Protesters in Iran set fire to Ayatollah Khomeini’s house

Photo Courtesy: BBC

In the early hours of Friday 18th November, Iranian protesters set fire to the house where regime founder, Ayatollah Khomeini, is said to have been born. Social media posts on Friday showed protesters storming and burning the house that has in recent years been developed into a museum. 

The most recent outbursts of protest have taken both a symbolic and tangible aim at the regime, which, since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution in 1975, has required women of Iran to don a hijab and modest clothing. Although discontent against the regime has long been brewing, the fuse lit in mid-September when Mahsa Imani was arrested by the Morality Police and later died in custody for refusing to comply with modesty laws.

This latest act of protest follows this week’s news of the regime’s intent to put four protestors to death for “enmity against God” and “corruption on earth”. Although those charged have remained unnamed by the regime, Amnesty International say their sources have led them to believe those involved are Mohammad Ghobadlou, Manouchehr Mehman Navaz, Mahan Sedarat Madani, Mohammad Boroughani and Sahand Nourmohammad-Zadeh.

Regional news from Khomein, where the house and museum lies, denies any form of protest. State-aligned media reports that the videos instead showed a small group of “pilgrims” who came to express their love for the deceased leader. 

This marks a significant development in the protests and highlights how they no longer revolve solely around the death of one woman but have transformed into a widespread movement against the dictatorial regime. This raises the question of whether this is something that the regime can come back from, or if we are witnessing the end of the Islamic Republic.