Montazeri Ayatollah

According to reports, Grand Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri, who was one of the most prominent dissident clerics, has died. Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri was 87 years old at the time of his death. Grand Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri died of natural causes and his son confirmed it to BBC news. According to a local news agency, Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri passes away in his home on Saturday night.

The news of Montazeri’s death has saddened the country as he was regarded among the most respected personalities, especially of Shia Islam. He was a leading critic of the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

In 1979, Hoseyn Ali Montazeri played a vital role in the revolution which created Iran’s Islamic state. According to Jon Leyne of BBC, the death of Ayatollah Hoseyn comes at a crucial time. According to BBC’s correspondent,

“Iran’s rulers will now fear the opposition may attempt a big turnout for his funeral and other ceremonies marking his death, especially in the run-up to the Shia Muslim festival of Ashura on 27 December.”

According to reports, on Monday morning Montazeri is due to buried and large crowds has begun to gather outside his house home in the clerical city of Qom.

Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri was a great leader and he worked for the prosperity of his county despite his falling health. May his soul rest in peace.