Ahmad Masjed-Jamei ( fa, احمد مسجدجامعی) is an Iranian

reformist Reformism is a political doctrine advocating the reform of an existing system or institution instead of its abolition and replacement. Within the socialist movement, reformism is the view that gradual changes through existing institutions can eve ...

politician and academic who was chairman of

City Council of Tehran The Islamic City Council of Tehran ( fa, شورای اسلامی شهر تهران) is the directly elected council that presides over the city of Tehran, elects the mayor of Tehran in a mayor–council government system, and budgets of the M ...

from 3 September 2013 until 3 September 2014. He served as Culture Minister under President

Mohammad Khatami Sayyid Mohammad Khatami ( fa, سید محمد خاتمی, ; born 14 October 1943) is an Iranian politician who served as the fifth president of Iran from 3 August 1997 to 3 August 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture from 1982 to ...

from 2000 to 2005. He was elected a Tehran City Councillor in

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

and was reelected in

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

Career

Culture Minister

Jamei became culture minister when Khatami's first minister,

Ata'ollah Mohajerani Sayyid Ata'ollah Mohajerani ( fa, سید عطاءالله مهاجرانی, also Romanized as Atā'ollāh Mohājerāni; born 24 July 1954) is an Iranian journalist, author, and reformist politician. Mohajerani served as Minister of Culture and Is ...

, was forced to resign following criticism by conservatives for "eroding moral standards". Jamei previously served as deputy culture minister. As culture minister he promoted

freedom of the press Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic News media, media, especially publication, published materials, should be conside ...

, saying it helps to prevent the accumulation of "negative anxieties" in society. However his efforts were undermined by the judiciary which was controlled by the Supreme Leader,

Ali Khamenei Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei ( fa, سید علی حسینی خامنه‌ای, ; born 19 April 1939) is a Twelver Shia ''marja and the second and current Supreme Leader of Iran, in office since 1989. He was previously the third president o ...

, which ordered the closure of over 100 newspapers during Jamei's tenure as culture minister Jamei protested against the closure of newspapers and arrest of journalists without effect.

Dialogue among civilizations

Following the election

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ( fa, محمود احمدی‌نژاد, Mahmūd Ahmadīnežād ), born Mahmoud Sabbaghian ( fa, محمود صباغیان, Mahmoud Sabbāghyān, 28 October 1956),

as president in the Iranian presidential election of 2005, Jamei was appointed managing director of the International Center for Dialogue Among Civilizations, an organization founded by Khatami.

Election as City Council chairman

After 2013 local election, he was nominated as chairman of

by Reformists.

Mohsen Hashemi Rafsanjani Mohsen Hashemi Rafsanjani ( fa, محسن هاشمی رفسنجانی, born 24 October 1961) is an Iranian politician, academic and engineer who served as a member and was chairman of the City Council of Tehran from 2017 to 2021. He was the deputy ...

was also Reformists' nominee for

Mayor of Tehran The Mayor of Tehran is an elected politician who, along with the City Council of 21 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Tehran. Since 2 September 2021, Alireza Zakani is the mayor of Tehran. Previously, the position was held b ...

. On 3 September 2013, Masjed-Jamei was elected as chairman by 16 out of 31 votes and succeeded

Mehdi Chamran Mehdi Chamran Save'ei ( fa, مهدی چمران; born 9 September 1941) is an Iranian architect and conservative politician who currently holds office as the chairman of the City Council of Tehran. Early life and education Chamran is the brother ...

in the post.مسجد جامعی رئیس شورای شهر تهران شد
''Khabar Online''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Masjed-Jamei, Ahmad Living people People from Tehran Government ministers of Iran Iranian reformists Chairmen of City Council of Tehran Presidential advisers of Iran Tehran Councillors 2017– Tehran Councillors 2013–2017 Tehran Councillors 2007–2013 Recipients of the Order of Culture and Art 1956 births University of Tehran alumni