Mostafa Khomeini


Mostafa Khomeini was an Iranian cleric and the son of Ayatollah Khomeini. He died before the 1979 revolution.

Early life and education

Khomeini was born in Qom on 12 December 1930. He was the eldest son of Ayatollah Khomeini and Khadijeh Saqafi, daughter of a respected cleric, Hajj Mirza Tehrani.
He graduated from the Qom Theological Center.

Activities

Khomeini participated in his father's movement. He was arrested and imprisoned after the 1963 events and also, after his father's exile. On 3 January 1965, he joined his father in Bursa, Turkey, where he was in exile. Then he lived with his family in Najaf, Iraq. He and his brother Ahmad became part of Khomeini's underground movement in Najaf. The group also included Mohammad Hussein Behesti and Morteza Motahhari.

Death

Khomeini died in Najaf on 23 October 1977. He was buried in Najaf within the shrine of Imam Ali thanks to Musa al-Musawi
His death has been regarded as suspicious by both the followers of Ayatollah Khomeini and common people of Iran due to his death being announced while he was in police custody and various reports that SAVAK agents were present at the scene. Hence, his death was attributed to the Shah's secret police, SAVAK. His father later described Mostafa's death as "martyrdom" and one of the "hidden favours" of God because it fueled the growing discontent with the Shah which finally produced Iranian Revolution just slightly over 1 year after Mostafa's death.