The great-grandson of the leader of Iran's 1979 revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, has been forced to defend his way of life. Ahmad Khomeini was reacting to the publication of his picture online. The image shows him standing next to a young woman at a horseback riding center. He is wearing high-end sunglasses and a Nike shirt. Iranian social-media users are condemning the 21-year-old clergyman's luxury horse-riding as an activity most Iranians could never experience. They say it is far too costly. Iranians are dealing with a collapse in the value of their money after the enactment of new United States sanctions on Iran. The U.S. actions are meant to punish the Iranian government for its military and nuclear efforts. The head of the Khorasan news agency, Mohammad Said Ahadian, said the picture damaged "the reputation of the Imam," meaning Ruhollah Khomeini. He added that the former leader lived a simple life to demonstrate his sympathy for the poor.
