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Source: http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=Mjc3YTU1NWExYmJhNmNhOWQxZjM2YmEyZDI2ZTBiMmE=
Time to Move Beyond Khomeinism
[National Review] Amir Taheri - The Iranian doctrine of walayat faqih ("government of the theologian"), the cornerstone of the Khomeinist system, is dead. The late Ayatollah Khomeini invented the doctrine to justify the claim that he drew his legitimacy from Allah and was accountable solely to Him. Although Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the current "Supreme Leader," remains a powerful player thanks to the vast financial and security assets at his disposal, he is no longer above the melee. With the mystique gone, the reality of a brutal regime that kills unarmed protestors in the streets is increasingly noticed. For 30 years, walayat faqih was a barrier to creating a broad coalition for genuine reform and change. But now, Khamenei's behavior has fostered a growing consensus that it is time for Iran to move beyond Khomeinism. Only a shrinking segment of the Khomeinist constituency still clings to the bizarre and unworkable walayat faqih concept. And that is perhaps the true miracle that happened last month.