Who Was Khomeini?

Khomeini is most popularly associated with Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini who was a Shi`i Muslim cleric and a marja. Thus political leader was the one who directed Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution which deposed Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who reigned as the last Shah of Iran.

After the Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini's popularity surged and he was regarded as the Supreme Leader of Iran until his death on June 3, 1989.

This Iranian Shiite leader was head of state from 1979 to 1989. He was vehemently opposed to the regime of Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi and as a result was arrested in the year 1963 and exiled the year 1964. After the downfall of the shah in the year 1979 Khomeini came back to Iran and set up a new constitution which gave himself supreme powers. Strict adherence to the Islamic code was expected in his reign.

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Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was an Iranian religious leader who, while in exile, led the popular revolution that led to the fall of Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi of Iran in 1979.
Khomeini was unhappy with the interference of foreign powers in Iran. He was also angry with Iranian leaders who promoted modern policies that were against Islamic traditions. Reza Shah Pahlavi came to power in 1941 and Great Britain, France, and the United States backed him in his polices.

In the early 1960s the Shah announced a White Revolution in which he introduced many reforms such as equal rights for women and secular education. Khomeini, who was then based in Qom, implacably opposed the Shah. Khomeini was imprisoned in 1963 and sent into exile in 1964. Khomeini settled in the Iraqi city of Najaf and spread his ideas through a network of students, almost 12,000 in number. Later he moved to Paris and continued his mission. Khomeini urged Iranians to overthrow the Shah and his aides.

Khomeini returned to Iran when the Shah was finally overthrown and forced to leave the country in January 1979. The new constitution declared Iran an Islamic republic and Khomeini was named imam. Khomeini died in June 1989.

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