I would like to post a proposal for the format of naming Muslim clergy. I would like to either create a separate page
Wikipedia:Naming conventions (Islamic clergy), or post it here. My proposal is that Muslim clergy such as Ayatollahs go with their titles, just like Western clergy. For ayatollahs use the format (Grand) Ayatollah {name} {surname}. For example use
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and not Ali al-Sistani, and
Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi and not Mohammad Yazdi.
Gryffindor 21:57, 23 May 2006 (UTC)reply
Christian clergy do not go with their titles except some before about 1650s. The pope does because he is the only person alive in that highest position. Most others like
Rowan Williams don't include titles in the article name.
Moreover, there are several hundreds of "ayatollahs". For example, each of the 86-members of the
Assembly of Experts must be a mullah and many of them are "ayatollahs". We don't have articles on many members thereof except a few like
Ali Meshkini and
Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi. Plus, most Iranians call ayatollahs simply by their last names like
Jannati or
Montazeri.
Aside from the aforesaid, collectively speaking Muslim clergy are more
sanguinary than other types of clergy; so not everyone likes them in Iran except
Basijis and other minions of mullahs. But I digress in this paragraph.--
Patchouli 02:09, 1 September 2006 (UTC)reply
Use
Wikipedia:Naming conventions (Western clergy) as a start, its prior example to allow Ayatollah to be used if he has earned the title, to quote "General guideline is then to use the ecclesiastical title the person was best known, or was highest"--
Tigeroo 11:16, 21 September 2006 (UTC)reply