What, specifically, are the Ayatollahs?
415251
They are Shiite religious leaders. The Shiites believe that they are perfect and take their opinions as if they were of God's messenger peace be upon him. The title Ayatollah itself means the sign of God in Arabic.
443046
Soon. 1/3 of Iran is under 25 and they are not happy with the Ayatollahs. They've become to them what the shaw was to their parents generation. A force for evil that needs to be gotten rid of... \n\n............\n\n............\n\nOh? You weren't referring to Iran!? *rolleyes*
110793
Here you go,,:\n\nHamzeh Bin abd al Mutalib\nOmar bin Al Khattab\nAbu Baker Al Seddeq\nZayd bin haretha\nOthman Bin Affan,,,\n\nIf those rnt enough,,tell me,,i will tell u some mmore\nthoughi am curious why do u need them?
1171183
Do a Yahoo search on the name: Ayatollah-Khomeni. \n\nThen you might want to retract your question. Where exactly were you during the 1980's, anyway? Did you ever happen to watch the evening news?\n\nOh, wait, I just remembered your last question. Now I know why you have no recall of the 1980's. Go ahead and do that Yahoo Search, Professor. You might learn something.
963174
Suspect the Marines are wondering the same thing.  It has become a confusing state of affairs,  You have Sutr's militia [Shias'] replacing Americans in Sutr City. slum area of the Shias. Then you have Militia running about and it's not clear who they are.  almost always just referred to as terrorist and sometimes Chias.  My conclusion has been "It's a fiasco."
912835
Hizbullah is Iran's secretly (not really so secret) funded army. And I am not surprised at this attempt. If we continue to demonstrate that we have the stones to stick this fight through to the finish, they will lose ground. They (Iran and Syria) are known for their double-speak, loudly and globally proclaiming how America is bullying the middle east, yet at home and speaking to their citizens declaring a terrorist war on ALL of the western civilisations. No surprises here.
1106816
I'd say probably Ahminajed (sp?) from Iran.  If offering to wipe someone else off the map doesn't qualify, I don't know what does
833081
There's a book on that; in fact more than one:\nIn the shadow of the Ayatollah : a CIA hostage in Iran / William J. Daugherty\nInvading the embassy : explaining the origins of the Iran Hostage Crisis / David P. Houghton.\nTaken hostage : the Iran hostage crisis and America's first encounter with radical Islam / David Farber.\nTakeover in Tehran : the inside story of the 1979 U.S. Embassy capture / Massoumeh Ebtekar, as told to Fred A. Reed.\nOral histories of some of the hostages (see the Columbia University library catalog ("CLIO") and search under <iran embassy> or call # NXCP90)
1151671
Iran may be the real backbone of Al Qaeda. Bin Laden’s son and heir apparent, Saad bin Laden, has been spotted recently in Tehran.\nSome speculate Osama is there as well. Iranian-backed Hezbollah is financed and supplied with weapons, technology and safe harbor by Iran. Iran's has openly stated its intention to destroy Israel and the United Sates. They will be next to feel steal.
650893
They are called EXTREMISTS or FUNDAMENTALISTS...pick whatever.....Allah HOOOOOO Akbar!
559252
Mahmood Ahmadi-Nejad, President of the regime of Velayat-e-faquih in Iran
636540
I am not sure, but they may be from somewhere in the Middle East. I have never heard of them before though.
841173
Ask shi'at or Persians
729002
http://www.iran-heritage.org/interestgroups/nowruzfactsheet.htm
1044607
Good question.  Unfortunately, I don't know. \n\nMaybe you should ask an imam/scholar.
286524
Ahmaddiyas do not believe in Prophet Muhammad and are followers of Mirza Ghulam Mohammad.It has 2 sects.
526165
Hiya, :)\nId be happy to answer your questions.\n\nA) They are fighting in Iraq (The Sunni led terrorists)because they are unhappy that they no longer rule the country as they did under Saddam.\n\nB) The largest Muslim sect in the world is the Sunni sect.\nSufism\n\nC) The following is about Sufism which is also a part of Islam. \n\n\nSufism (Persian: صوفی‌گری Sufi gari, Arabic: تصوف, taṣawwuf) is a mystic tradition of Islam. Practitioners of Sufism, known as Sufis, engage in the pursuit of a direct perception of spiritual truth or God, through mystic practices based on divine love. Sufism differs from other branches of Islam in its esoteric rather than exoteric focus.\n\nThe term Sufism can be used to describe a diverse range of beliefs and practises. Tariqas (Sufi orders) may be associated with Shi'a Islam, Sunni Islam, other currents of Islam, or a combination of multiple traditions. Sufi thought emerged from the Middle East in the eighth century, but adherents are now found around the world. In particular, Indonesia, the most populous Islamic nation in the world, was introduced to Islam through Sufism, and Sufi practises and beliefs are evident in mainstream religious life across the country.\n\nSufism has produced a large body of poetry in Turkish, Punjabi, Urdu and Persian, which notably include the works of Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi, Bulleh Shah, Amir Khusro, as well as numerous traditions of devotional dance, such as Sufi whirling, and music, such as Qawwali.\n\n\n\nA few etymologies for the word Sufi have been suggested.\n\nThe conventional view is that the word originates from Suf (صوف), the Arabic word for wool, implying a cloak and refers to the simple cloaks the early Muslim ascetics wore. But one should also note that not all sufis wear cloaks or clothes of wool.\n\nAnother etymological theory states that the root word of Sufi is the Arabic word saaf (صاف), meaning pure, clean or blank. This etymology refers to the emphasis of Sufism on purity of heart and soul. One must consider that this theory does not hold strong, because it contradicts the root of the word saaf. Strictly speaking, considering Arabic grammar, the word would have been "saafi".\n\nOthers have suggested the origin of the word Sufi is from "Ashab al-Suffa" ("Companions of the Veranda") or "Ahl al-Suffa" ("People of the Veranda"), who were a group of Muslims during the time of the Prophet Muhammad who spent much of their time on the veranda of the Prophet's mosque devoted to prayer. It can also refer to the chosen ones.\n\n\n\nBasic beliefs\nThe central concept in Sufism is love. Dervishes—the name given to initiates of sufi orders—believe that love is a projection of the essence of God to the universe.They believe that God desires to recognize beauty, and as if one looks at a mirror to see oneself, God looks at himself within the dynamics of nature. This is substantiated using the famous Hadith Qudsi (extra-Qur'anic utterance of God): "I was a hidden treasure, and I wanted to be known, so I created Creation." Since they believe that everything is a reflection of God, Sufis try to see the beauty inside the apparently ugly, and to open arms even to what is considered the most evil one. The Sufi conception of divine love is not restricted to what the term "love of God" implies, it also includes human loves with a perspective that views everything a manifestation of God.\n\nThe central doctrine of Sufism, sometimes called Wahdat or Unity, is the Sufi understanding of Tawhid. Put very simply Tawhid states that all phenomena are manifestations of a single reality, or Wujud (being), which is indeed al-Haq (Truth, God). The essence of being/Truth/God is devoid of every form and quality, and hence unmanifest, yet it is inseparable from every form and phenomenon either material or spiritual. It is often understood to imply that every phenomenon is an