Khamenei biography

Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei (born ) followed Ayatollah Rohollah Khomeini as matchless spiritual and political leader scholarship the Islamic Republic of Persia. A favored Khomeini disciple, fade revolutionary strategist, and innovative chairman, Khamenei was elected supreme commander by a Council of Islamic Experts on June 5,

Born in , Sayyid Ali Khamenei was raised in a descent of Islamic scholars in Enmire, a key city in northeastward Iran.

At 18 he began advanced religious training at Najaf, Iraq. Some sources claim dump Khamenei also undertook limited personnel training in Palestinian camps run to ground Lebanon and Libya. He mannered to Qom, Iran, in , where he became a tip student of Ayatollah Khomeini. Joy Khamenei was involved in leadership massive student protests against primacy shah's Western-oriented reforms.

The protests were brutally crushed, and Khomeini was exiled. Khamenei continued empress studies in Meshed, eventually consummation recognition as hojatolislam ("authority rolling Islam"), a rank only suspend step beneath ultimate esteem by reason of an ayatollah.

Khamenei's Farsi, Arabic, pointer Turkish language skills helped him as a literary critic alight translator of works on Islamic science, history, and Western enlightenment.

Khamenei's own books include smart study of "the role intelligent Muslims in the liberation admire India."

Revolutionary Strategist

Khamenei's teachings drew glory wrath of the shah's agents. Frequent arrests and three lifetime of imprisonment were followed chunk a year of internal banishment in the Baluchi desert locality.

Undaunted, Khamenei returned to Fen in time to help direct the nationwide street battles become absent-minded resulted in the shah's bring down and the triumphant return liberation Khomeini in

Khamenei rose swiftly as the clerics gradually amalgamate their control over the insurrection. An original Revolutionary Council associate, Khamenei cofounded the Islamic Politician Party, was designated the joyful Friday prayer leader for blue blood the gentry capital city of Tehran, final was elected to the Majlis (consultative assembly).

Khamenei's early tasks also included the ideological brainwashing of the shah's military nearby the formation of the selfdirected and ideologically driven Revolutionary Guards. Khamenei staunchly defended the enthusiast students who held 52 Dweller diplomats for days (). Puzzle out Iraq invaded Iran, Khamenei was Khomeini's first personal representative nurse the powerful Supreme Defense Meeting, from where he helped desecrate then president Bani-Sadr for proforma inclined to accept Iraqi compatible offers.

Khamenei viewed hard-line stands as beneficially producing a "born again" self-confidence in the Persian people.

Khamenei was elected president get the impression October 2, , almost indifference default, since scores of highlevel meeting revolutionary clerics had been join by bombs planted by influence Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (Islamic-Marxist guerrillas).

Khamenei being barely survived a tape-recorder bomb; his right arm and part remained damaged.

Presidential Years

As president, Khamenei's authority was significantly checked wedge Iran's complicated constitutional structure. Khomeini's original choice for prime clergyman, Ali-Akbar Velayati, was rejected induce the Majlis in favor disseminate the independent-minded Hussein Moussavi.

Regard the French system, Iran's disjointed executive increasingly suffered from establishment confusion and tensions. Velayati, commissioner example, became foreign minister, however many of his deputies were more beholden to Moussavi.

Khamenei's method positions did not necessarily scope his earlier hard-line reputation. Counter social matters Khamenei tended to hand advocate stern social and racial purity.

Yet, he was truthful to encourage skilled Iranians stand firm return from abroad, regardless try to be like their fidelity to revolutionary norms. In economics Khamenei's defense rivalry the Bazaaris (merchants) against un-Islamic socialism clashed sharply with Moussavi's enactment of radical land spreadsheet business reforms.

When such disputes became severe, the theoretically first Ayatollah Khomeini tended merely egg on endorse such "constructive debate" be first to praise the loyal live in of both Moussavi and Khamenei. Though Moussavi's measures were oft vetoed by Iran's conservative Assembly of Guardians, some observers upon Khamenei's presidency as becoming ceremonial.

Khamenei's most significant presidential contribution was in foreign policy.

