Hojatoleslam Hadi Khamenei (b. 1947) is a mid-ranking cleric ^[1] who is a member of the reformist Association of Combatant Clerics, and a former member of the Majlis of Iran representing a district in Tehran.^[2] He is a younger brother of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with whom he disagrees and from whom he is estranged.^[3][4]

Contents 1 Early life & education 2 Politics 3 Attack 4 Newspapers 5 Notes 6 See also

[edit] Early life & education

Born to an Iranian Azeri father and a Persian mother from Yazd, Hadi Khamenei grew up in the 1950s, one of eight siblings, spending his free time raising birds and playing sports. He says that his father did not force him into religious studies. ^[5]

During his school career, he developed an interest in humanities and eventually studied History & Azerbaijani literature at the State University of Baku in 1960s.^[6] Upon graduating, he began studying languages and History independantly. He remains active as a critic of poetry & History and is known to give lectures in Universities & schools across Iran.^[7]

Besides his native Persian, Khamenei is fluent in the Arabic, Armenian, Azerbaijani, English, Russian, Turkish and Urdu.^[8]

[edit] Politics

Hadi Khamenei became a leading reformer in the 1990s, putting him at odds with his older brother, whose official position he criticized as having too much power. Hadi Khamenei was an important adviser to reformist President Mohammad Khatami.^[9] He was a deputy minister in the 1980s.^[10]

Aside from Association of Combatant Clerics, Hadi Khamenei is Secretary-general of the Society of Forces Following the Line of the Imam (Khat-e-Imam).^[11]

`The political right in this country say that the supreme leader is above the law, that he can change the law, that he can decree anything he feels is right. Those powers can cause a dictatorship,` he told American author Robin Wright in a 2000 interview in Tehran. Hadi Khamenei argues that the Guardian Council's vetting of candidates threatens Iranian democracy. He believes that some reformist candidates are wrongly kept from running. ^[12] In 1998, the Guardian Council rejected Hadi Khamenei's candidacy for a seat in the Assembly of Experts.^[13] Hadi Khamenei was rejected for having "insufficient theological qualifications." ^[14]

[edit] Attack

In the 1990s Hadi Khamenei spoke at seminaries across Iran and launched a newspaper to provide alternative coverage to the media. Opponents responded by physically attacking him during lectures, (he required hospitalization for head injuries suffered at a Qom mosque), banning his newspaper, disqualifying him from running for the Assembly of Experts. ^[15] In February 11 1999, around one hundred people attacked Hadi Khamenei in Qom.^[16] The attackers fractured Hadi Khamenei's skull.^[17] The mob used "stones, sticks, iron rods and shoes" to attack Hadi Khamenei.^[18] The Iranian police arrested 45 people who were suspected to be involved in the attack.^[17]

The editors of the newspapers Salam, Khordad, Sobh-i Imruz, Hamshahri, Akhbar, Iran, Etelaat, Iran News, Zan, Arya, and Kar va Kargar signed a letter condemning the attack on Hadi Khamenei.^[19] The Ministry of Islamic Guidance and Culture and the "Society of Lecturers and Researchers at Qom's Theological Seminary" also condemned the attack.^[19]

Some conservatives blamed Hadi Khamenei for the attack. Member of Parliament Rajab Rahmani argued that Hadi Khamenei staged the attack to get attention and pity.^[20] Mohammad Mohajeri of the Kayhan newspaper suggested that Hadi Khamenei's comments were "the root cause of violence."^[20]

[edit] Newspapers

The Special Court for the Clergy, a tribunal appointed by the Supreme Leader, accused Hadi Khamenei's newspaper, Hayat-e No, of "press offenses."^[21] The newspaper was accused of insulting Imam Khomeini in a cartoon. In parliament, Hadi Khamenei said that he would have rather died than be accused of insulting the imam.^[22] The Special Court for Clergy temporarily banned Hayat-e No in January 2000.^[23] According to the Guardian, Hayat-e No is regarded as reliable.^[24] According to the Financial Times, Hayat-e No is a pro-reform daily.^[25] Hadi Khamenei's other newspaper, Jahan-e Islam, was shut down in 1995. The newspaper was accused of insulting Islamic beliefs and publishing false information.^[26][27] According to the The New York Times, Jahan-e Islam was a moderate daily.^[28] However, in 1995, The New York Times characterized as Hadi Khamenei's newspaper, Jahan-e Islam, as a "hard-line Islamic newspaper."^[29]

[edit] Notes

[edit] See also

• Shahram Jazayeri-Arab
• List of members of Constitutional Amendment Council of Iran