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Foreign Policy

·      “Khamenei has ‘direct responsibility’ for foreign policy, which ‘cannot be conducted without his direct involvement and approval’. He has a foreign policy team independent of the president's ‘which includes two former foreign ministers’ and ‘can at any time of his choosing inject himself into the process and 'correct' a flawed policy or decision.’”

·      “His foreign policy is said to steer a course that avoids either confrontation or accommodation with the West.”

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Human Rights

·      A fundamental principle underlying Islamic teachings.

·      In response to Western complaints of human rights abuses in Iran he has stated that the American administration has committed many crimes and is therefore not fit to judge the Islamic Republic.

We see this backwards logic in Khamenei’s speech ch. 3 pg. 54.

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Domestic Policy

·      Nuclear technology is important for civilian purposes because “oil and gas reserves cannot last forever.”

·      “In 2007, Iranian police under the direction of Khamenei launched a ‘Public Security Plan’, arresting dozens of ‘thugs’ to increase public security.”

Minorities

·      “The Bahá'í Faith is the largest religious minority in Iran. Khamenei has also ordered the Command Headquarters to identify people who adhere to the Bahá'í Faith and to monitor their activities and gather any and all information about the members of the Bahá'í Faith.”

·      We catch a glimpse of this prejudice in ch. 8 pg. 116.

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Views:

Women’s Rights

·      "In our country ... some activist women, and some men, have been trying to play with Islamic rules in order to match international conventions related to women", Khamenei said. "This is wrong."

·      "In effect, they have been treating women like a commodity, like another of their products. If you were to look at the magazines, which are published in the West, you would see that they advertise a commodity for sale next to the naked picture of a woman. Can you imagine a bigger insult to women? They [the West] must be answerable [not Islam]."

·       Supports gender segregation

·      “Gender equality is a Zionist plot with the purpose to ‘corrupt the role of women in society.’”

Homosexuality

·      "Today, homosexuality is a major problem in the western world. They [western nations] however ignore it. But the reality is that homosexuality has become a serious challenge, pain and unsolvable problem for the intellectuals in the west."

·      We see evidence of these views in the crane scene ch. 5 pg. 85.

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He was ranked by the Committee to Protect Journalists as "one of the top ten enemies of the press and freedom of expression". This is mentioned in ch. 2 pg. 46 and ch. 4 pg. 71.

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“As Supreme Leader, Khamenei has influence over elections in Iran since the Constitution of Iran allows him to appoint half of the members of the Guardian Council and the Chief Justice of Iran." Khamenei meddled in the 2004 parliament elections and the 2009 presidential elections. We see these beliefs in ch. 3 pg. 54.

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Protests to Khamenei's rule: 1994 Qazvin Protests, the 1999 Iranian student protests, the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests, the 2011-12 Iranian protests and the 2017-18 Iranian protests.

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He “issues decrees and makes the final decisions on economy, environment, foreign policy and everything else in Iran. Khamenei regularly meets with president, cabinet members, head and officials of the judiciary branch, parliamentarians, among others, and tells them what to do. Khamenei has also fired and reinstated Presidential cabinet appointments.”

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Khamenei was elected temporary Supreme Leader on June 4th1989. On August 6th1989 the Assembly of Experts reconvened and confirmed Khamenei as Supreme Leader.

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He was a leader during the Iran-Iraq War and grew a relationship with the Revolutionary Guard, who has since become a powerful group. He was known to be extremely focused on the military.

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In 1981 Khamenei was elected president of Iran by 97% and in 1985, he was re-elected by 87%. Once president any opposition to his or his parties rule was stomped out. Throughout his rule many have been jailed, fined and even sentenced to death for simply insulting Khameini. We see this in ch. 7 pg. 101.

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During his exile he was appointed a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Council and after the victory of the Islamic revolution the council became founding members of the Islamic Republic Party in 1980. He held several important positions during this time. Including:

• Deputy-Minister of Defense
• Supervisor of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards
• Imam of Tehran's Friday Congregational Prayers
• Tehran MP in the Majlis (Consultative Assembly)

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In 1962 at age 23 he joined Imam Khomeini’s followers. He began holding classes and lessons on the Holy Quran, the Prophetic Traditions and Islamic ideology to Iranian youth. He had been imprisoned several times during these years of teaching but the final time he was imprisoned, banned from giving lectures or holding classes and exiled for 3 years in 1976. In ch. 3 pg. 53 this is hinted at.