Ruholá Jomeini

Ruholá Jomeini was the Iranian revolutionary leader and the founding father of the Islamic Republic of Iran, serving as its Supreme Leader from 1979 until his death in 1989. He became a prominent figure during the Iranian Revolution, which led to the overthrow of the Shah, and his leadership was marked by the implementation of strict Islamic laws and a significant shift in Iran's governance. Jomeini is perhaps best known internationally for issuing a fatwa in 1989 calling for the assassination of British-Indian author Salman Rushdie due to the publication of Rushdie’s novel 'The Satanic Verses,' which Jomeini deemed blasphemous. This decree led to years of threats against Rushdie's life and sparked widespread protests and violence in the Muslim world.