‘Alî Hosaynî Khâmene’î آیت‌الله سید علی حسینی خامنه‌ای ا
Supreme Leader of Iran
Incumbent
Assumed office  4 June 1989
President	Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani Mohammad Khatami Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Preceded by	Ruhollah Khomeini
President of Iran
In office 2 October 1981 – 2 August 1989
Leader	Ruhollah Khomeini
Preceded by	Mohammad Ali Rajai
Succeeded by	Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Born	17 July 1939 (1939-07-17) (age 68) Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran
Political party	CCA IRP
Spouse	Mrs. The post of Supreme Leader ( Persian: رهبر انقلاب Rahbare Enqelab, lit Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani ( Persian:اکبر هاشمی رفسنجانی Akbar Hāshemī Rafsanjānī) Hashemi Bahramani Seyyed Mohammad Khātamī ( سید محمد خاتمی, pronounced xɑːtæmiː}} (born September 29, 1943, in Ardakan, Yazd Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (محمود احمدی‌نژاد; born October 28, 1956) is the sixth and current President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Seyyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini ( Persian:, pronounced muːsæviː-je xomejniː}}( September 24, 1902 – June 3 1989 The President of Iran is the highest elected official in the Islamic Republic of Iran, second only to the Supreme Leader. Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Seyyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini ( Persian:, pronounced muːsæviː-je xomejniː}}( September 24, 1902 – June 3 1989 Mohammad Ali Rajai (محمد علی رجائی in Persian) ( 15 June 1933 – August 30, 1981) was the second elected President Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani ( Persian:اکبر هاشمی رفسنجانی Akbar Hāshemī Rafsanjānī) Hashemi Bahramani Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Mashhad ( literally the place of martyrdom) is the second largest city in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia Razavi Khorasan (in Persian: خراسان رضوی) is a province located in northeastern Iran. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. The Combatant Clergy Association ( Jame'e-ye Rowhaniyat-e Mobarez) or (جامعه روحانیت مبارز in Persian) is a political party in Iran. The Islamic Republican Party (حزب جمهوری اسلامی or IRP was a Political party in Iran, formed in mid- 1979 to assist the Iranian Revolution Khamenei (1964[1]-)
Children	6[2] children
Religion	Islam

Seyyed ‘Alî Hosaynî Khâmene’î (Persian pronunciation) (help·info) (Persian: آیت‌الله سید علی حسینی خامنه‌ای, pronounced [ʔɒjætolɒh sejed ʔæli hosejni xɒmeneʔi]) (born 17 July 1939), also known as Ali Khamene'i,^[3] is an Iranian politician and cleric. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He has been Supreme Leader of Iran since 1989 and before that was president of Iran from 1981 to 1989. The post of Supreme Leader ( Persian: رهبر انقلاب Rahbare Enqelab, lit For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Literary scholarship 3 Political life and presidency 3.1 Iran hostage crisis 4 Supreme Leader (Velāyat-e faqih) 4.1 Appointment as Supreme Leader 4.1.1 Political power following reform era 5 Political attitude 6 Domestic policy 6.1 Interpretation of Islamic law 6.2 Iran's elections 6.3 Human rights 6.3.1 People charged for criticizing Ali Khamenei 7 Foreign policy 7.1 Opposition to the United States 7.2 Condemnation of September 11, 2001 attacks 7.3 Israel-Palestine conflict 7.4 Fatwa against nuclear weapons 8 Personal life 9 Government posts 10 Representatives 11 Bibliography 12 See also 13 References 14 External links

Early life

Born to an Iranian Azeri^[4] family in Mashhad,^[5][3] Ali Khamenei began religious studies before completing elementary education. This article is about Azeris in Iran For Azeris in general see the respective article Mashhad ( literally the place of martyrdom) is the second largest city in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia The son of a cleric,^[6] he is second eldest of eight children, and two of his brothers are also clerics. His younger brother, Hadi Khamenei, is a notable newspaper editor and cleric. Hojatoleslam Hadi Khamenei is a mid-ranking cleric who is a member of the reformist Association of Combatant Clerics, and a former member of the Majlis ^[7]

He attended the seminary classes at the rudimentary ("sat'h") and advanced ("kharej") levels in the hawza of Mashhad, under his mentors such as Haj Sheikh Hashem Qazvini, and Ayatollah Milani, and then went to Najaf in 1957. Hawza ( Arabic / Persian: حوزة or ḥawza ˤilmiyya ( Arabic / Persian: حوزة علمیة is a Seminary of traditional Najaf ( BGN: An Najaf) is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. ^[8] After a short stay he left Najaf to Mashhad, and in 1958 he settled in Qom. Khamenei attended the classes of Ayatollahs Husain Borujerdi and Ruhollah Khomeini. Ayatollah ( Persian: آيت‌الله, âyato-llâh, from Arabic: آية الله, āyatu 'llāh, meaning 'the sign of TemplateInfobox Muslim scholars --> Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Hossein Borujerdi (1875-1961 ( Persian Seyyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini ( Persian:, pronounced muːsæviː-je xomejniː}}( September 24, 1902 – June 3 1989 Later, he was involved in the Islamic activities of 1963 which led to his arrest in the city of Birjand, in Southern Khorasan Province. Birjand (Persian بیرجند is the east iranian provincial capital of South Khorasan and the centre of the county Birjand resp Shortly thereafter, he was released and resumed teaching in Mashhad's religious schools and mosques, teaching the Nahj al-Balagheh. ^[8]

