Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

[4Lindsey]

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, president of Iran from 1981 to 1989, is currently the Supreme Leader of Iran (since 1989, when he took over for Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini). He was a cleric for a vast majority of his life, and still is today. As a child, he was very interested in his Muslim religion, although politics ultimately played a bigger part in his life. He was born in Mashhad on July 15th, 1939, the second eldest of 8 children; 3 of which also became clerics. As a cleric, he taught Islamic views to his students in Muslim schools and mosques until he was arrested in 1963. Soon though, he was released and resumed teaching until he became more politically involved. For a short time, he served as Deputy Minister for Defense; in June of 1981 he was the victim of an assassination attempt, which he survived, but at the cost of the use of his right arm. After this attack and the assassination of the previous president, he was elected president of Iran by a landslide vote. He was Iran's very first cleric to become president.In his inaugural speech, Khamenei vowed to eliminate American-influenced ideas, such as liberalism. During his presidency, his speech was answered by several riots, protests, and assassinations, also following repression by the government. In 2000, he was classified by a journalist committee as "one of the top ten enemies of freedom and expression".Many in his country doubt that he deserves the title of a "Grand Ayatollah" because he was never fully recognized as a marja, although he supposedly became one in 1994. Essentially, because Khamenei is the Supreme Leader (religious and political), the other Grand Ayatollahs don't like him much. There are several Grand Ayatollahs, but none have as much power as Khamenei currently does; some wish to revise the government so that a committee of ayatollahs rule, instead of just one head honcho.Personally, I think the guy has some issues to be worked out...why does he dislike America so much? Well, I guess he could find plenty of reasons to answer that question, but what about the free speech thing? What's so wrong with that? Just because the U.S.A does it, its gotta be bad? When i was researching him, it didn't seem like he should have any personal grudges...Khamenei in hospital bed after attempted assassination attack.A more recent picture of Ali Khamenei....

[Mr. Bruns]

Very well done!