Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani (, 6 August 1931 – 21 October 2014) was an Iranian

Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

cleric Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

, writer and

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

and principlist politician who was

Prime Minister of Iran The prime minister of Iran was a political post that had existed in Iran (Persia) during much of the 20th century. It began in 1906 during the Qajar dynasty and into the start of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1923 and into the 1979 Iranian Revolution ...

from 2 September until 29 October 1981. Before that, he was

Minister of Interior An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...

in the cabinets of

Mohammad-Ali Rajai Mohammad-Ali Rajai (; 15 June 1933 – 30 August 1981) was an Iranian politician who served as the second president of Iran from 2 August 1981 until his assassination four weeks later. Before his presidency, Rajai had served as prime minister un ...

and

Mohammad-Javad Bahonar Mohammad-Javad Bahonar (, 5 September 1933 – 30 August 1981) was a Shia Iranian theologian and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Iran for less than one month in August 1981. Bahonar and other members of Mohammad-Ali Rajai's govern ...

. He was the leader of

Combatant Clergy Association The Combatant Clergy Association () is a politically active group in Iran, but not a political party in the traditional sense. It has never been registered as a political party; however, it acts as a fragmented caucus and has actively operated ...

and

Chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

of the

Assembly of Experts The Assembly of Experts (), also translated as the Assembly of Experts of the Leadership or as the Council of Experts, is the deliberative body empowered to appoint the Supreme Leader of Iran. All directly elected members must first be vetted ...

and also founder and president of

Imam Sadiq University The Imam Sadiq University () is an Islamic private university in Tehran, Iran. Established in 1982, the goal of the university is to combine Islamic research and modern studies, especially humanities. The university was dedicated to training pol ...

Early life

Mahdavi Kani was born on 6 August 1931 in the village of Kan, near

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

. His father was an Ayatollah and taught in the Mofid School. After he finished basic education in Kan, he studied at Borhan High School in Tehran. He left for

Qom Qom (; ) is a city in the Central District of Qom County, Qom province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is the seventh largest metropolis and also the seventh largest city in Iran. The city is ...

in 1947 to study at a religious seminary. His teachers included Ayatollah

Ruhollah Khomeini Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini (17 May 1900 or 24 September 19023 June 1989) was an Iranian revolutionary, politician, political theorist, and religious leader. He was the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the main leader of the Iranian ...

Nematollah Salehi Najafabadi Ayatollah Nematollah Salehi Najafabadi (1923/24 in Najafabad, Isfahan province – 2006 in Tehran) was an Iranian cleric, scholar and proponent of Islamic Unity, who spent most years after the Iranian revolution of 1979 under house arrest. T ...

, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Reza Golpayegani, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Hossein Boroujerdi and Allameh Sayyed Muhammad Husayn Tabatabaei. He came back to Tehran in 1961 to teach religious sciences. In that time, most of clerics participated in protests against Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi. Mahdavi Kani joined these clerics and formed alliance with Ayatollah Khomeini. He also was imprisoned by Shah three times.

Career

After the demise of Ayatollah Boroujerdi, Mahdavi Kani went back to Tehran and continued his struggle against the

Pahlavi regime The Pahlavi dynasty () is an Iranian royal dynasty that was the last to rule Iran before the country's monarchy was abolished by the Iranian Revolution in 1979. It was founded in 1925 by Reza Shah Pahlavi, a non-aristocratic Iranian soldier ...

, something which he had started since he was 18, during the time of Ayatollah Boroujerdi. He was considerably active and effective in his participation in the Islamic movement of Iran led by Khomeini. Before the

Islamic Revolution The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Im ...

, he was appointed by Khomeini to the Revolutionary Council and later took up various political and religious positions. He was the leader of the

, which he cofounded in 1977. Mahdavi Kani refused to join

Islamic Republican Party The Islamic Republican Party (IRP; , also translated Islamic Republic Party) was formed in 1979 to assist the Iranian Revolution and Ayatollah Khomeini in their goal to establish theocracy in Iran. It was disbanded in 1987 due to internal confl ...

in 1979, because he believed clerics should remain non-partisan. He was appointed chief of the Central Provisional Komiteh for the Islamic Revolution that was a body in charge of trials and executions of the civil and military officials of the Pahlavi era. He served as the minister of interior in the cabinet of

to succeeding

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani Akbar Hashemi Bahramani Rafsanjani (25 August 19348 January 2017) was an Iranian cleric, politician and writer who served as the fourth president of Iran from 1989 to 1997. One of the founding fathers of the Government of Iran, Islamic Republic, ...

