Abdul Majid al-Khoei
Encyclopedia
Sayyid
Abdul Majid al-Khoei (السيد عبد المجيد الخوئي)(Arabic
), 16 August 1962 – 10 April 2003) was a Twelver Shia
cleric and the son of Ayatollah Al-Udhma Sayyid Abul Qasim al-Khoei
. He was born in the holy city of Najaf
.
. His father died a year later in 1992 at the age of 93, while still under house arrest in Iraq.
In exile in London
, he worked for the al-Khoei Foundation
, a charitable foundation set up by his father in 1989. He became its head in 1994 when his brother, Sayyid Mohammed Taqi al-Khoei
, was killed whilst driving back to Najaf
from a visit to Kerbala.
He was also an outspoken critic of Saddam Hussein
's rule: "The regime's criminal acts, beginning in 1968, have been never-ending. Executions, the closing of schools, mosques and shrines sacred to Shia worshipers; the burning of old religious scriptures; looting the sacred sites of gifts left by presidents and kings." He did, however, also call for unity. Speaking in December 2002, al-Khoei said, "We are looking for a new Iraq in which everyone has a share... we want to forget the past and shake the hand of everyone".
Muqtada al-Sadr
was suspected by U.S. and Iraqi authorities of ordering the assassination. According to witnesses, at the mosque he was walking with Haidar Raifee Killidar, the custodian of the shrine under Saddam, and they were confronted by an angry mob, some of whom are reported to have shouted "Raifee is back" and others "Long live al-Sadr". The mob killed Raifee with bayonets and knives; al-Khoei, who was critically injured by this time, was killed later. According to author Patrick Cockburn, eyewitness accounts say Khoei, stabbed and bleeding, stumbled to the door of Muqtada's nearby house and pleaded for help. Muqtada sent a note outside saying, "Don't let them sit by my door," and Khoei died shortly after that.
Sayyid
Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
Abdul Majid al-Khoei (السيد عبد المجيد الخوئي)(Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
), 16 August 1962 – 10 April 2003) was a Twelver Shia
Shi'a Islam
Shia Islam is the second largest denomination of Islam. The followers of Shia Islam are called Shi'ites or Shias. "Shia" is the short form of the historic phrase Shīʻatu ʻAlī , meaning "followers of Ali", "faction of Ali", or "party of Ali".Like other schools of thought in Islam, Shia Islam is...
cleric and the son of Ayatollah Al-Udhma Sayyid Abul Qasim al-Khoei
Abul-Qassim Khoei
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Abul-Qassim al-Khoei was one of the most influential Twelver Shia Islamic scholars , and the predecessor to Grand Ayatullah Sayyid Ali Al-Husayni Al-Sistani. He was the spiritual leader of much of the Shia world until his death in 1992...
. He was born in the holy city of Najaf
Najaf
Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...
.
Life
He lived and studied under his father in Najaf until 1991. During the Shia uprising of 1991 he actively took part in the fighting against Saddam's Ba'ath Party but also acted as a force of moderation attempting to minimize revenge killings. When the uprising was crushed he was forced to leave IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. His father died a year later in 1992 at the age of 93, while still under house arrest in Iraq.
In exile in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, he worked for the al-Khoei Foundation
Imam Al-Khoei Benevolent Foundation
The Imam Al-Khoei Benevolent Foundation is an organization created by Abul-Qassim Khoei, a Grand Ayatollah that was considered as his times premiere leader of Shias across the world. It is an international, religious, charitable institution...
, a charitable foundation set up by his father in 1989. He became its head in 1994 when his brother, Sayyid Mohammed Taqi al-Khoei
Sayyid Mohammed Taqi al-Khoei
Sayyid Mohammed Taqi al-Khoei, brother of Abdul Majid al-Khoei and son of Ayatollah Al-Udhma Sayyid Abul Qasim al-Khoei.-Death:According to the UN Special Rapporteur for Iraq,...
, was killed whilst driving back to Najaf
Najaf
Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...
from a visit to Kerbala.
He was also an outspoken critic of Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
's rule: "The regime's criminal acts, beginning in 1968, have been never-ending. Executions, the closing of schools, mosques and shrines sacred to Shia worshipers; the burning of old religious scriptures; looting the sacred sites of gifts left by presidents and kings." He did, however, also call for unity. Speaking in December 2002, al-Khoei said, "We are looking for a new Iraq in which everyone has a share... we want to forget the past and shake the hand of everyone".
Assassination
He returned to Iraq in April 2003 after the fall of Saddam despite being warned of the dangers. He arrived in Najaf on 3 April. Speaking to The Times upon his arrival to the city, he said everyone "wanted news on Baghdad because they see that as the key test to whether this will be 1991 all over again." Though assigned protection, the protective unit could not follow him into the shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf on 10 April 2003. Here he was attacked and hacked to death by a mob.Muqtada al-Sadr
Muqtada al-Sadr
Sayyid Muqtadā al-Ṣadr is an Iraqi Islamic political leader.Along with Ali al-Sistani and Ammar al-Hakim of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, Sadr is one of the most influential religious and political figures in the country not holding any official title in the Iraqi government.-Titles:He is...
was suspected by U.S. and Iraqi authorities of ordering the assassination. According to witnesses, at the mosque he was walking with Haidar Raifee Killidar, the custodian of the shrine under Saddam, and they were confronted by an angry mob, some of whom are reported to have shouted "Raifee is back" and others "Long live al-Sadr". The mob killed Raifee with bayonets and knives; al-Khoei, who was critically injured by this time, was killed later. According to author Patrick Cockburn, eyewitness accounts say Khoei, stabbed and bleeding, stumbled to the door of Muqtada's nearby house and pleaded for help. Muqtada sent a note outside saying, "Don't let them sit by my door," and Khoei died shortly after that.