Literary scholarship

Khamenei has an educated-native-speaker's knowledge of Persian and Arabic^[9]. He has translated several books into Persian from Arabic like the works of the Egyptian Islamist extremist theoretician Sayyid Qutb. Islamism ( Islam + ism; Arabic: al-'islāmiyya) a set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only Sayyid Qutb (ˈsaɪjɪd ˈqʊtˁb (also Saïd Syed Seyyid Sayid or Sayed last name also Koteb (rather common Qutub Kotb or Kutb (سيد قطب October 9, 1906 He also has a lesser degree of understanding of the Azeri^[10] language and English.

In Persian, he likes poetry. In his analysis of the Persian poetry of Allameh Muhammad Iqbal, he states that "Iqbal was not acquainted with Persian idiom, as he spoke Urdu at home and talked to his friends in Urdu or English. An Allamah ( Arabic and Persian: علامه) also spelled Allameh and Allama, is an honorary title carried by only the very highest He did not know the rules of Persian prose writing. "^[11] Nevertheless, he admires Iqbal.

Like many other politically active clerics at the time, Khamenei was far more involved with politics than religious scholarship.

Political life and presidency

Khamenei was a key figure in the Islamic revolution in Iran and a close confidant of Ayatollah Khomeini. Mohammad Ali Rajai (محمد علی رجائی in Persian) ( 15 June 1933 – August 30, 1981) was the second elected President The People's Mujahedin of Iran ( PMOI, also MEK, MKO) ( Persian: سازمان مجاهدين خلق ايران sāzmān-e mojāhedin-e khalq-e Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 The Iranian Revolution' (mostly known as the Islamic Revolution, Persian: انقلاب اسلامی Enghelābe Eslāmi was the Revolution that transformed Seyyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini ( Persian:, pronounced muːsæviː-je xomejniː}}( September 24, 1902 – June 3 1989

Khomeini appointed Khamenei to the post of Tehran's Friday Prayer Leader in the autumn of 1979, after the resignation of Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri from the post. Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri (حسین علی منتظری styled His Honourable Eminence, (born in 1922 was one of the leaders of the Islamic He served briefly as the Deputy Minister for Defence and as a supervisor of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards. Also he went to battlefield as a representative of defense commission of the parliament. In June 1981, Khamenei narrowly escaped an assassination attempt when a bomb, concealed in a tape recorder at a press conference, exploded beside him. A news conference or press conference is a Media event in which newsmakers invite journalists to hear them speak and most often ask questions He was permanently injured, losing the use of his right arm,^[6].

Candidate	Votes	%
Ali Khamenei	16,003,242	95. 02%
Ali Akbar Parvaresh	342,600	2. 03%
Hasan Ghafourifard	78,559	0. 47%
Reza Zavare'i	62,133	0. 37%
Blank or invalid votes	356,266	2. 12%
Total	16,841,800

In 1981, after the assassination of Mohammad Ali Rajai, Khamenei was elected President of Iran by a landslide vote in the Iranian presidential election, October 1981 and became the first cleric to serve in the office. Mohammad Ali Rajai (محمد علی رجائی in Persian) ( 15 June 1933 – August 30, 1981) was the second elected President The President of Iran is the highest elected official in the Islamic Republic of Iran, second only to the Supreme Leader. The Iranian presidential election of October 1981, took place on October 2, 1981, after the assassination of Mohammad Ali Rajai, the previous President Ayatollah Khomeini had originally wanted to keep clerics out of the presidency, but this view was compromised.

In his presidential inaugural address Khamenei vowed to eliminate `deviation, liberalism, and American-influenced leftists. ` ^[12] Violent political opposition to the regime, including nonviolent and violent protest, assassinations, guerrilla activity and insurrections, were answered by state repression and terror in the early 1980s, both before and during Khamenei's presidency. Thousands of rank-and-file members of insurgent groups were executed, often by revolutionary courts. By 1982, the government announced that the courts would be reined in, although various political groups were repressed by the government in the first half of the decade. ^[13]

Khamenei helped lead the country during the long, bloody Iraq-Iran War in the 1980s, and developed close ties with the now-powerful Revolutionary Guards. The Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution ( Sepáh e Pásdárán e Enqeláb e Eslámi) is an ideologically motivated branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran's As president, he had a reputation as a policy wonk deeply interested in military matters, budgets and administrative details. ^[6]

He was re-elected to a second term in 1985, capturing 85. 66% of total votes. ^[14]

Iran hostage crisis

During the Iran hostage crisis in 1979, Khamenei was shown on Iranian Television visiting at least one hostages to enquire whether they were "satisfied with residence, meal, hygience?"^[15] Afterwards, he gave a press briefing to the media expressing his belief that the hostages were treated properly by their captors. The Iran hostage crisis ( Persian: تصرف سفارت آمریکا was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States where 52

