Khamenei visits head of Islamic Iraqi Council
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{{date|May 26, 2007}}

Grand Ayatollah Sayyed [[Ali Khamenei]] visited Sayyed [[w:Abdul Aziz al-Hakim|Abdul-Aziz Hakim]] while the latter was receiving medical treatment in Tehran, Iran.

[[Image:Al-Hakim meets G.W. Bush.jpg|thumb|Hakim has met with George W. Bush several times.]]

Earlier this month, Hakim was flown to Texas in the United States where he was diagnosed with lung cancer.  According to his staff, he was coughing and had other ailments.  Thence, he flew to Iran to receive medical treatment.  

Hakim has been close to the heads of state of Iran and the United States which are bitter foes.  Reports indicate that he went to Iran because he wanted to be close to his family members.

Hakim is a key player in Iraq's politics because his party, known as [[w:Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council|Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council]], holds many seats in Iraq's legislature.  It receives guidance from Iran’s Supreme Islamic Jurisprudent Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.  After the party changed its name recently from the Supreme Council for the [[w:Islamic Revolution|Islamic Revolution]] in [[Iraq]], there was speculation that Khamenei would cease to be the [[w:Marja|source of emulation]] for the party.  Nevertheless, the party confuted such rumors.

===Imam Khomeini and Khamenei in Islamic world===
Imam Khamenei serves as the source of Islamic jurisprudence to places as far away as [[Nigeria]] among other places.  This is very much like Imam Khomeini who commanded followers even in [[Africa]] and [[Europe]] across sectarian lines.

<!--<gallery>
Image:Khomeini praying.jpg|Imam Khomeini leading public prayers
Image:Khamenei at cemetery.jpg|Imam Khamenei in the center
</gallery>-->

== Sources ==
*{{source-pr|url=http://www.khamenei.ir/EN/News/detail.jsp?id=20070525A
|title=Leader Visits Sayyid Abdul Aziz al-Hakim in the Hospital
|author=
|pub=Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
|date=May 25, 2007}}

*{{source|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_5943571?nclick_check=1
|title=Iraqi Shiite leader has lung cancer
|author=HAMZA HENDAWI and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA 
|pub=The Mercury News
|date=05/20/2007 }}

*{{source|url=http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/05/19/ap3738813.html
|title=Search for U.S. Soldiers in Iraq Widens
|author=STEVEN KOMAROW 
|pub=Forbes Magazine
|date=05.19.07}}

*{{source|url=http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/2755/SCIRI_Denies_Split_With_Iran
|title=SCIRI Denies Split With Iran
|author=ZEYAD KASIM
|pub=IraqSlogger
|date=05/13/2007}}

==External links==
*[http://www.jagora.faithweb.com/ Hausa language site (Africa) about Imam Khamene'i]
*[http://www.islamicthought.org/khom-2000/sa-2000-rpt.html ICIT Conference on Imam Khomeini and the Just World Order] Pretoria, South Africa, February 11-13, 2000

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{{Archived}}
[[Category:Ali Khamenei]]
[[Category:Iraq]]
[[Category:Iran]]
[[Category:Islam]]
[[Category:Middle East]]
[[Category:Asia]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Tehran]]


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Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei visited Sayyed Abdul-Aziz Hakim while the latter was receiving medical treatment in Tehran, Iran.

Hakim has met with George W. Bush several times.

Earlier this month, Hakim was flown to Texas in the United States where he was diagnosed with lung cancer.  According to his staff, he was coughing and had other ailments.  Thence, he flew to Iran to receive medical treatment.  

Hakim has been close to the heads of state of Iran and the United States which are bitter foes.  Reports indicate that he went to Iran because he wanted to be close to his family members.

Hakim is a key player in Iraq's politics because his party, known as Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, holds many seats in Iraq's legislature.  It receives guidance from Iran’s Supreme Islamic Jurisprudent Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.  After the party changed its name recently from the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, there was speculation that Khamenei would cease to be the source of emulation for the party.  Nevertheless, the party confuted such rumors.

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Ali Khamenei Iraq Iran Islam Middle East Asia Politics and conflicts Tehran