Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel

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Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel : biography

1945 –

Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel (غلامعلی حداد عادل in Persian, born 9 May 1945) is an Iranian philosopher, politician and former chairman of the Parliament. He is the first non-cleric in the post since the Iranian Revolution of 1979. He was one of the candidates in the 2013 presidential election but withdrew on 10 June, four days before the election.

Publications

Books
  • Farhang-e Berahnegi va Berahnegi-e Farhangi (Culture of Nudity and Nudity of Culture), Soroush, Tehran, 1981, translated to Urdu, Arabic, and Turkish.
  • Haj: Namaaz-e Bozorg (Hajj: the Grand Prayer), Sana, Tehran, 2000.
  • Daaneshnaame-ye Jahaan-e Eslam (The Encyclopedia of the Islamic World), Islamic Encyclopedia Foundation, Volumes 2-6 (as supervisor), 1996-2001.
  • Textbooks on sociology, social science, Civil studies and Qur’an, for high school and guidance schools.
Translations
  • Tamhidaat: Moghaddame-i baraaye har Maa-ba’d-ot-tabi’e-ye Aayande ke be onvaan-e yek Elm Arze Shavad, a translation of Immanuel Kant’s Prolegomena to any Future Metaphysics, Iran University Press, Tehran, 1988.
  • Nazariye-ye Ma’refat dar Falsafe-ye Kaant, a translation of Justus Hartnack’s Kant’s Theory of Knowledge, Fekr-e Rooz, Tehran, 2000.

Personal life

Haddad-Adel’s daughter married Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran. This has led to the popular belief that he is among the very trusted and backed allies of Ayatollah Khamenei.

Early life and Education

Haddad-Adel was born on 9 May 1945 in Tehran. He received his PhD in philosophy from the University of Tehran in 1975, and also, holds a BSc and an MSc in Physics from the University of Tehran and University of Shiraz, respectively. He studied Islamic philosophy under Morteza Motahhari and also under Sayyed Hossein Nasr who is famous for his critique of Marxism.

Career

While officially ranking as the 33rd candidate of Tehran in the 2000 parliamentary election after some recounts by the Council of Guardians which had led to annulment of 700,000 Tehrani votes and removal of Alireza Rajaei and Ali Akbar Rahmani from the top 30, and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani quit. Haddad-Adel collected the most votes from Tehran four years later, while most of Tehranis refused to vote in 2004 election because many reformist candidates where not allowed to run. He was supported by the Abadgaran alliance and became the Speaker of Parliament for one year on 6 June 2004, with 226 votes out of 259. There was no other candidate running.

After the Iranian Revolution which resulted in his membership in Islamic Republic Party, he served in many governmental posts, including Vice Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Vice Minister of Education, the head of the Iranian Academy of Persian Language and Literature (until August 2004), and Executive Director of Islamic Encyclopedia Foundation. He also contributed to launch the national scientific olympiads in Iran.

He is also currently a member of Academy of Persian Language and Literature, the High Council of Cultural Revolution, and also the Expediency Discernment Council.

2013 presidential election

Haddad-Adel formed a coalition named 2+1 with Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Ali Akbar Velayati in October 2012 to one of them be the coalition’s candidate in the upcoming election. He was registered as a presidential candidate and was approved to run in the election by the Guardian Council, a vetting body of clerics and jurists, along with seven other men. He withdrew his candidacy from 14 June presidential election on 11 June. He said in a statement carried by the semi-official Mehr news agency:"With my withdrawal I ask the dear people to strictly observe the criteria of the Supreme Leader of the Revolution (Khamenei) when they vote for candidates."