The Islamic Revolution

Ali Khamenei Born in 1939 When living in Najaf, Iraq at age 18 he began advanced religious training In Lebanon and Libya Khamenei undertook limited paramilitary training in Palestinian camps In 1958 he moved to Qom in Iraq where he became a student of ayatollah khameini Was involved in massive student protests against the shah’s western–oriented reforms Took power in 1979 Was elected supreme leader by a council of Islamic experts on June 5, 1989 Protests were brutally crushed and khamenei was exiled

The Shah Came to power during World War 2 Shah is a Persian term for a monarch (ruler) that has been in other languages Shah turned indecisive again embraced conspiracy theories displayed moods of withdrawal The choices he made contributed to his downfall

Causes of the Islamic Revolution 1) dissatisfaction of the Iranian people with the Shah's modernization efforts 2) the Shah's authoritarian government 3) disenchantment with the influence of Western views 4) a return to traditional Islamic values 5) the leadership of the Ayatollah Khomeini