Ayatollolah's+in+Iran

Ayatollolah's in Iran

Ayatollah means "Sign of God" in the Islamic world. Ayatollah is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shiah clerics. People with this title are professional in the Islamic studies like philosophy and ethics. Ayatollah can be considered as a cardinal or a bishop in the Catholicism.

//Courtesy of Famous People//
 * Born: September 24, 1902 in** **Khomein, Persia**
 * Died: June 3, 1989 in** **Tehran, Iran**

The ayatollah in Iran refers to Ayatollah Khomeini. He became the dictator after the fall of the Shah of Iran. Khomeini was a religious leader of Islam. He led the Iranian Revolution in 1979 and overthrew Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Emperor of kingdom of Iran and established a theocratic government in the country. Ayatollah Khomeini was the founder and supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He was the first in the Muslim world to combine political and religious authority as a head of state. After the revolution, Khomeini took office in 1979.

Between 1979 and 1989, Iran changed from a monarchy under the Shahs to a dictator/theocratic state under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Ayatollah was viewed as a holy man, and sought “purification” of Iran.Killing many people of religious minority, he worked towards a pure Islamic Iran. Life was made very hard and dangerous for those of religious minority, and those of the Bahai faith endured the worst discrimination and nullification of human rights. Members were tortured, ostracized, and murdered. Ayatollolah went so far as to make Iran a theocratic state. Universities were closed, and when reopened only permitted attendance of students who passed a test on the Islamic faith. Ayatollolah had total control of Iran for nearly a decade, and his reign brought tragedy to many. The changes in Iran under Ayatollolah were immense, and far more complex than dictatorship. This dictatorship encompassed racism, sexism, even aspects of communism.

Khomeini was the only leader in the Muslim world who rebutted the much advocated secularism in the country and combined political and religious authority as a head of state. While in power, he imposed a strictly Islamic government in the country completely based upon the Islamic beliefs and gained praise among several radicals as a guardian and protector of the Islam. Known for his radical views against Western countries, Khomeini perceived himself above all as an avenger of the humiliations that the Western countries had for more than a century inflicted on the Muslims of the world, the Middle East, in particular. Khomeini ruled Iran until his death in 1989.

//**Bibilography**// "Ayatollah." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 03 June 2011. []. I used this website to explain the definition of ayatollah. I wanted to make sure that ayatollah is a title, not a perosn's name.

"Ayatollah Khomeini Biography - Life, Childhood, Name, Death, History, Mother, Book, Old, Information, Born, Year." //Encyclopedia of World Biography//. Web. 03 June 2011. . I used some of the information like birth and death from this website. I also got some highlighted facts about Ayatollah Khomeini.

"Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini Biography, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini Childhood, Life & Timeline." //Famous People - Famous People in History, Famous People List & Biography//. Web. 03 June 2011. []. I used this web for both image and information. This website has Khomeini's biography.