New publication on Khomeini’s Mystical Poetry

15 February 2023

Our team member Dr. Diede Farhosh-van Loon conducted research on the mystical poetry of Ruhollah Khomeini (1902-1989). There are many publications dealing with the political career of Khomeini, who transformed the political landscape of Iran and the Middle East after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Most of the research conducted in the West is on Khomeini’s political strategies, while the influential role of mysticism in all facets of his life is ignored. This book is the first study examining Khomeini’s poetry, mysticism and the reception of his poetry both in Iran and the West. It investigates how Khomeini integrated various doctrines and ideas of Islamic mysticism and Shiiism such as the Perfect Man into his poetry.