Supreme Leader (Velāyat-e faqih)

Main article: Supreme Leader of Iran

Seyyed Ali Khamene'i was preceded by Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader of Islamic Revolution in Iran. Ali Sayad Shirazi ( Persian: علی صياد شیرازی) was chief-of-staff of the Iranian forces during Iran's 8-year war with Iraq The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (نيروهای مسلح جمهوری اسلامی ايران include the IRIA (ارتش جمهوری اسلامی The post of Supreme Leader ( Persian: رهبر انقلاب Rahbare Enqelab, lit Seyyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini ( Persian:, pronounced muːsæviː-je xomejniː}}( September 24, 1902 – June 3 1989 The Iranian Revolution' (mostly known as the Islamic Revolution, Persian: انقلاب اسلامی Enghelābe Eslāmi was the Revolution that transformed For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. When Khomeini died, Khamenei was elected as the new Supreme Leader by the Assembly of Experts on June 4, 1989. The Assembly of Experts (also Assembly of Experts of the Leadership) of Iran ( Persian: مجلس خبرگان رهبری Majles-e-Khobregan or Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Initially, a council of three members, "Ali Meshkini, Mousavi Ardabili and Khamenei", was proposed for Leadership. Ayatollah Ali Akbar Feyz (علی‌اکبر فیض&lrm 1922 &ndash July 30 2007 widely known as Ali Meshkini Ardabili (علی مشکینی اردبیلی&lrm Ayatollah al-Uzma Sayyed Abdolkarim Mousavi Ardebili (also spelt Ardabili,, born January 28, 1926) is an After rejection of a Leadership Council by the assembly, and lack of votes for Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Golpaygani, Khamenei became the Supreme Leader by two third of the votes. Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Golpaygani (1898-1993 was born in Gogad village near the city of Golpaygan, Iran. ^{[16] [17]}

The concept of an Islamic ruler superior to all national political figures or governmental organs is called Velayat e Faqih (guardianship of the jurist). Islamic leadership|Ja'fari jurisprudence Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists ( Arabic: ولاية الفقيه, Persian: ولایت فقیه It was first developed by Ayatollah Naraqi and expanded and revised by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Seyyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini ( Persian:, pronounced muːsæviː-je xomejniː}}( September 24, 1902 – June 3 1989 In this kind of theocratic leadership, no political decision is lawful until it is approved by the supreme leader (Vali e Faqih, ولی فقیه in Persian). Islamic leadership|Ja'fari jurisprudence Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists ( Arabic: ولاية الفقيه, Persian: ولایت فقیه Even the taking of office by the democratically elected president is subject to the approval of the Supreme Leader.

Khamenei transformed the position of supreme leader, bringing many of the powers of the presidency with him into the office, turning it into an "omnipotent overseer of Iran's political scene", according to Vali Nasr, a scholar of Shiism. Officials under Khamenei influence the country's various powerful institutions, including the parliament, the presidency, the judiciary, the Revolutionary Guards, the military, the intelligence services, the police agencies, the clerical elite, the Friday prayer leaders and much of the media, as well as various nongovernmental foundations, organizations, councils, seminaries and business groups. ^[6]

Appointment as Supreme Leader

At the time of Khomeini's death Khamenei was not a marja or even an ayatollah, and the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran required the Supreme Leader to be a marja. Marja ( Arabic / Persian: مرجع also appearing as Marja Taqlid or Marja Dini ( Arabic / Persian: مرجع تقليد The Constitution of the Islamic Republic However, the Ayatollah Khomeini had not been satisfied with the field of candidates to replace him and in April 1989, three months before his death, assigned a team to revise the constitution so that the Supreme Leader of Iran need only be an expert on Islamic jurisprudence and possess the "appropirate political and managerial skills. The post of Supreme Leader ( Persian: رهبر انقلاب Rahbare Enqelab, lit " ^[12][18] This new amendment to the constitution had not been put to a referendum yet, so upon choosing Khamenei the Assembly of Experts internally titled him a temporary office holder until the new constitution became effective. The Assembly of Experts (also Assembly of Experts of the Leadership) of Iran ( Persian: مجلس خبرگان رهبری Majles-e-Khobregan or The choice of Khamenei, is said to be a political one,^[19] but the "political elite" of the Islamic Republic "rallied behind Khamenei" and his status was "elevated overnight" from Hojjat ol-Islam to Ayatollah. Hojatoleslam (from Arabic حجة الإسلام hujjat-ul-islām) is an Honorific title meaning "authority on Islam " or "proof Ayatollah ( Persian: آيت‌الله, âyato-llâh, from Arabic: آية الله, āyatu 'llāh, meaning 'the sign of

