MEMRI: Ayatollah Khomeini's Grandson: Grandfather's Revolution Devoured its Children, Strayed From Original Course

Special Dispatch Series - No. 1184
June 13, 2006 No.1184

Ayatollah Khomeini's Grandson: Grandfather's Revolution Devoured its Children, Strayed From Original Course

In an interview with the Al-Arabiyya TV website ( Alarabiya Net ) on the occasion of the 17th anniversary of the death of Islamic Republic of Iran founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Khomeini's grandson Ayatollah Hussein Khomeini said that the current Iranian regime was "a dictatorship of clerics who control every aspect of life," and called for foreign intervention to topple the regime. [1]

In the interview, Ayatollah Hussein Khomeini argued that the "rule of the jurisprudent" was not based on Shi'ite religious principle, but developed for historical reasons having to do with persecution of clerics in pre-revolutionary Iran. He also says that in its current form, the revolution has "strayed from its original course" by abandoning the principles of freedom and democracy, and states that Iran will gain real power only when it re-embraces these principles, not through relying on bombs and weapons.

For the last three years, the Iranian regime has kept Ayatollah Hussein Khomeini under surveillance and has banned him from giving interviews to the Iranian media owing to his criticism of the regime. [2]

Link to the MEMRI interview: Ayatollah Khomeini's Grandson: Grandfather's Revolution Devoured its Children, Strayed From Original Course

[1] Ayatollah Hussein Khomeini was born in Tehran in 1958. In 1965, he emigrated with his family to Iraq, where he studied in a religious seminary. After the Iraqi Ba'th revolution of 1968, he returned to Iran. He defines himself as a "liberal religious person."

[2] Iran Bans Khomeini from giving speeches, May 31, 2006.

*********************
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is an independent, non-profit organization that translates and analyzes the media of the Middle East. Copies of articles and documents cited, as well as background information, are available on request.

MEMRI holds copyrights on all translations. Materials may only be used with proper attribution.
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
P.O. Box 27837, Washington, DC 20038-7837
Phone: (202) 955-9070
Fax: (202) 955-9077
E-Mail: memri@memri.org
Search previous MEMRI publications at www.memri.org

Technorati Tags: MEMRI ... Iran ... Khomeini ... Iran Freedom ... Shi'ite ... Baqubah ... Islam ... Muslim ... Iraqi Ba'th