Most Iranians can remember the exact moments in their lives when they discovered that the Ayatollah Khomeini had died. For many Iranians, this was a joyous occasion and the cause of days of partying, drinking champagne and fanciful thinking about the fate of their country. Schools were closed for forty days, and Iranians abroad remained attached to their television sets wondering if they would touch the soil of their homeland once again. Khomeini’s name was synonymous with the Revolution, the precarious social ambiance and the severe impact that Islamic ideology had on the country. The root of that influence was now gone.
Khomeini, best known to the rest of the world as the founder of modern Islam, the supporter of the Hostage Crisis and the man who issued a fatwa (death decree) on the head of author Salman Rushdie, represented for the Iranian people a central chapter of their modern history that is both complicated and tragic. In the roughly ten years that he reigned, over 100,000 Iranians were executed. The Iran-Iraq war futilely dragged on for almost a decade, and persecuted Iranians across a multicolored Iranian population wondered what the Revolution had achieved.
Looking back at that time makes it difficult to understand how Islamic Republic leaders are now bringing back a cultish reverence for the Khomeini era. Since the post-election protests, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and likewise, reformist Presidential candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi have made serious efforts to revive a faux nostalgia for the late Ayatollah among the opposition.
On the part of the current regime, uniting their modus operandi with that of Khomeini’s gives them a legitimate claim to the Islamic Republic. Recalling that period reminds Iranians of a time when they were curious to see what the Ayatollah Khomeini could offer them.
For the reformists, who are proposing ‘change,’ they are motivated to do so within the confines of the regime, making respect and support for the Khomeini camp a prerequisite to remain part of and function within the Islamic Republic. As a matter of fact, Mousavi and Karoubi have been quick to use Khomeini’s legacy to strengthen their constituency, alleging that the Ayatollah was a more righteous leader, and that Khamenei’s government has severely deviated from the principles initially set forth.
Besides bearing such resemblances in surnames, Khomeini and Khamenei share similarities beyond the superficial. Both support mass executions, terrorism, and a fundamentalist Islamic ideology. Khomeini was famous for the words, “We do not worship Iran. We worship Allah. For patriotism is another name for paganism. I say let this land [Iran] burn. I say let this land go up in smoke, provided Islam emerges triumphant in the rest of the world.” To spread Islam and its influence was his agenda, not much different from the current regime. So inherent is Khomeini’s role in the Islamic Republic landscape that to eradicate his influence from the movement is to study the establishment of the American government system without George Washington, or better yet, to assess Nazism absent Adolph Hitler.
The cleansing of Khomeini’s image became en vogue under former President Mohammad Khatami, who sought to salvage the late Ayatollah’s bloody reputation and in effect absolve the regime, beginning at its very roots. It is said that Khatami began his campaign to change the then dull and disillusioned mood during his presidency and to purify Iran’s modern history. It also might have to do with the fact that Khatami and Khomeini were related. Khatami’s brother, Mohammad Reza, is married to Khomeini’s granddaughter, Zahra Eshraghi.
Incidentally, the intricate web of marriages within the handful of regime dynasties does not stop at the Khatami and Khomeini families. Most staggeringly, the fathers of Mousavi and Khamenei are brothers, making them first cousins. The unions demonstrate how far the inner circle of the regime will go to preserve their stronghold.
Under every IRI leader since Khatami, there has been a push to glorify the name and legacy of Khomeini, a move the leaders believe will sustain the Islamic Republic. For the current government it relies on erasing a very recent history, and for the reformists, it means tying themselves to a retrospectively more ‘benevolent’ supreme leader, in order to say that not everything about the Islamic Republic is corrupt; it had its glory days too.
Making such a claim relies entirely on pandering to a population of Iranians under the age of 30, who do not clearly remember Khomeini’s track record. Or maybe they do remember it and choose not to. It is clearly more pleasant to remember a peaceful history rather than one dotted with executions, stonings and lack of human rights. The leaders may take advantage of the people’s yearning for a united Iran, albeit one that chooses to forget its own history and thus remains under the grips of an Islamic Republic.
When Khomeini’s picture was rampantly burned in the streets of Iran in early December during National Students’ Day, many believed that was, at the very least, a clear and overt indication that the unrest was certainly not just over a fraudulent election. More profoundly taken, burning the picture of the founder of the Islamic Republic represented a denunciation of a theocratic regime and a manifestation of a movement pro-secular.
