A Brief Biography of
Hojjatoleslam Seyyed Mohammad Khatami
 President of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Personal:


His Excellency Mr. Khatami was born 1943 in Ardakan, Yazd Province, in a religious family. His father was a well known Islamic Clergyman. He is married and has three children.

Education:

In 1961 after graduation from high school, President Khatami went to the holy city of Qom to study theology and then in 1965 he continued his studies in Isfahan. He also studied philosophy at the University of Isfahan where he obtained his BA in 1969. In 1970 he entered the Univerity of Tehran to study education and graduated with an MA. After graduation he went back to Qom to follow up his philosophical studies. President Khatami speaks: Arabic, English and German in addition to Persian.

Political Career:

Before the Revolution President Khatami participated in Islamic Movement in Hozeh(Seminary) in Qom. After the revolution in 1979 he replaced Ayatollah Dr. Beheshti as Head of Hamburg Islamic Center. In 1980 he was elected as MP for Ardakan and Meibod, Yazd Province in the first consultative assembly of Iran. He was also appointed as the Leader's (Late Imam Khomeini) representative in Kayhan newspaper in 1981. From 1982 to 1992 he was the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance. In 1992 he was appointed as Advisor to former President Rafsanjani. In 1996 He was appointed as a member of High Council for Cultural Revolution by the Leader of Iran. As President he is the head of the council.

Writings:

H.E. Mr. Khatami has written different articles and books:

  • To Whom does Velayat belong? (Article 1979)
  • Tradition, Modernism and Development (Article 1996)
  • Fear of wave (Book)
  • From world city to global city (book)
  • Faith and thought trapped by depotism (Book under publication)

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