Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel

Early life and education

Haddad-Adel was born in Tehran on 9 May 1945 into a business family. He received a bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Tehran and also, a master's degree in physics from University of Shiraz. He also holds a PhD in philosophy from the University of Tehran which he received in 1975.

He studied Islamic philosophy under Morteza Motahhari and also under Sayyed Hossein Nasr who is famous for his critique of Marxism.

Career

Following the Iranian Revolution Haddad-Adel became a member of the Islamic Republic Party and he served in many governmental posts, including deputy culture and Islamic guidance minister (1979) and deputy education minister (1982–1993). Since 1995 he has been serving as the head of the Iranian Academy of Persian Language and Literature (except for August 2004 – 2008). He is also the executive director of the Islamic Encyclopedia Foundation. He contributed to the establishment of the national Scientific Olympiads in Iran.

Haddad-Adel served at the Majlis for thirteen years, over four terms. Since 2008, he has been the advisor to the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

He is also a member of the High Council of Cultural Revolution and the Expediency Discernment Council.

Speaker of Parliament

As the speaker of Parliament, he condemned the bombing of Samarra. He added that Islamic countries must promote solidarity through guaranteeing unity and security against common enemies. He is the first senior Iranian parliamentary official to hold negotiations with both his counterpart in Cairo and President Mubarak after the Islamic revolution.

Presidential candidacy

Haddad-Adel run for office in the presidential election held in July 2013. He 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."

He did not endorse a single candidate, but called for a hardline conservative victory. "I advise the dear people to take a correct decision so that either a conservative wins in the first round, or if the election runs to a second round, the competition between two conservatives."

President of Academy of Persian Language and Literature

Haddad-Adel is also the second president of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature. His presidency at the academy has focused on language policy and planning, and promotion of the Persian language in all domains.

Electoral history

Main article: Electoral history of Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel

Affiliation

Haddad-Adel is a senior member in the conservative umbrella organizations Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran, as well as the Popular Front of Islamic Revolution Forces (JAMNA) and is considered close to the Society of Devotees of the Islamic Revolution and the Society of Pathseekers of the Islamic Revolution.

Public image

According to a poll conducted in March 2016 by Information and Public Opinion Solutions LLC (iPOS) among Iranian citizens, Haddad-Adel has 51% approval and 27% disapproval ratings and thus a +24% net popularity; while 13% of responders don't know him.

Views

One of Haddad-Adel's most significant views has been on the hijab in western civilization. According to him in the book of The Culture of Nakedness and the Nakedness of Culture, the issue of veiling and clothing in the West is problematic. He believes that materialism is the mentality which is governed by Western culture. The culture is based on the priority of material life, with no value in anything beyond materialism. The origin of materialism as a worldview is humanism, according to the renaissance. According to Haddad-Adel, religion serves an important role in Iranian education. Referring to the dominance of religious thought in education, he pointed out that religious education is one result of the victory of the Islamic revolution. He believes that the problem of human freedom is a permanent one. The problem itself has changed with the appearance of new theories in scientific and philosophic domains, particularly in the field of anthropology. He is also an admirer of the development of non-governmental higher education, and believes that developing such schools would lead to decreased demands on the administration of education and pedagogy.

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 most trusted and backed allies of Ayatollah Khamenei.

Publications

• Farhang-e Berahnegi va Berahnegi-e Farhangi (Culture of Nudity and Nudity of Culture), Soroush, Tehran, 1981, translated into Urdu, Arabic, and Turkish.
• Haj: Namaaz-e Bozorg (Hajj: the Grand Prayer), Sana, Tehran, 2000.
• Daaneshnaame-ye Jahaan-e Eslam (The Encyclopaedia of the world of Islam), Encyclopaedia Islamica Foundation, Volumes 2–6 (as supervisor), 1996–2001.
• Textbooks on sociology, social science, Civil studies and Qur'an, for high school and guidance schools.
• History & Histography, 2012
• Tafsir: Qur'anic Exegesis, 2012
• Hawza-Yi 'Ilmiyya Shi'I Teaching Institution: An Entry from Encyclopaedia of the World of Islam, 2012
• Law: Selected Entries from Encyclopaedia of the World of Islam - Encyclopaedia of the World of Islam (EWI), 2013
• Historians of the Islamic World, 2018 (Editor)
• Muslim Organisations in the Twentieth Century: Selected Entries from Encyclopaedia of the World of Islam, 2022 (Editor)
• Historical Sources of the Islamic World: Selected Entries from Encyclopaedia of the World of Islam - Encyclopaedia of the World of Islam (EWI), 2013
• Sufism: An Entry from Encyclopaedia of the World of Islam, 2013

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.
• Translation of Quran He translated Quran to Persian. The translation of the Quran by him lasted for 9 years. He tried to use all new and old translations and consult with other scholars of the Quran during the translation. The book has been exhibited in the nineteenth international fair of the Quran in Iran. He tried to pave the way for a more easy understanding of the Quran for all. The translation of Quran according to Hadad is based on the conceptual translation. He pointed out that since many Persian people could not read very well Arabic language then he undertake the task.

In 2019, he published a travelogue titled I Went to the Desert and Found a Downpour of Love. Haddad-Adel describes his personal memories and experiences during the 2017 Arbaeen trip in this book. Additionally, he provides a report on this spiritual journey, the emotions of those present at the annual ritual, and the mawkib keepers and organizers who host and assist those traveling to Imam Hussein's (AS) shrine in Karbala for the Arbaeen celebration.

Awards and recognition

• In 2019 the organizers of The 17th Golden Pen Awards honored Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel as the Literary Figure of the Year.

References

References

1. (6 June 2004). "حداد عادل رييس مجلس هفتم شد". [[BBC Persian]].
2. (28 May 2008). "علی لاریجانی رئیس موقت مجلس نهم ایران شد". [[BBC Persian]].
3. (29 May 2004). "حداد عادل رييس موقت مجلس ايران شد". [[BBC Persian]].
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13. [https://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/conservative-drops-out-of-iranian-presidential-election.premium-1.528902 Conservative drops out of Iranian presidential election] Haaretz
14. [https://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/10/world/meast/iran-elections/?hpt=hp_t3 Candidate quits Iran presidential race] ''CNN'', 10 June 2013
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20. (24 May 2016). "ظریف محبوب‌ترین چهره سیاسی ایران". Information and Public Opinion Solutions LLC.
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22. Colin Brock, Lila Zia Levers. (2007). "Aspects of Education in the Middle East and Africa". Symposium Books Ltd.
23. Gholam Ali Hadad Adel. (2006). "A glance on the perspective of freedom".
24. (2011). "A conversation with professors on development of Highly education in Iran".
25. "Mohammad Reza Aref". Iran Election Watch.
26. Bazoobandi, Sara. (11 January 2013). "The 2013 presidential election in Iran". MEI Insight.
27. Murteza Kariminia. (2011). "Reports of translation".
28. Ali Najjarpourian, Ramazanali Gorji. (2012). "I translate Quran into persian concept by concept".
29. (7 October 2019). "Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel publishes travelog of Arbaeen pilgrimage". Tehran Times.
30. (5 July 2019). "Golden Pen Awards held without winners except for poetry, research". Tehran Times.