Khadijeh Saqafi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Khadijeh Saqafi
خدیجه ثقفی
Khadijeh Saqafi.jpg
Saqafi in 1947
Spouse of the Supreme Leader of Iran
In role
3 December 1979 – 3 June 1989
Supreme LeaderRuhollah Khomeini
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byMansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh
Personal details
Born1913 (1913)
Tehran, Sublime State of Persia
Died21 March 2009(2009-03-21) (aged 95–96)
Tehran, Iran
Resting placeMausoleum of Ruhollah Khomeini
NationalityIranian
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1929; died 1989)​
ChildrenMostafa
Zahra
Sadiqeh
Farideh
Ahmad
Known forSpouse of the Supreme Leader of Iran (1979–1989)

Khadijeh Saqafi (Persian: خدیجه ثقفی‎; 1913 – 21 March 2009) was an Iranian revolutionary and the wife of Ruhollah Khomeini, the Supreme Leader of Iran and figurehead of the Iranian Revolution. Within Iran, she was known as "the mother of the Islamic revolution".[1]

Early life[]

Saqafi was born in 1913 in Tehran, the daughter of Hajj Mirza Mohammad Thaqafi-e Tehrani, a respected cleric and merchant.[2]

Marriage and later years[]

Saqafi married Ruhollah Khomeini in 1929, when she was 15 and he was 27.[3] They had seven children together, although only five survived childhood.[citation needed] The family resided in Qom until Khomeini's exile in 1964.[4] Their son Mostafa died in Iraq in 1977 while in exile, while their second son Ahmad died of cardiac arrest in 1995.[3]

Throughout their marriage, Saqafi largely stayed out of the public eye, although she was described as being a strong supporter of her husband's opposition to Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.[3] Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, former President of Iran, referred to Saqafi as the "closest and most patient" supporter of her husband.[3]

Death[]

Saqafi died in Tehran on 21 March 2009 at the age of 95, following a long illness.[3] Thousands attended her funeral at the University of Tehran, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.[3] Saqafi was buried next to her husband at his mausoleum in Behesht-e Zahra.[5] She was survived by her three daughters Zahra, Sadiqeh, and Farideh.[3]

References[]

  1. ^ "Iranians mourn Khomeini's widow". 2009-03-22. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
  2. ^ Dabashi, H. (1993). Theology of discont (PDF). New York: New York University Press. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-02-15. Retrieved 2013-08-09.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g "Khadijeh Saqafi, Khomeini's Wife, Is Dead at 93". New York Times. Associated Press. 23 March 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
  4. ^ "Three decades after Khomeini's death, his clan rules from the sidelines". Atlantic Council. 2019-06-04. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
  5. ^ "Iranians mourn Khomeini's widow". BBC News. 22 March 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
Honorary titles
First
New title
 Spouse of the Supreme Leader of Iran
1979–1989 		Succeeded by
Khojaste Bagherzadeh
as Wife of Ali Khamenei
Retrieved from ""