The wisdom of the Ayatollah: Examples of rejection of Western ideas and experience

In: Index on censorship, Band 11, Heft 1, S. 16-17

Abstract

According to the teachings of Ayatollah Khomeini, a body of stagnant water is clean and a cleansing agent if it has a minimum volume of three and a half cubic vajabs (open hands), giving it a weight of 384 kilograms. This in Islamic terminology is a Qor. Recently two professors at the University of Teheran sent 'religious queries' to the Ayatollah on this subject and asked for his verdict. Such queries are known to be answered by Khomeini personally as they constitute religious jurisprudence. Professor A asked: 'In a body of stagnant water, the exact equivalent of a Qor, a dog has urinated to the amount of 20 grams. Is this water clean or unclean?'