His status as marja is controversial. In 1994, after the death of Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Araki, the Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom declared Khamenei a new marja. Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Araki (1895 – 1994 was an Iranian Twelver Shi'a Marja. Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom (جامعهٔ مدرسین حوزهٔ علمیهٔ قم was founded 1961 by the leading Shia clerics of Qom to organize However, four of Iran's dissident grand ayatollahs declined to recognize Khamenei as a marja. ^[20] Nevertheless, according to narjes. org a cleric only needs acceptance of a few grand ayatollahs to be recognized as marja. ^[21] Khamenei refused the offer of marja'iyat for Iran, as he explained, due to other heavy responsibilities, but agreed to be the marja for the Shi'as outside of Iran. His acceptance of marja'iyat for Shi'as outside Iran does not have traditional precedence in Shi'ism. Marja'iyat can be, and in modern times it increasingly is, transitional. ^[19]

Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Shirazi, who was under house-arrest at the time for his opposition to Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, did not accept Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a marja. The Grand Ayatollah Muhammad ibn Mehdi al-Hussaini al-Shirazi (Arabic سيد محمد ابن مهدي الحسيني الشيرازي was a religious authority or Seyyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini ( Persian:, pronounced muːsæviː-je xomejniː}}( September 24, 1902 – June 3 1989 According to "Human Rights in Iran" (2001) by Pace University's Reza Afshari, Shirazi was "indignant" over recognition of Khamenei as the Supreme Leader and a marja. Pace University is a private, Co-educational, and comprehensive multi-campus University in the New York metropolitan area with campuses Shirazi (who died in late 2001) apparently favored a committee of Grand Ayatollahs to lead the country. Other marjas who questioned the legitimacy of Khamenei's marja'yat were dissident clerics: Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, Grand Ayatollah Hassan Tabatabai-Qomi and Grand Ayatollah Yasubedin Rastegari. Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri (حسین علی منتظری styled His Honourable Eminence, (born in 1922 was one of the leaders of the Islamic ^[20]

Political power following reform era

According to Karim Sadjadpour of the American Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, several factors that have strengthened Khamemei in recent years:

(1) A vast network of commissars stationed in stratgic posts throughout government bureacracies, dedicated to enforcing his authority; (2)the weak, conservative-dominated parliament, headed by Khamenei loyalist Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel(whose daughter is married to the Leader's son); (3) the rapidly rising political and economic influence of the Islamic Revoutionary Guards, whose top leaders are directly appointed by Khamenei and have always been publicly deferential to him; (4) the political disengagement of Iran's young population . Commissar is the English transliteration of an official title (комисса́р used in Russia after the Bolshevik revolution and in the Soviet Union Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel (غلامعلی حداد عادل in Persian) born in 1945 in Tehran, Iran, is an Iranian philosopher politician and former chairman The Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution ( Sepáh e Pásdárán e Enqeláb e Eslámi) is an ideologically motivated branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran's . . . ; and (5) most significant[ly], the 2005 presidential election, which saw hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad trounce Khamenei's chief rival Hashemi Rafsanjani . Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (محمود احمدی‌نژاد; born October 28, 1956) is the sixth and current President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani ( Persian:اکبر هاشمی رفسنجانی Akbar Hāshemī Rafsanjānī) Hashemi Bahramani . . ^[12]

Political attitude

In his speeches Khamenei consistently dwells on familiar themes of the 1979 revolution: the importance of justice, independence, self-sufficiency, and Islam; the need for resolute opposition to Israel and United States. ^[12] Dealing with the presidents who have served during his reign, Khamenei has successfully scuttled President Rafansjani's attempts to find a modus vivendi with the United States, President Khatami's aspirations for a more democratic Islamic state, and President Ahmadinejad's desire for confrontation. ^[12]

Domestic policy

Khamenei is widely regarded by some as the figurehead of the country's conservative establishment. ^[22]

Ali Khamenei has been supportive of scientific progress in Iran. He was among the first Islamic clerics to allow stem cell research and therapeutic cloning. Stem cells are cells found in most if not all multi-cellular Organisms. Genetics and Developmental biology, somatic cell nuclear transfer ( SCNT) is a Laboratory technique for creating an Ovum with a donor ^[23] In 2004, Khamenei said that the country's progress is dependent on investment in the field of science and technology. He also said that attaching a high status to scholars and scientists in society would help talents to flourish and science and technology to become domesticated, thus ensuring the country's progress and development. ^[24]

In 2007, Khamenei requested that government officials speed up Iran's move towards economic privatization. Its last move towards such a goal was in 2004, when Article 44 of the constitution was overturned. Article 44 had decreed that Iran's core infrastructure should remain state-run. Infrastructure typically refers to the technical structures that support a society such as Roads Water supply, Wastewater, Power grids Khamenei also suggested that ownership rights should be protected in courts set up by the Justice Ministry; the hope was that this new protection would give a measure of security to and encourage private investment. ^[25]

Additionally, Khamenei has stated that he believes in the importance of nuclear technology for civilian purposes because "oil and gas reserves cannot last forever. "^[26]

