Sadeq Tabatabaei facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sadeq Tabatabaei
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Deputy Prime Minister of Iran for Public Relations | |
| In office August 1979 – 6 November 1979 |
|
| Prime Minister | Mehdi Bazargan |
| Preceded by | Abbas Amir-Entezam |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 March 1943 Qom, Imperial State of Iran |
| Died | 21 February 2015 (aged 71) Düsseldorf, Germany |
| Political party | Freedom Movement (1969–1980) |
| Spouse | Fatemeh Sadrameli (1965–2015, his death) |
| Relations | Musa al-Sadr (uncle) Ahmad Khomeini (brother-in-law) Hassan Khomeini (nephew) Zohreh Sadeghi (cousin) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Ruhr University Bochum |
| Profession | Politician, writer and TV host |
Sadeq Tabatabaei (Persian: صادق طباطبایی; 25 March 1943 – 21 February 2015) was an Iranian writer, journalist, and university professor. He was also a politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister of Iran from 1979 to 1980. He helped organize an important vote in March 1979 to create an Islamic Republic in Iran. Later, he was Iran's Ambassador to West Germany from 1982 to 1986.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sadeq Tabatabaei was born on 12 December 1943 in the city of Qom, Iran. His father was Ayatollah Mohammad-Bagher Tabatabaei. His uncle was Musa al-Sadr, a well-known religious leader. Sadeq's sister, Fatemeh, married Ahmad Khomeini, who was the son of Ruhollah Khomeini. This made Sadeq the uncle of Hassan Khomeini.
After finishing his early schooling, Sadeq moved to Germany with his uncle, Musa al-Sadr. He began studying chemistry at Ruhr University Bochum. After he graduated, he became a professor at the university. He also became a member of a German research organization called Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).
In 1961, Tabatabaei went to Aachen to study biochemistry. He later earned his doctorate degree from the University of Bochum. While in Aachen, he started a student group. This group worked against the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in Iran. He shared information about Iran with a German journalist named Ulrike Meinhof. This information was used in a magazine article that spoke out against the Shah's visit to West Germany in 1967.
Political Journey
While he was a student, Sadeq Tabatabaei met Mehdi Bazargan. He joined Bazargan's political group, the Freedom Movement of Iran. Tabatabaei became a strong supporter of Ruhollah Khomeini. He wrote many articles about Khomeini and his movement in German newspapers.
Tabatabaei was with Khomeini in Paris when Khomeini was in exile. He helped organize many meetings there. He later said that he was one of eight people who helped prepare the revolution from outside Iran. He stayed in touch with Khomeini during this time.
On 1 February 1979, Tabatabaei flew back to Iran with Khomeini on an Air France plane. This was after the Iranian Revolution had begun.
Roles in Government
After the revolution succeeded, Tabatabaei became the Head of the Political and Social Department at the Ministry of Interior. He was in charge of holding the 1979 vote. This vote led to the creation of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Soon after, Mehdi Bazargan appointed him as Deputy Prime Minister. He also served as the spokesman for the government. He held this position until Mohammad-Ali Rajai became the new prime minister. In 1980, he ran for president in the 1980 Iranian presidential election. He finished fifth out of many candidates.
From 1979 to 1982, Tabatabaei worked in different government roles. He was deputy interior minister and government spokesman. From November 1979 to September 1980, he worked as Secretary of State in the Prime Minister's office.
Tabatabaei also helped with important international talks. For example, on 21 March 1980, he met with German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher in Bonn. They talked about finding a solution to the Iran hostage crisis in Tehran. He kept in touch with the German government. He shared updates about discussions happening in the Iranian government and parliament.
Later Political Activities
Later, Tabatabaei was a special envoy for the Iranian Government. This meant he traveled abroad to handle special tasks.
He was considered a possible candidate for the 2009 Iranian presidential election. However, he decided not to run and supported Mohsen Rezaee instead. He then became one of Rezaee's advisors. In the 2013 Iranian presidential election, he was Rezaee's deputy campaign manager. He was also a possible candidate for vice president.
Final Years and Passing
Sadeq Tabatabaei passed away on 21 February 2015 in Düsseldorf, Germany. He had been living there for about six months. He was suffering from lung cancer.
His body was brought back to Iran. A public funeral was held on 26 February in Tehran. He was buried at Ruhollah Khomeini's mausoleum.
Family Life
Sadeq Tabatabaei married his cousin, Fatemeh Sadrameli, in 1965. She studied psychology and sociology of education. They had two children. Their daughter, Ghazaleh, was born in 1973 and became a physician and neurologist. Their son, Adnan, was born in 1979 and became a political economist.
As mentioned, he was the nephew of Musa al-Sadr. His sister was married to Ruhollah Khomeini's son, Ahmad. This made Ahmad Khomeini his brother-in-law. Hassan Khomeini is his nephew.
