Founding Fathers:

A comparison of Ruhollah Khomeini and George Washington

Although many people would be shocked to see the names of Ruhollah Khomeini and George Washington in the same paper, let alone the same sentence, I feel it is both interesting and instructive to compare the two leaders.  Although they lived over a century apart and were the products of two different cultures and perhaps can be credited with helping to create two brand new cultures, there are a several parallels one can draw between the two men.  Both can be considered the “Father” of their respective countries and were leaders of revolutions that reinvented the status quo.  And while it is interesting to draw similarities between the two leaders, I believe it is more instructive to concentrate to the many differences between the two men.  By doing so, we can explain the vastly different outcomes of their respective revolutions and thus determine their legacy to future generations.  Accordingly, we will compare Ruhollah Khomeini with George Washington to gain a greater understanding of these two men and their effects on mankind.

Khomeini was born in 1902 and raised by his mother.  He attended the Shi’a seminary at Arak when he was 18 and became a religious scholar.  Khomeini was a very cultured person, studying poetry, the mystics, and Greek philosophy. It was here that he developed his ideas concerning the importance of the clerics controlling political actions. He became a lecturer at two different seminaries before embarking into politics. Khomeini was extremely critical of the Shah of Iran, whose policy of westernization was opposed to Khomeini’s conservative teachings.  After preaching against the Shah, Khomeini was arrested only to be released and embark on a 14 year exile. Most of these years were spent in Iraq, although he later went to France in 1978.  Khomeini remained active politically, distributing cassette tapes denouncing the Shah’s programs.  When the Shah fled the country, Khomeini returned to be the spiritual head of the revolution.  Most people believed his objective was to merely advise the revolution, but Khomeini quickly became the leader of the revolution.  Although many hoped for a period of reform with more freedom and better living conditions, Khomeini’s new government provided the exact opposite of its promises.  Under the new constitution, Khomeini became the Supreme Leader of the Iranian government and set about restricting the freedoms of the people and destroying those opposed to his regime.  He remained popular however, due to his rhetoric against the west as well as his leadership during the Iran-Iraq War.  This war, along with the shunning of Iran by the rest of the world, allowed Khomeini to foster a spirit of nationalism in Iran and cement his grasp on the country.  Khomeini died in 1989 and to this day his legacy still effects decisions made by the Iranian government.

Unlike Khomeini, George Washington George Washington was raised in prosperity in the British Colony of Virginia. He was born in 1732, and was one of ten children. Like Khomeini, Washington’s father died when he was young and Washington depended on his older brother Lawrence to act as a father figure.  Washington was also deeply influenced by religion and was a devout Christian who constantly believed in “Divine Providence”. Washington was appointed as a commander of the Virginia militia due to his older brother’s influence.  Upon his brother’s death, George inherited the family estate. Washington became a prominent surveyor and soldier who served with distinction in the French and Indian Wars.  Washington was a fearless soldier and also a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses.  At the beginning of the American War for Independence, the Second Continental Congress appointed Washington as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, although Washington humbly declared he was not worthy of the role.  Although suffering many defeats during the war Washington was able to keep the army together and eventually bring victory to the Continental forces.  At the end of the war, Washington demonstrated his belief in democracy by refusing to lead a plot by a group of American officers to seize control of Congress to the Continental soldiers received fair treatment.  During the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Washington was elected president of the convention as it was believed this would garner support for the new Constitution.  After the ratification of the new Constitution, Washington was elected the nation’s first president in 1789 and served two terms before retiring to his home.  Washington died in 1799, regarded as the “father of his country”.

Both Washington and Khomeini established themselves in positions of leadership and set precedents for future leaders.  Both lost their fathers at an early age, and both were influenced by religion. Yet, Khomeini used his influence to restrict the freedoms of Iran’s people while Washington used his to advance the cause of freedom and democracy.  Khomeini sought to gain and maintain power, while Washington was hesitant to seek a command position and set a precedent by relinquished the Presidency even when he could probably have maintained his position of power. Both men gained support from their conduct in war, Khomeini through the Iran- Iraq War and Washington from both the French and Indian War and the American War for Independence.  Yet, Khomeini used the war to garner national support to maintain his regime, while Washington rejected the opportunity to obtain power by refusing to rebel against Congress at the end of the American Revolution.  While these are broad parallels, it is interesting to see the vastly different legacies these men leave behind.  Washington left America as the land of the free, while Khomeini left a legacy of repression and disregard for human rights. Accordingly, both men played key roles in the establishment of their countries and their legacies continue to live on and effect political actions today.