Ali Khomeini

Ali Khomeini, an influential Iranian cleric and political leader, was the Supreme Leader of Iran from 1979 until his death in 1989. He is best known for his role in the Iranian Revolution, which led to the overthrow of the Shah of Iran, and for establishing the Islamic Republic of Iran. Khomeini became a controversial figure due to his strict interpretations of Islamic law and his issuance of a fatwa against author Salman Rushdie in 1989, calling for his death for blasphemy due to Rushdie's novel 'The Satanic Verses'.