Yet when the government announced that those in violation are deemed “moharreb,” or Enemies (of God), and subsequently blamed Mousavi and Karoubi for instigating the event, the reformist leaders then in turn blamed the government for staging the incident it in order to discredit the opposition as irreverent and sacrilegious. Subsequently, the Green party urged the opposition to carry pictures of Khomeini to demonstrations in reverence and to never burn or disrespect the late Ayatollah again. In the end, Khomeini actually emerged more popular and even more of a central player in the backdrop of the movement.
It is still not clear who was behind the original burning of the pictures, but the more poignant revelation was how radical the Iranian momentum has become. So incendiary was this incident that it triggered a fad across several continents of posting videos of burning Khomeini’s picture. There are dozens of such groups on Facebook and Youtube created for the cause. Groups such as “I burned Khomeini’s picture” on Facebook has almost 2,000 members. There is even a video capturing a “Burning Khomeini’s picture party” that takes place in Europe, that shows a large group of expatriate Iranians burning the Ayatollah’s picture.
These cyber campaigns, seeking to eradicate Khomeini’s legacy, were created in reaction to the regime’s campaign to exalt it. Freedom-seeking Iranians are warning their countrymen of what can happen if Iranians fail to recall history and fall into the trap of the regime once again.
Khomeini married a ten year old girl when he was 27 years old. AT age eleven she was pregnant. Iranians can really be proud to have had a child molester as their leader.
It seems a lot of Islamic leaders are in fact sexually repressed pedophiles.
It only makes sense when you understand that the fiend they worship was a murderous, terrorizing, pedophile himself.
BS is free, you could say anything you want.
Khommeini did NOT marry any ten year old.
Well the profit mo'(piss be upon him) 'married' a 6 year old and consummated that 'marriage' when she was 9, no BS and that's what counts in mohammadanism.
In mohammadanism anything that the 'profit' said or did (sunnah) is the most excellent example of conduct for any mohammadan.
… listen quietly and intently… my name is allah and i’m fed up of the mess islam has become and has always been. i started islam as a joke and now it’s gone too far for my liking. i have made the kaffir more intelligent so that my stupid experiment with islam can come to an end finally. you see…. muslims are the worst thing invented by god (me). i want to now get rid of them so i have made the kaffirs strong and have given them knowledge of the atom so islam can and will come to it’s end in a few years. get out of islam now …this is my sincerest advice to you. i hope you understand. the whole world and the universe i have created despises muslims. i have apologised to the kaffirs about my mistake with creating islam and creating mischief on this beautifull earth by giving him the strongest weapon in the universe. he is free to use it as he wishes on islam. there is no more i can do for this accursed thing called islam i mistakenly created. muslims donot contribute anything sweet and beautifull on this planet. islam has to be stamped out like a poinsonous snake that it is in my beautiful house. i apologise to all snakes for this heavenly insult but muslims eversince it seems are behaving like vandolous monkeys …hence the comparison for their simple and empty minds. my name is allah. tell your friends my advice . get out of islam…live peacefully…respect children and women and live with love and dignity. islam was a joke. gone too far. heed my words. it is not for nothing that the words mud and mad come from the same source…..moha-mud and moha-mad. the very fact you speak english is a sign that you aren’t totally brainless… like my invention madmud. i hence forth chuck islam in the dustbin of history. i have spoken . i am washing my hands of this accursed thing i invented. ANYONE WHO LEAVES ISLAM IS A THINKER AND A SELF SCIENTIST.
islam is bad manners. Islam is retrograde. Period.
"An Islamic regime must be serious in every field," explained the very evil Ayatollah Khomeini. "There are no jokes in Islam. There is no humour in Islam. There is no fun in Islam." ….he could have spared the extra words and just stated the fact "islam is shit, islam is vomit." i as allah couldn't have said it better.. Pure mental poison is what islam is . within 30 years islam will be dead and i will be relieved… and this beautifull planet of mine will be once again fantastic and joyfull and music filled and happy.
