Grand Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri dies on Saturday at his home. Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri was born in 1922.He was 87 years of age.

Ayatollah Montazeri was one of the pillars of 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. Ayatollah Montazeri was widely respected by Shia clan of Islam in and out of Islamic republic of Iran.

Ayatollah Montazeri was considered a defiant cleric by the ruling Ahmadinejad government. The death has given rise to many questions in the backdrop of government-opposition standoff and Ashura at the offing. The government is speculating that opposition may try to venture on a new spree of agitation under the death of Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri in Ashura.

The presence of hundreds of thousands of people outside Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri home in Qom to participate in the burial of the Grand Leader on Monday is sending alarming bells to the government.

Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri has been considered a thorn in the side of establishment after his famous fatwa against present government after 2009 elections that resulted in land slide victory for President Ahmadinejad.

Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri was the companion and designated successor of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri fell apart from Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini over Human Rights issue in 1989.

Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri’s transformation from the pillar of Islamic revolution to vocal critic of all governments and other Islamic Leaders in Iran including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ended on Saturday only after his death.

His questioning of the powers of Supreme Leader left him with closure of his religious school, an attack on his office in Qom and a house arrest for more than 6 years.

Hoseyn Ali Montazeri declared in his life time that all his opinions are a part of his religious sense of duty. May His Soul Rest in Peace?

Montazeri Ayatollah