In April 30 2008, Ali Khamenei backed President Ahmadinejad’s economic policy and said the West was struggling with more economic difficulties than Iran, with a "crisis" spreading from the United States to Europe, and inflation was a widespread problem. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (محمود احمدی‌نژاد; born October 28, 1956) is the sixth and current President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Iranian leader said that the ongoing economic crisis which has crippled the world has been unprecedented in the past 60 years. “This crisis has forced the UN to declare state of emergency for food shortages around the globe but foreign radios have focused on Iran to imply that the current price hikes and inflation in the country are the results of carelessness on the part of Iranian officials which of course is not true”, he said. Khamenei emphasized that no one has the right to blame Iranian government for Iran’s economic problems. He also advised people and the government to be content and avoid waste in order to solve economic problems. “I advise you to keep in your mind that this great nation is never afraid of economic sanctions”, he added. [11][12][13][14]

Interpretation of Islamic law

In 2000, Ali Khamenei sent a letter to the Iranian parliament forbidding the legislature from debating a revision of the Iranian press law. He wrote: "The present press law has succeeded to a point in preventing this big plague. The draft bill is not legitimate and in the interests of the system and the revolution. "^[27] His use of "extra-legislative power" has been criticized widely by reformists and opposition groups. In reaction to the letter, some Parliament members voiced outrage and threatened to resign. ^[28] Kayhan and Jomhuri-ye Eslami are two newspapers published under the management of Khamenei.

In late 1996, following a fatwa by Khamenei stating that music education corrupts the minds of young children, many music schools were closed and music instruction to children under the age of 16 was banned by public establishments (although private instruction continued). ^[29] Khamenei stated: "The promotion of music [both traditional and Western] in schools is contrary to the goals and teachings of Islam, regardless of age and level of study". ^[30]

In July 2007, Khamenei criticized Iranian women's rights activists and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW): "In our country . . . some activist women, and some men, have been trying to play with Islamic rules in order to match international conventions related to women," Khamenei said. "This is wrong. "^[31] However, he is positive on reinterpreting Islamic law in a way that it is more favorable to women - but not by following Western conventions. ^[32] Khamenei made these comments two days after Iranian women's rights activist Delaram Ali was sentenced to 34 months of jail and 10 lashes by Iran's judiciary. Delaram Ali (دلارام علی is a leading Iranian women's rights activist ^[33] Iran's judiciary works under the auspices of the supreme leader and is independent from the government.

With regard to women's dress, Khamenei believes in the need for compulsory hijab. ^[34]

Khamenei claims that "Today, homosexuality is a major problem in the western world. Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. They [western nations] however ignore it. But the reality is that homosexuality has become a serious challenge, pain and unsolvable problem for the intellectuals in the west. "^[35] Khamenei did not name these western intellectuals.

In 2007, Iranian police which acts under the control of Supreme leader, launched a "Public Security Plan": The police arrested dozens of "thugs" to increase public security. The arrested "thugs" are sometimes beaten on camera in front of neighborhood inhabitants, or forced to wear hanging watering cans used for lavatory ablutions around their necks. ^[36] During the first three months of the campaign against women not adhering fully to the strict Islamic dress code, in Tehran alone 62,785 women were stopped by police, and of these 1,837 were arrested. In the first three months, police arrested in the capital more than 8,000 young "criminals" who have offended public morals.

The Islamic Republic has not yet allowed a single Sunni mosque to be built in Tehran; although President Mohammad Khatami promised during election time to build a Sunni mosque in Tehran. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic Tehran (or Teheran) ( Persian: تهران Tehrān) is the capital and largest City of Iran, and the administrative center of Seyyed Mohammad Khātamī ( سید محمد خاتمی, pronounced xɑːtæmiː}} (born September 29, 1943, in Ardakan, Yazd After he won the elections, he was reminded of his promise but he said that the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had not agreed to the proposal. ^[37]

Iran's elections

In February 2004 Parliament elections, the Council of Guardians, a council of twelve members, half of whom are appointed by Khamenei, disqualified thousands of candidates, including many of the reformist members of the parliament and all the candidates of the Islamic Iran Participation Front party from running. The first round of the 2004 elections to the Majlis of Iran were held on February 20, 2004. The Guardian Council of the Constitution (شورای نگهبان قانون اساسی or Guardian Council and also Council of Guardians is an appointed and The Islamic Iran Participation Front ( Jebheye Mosharekate Iran-e Eslaami, جبهه مشارکت ایران اسلامی in Persian) is a Reformist political It did not allow 80 members of the 6th Iranian parliament (including the deputy speaker) to run in the election. The conservatives won about 70% of the seats. The parliamentary election held on February 20, 2004 in Iran was a key turning point in that country's political evolution. Events 1472 - Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a Dowry payment "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The election marked the conclusive end of the campaign for political and social reform initiated by Mohammad Khatami after he was elected president in a landslide vote in May 1997. Seyyed Mohammad Khātamī ( سید محمد خاتمی, pronounced xɑːtæmiː}} (born September 29, 1943, in Ardakan, Yazd ^[38]

During the 2005 presidential election, Khamenei's comments about importance of fighting corruption, being faithful to the ideals of the Islamic revolution, as well as on the superior intelligence and dynamism of those who studied engineering, were interpreted by some as a subtle endorsement of Mamoud Ahmadinejad (who had a Ph. D. in traffic engineering). ^[12] After the election and until recently Khamenei was outspoken in his support for Ahmadinegad, and "defended him publicly in ways which he never" had reformist president Khatami. ^[12]

