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Khomeini, Ayatollah
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (1902–89), was the former supreme leader (1979–89) of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Although many aspects of his thought are ancient, stretching back to the founding of Islam and the internal schism that led to the creation of the Shia branch of the religion, it can only be fully understood in the context, and as a product, of events in the twentieth century.
There has never been a sharp separation between church and state in the Islamic world, at least in a manner similar to the Western republican tradition. However, neither has there been a comprehensive Islamic theory of the state or political rule. It is true that Shia Islam has always possessed a certain inherent political character (considering that it was born ...
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