Morteza Aghatehrani

Morteza Aghatehrani (Persian: مرتضی آقاتهرانی) is an Iranian Shia cleric and conservative politician. He was former secretary-general of the Front of Islamic Revolution Stability,^[1] and now representing Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr in the Parliament of Iran since 2020. He was also a member of Iranian Parliament form 2008 to 2016.

Morteza Aghatehrani
Aghatehrani in 2013
Member of the Parliament of Iran
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 May 2020
Constituency	Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat, Eslamshahr and Pardis
Majority	868,025 (47.13%)
In office 27 May 2008 – 26 May 2016
Constituency	Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr
Majority	690,848 (29.59%)
Personal details
Born	1957 (age 66–67) Esfahan, Iran
Political party	Front of Islamic Revolution Stability
Other political affiliations	Electoral lists United Front of Principlists (2008) Principlists Grand Coalition (2016) Parliamentary groups Principlists (2008–09) Islamic Revolution (2009–12) Principlists (2012–16)
Alma mater	McGill University Binghamton University
Website	http://www.aghatehrani.ir

A protégé of Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi, he was the "morality teacher" of the cabinet of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.^[2]

Aghatehrani he was formerly Imam of 'Islamic Institute of New York', a Shia mosque located in New York City.^[3]

Education

Aghatehrani went to Canada to pursue his graduate studies at McGill University,^[3] before gaining a PhD in Middle East Studies from State University of New York at Binghamton and defending a thesis entitled "Khajah Nasir al-Din Tusi on the Meta-Mysticism of Ibn Sina" in 2000.^[4]

Controversy

In 2012, it stirred controversy when it was revealed that Aghatehrani holds a Green card, tantamount to permanent residency status in the United States, while he is often regarded "strongly anti-foreign".^[5]

References

1. Nikolay Kozhanov (28 February 2012), Iran's Majlis Elections: Whoever Wins, the West Loses, The Washington Institute, retrieved 15 April 2017
2. Erdbrink, Thomas (6 May 2011), "Arrests show Ahmadinejad under increasing pressure from Iran's clerics", The Washington Post, retrieved 20 January 2020
3. Daneshgar, Majid (2020), Studying the Qur'ān in the Muslim Academy, Oxford University Press, p. 145, ISBN 9780190067540
4. Leusmann, Harald (Winter 2001), "Recent (1999-2001) Doctoral Degrees in Middle East Studies", Middle East Studies Association Bulletin, 35 (2), Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA): 279–296, doi:10.1017/S0026318400043960, JSTOR 23063529, S2CID 164423046
5. "Right, independents wipe out the rest", Iran Times, 11 March 2012, retrieved 20 January 2020

• Profile at Iranian Parliament Archived 28 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine

Party political offices
New title Party established	Secretary-General of the Front of Islamic Revolution Stability 2011–2021	Succeeded by Sadegh Mahsouli