Mohammad-Ali Abtahi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mohammad-Ali Abtahi
Vice President of Iran for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs
In office 2 September 2001 – 12 October 2004
President	Mohammad Khatami
Preceded by	Abdolvahed Mousavi Lari
Succeeded by	Majid Ansari
Head of President's Office
In office 10 August 1997 – 2 September 2001
President	Mohammad Khatami
Preceded by	Mohsen Hashemi Rafsanjani
Succeeded by	Ali Khatami
Personal details
Born	(1958-09-29) September 29, 1958 (age 66) Mashhad, Imperial State of Iran
Political party	Association of Combatant Clerics
Alma mater	Isfahan University (B.A. in Western Philosophy) University of Tehran (M.A. in education)

Seyed Mohammad-Ali Abtahi (Persian: محمدعلی ابطحی) was born on January 28, 1960, in Mashhad, Iran. He is a religious scholar, a supporter of democracy, and leads the Institute for Interreligious Dialogue. He has held important roles in the Iranian government.

In the 1980s, he worked for IRIB broadcasting in different cities. Later, from 2001 to 2004, he served as the Vice-President for Legal Affairs in the Majlis. He was also an advisor to the President from 2004 to 2005. Before that, he was the head of the President's office from 1997 to 2001.

Early Life and Family

Mohammad Ali Abtahi was born on January 28, 1960, in Mashhad. He was the oldest child of Seyed Hassan Abtahi and Seyedeh Zahra Hashemi. His family had a tradition of religious studies. In 1976, he completed his Dars-Kharij-Fiqh, which is an advanced religious education.

In late 1978, he married his cousin, Fahimeh Mousavi Nejad. They have three daughters named Faezeh, Fatemeh, and Farideh. He also has three brothers, Mohammad Taghi, Hossein, and Reza, and two sisters, Hourieh and Narges.

Public Service Career

Mohammad Ali Abtahi began his career supporting the Islamic Revolution. In 1979, he became the director of broadcasting programs in Mashhad. After studying in Qom for two years, he became the chief executive director of broadcasting in Boushehr and Shiraz.

In 1983, Abtahi moved to Tehran and became the director of Radio Iran. He held this position until 1988. Then, he became the deputy of the overseas department for IRIB Broadcasting. He also served as the deputy of international affairs for the Ministry of Islamic Guidance. In this role, he was in charge of cultural centers around the world.

After 1992, he returned to IRIB Broadcasting as an advisor. He later worked for IRIB Broadcasting in Beirut, Lebanon. In 1997, he joined Seyyed Mohammad Khatami's presidential campaign. After Khatami won, Abtahi became the head of the President's office on July 10, 1997.

After the 2001 presidential election, he became the deputy for legal affairs in the Islamic Parliament of Iran. He resigned from this role on October 12, 2004, and became an advisor to the President. He has been a member of the Founders’ Council and Central Council of Combatant Clergy Association since it was created. He also co-founded the Religions’ Dialogue NGO with his wife. He has given many speeches at international conferences about different religions.

Political Events and Public Appearances

In 2009, Mohammad Ali Abtahi supported Mehdi Karroubi in the presidential election. He was arrested on June 16, 2009, along with other reformists. After his release, several prominent figures visited him at his home. These included Mir-Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, Mohammad Khatami, Mehdi Karroubi, and Hassan Khomeini.

On May 23, 2018, Abtahi was invited to a special Ramadan breakfast ceremony. This event was hosted by the leader of Iran, and it was the first time Abtahi had attended in many years.

Government Roles

Here are some of the government positions Mohammad Ali Abtahi has held:

• 1969: Mashhad Broadcasting Director
• 1972: General Director of Boushehr and Shiraz Broadcasting
• 1973: Radio Iran Director
• 1978: Deputy of IRIB Broadcasting overseas department
• 1978: Deputy of the International Affairs of the Islamic Guidance Ministry
• 1994: IRIB Representative in Beirut
• 1997: Head of the President’s office
• 2001: Deputy of the Presidents’ Legal and Parliament Affairs
• 2004: Advisor to the President

Online Presence

Mohammad Ali Abtahi was one of the first Iranian politicians to use the Internet to write blogs. From November 2003 to June 13, 2009, he regularly wrote on his blog called "Webnevesht". He wrote for six continuous years without missing a single update. After he was imprisoned for 70 days, his weblog was updated for a week from inside the prison. However, many people were unsure if he had actually written those updates himself.

Publications

Mohammad Ali Abtahi has written several books and many articles. He has also given interviews to various news outlets.

Books

• The assassination of a President (Translation)
• A Dialogue with Christian Thinkers (Religion in the Contemporary World) (1990)
• Prudence and Tolerance (2004)
• A comic book; Al-Ahghar to Be Sacrificed for You (2004)
• For My Heart (2005)
• Without a Mask (2005)
• We Lost (A study of the political losses since 2005) (2017)
• Nuclear Halo (2017)
• I Have Come for Your Smile (2017)
• From Corona and Other Evils (2021)
• Khan Alley, a Novel (2023)
• No One Believes Here (2011) (This book has not yet received permission to be published.)

Articles and Interviews

Many of his articles have been published in newspapers both in Iran and other countries. He has also been interviewed by international broadcasters. He has given interviews in Arabic on TV programs like Aljazirah, Al-Arabia, and Arabic B.B.C.. In 2017, a friendly conversation between Siavash Ardalan and Mohammad Ali Abtahi gained a lot of attention.

Images for kids

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  Mohammad Ali Abtahi interviewing Hossein Dehbashi in Khesht Kham program

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  Mirhossein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard visit Mohammad Ali Abtahi after his release from prison

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  Seyyed Mohammad Khatami's meeting with Mohammad Ali Abtahi after his release from prison

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  Mehdi Karroubi's meeting with Mohammad Ali Abtahi after his release from prison

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  Hassan Khomeini's meeting with Mohammad Ali Abtahi after his release from prison