred on the novel's suggestion of the Quran containing verses about deception from the devil during the life of Muhammad. As part of the fatwa, Rushdie was stabbed on 12 August 2022, resulting in him losing vision in one eye. The Japanese translator of Rushdie's book, Hitoshi Igarashi, was stabbed to death due to the fatwa, his body being found at the University of Tsukuba.

### Velayet-e Faqih

The concept of Velayet-e Faqih literally translates to ‘’The jurist’s trusteeship’’ which was doctrine that ultimately resulted in the clerics having more power in different domains in the country. It granted the clerics the right rule in absence of the Twelve Imams, which meant that the Islamic law in Iran could not only be interpreted by them but also be updated by them.

## Other websites

- Imam Khomeini

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: Ruhollah Khomeini
- **caption**: Official portrait, 1981
- **order**: 1st
- **office**: Supreme Leader of Iran
- **term start**: 3 December 1979
- **term end**: 3 June 1989
- **1blankname**: President of Iran, President
- **2blankname**: Prime Minister of Iran, Prime Minister
- **predecessor**: _Office established_;
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
(as Shah of Pahlavi dynasty, Iran)
- **successor**: Ali Khamenei
- **birth name**: Ruhollah Mostafavi Musavi
- **birth place**: Khomeyn, Qajar dynasty
- **death place**: Tehran, Iran
- **resting place**: Mausoleum of Ruhollah Khomeini
- **relations**: Khomeini family
- **children**: 7, including Mostafa Khomeini, Mostafa, Zahra Mostafavi Khomeini, Zahra, Farideh Mostafavi Khomeini, Farideh, and Ahmad Khomeini, Ahmad
- **education**: Qom Seminary
- **occupation**: Politician
- **profession**: Religion, Religious Leader, Revolutionary
- **signature**: Ruhollah Khomeini signature.svg