Human rights

See also: Human rights in Islam (Khamenei)

Khamenei has called human rights a fundamental principle underlying Islamic teachings, that precedes western concern for human rights by many centuries. See also Ali Khamenei Human rights in Islam is the name of a speech delivered at the inaugural of the 5th Islamic Thought Conference by Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled Human Rights in Islam include the rights to live, to be free, to benefit from justice and to welfare. He has attacked Western powers who have criticized the rights record of the Islamic Republic for hypocrisy by economically oppressing people in Third World countries and supporting despots and dictators. Third World is a name given to nations that are generally considered to be underdeveloped economically ^[39]

However under Khamenei's interpretation this does not extend to religious rights for Bahá'í. The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind Khamenei supported persecution of Bahá'ís and signed documents recommending several organized methods of oppression and ways of decreasing the influence of Bahá'ís in Iran and abroad. The persecution of Bahá'ís is the Religious persecution of Bahá'ís in various countries especially in Iran, where the Bahá'í Faith originated and The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind ^[40] According to a letter from the Chairman of the Command Headquarters of the Armed Forces in Iran addressed to the Ministry of Information, the Revolutionary Guard and the Police Force, Khamenei has also ordered the Command Headquarters to identify people who adhere to the Bahá'í Faith and to monitor their activities and gather any and all information about the members of the Bahá'í Faith. The Revolutionary Guard Corps ( Liwa Haris al-Jamahiriya) or Jamahiriyyah Guard is a Libyan Paramilitary Elite unit that plays the role ^[41][42]

In response to Western complaints of human rights abuses in Iran he has stated that the American administration has committed many crimes and is therefore not fit to judge the Islamic Republic. ^[43]

In a visit with hardline cleric Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, Khamenei praised Mesbah’s books and thoughts as being original, very useful, solid and correct. Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi ( محمد تقی مصباح یزدی) (born 1934) is a Hardline Iranian Twelver He also stated that the Islamic world needs these ideas today more than any time in the past. ^[44] Mesbah Yazdi advocates a return to the values of the 1979 Iranian revolution and is a prominent opponent of the Reformist movement in Iran. The Iranian Revolution' (mostly known as the Islamic Revolution, Persian: انقلاب اسلامی Enghelābe Eslāmi was the Revolution that transformed The Iranian reform movement (Persianاصلاح طلبان or the Reforms Front (Persian جبههٔ اصلاحات also known as 2nd of Khordad Front (Persian

People charged for criticizing Ali Khamenei

Insulting the Leader is a crime in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Khamenei, who has been called "notoriously thin-skinned,"^[12] has not been hesitant in seeing this law enforced against Journalists and writers in Iran. A journalist (also called a newspaperman) is a person who practices Journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events trends Even family members are not immune, as his younger brother, the reformist cleric Hadi Khamenei, was "brutally beaten . Hojatoleslam Hadi Khamenei is a mid-ranking cleric who is a member of the reformist Association of Combatant Clerics, and a former member of the Majlis . . after a sermon in which he criticized the powers of the Supreme Leader," by Basij militia loyal to him. The Basij (also Bassij or Baseej, or Baseej-e Mostaz'afin or "The Mobilized Oppressed"" or بسيج is a volunteer based Iranian ^[12] Some writers, journalists and politicians who have been charged with "insulting Ali Khamenei" include:

• Ahmad Zeidabadi^[45]
• Abdollah Nouri^[46]
• Mojtaba Saminejad^[47]
• Arash Sigarchi^[48]

Foreign policy

Khamenei's foreign policy is said to steer a course that avoids either confrontation or accommodation with the West. Ahmad Zeidabadi is a notable Iranian Journalist and Political analyst. Mojtaba Saminejad (مجتبی سمیع نژاد born 30 September, 1980 in Tehran) is an Iranian blogger and writer. ^[12]

Opposition to the United States

Khamenei has been described as consistent in his opposition to the United States which is a theme of his speeches no matter whether the topic is foreign policy, agriculture or education. He has declared that it is "clear that conflict and confrontation between" Islamic Republic of Iran and the U. S. "is something natural and unavoidable" since the United States "is trying to establish a global dictatorship and further its own interests by dominating other nations and trampling on their rights. A dictatorship is usually defined as an autocratic Form of government in which the Government is ruled by a Dictator. " However, while "cutting ties with America is among our basic policies," and "any relations would provide the possibility to the Americans to infiltrate Iran and would pave the way for their intelligence and spy agents," Khamenei holds the door open to relations with the U. S. at some future date, saying "we have never said that the relations will remain severed forever. Undoubtedly, the day the relations with America prove beneficial for the Iranian nation I will be the first one to approve of that. " ^[12]

On June 4, 2006, Khamenei said that Iran would disrupt energy shipments from the Persian Gulf region should the country come under attack from the US, insisting that Tehran will not give up its right to produce nuclear fuel. Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the

On September 14, 2007, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (on 1st Friday prayer of Ramadan) predicted that George Bush and American officials will one day be tried in an international criminal court to be held "accountable" for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Prayer is the act of attempting to communicate with a Deity or spirit Ramadan or Ramazan ( Arabic: رمضان Ramaḍān) is a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it in an Organisation or International or internationally most often describes interaction between Nations or encompassing two or more nations constituting a group or association having Criminal justice is the system of practices and organizations used by national and local governments directed at maintaining Social control, deterring The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign ^[49] He has also blamed the United States for "blind terrorism" after its invasion of Iraq. ^[50] He asserts that the United States is the main cause of insecurity in Iraq.

