Labels:text | human face | human beard | man | glasses OCR: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Khomeini, Ayatollah Ayatollah Khomeini Trained as a Muslim theologian, Ayatollah Khomeini became the arch-prophet of Islamic fundamentalism in Iran. Bitterly opposed to the Westernized regime of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi, he inspired the revolution that toppled the shah, and established strict religious law as the basis of the new Islamic republic. During his long exile in Turkey, Iraq, and France, "the Ayatollah" inspired fanatical devotion among his followers in Iran, and he returned to a rapturous reception after the flight of the shah. Establishing himself as leader of the Revolutionary Council, he swept away all traces of Western culture and eliminated his political opponents. Within months, Khomeini confronted the West by refusing to release hostages taken from the U.S. Ayatollah Khomeini, Iranian Embassy in Tehran. Alarmed by Khomeini's religious leader, 1900-89 intention to spread the revolution beyond Iran, Iraq's leader Saddam Hussein attempted a military attack. Although the resulting war drained Iran's resources, manpower, and pride, Khomeini remained a revered figure within Iran until his death in 1989. CHRONOLOGY