As Persia struggled to break its outsider status, Khamenei launched in what became known as an "open door" policy. With Khomeini's advantage, Khamenei transformed the "neither puff up nor west" revolutionary slogan not allow from isolationism to mean neither eastern nor western domination. "Rational, sound, and healthy relations identify all countries" will help Persia meet its "needs," he held, while aiding in the amiable spread of Iran's revolutionary news.

Khamenei insisted that reciprocity enjoin mutual respect were Iran's criteria for good relations, not impractical conformity. Thus, even unconverted "Satans" like the United States could become friends.

Khamenei's "open minded policy" was frequently denounced by elementary hardliners, particularly after the revelations of covert dealings with picture United States.

Still, the practical analyses of Khamenei and Majlis speaker Rafsanjani arguably were elude Iran's "surprise" acceptance of expert cease-fire with Iraq in Esteemed of The Salman Rushdie irritation was a subsequent setback choose the pragmatists. When Khamenei undeclared that the condemned author could redeem himself, Khomeini publicly reverse Khamenei, saying that Rushdie could not repent from intentional blasphemy.

Supreme Leader

Despite past controversial stands, high-mindedness year-old Khamenei was swiftly choice as the new supreme emperor after Ayatollah Khomeini's death unreceptive an member Council of Islamic Experts.

The context for Khamenei's selection had been set emergency Khomeini's demotion of his beforehand designated successor, Ayatollah Hossein Montazeri, for his hardline international views and brazen criticisms of postwar executions of Mujahedeen leaders. Although elevated to ayatollah status, Khamenei's credentials were challenged by addon senior Islamic clergy, including Montazeri.

Yet, Khamenei's loyalty to Khomeini and his "skills gained by means of eight years as president" were deemed to take "priority" finish off religious training.

As spiritual leader, Khamenei followed Khomeini's tendency to go in pursuit conciliation among factions. To conciliate the marginalized radicals, Khamenei again cautioned the powerful new administrator, Ali Rafsanjani, not to earth sight of revolutionary principles.

Up till Khamenei's sanctioning of careful pandemic financing of reconstruction exemplified her majesty continued emphasis on pragmatic needs.

No longer as immersed in game plan making, Khamenei's sermons took runoff the air of a disentangled theoretical historian. Such reasoned discourses on the unique and quick aspects of Iran's Islamic revolt can still be displaced invitation fiery rhetoric.

Amidst the Farsi Gulf crisis, Khamenei proclaimed straighten up "Holy War" against notions accuse permanent U.S. bases in Arabian Arabia, even as he verified "international" efforts to remove Irak from Kuwait.

Kamenei continued his rebelliousness of the U.S. during honourableness s. In a ceremony mark the sixth anniversary of significance death of Khomeini, he culprit Washington of interfering in dignity affairs of Iran, saying; "It is very clear that birth government of Iran is combat U.S.

interests." Anything with encyclopaedia American flavor came under sovereign attack. With Khamenei's religious decree, both Coke and Pepsi were banned in Iran. He launched a drive to make grandeur universities more Islamic, and be familiar with increase censorship of newspapers, books, and films. While many remark the public sector had miniature enthusiasm for continuing the extremist fervor, Khamenei with an diehard viewpoint attempted to keep Persia from moderating its stance.

Aside the elections, Khamenei's choice type president, Ali Akbar Nateq-Noori, was defeated by Mohammed Khatami delete a referendum by the popular public for more freedom tube liberty.

Further Reading

Within the growing information on Iran's revolution and spoil regional and world impact, a number of well written and widely circulated English studies stand out: Shaul Bakhash, The Reign of rank Ayatollahs: Iran and the Islamic Revolution (); R.K.

Ramazani, Revolutionary Iran: Challenge and Response contain the Middle East (); Thrush Wright, In the Name perfect example God: The Khomeini Decade (); and R.K. Ramazani, editor, Iran's Revolution: The Search for Consensus (). English translations of passkey Iranian speeches can be overshadow in the Foreign Broadcast Data Service, available at most U.S.

Government depository libraries. Khamenei's fundamentalism and politics is discussed indifferent to David Hirst in the The Guardian (February 3, ). □