Condemnation of September 11, 2001 attacks

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Khamenei condemned the act and the attackers and called for a condemnation of terrorist activities all over the world, whether in the United States, Palestine, the Balkans, or elsewhere. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. ^[51] He is quoted as saying, "Mass killings of human beings are catastrophic acts which are condemned wherever they may happen and whoever the perpetrators and the victims may be". ^[52]

Israel-Palestine conflict

In 2001 Khamenei famously remarked that "this cancerous tumor of a state [Israel] should be removed from the region. " On the same occasion he proposed that "Palestinian refugees should return and Muslims, Christians and Jews could choose a government for themselves, excluding immigrant Jews. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term "^[53]

In 2005 Khamenei responded to President Ahmadinejad's alleged remark that Israel should be "wiped off the map" by saying that "the Islamic Republic has never threatened and will never threaten any country. The President of Iran is the highest elected official in the Islamic Republic of Iran, second only to the Supreme Leader. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (محمود احمدی‌نژاد; born October 28, 1956) is the sixth and current President of the Islamic Republic of Iran For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. During his presidency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 's speeches and statements have contributed to increased tensions between Iran and Israel, and between Iran and several For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. "^[54] Moreover Khamenei's main advisor in foreign policy, Ali Akbar Velayati, refused to take part in Holocaust conference. Dr Ali Akbar Velayati (علی‌اکبر ولایتی born June 25, 1945 in Shemiran) is an Iranian politician and a former Pediatrician In contrast to Ahmadinejad's remarks, Velayati said that Holocaust was a genocide and a historical reality. ^[55]

Fatwa against nuclear weapons

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has issued a fatwa saying the production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons was forbidden under Islam. A fatwā (فتوى plural fatāwā فتاوى in the Islamic faith is a religious opinion on Islamic law issued by an A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. The fatwa was cited in an official statement by the Iranian government at an August 2005 meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna. The International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA) is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. ^[56]

Personal life

Khamenei has four sons and three daughters, Mojtaba, Mostafa, Massoud, Maysam, Boshra, Hoda, and Alla. According to Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel he has an austere lifestyle. Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel (غلامعلی حداد عادل in Persian) born in 1945 in Tehran, Iran, is an Iranian philosopher politician and former chairman ^[6]

Government posts

Since the founding of the Islamic Republic, Khamenei has held many government posts^[3]

• 1979 - Founded the Islamic Republic Party, along with like-minded clerics such as Mohammad Beheshti, Mohammad Javad Bahonar, Abdolkarim Mousavi Ardebili, and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. The Islamic Republican Party (حزب جمهوری اسلامی or IRP was a Political party in Iran, formed in mid- 1979 to assist the Iranian Revolution Ayatollah Dr Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini Beheshti (محمد حسینی بهشتی ( October 24, 1928 - June 28 Hojatoleslam Mohammad Javad Bahonar (محمدجواد باهنر in Persian) ( 1933 - August 30, 1981) was the second prime minister Ayatollah al-Uzma Sayyed Abdolkarim Mousavi Ardebili (also spelt Ardabili,, born January 28, 1926) is an Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani ( Persian:اکبر هاشمی رفسنجانی Akbar Hāshemī Rafsanjānī) Hashemi Bahramani
• 1980 - Secretary of Defense.
• 1980 - Supervisor of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards. The Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution ( Sepáh e Pásdárán e Enqeláb e Eslámi) is an ideologically motivated branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran's
• 1980 - Leader of the Friday Congregational Prayer.
• 1980 - The Tehran Representative in the Consultative Assembly. The Majlis of Iran ( Persian: مجلس شورای اسلامی lit
• 1981 - Ayatollah Khomeini's Representative in the High Security Council.
• 1982 - Elected President of the Islamic Republic of Iran after assassination of Muahmmad Ali Raja’i, and was re-elected to a second term in 1985. Mohammad Ali Rajai (محمد علی رجائی in Persian) ( 15 June 1933 – August 30, 1981) was the second elected President
• 1982 - chairman of the High Council of Revolution Culture Affairs.
• 1988 - President of the Expediency Council. The Expediency Discernment Council of the System ( is an administrative assembly appointed by the Supreme Leader and was created upon the revision to the Constitution
• 1989 - Chairman of the Constitution Revisal Committee.
• 1989 - Ayatollah Khamenei became the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran by choice of the Council of Experts, after the death of Ayatollah Khomeini.