FIRST THINGS FIRST …. THE KORAN IS NOT A HOLY BOOK….IT IS THE MOST EVIL AND RACIST AND SEXIST BOOK EVER WRITTEN. IT IS A SLUR TO THE WRITTEN WORD. IT IS AN INSULT TO HUMAN INTELLIGENCE. HAVE NO DOUBT. READ IT TO DISBELIEVE IT . ALL MUSLIMS SHOULD BE TRYING TO GET OUT OF ISLAM'S CLUTCHES . ALL MUSLIMS SHOULD BE TRYING TO GET OUT OF ISLAM'S CLUTCHES NOT ONLY FOR THEIR SAKE AND THEIR CHILDREN'S SAKE BUT FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR FOREFATHERS AND FOREMOTHERS WHO WERE CONVERTED TO THIS EVIL AND VILE CULT BY THE SWORD AND FRIGHT. FORGET CHRISTIANITY IF IT’S SUCH A BIG ISSUE …MUSLIMS NEED TO MOVE OUT EN MASSE TO SOMETHING LIKE BUDDHISM… OR MASS SUICIDE…. ONE CAN ONLY HOPE.
MUSLIMS SHOULD START REALISING THAT THEIR FOREFATHERS WERE FORCED INTO THIS BLOOD THIRSTY CULT BY BLOOD AND SWORD.THEY BECAME MUSLIMS OUT OF FEAR NOT BECAUSE THEY LOVED ISLAM. THE NEW GENERATION SHOULD SET THEIR FOREFATHERS' AND FOREMOTHERS’ MISTAKES RIGHT BY GETTING OUT OF ISLAM EN MASSE (IN BIG GROUPS) AND RETURNING TO THEIR OLD PEACEFULL RELIGIONS OF THEIR GREAT GREAT GRAND PARENTS BEFORE THE MUSLIMS CAME AND TURNED THEIR LIVES AND MORALS UPSIDE DOWN. WHATEVER IS PREACHED IN THAT CULT IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT GOOD PEOPLE AND CITIZENS SHOULD BE. START THE CHANGE NOW. ONLY THE MUSLIMS CAN HELP THEMSELVES SMASH THIS EVIL CULT THAT HAS GOT THEM AND THEIR WOMEN AND CHILDREN BY THE THROATS.
THE WEST SHOULD BE HELPING MUSLIMS WITH A FREE SERVICE OR A NOMINAL CHARGED SERVICE WHICH COULD TRACE EACH OF THEIR ANCESTRAL ROOTS OR RELIGION PRACTICED BEFORE THEY HAD TO BOW TO ALLAH OR DIE HORRIBLY. THEN THE CHOICE WOULD BE THEIRS TO CONTINUE IN THIS EVIL CULT OR OPT OUT TO WHAT WAS THEIR LIFESTYLE OR RELIGION BEFORE THE MADNESS CAME. THE SERVICE COULD BE CALLED “BEFORE THE MADNESS”. THE EDUCATED WEST HAS TO HELP THESE BARBARIC PEOPLE SEE THE LIGHT OF PEACE AND LAUGHTER SO THEIR CHILDREN AND WOMEN MAY APPRECIATE THE SUNLIGHT WHICH IS OUR PLANET’S BIRTHRIGHT.
all this primetime bullshit is good…
the backlash will be fierce….
worry not …
the rest of the planet is watching ….
slowly slowly things are changing ….
their knives are out now …. so what ???
nuclear weapons are the ultimate pest control…..
watch …. oil is being found all over the planet …. the middle east is disposable and discardable…. the desert will bury the radioactivity and cope. worry not .
all this will be post obama because of obama.
there are more knives in the non muslim world and they are all being sharpened daily…
let them continue …. there will be none of them left to say sorry to … peace will come. my son will be in his forties then ….
i have vision…. you will too…. soon.
all this primetime muslim bullshit is good…
the backlash will be fierce and just as savage….
worry not …
the rest of the planet is watching these islamic monkeys and their thought process….
slowly slowly things are changing ….
the islamic knives are out now …. so what ???
nuclear weapons are the ultimate pest control…..
watch …. oil is being found all over the planet …. the islamic middle east is disposable and discardable…. the desert will bury the radioactivity and cope. worry not .
all this will be post obama because of obama.
there are more knives in the non-muslim world and they are all being sharpened daily…
let the muslims continue …. soon there will be none of them left to say sorry to … peace will come.
i have vision…. you will too…. soon.