1. Jillian Lefler

2.  Known in the West as Ayatollah Khomeini.  Iranian politician and religious leader and leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution which tried to overthrow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi  Shah of Iran

3.  In 1962, Khomeini got arrested by the shah's security for his outspoken opposition to the pro-Western regime of the Shah.  His arrest raised him to the upper status of national hero.  In 1964, he was exiled, living in Turkey, Iraq and then France, from where he continued to tell his supporters to overthrow the shah.  By the late 1970s, the shah had become very unpopular and there were many riots, strikes and mass demonstrations across the country.

4.  When Ha'iri died in the 1930s, the Ayatollah Boroujerdi succeeded him with the title of most important Islamic figure in Qom.  In doing this, Boroujerdi gained Khomeini as a follower.  Ha'iri and Boroujerdi believed that religion should not involve itself with government affairs.  While the leader of Iran, Reza Shah, lowered the powers of religious leaders and promoted a more secularized country, the most powerful religious figures in Iran remained silent and encouraged their followers to do the same.

5.  Ayatollah Khomeini established a theocratic rule over Iran in his 10 years of leadership.  He did not fulfil his pre-revolution promises but instead he started to marginalize and crushed opposing groups  He ordered establishment of many institutions to manage power and safeguard the cleric leadership.  During his early years in power he launched the Cultural Revolution in order to Islamize the whole country.  Many people lost their jobs, and lots of books were changed or burnt according to the new Islamic values.  He established the Islamic Judiciary system sentenced many Iranians to death and long-term imprisonment as they were against those radical changes.

6.  http://www.iranchamber.com/history/rkhom eini/ayatollah_khomeini.php http://www.iranchamber.com/history/rkhom eini/ayatollah_khomeini.php  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruhollah_Kho meini http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruhollah_Kho meini  http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figur es/khomeini_ayatollah.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figur es/khomeini_ayatollah.shtml  http://www.biography.com/people/ayatollah -ruhollah-khomeini-13680544 http://www.biography.com/people/ayatollah -ruhollah-khomeini-13680544