A Multifaceted Reading of Imam Khomeini’s Personality in the Mirror of Body Language

Document Type : Research Paper

Author
ali zareei
Ph.D. in History of the Islamic Revolution, Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22084/rjir.2025.31621.3972
Abstract
Objective: This study aims to decode the multidimensional aspects of Imam Khomeini’s (RA) personality through a systematic analysis of his body language.

Methodology: This research adopts a mixed qualitative–quantitative approach, using content analysis of visual sources (films and photographs) and written sources (memoirs). The theoretical framework combines Weber’s theory of charisma, Birdwhistell’s kinesics, Ekman and Friesen’s facial expressions, and Hall’s proxemics. In the quantitative section, 300 selected images were analyzed.

Findings:The findings reveal a dynamic system in Imam Khomeini’s (RA) body language with three main patterns. The first is the Jalālī dimension, reflected in a penetrating gaze, emphatic gestures, and an upright posture, representing authority and political decisiveness. The second is the Jamālī dimension, shown through reduced distance, smiling, and physical contact, expressing compassion and intimacy in public interactions. The third is the context of servitude, as the dominant state (55%), manifested through a humble gaze and bodily stillness, providing the spiritual source and balance of the other two dimensions.

Conclusion: The results show that Imam Khomeini’s (RA) charisma is not a fixed trait but a contextual and performative process in which spiritual humility is translated into political authority and social compassion. Body language plays a central mediating role and reflects this complex communicative and charismatic leadership process.
Keywords
Imam Khomeini
body language
nonverbal communication
charisma
qualitative content analysis
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