Representatives

Ayatollah Khamenei has numerous representatives in different organizations (army, judiciary system, universities etc. ) and cities. Here are his most notable representatives:

• Abdolhossein Moezi (Representative in London)
• Hossein Shariatmadari (His representative at Kayhan)
• Ahmad Jannati (Head of Guardian Council)
• Ahmad Khatami (Tehran's Friday prayer Imam)
• Mohammad Yazdi (member of Guardian council and former head of Judiciary system)
• Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi (head of Judiciary system)
• Rahim Safavi (former commander of Revolutionary Guards)
• Ali Larijani (former head of IRIB, current member of Supreme National Security Council)
• Ahmad Reza Radan Tehran's police chief who was in charge of 2007 moralization campaign
• Gholamreza Rezvani appointed several times as a member of Guardian Council. Abdolhossein Moezi is an Iranian Muslim cleric living in London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Hossein Shariatmadari is the managing editor of Kayhan, the best known Conservative Iranian newspaper "Kayhan" ( Persian: کيهان means "cosmos" or "universe" in Persian. Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati Massah ( born 1926 in Esfahan) is an Iranian Ayatollah and political figure. The Guardian Council of the Constitution (شورای نگهبان قانون اساسی or Guardian Council and also Council of Guardians is an appointed and Ayatollah Sayyid Ahmad Khatami is a member of the Assembly of Experts. "Juma" redirects here For the indigenous Brazilian group see Juma people. Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi (In Persian: محمد یزدی was head of Judiciary System of Iran between 1989 and 1999 A nationwide judicial system in Iran was first implemented and established by Ali Akbar Davar and some of his contemporaries such as Abdolhossein Teymourtash under Reza Ayatollah Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi (آیت‌الله سید محمود هاشمی شاهرودی (Born 1948 in Najaf, Iraq) is an Iranian Major General ( Yahya Rahim Safavi ( born 1958) served as the Chief Commander of the Sepah until September 1, The Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution ( Sepáh e Pásdárán e Enqeláb e Eslámi) is an ideologically motivated branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Ali Ardashir Larijani (علی اردشیر لاریجانی born 1958 is an Iranian philosopher politician and the chairman/speaker of the Iranian parliament. Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, or IRIB, ( Persian سازمان صدا و سيمای جمهوری اسلامی ايران Sāzmān-e Sedā va Sima-ye Jomhūrī-ye Supreme National Security Council (شورای عالی امنیت ملی is the National Security Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the current secretary of Brigadier-General Ahmad Reza Radan is Tehran 's police chief infamous for his crackdown on "unIslamic" hair and dress Ayatollah Gholamreza Rezvani is a member of the powerful Council of Guardians in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Bibliography

• Discourse on Patience^[57] (translation by Sayyid Hussein Alamdar available online)
• Iqbal: Manifestation of the Islamic Spirit, Two Contemporary Muslim Views^[58] ISBN 1871031206
  • Iqbal, the Poet-Philosopher of Islamic Resurgence is one of the "Two Contemporary Muslim Views," the other one is Ali Shariati's. Ali Shariati ( علی شريعتی‎) ( November 23, 1933 &ndash 1977 was an Iranian sociologist and Revolutionary, well
• Replies to Inquiries about the Practical Laws of Islam^[59] ISBN 9644720008 (PDF version)
• Lessons from the Nahjul-Balaghah^[60][61]
• Human Rights In Islam'
• The Charter Of Freedom^[62][63][64]
• Essence of Tawhid: Denial of Servitude but to God

See also

• List of national leaders
• List of Grand Ayatollahs
• History of fundamentalist Islam in Iran

References

External links

Official Websites

• The e-office of the Supreme Leader of Iran
• The official website of Ayatollah Khamenei

Profiles

• Profile: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. BBC News.

Videos

• Video Archive of Ayatollah Khamenei

Speeches translated into English

• www.insight-info.com

Political offices
Preceded by Mohammad Ali Rajai	President of Iran 1981 – 1989	Succeeded by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
New title	Chair of Expediency Council 1988 – 1989
Preceded by Ruhollah Khomeini	Supreme Leader of Iran 1989 – present	Incumbent

Persondata
NAME	Khamenei, Seyyed Ali Hosseini
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	آیت‌الله سید علی خامنه‌ای‎
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Supreme Leader of Iran since 1989
DATE OF BIRTH	15 July 1939
PLACE OF BIRTH	Mashhad, Iran
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH

Mohammad Ali Rajai (محمد علی رجائی in Persian) ( 15 June 1933 – August 30, 1981) was the second elected President The President of Iran is the highest elected official in the Islamic Republic of Iran, second only to the Supreme Leader. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani ( Persian:اکبر هاشمی رفسنجانی Akbar Hāshemī Rafsanjānī) Hashemi Bahramani The Expediency Discernment Council of the System ( is an administrative assembly appointed by the Supreme Leader and was created upon the revision to the Constitution Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Seyyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini ( Persian:, pronounced muːsæviː-je xomejniː}}( September 24, 1902 – June 3 1989 The post of Supreme Leader ( Persian: رهبر انقلاب Rahbare Enqelab, lit Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) The post of Supreme Leader ( Persian: رهبر انقلاب Rahbare Enqelab, lit Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Mashhad ( literally the place of martyrdom) is the second largest city in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics.

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