Ahmadinejad poster in Iran (Photo: Emily O'Dell)
In my research on contemporary Islamic jurisprudence in Iran, the ayatollah that I have found the most fascinating is Ayatollah Saanei–whose recent meeting with President Rouhani is currently causing a bit of a stir in Iran.
Ayatollah Saanei has faced his share of criticism from conservative religious leaders before. For instance, after the 2009 elections, Saanei claimed that President Ahmadinejad had not been legitimately elected. Later, due to his belief that women and men are equal (and that women should be allowed to become religious leaders and even ayatollahs), he was divested of his elite position as a “source of emulation” by the Qom Theological Lecturers Association in 2010.
On his website, Ayatollah Saanei issues religious opinions on a range of topics (like plastic surgery & transsexuality)–and pays tribute to prominent world figures like Nelson Mandela. Believing that suicide bombings and nuclear weapons are crimes against humanity and Islam, Ayatollah Saanei preaches that “Islam means the peaceful coexistence of people according to logic and dialogue.”
