The Imam Al-Khoei Benevolent Foundation (Persian: مؤسسه خیریه امام خویی, romanized: Mo'assese Xeyriyye Emâm Khoei) is an organization created by Abul-Qassim Khoei, a Grand Ayatollah who was considered by much of the Shia world as his time's premier leader of Shias across the world. It is an international religious charitable institution.
History
The Al-Khoei Foundation began relief work in parts of southern Iraq after the first Gulf War, delivering relief supplies in defiance of US-imposed sanctions.
The Guardian wrote:
Khoei was also concerned to put the Shia faith in a better light in the west, after its shameful misrepresentation, especially in the US press during the Iranian Revolution and the Iran–Iraq War, when to be a Shia was virtually equated with being a fanatic—a time, when, as he recalled, there were those in the US who were "scared to shake hands with a man in a black turban". The result of his efforts was that the al-Khoei Foundation became a UN-affiliated consultative body, and the voice of the worldwide Shia community was heard at last in the halls of power, both east and west.
On April 12, 2003, the Al-Khoei family revealed that they are determined to continue the work of their murdered Abdul Majid al-Khoei who was killed in Najaf.
References
- "Murdered cleric's family vow to continue his work". The Guardian. 13 April 2003.
- Wood, Michael (12 April 2003). "Abdul Majid al-Khoei". The Guardian.