. He was reappointed as minister of interior in the cabinet of

. He became the interim

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

on 2 September 1981 and was in office until 29 October 1981. He was also chairman of provisional presidential council, after the assassination of president

Mohammad Ali Rajai Mohammad-Ali Rajai (; 15 June 1933 – 30 August 1981) was an Iranian politician who served as the second president of Iran from 2 August 1981 until his assassination four weeks later. Before his presidency, Rajai had served as prime minister un ...

and prime minister

Mohammad Javad Bahonar Mohammad-Javad Bahonar (, 5 September 1933 – 30 August 1981) was a Shia Iranian theologian and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Iran for less than one month in August 1981. Bahonar and other members of Mohammad-Ali Rajai's govern ...

. He has also been a member of the Constitutional Amendment Council of Iran, appointed by

Ayatollah Khomeini Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini (17 May 1900 or 24 September 19023 June 1989) was an Iranian revolutionary, politician, political theorist, and religious leader. He was the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the main leader of the Iranian ...

, the

Supreme Leader of Iran The supreme leader of Iran, also referred to as the supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution, but officially called the supreme leadership authority, is the head of state and the highest political and religious authority of Iran (above the Presi ...

, to review and amend the

Constitution of Iran The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran (, ''Qanun-e Asasi-ye Jomhuri-ye Eslâmi-ye Iran'') is the supreme law of Iran. It was adopted by referendum on 2 and 3 December 1979, and went into force replacing the Constitution of 1906. It ...

in 1989. He was also elected as member of the assembly in 2008 in a by-election from

. Mahdavi Kani is the founder and former head of

, a university specializing in

humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture, including Philosophy, certain fundamental questions asked by humans. During the Renaissance, the term "humanities" referred to the study of classical literature a ...

. He was elected as chairman of the

on 8 March 2011 after

Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani Akbar Hashemi Bahramani Rafsanjani (25 August 19348 January 2017) was an Iranian cleric, politician and writer who served as the fourth president of Iran from 1989 to 1997. One of the founding fathers of the Islamic Republic, Rafsanjani was the ...

resigned from office. In March 2013, he was reelected to the post for further two years.

Illness and death

Mahdavi Kani was hospitalized for a stroke on

's death anniversary, which brought him to coma on 4 June 2014. He was in coma for more than five months and died on 21 October 2014 at the age of 83. Mahdavi Kani was survived by his three children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Hours after Mahdavi Kani's death, his office announced that his state funeral will be held on 23 October and his body will be buried at

Shah-Abdol-Azim shrine The Shāh Abdol-Azīm Shrine (; ) is a Twelver Twelver Shi'ism, Twelver Shia Islam, Shi'ite Imamzadeh, funerary monument and religious complex, located in Rey, Iran, Rey, in the province of Tehran Province, Tehran, Iran. The complex contains th ...

. Iranian

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Hassan Rouhani Hassan Rouhani (; born Hassan Fereydoun, 12 November 1948) is an Iranian peoples, Iranian politician who served as the seventh president of Iran from 2013 to 2021. He is also a sharia lawyer ("Wakil"), academic, former diplomat and Islamic cl ...

also announced two

days of mourning A national day of mourning is a day, or one of several days, marked by mourning and memorial activities observed among the majority of a country's populace. They are designated by the national government. Such days include those marking the deat ...

in his memorial.

Works

The following works of Mohammad-Reza Mahdavi Kani are published: *The Beginning Points in Practical Ethics *The Book of Beest goftar (20 Discourses) *Starting Points in Practical Logic *The Basics and Principles of Islamic Economy in Holy Koran *The Explanation of Iftitah Prayer

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahdavi Kani, Mohammad Reza 1931 births 2014 deaths Iranian ayatollahs Prime ministers of Iran Interior ministers of Iran People from Tehran province Combatant Clergy Association secretaries-general People of the Iranian Revolution Iranian revolutionaries Council of the Islamic Revolution members Islamic Revolution Committees personnel Members of the Guardian Council Burials at Shah Abdol-Azim Shrine

Early life

Career

Illness and death

Works

See also

References