Stance on Transsexuality
In a lesser-known aspect of his jurisprudence, Khomeini ruled in 1963 that gender reassignment surgery was permissible under Islamic law. This view became national policy after the revolution. Ironically, while homosexual acts remained punishable by death, Iran emerged as one of the world’s leading countries for gender reassignment operations, with some procedures even subsidized by the government. By 2005, Iran performed more sex-change surgeries than any other country except Thailand, a paradoxical legacy of Khomeini’s legal reasoning.
Death and Legacy
Ruhollah Khomeini died on June 3, 1989, after a long illness. His funeral in Tehran drew an estimated 10 million people—one of the largest public gatherings in history. He was buried in a sprawling mausoleum in Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, now a pilgrimage site for his admirers.
Khomeini left behind a complex legacy. To his supporters, he was a visionary who rescued Iran from Western domination and revived Islamic governance. To his critics, he was a theocratic despot who crushed dissent, stifled freedom, and violated human rights. His ideological influence endures not only in Iran but also across Shiite movements in Iraq, Lebanon, and beyond.