Grand Ayatollah Hossein-ali Montazeri

Grand in Iran and is a Grand Ayatollah (a Shi'a '' Marja '') and as such is considered one of the highest ranking authorities in Shi'a Islam today. He currently lives in the holy city of Qom , and retains a large following amongst religious Shi'a Muslims in Iran.

After the revolution, Montazeri was the deputy to Ayatollah Khomeini , the Supreme Leader of Iran, who once called Montazeri "the fruit of my life." Following a decision illegally made by the Assembly Of Experts (''Majles-e-Khobregan''), Montazeri was designated to be Khomeini's successor as supreme leader, while there was no successorship in the constitution. This did not come to pass due to Montazeri's objection to Khomeini . He was outspoken regarding issues concerning human rights abuses, undemocratic political decisions and economic programs. As a result, Khomeini denounced him in a letter in 1988. {Link without Title}

In October '' (''Guardianship of the Clergy'') but not as it is currently instituted in Iran today. {Link without Title}

QUOTES

"Either officials change their methods and give freedom to the people, and stop interfering in elections, or the people will rise up with another revolution ... There is no freedom, repression is carried out in the name of Islam, and that turns people off ... All these court summonses, newspaper closings and prosecutions of dissidents are wrong. These are the same things that were done under the Shah and are now being repeated. And now they are done in the name of Islam and therefore alienate people." (NYT)

REFERENCES

EXTERNAL LINKS

Unofficial site of Ayatollah Montazeri

Leadership & legitimacy: ''The controversy among the clergy over who should lead the Islamic state''

Information About

Grand Ayatollah Hossein-ali Montazeri