Mohammad-Reza Mahdavi Kani

Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani (Persian: محمدرضا مهدوی کنی , born 8 April 1931) is an Iranian cleric, conservative politician and writer and current Chairman of the Assembly of Experts.

Previously, he was Acting Prime Minister of Iran from 2 September 1980 when Prime Minister Mohammad-Javad Bahonar was assassinated until 29 October 1981.

In 2011 he was elected as the Chairman of the Assembly of Experts, which elects and supervises the Supreme Leader of Iran.

He is the current leader of Combatant Clergy Association.

Early life

He was born on 8 April 1931 in the village of Kan in the near of Tehran. His father was an Ayatollah too and taught in the Mofid School. After he finished elementary school in Kan and Tehran he attended the religious school of Borhan for 3 years. Then he went to Qom and, until 1961, he was a pupil of great masters of the time such as:

Political career

Early activity

After the demise of Ayatollah Boroujerdi, he went back to Tehran and continued his struggle against the Pahlavi regime, 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 Ruhollah Khomeini. Before the victory of the Islamic Revolution, he was appointed by Khomeini to the Revolutionary Council and later took up various political and religious positions.

After Iranian revolution

He became the Minister of Interior in the Cabinet of Mohammad-Ali Rajai to succeeding Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani that he was elected as Chairman of Parliament. He was re-appointed as Minister of Interior in the Cabinet of Mohammad-Javad Bahonar. He became the Interim Prime Minister 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 and Prime Minister Mohammad Javad Bahonar.

Mahdavi Kani in the founder and current head of Imam Sadegh University in Tehran, a university specializing in humanities. He has also been a member of the Constitutional Amendment Council of Iran, appointed by Ayatollah Khomeini, the Supreme Leader of Iran, to review and amend the Constitution of Iran in 1989.

Currently, he is the Leader of Combatant Clergies' Association (Jame-e-y-e-Rowhaniat-e-Mobarez); he was elected as its leader in 1979.

Assembly of Experts

He was elected as Chairman of the Assembly of Experts in 8 March 2011 after Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani resigned as Chairman. He was elected as member of Assembly of Experts in 2008 in a by-election from Tehran.

Works

Some of his works published at this time are:

"The Beginning Points in Practical Ethics"

"The Origins & Basis of Islamic Economy" (A satirical masterpiece)

"The Book of "Beest goftar" (20 Discourses)

Positions

His responsibilities in the past:

– Chief of the Islamic Revolution Committees

– Member of the Guardian Council

– Interior Minister in Shaheed Rajaie and Bahonar cabinets. After their martyrdom he acted as caretaker prime minister too

– Member of the Higher Council of Cultural Revolution

– Being in charge of the headquarters for taking care of the war-stricken areas.

– Member of the Constitution Amendment Assembly.

– Member of the Expediency Council.

– Head of the center for attending to the mosques’ affairs.

– Chairman of the Assembly of Experts

See also

• Interim government of Iran, 1981