Khadijeh Saqafi
Islamic revolutionary and Ruhollah Khomeini's wife (1913–2009)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Khadijeh Saqafi (Persian: خدیجه ثقفی; 1915/1916 – 21 March 2009) was an Iranian revolutionary and the wife of Ruhollah Khomeini, the first Supreme Leader of Iran and figurehead of the Iranian Revolution.
Khadijeh Saqafi | |
|---|---|
خدیجه ثقفی | |
Saqafi in 1987 | |
| Spouse of the Supreme Leader of Iran | |
| In role 3 December 1979 – 3 June 1989 | |
| Supreme Leader | Ruhollah Khomeini |
| Succeeded by | Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1915 or 1916 Tehran, Iran |
| Died | (aged 93)[1][2] Tehran, Iran |
| Resting place | Mausoleum of Ruhollah Khomeini |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 7, including Mostafa, Zahra, Farideh, and Ahmad |
Early life
Marriage and later years
Saqafi married 29-year-old Ruhollah Khomeini in 1929 or 1931.[3][4][2] They had seven children together, although only five survived childhood.[4] The family resided in Qom until Khomeini's exile in 1964.[5] Their son Mostafa died in Iraq in 1977 while in exile, while their second son Ahmad died of cardiac arrest in 1995.[2]
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 the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.[2] Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, former President of Iran, referred to Saqafi as the "closest and most patient" supporter of her husband.[2]
Death
Saqafi died in Tehran on 21 March 2009 aged 93, following a long illness.[1][2] Thousands attended her funeral at the University of Tehran, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.[2] Saqafi was buried next to her husband and son at his mausoleum in Behesht-e Zahra.[1][2]
