Hassan Rahimpour-Azghadi ( fa, حسن رحیم‌پور ازغدی, born 1964/1965) is an Iranian

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

public speaker,

conspiracy theorist A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * * * * The term has a nega ...

and ideologue. He has been a member of Iran's Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution since 2003.

Early life and career

Rahimpour-Azghadi was born in 1964 or 1965. He has studied at the

Qom Seminary The Qom Seminary () is the largest Islamic seminary (''hawza'') in Iran, established in 1922 by Grand Ayatollah Abdul-Karim Haeri Yazdi in Qom. It trains Usuli scholars. History Although big Shi'a academies existed in Qom dating back as early ...

, although he does not wear clerical clothing. He edited a journal of the

Feyziyeh School Feyziyya School ( fa, مدرسه فیضیه) is an old school in Iran that was founded in the Safavid era. The school has been listed as one of Iran's national monuments as of January 29, 2008. The school served as a focal point for clerical oppos ...

named ''Ketab-e naghd'' (), and published a special issue in 2000 dedicated to a critical look at feminism. 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 ...

appointed him as a member of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution in 2003, and a member of the Council of Representatives of the Supreme Leader in Universities in 2007. Rahimpour-Azghadi regularly makes public speeches which are aired by Iran's state television on a weekly basis.

Views and reception

He is considered among the new generation of

fundamentalist Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that is characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguishing ...

public speakers who, without an in-depth religious education, tries to mix

conspiracy theories A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * * * * The term has a nega ...

with theological assertions in order to theorize the establishment in Iran and its policies and provide it with a

Shi'ite Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most n ...

ideological justification. Rahimpour-Azghadi is also regarded as a leading advocate of the "ruling clergy" and the "governmental-Shi'ism" discourse in Iran, a political reading of Islam which intends to manipulate and control seminaries, in contrast to the

Shia Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...

traditional orthodoxy which favors independence from the government. Ali Mirsepassi, a professor at the New York University College of Arts & Science, describes Rahimpour-Azghadi as "one of the current arch-hardline ideologues of the Islamic Republic overnment of Iran. According to

Mehdi Khalaji Mehdi Khalaji ( fa, مهدی خلجی, born 21 September 1973) is an Iranian-American writer, scholar of Islamic studies, political analyst and a former Shia cleric. He has been researching at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy since ...

, he advises

on social issues. Since he has not published any academic works, his credentials has been questioned by critics, to which he has responded "I have a postdoc in book reading". In 2012, he claimed that Western countries are alarmed about him and a joint team of

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and

Israeli Israeli may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel * Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel * Modern Hebrew, a language * ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008 * Guni Israeli ...

intelligence agencies wanted to assassinate him. Politically, Rahimpour-Azghadi is a

and was a supporter of

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

during his administration, describing him as "a guerrilla committed to the front of the poor people of the world" who led "the most popular government in Iran's history". He is also a staunch enemy of the

Reformists 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 e ...

and has condmened presidents

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 ...

and

Hassan Rouhani Hassan Rouhani ( fa, حسن روحانی, Standard Persian pronunciation: ; born Hassan Fereydoun ( fa, حسن فریدون, links=no); 12 November 1948) is an Iranian politician who served as the seventh president of Iran from 2013 to 2021. ...

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Azghadi, Hassan Rahimpour 1964 births 1965 births Living people Shia Islamists Iranian Islamists Iranian conspiracy theorists