Mohammad Momen
Encyclopedia
Ayatollah
Mohammad Momen is a Faqih
(a cleric qualified to judge based on Islamic law
) and a very influential member of the Guardian Council
of the Islamic Republic of Iran
.
and the Assembly of Experts
, representing the Islamic holy city of Qom
in the latter and winning in the Iranian Assembly of Experts election, 2006
. He gained a very large percentage of the vote. His opponent, Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Mesbah-Yazdi, was a strong supporter and spiritual mentor of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and his victory has been interpreted by some as a sign of dissatisfaction with Ahmedinejad's policies. Because of his political influence in the government, Siyasat, a conservative weekly periodical, has been touted, along with the hard-line conservative Ayatollah Morteza Moqtadai, to be a possible replacement for Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi. Some have even said that he may succeed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
, though this is very unlikely.
. He is a notable figure among fundamentalists in Iran
. Some consider him to be more of a theologian than a politician.
Ayatollah
Ayatollah is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries. The next lower clerical rank is Hojatoleslam wal-muslemin...
Mohammad Momen is a Faqih
Faqih
A Faqīh is an expert in fiqh, or, Islamic jurisprudence.A faqih is an expert in Islamic Law, and, as such, the word Faqih can literally be generally translated as Jurist.- The definition of Fiqh and its relation to the Faqih:...
(a cleric qualified to judge based on Islamic law
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
) and a very influential member of the Guardian Council
Guardian Council
The Guardian Council of the Constitution , also known as the Guardian Council or Council of Guardians, is an appointed and constitutionally-mandated 12-member council that wields considerable power and influence in the Islamic Republic of Iran....
of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
Influence in government
He simultaneously sits on the Expediency Discernment CouncilExpediency Discernment Council
The Expediency Discernment Council of the System is an administrative assembly appointed by the Supreme Leader and was created upon the revision to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran on 6 February 1988...
and the Assembly of Experts
Assembly of Experts
The Assembly of Experts of Iran , also translated as Council of Experts, is a deliberative body of 86 Mujtahids that is charged with electing and removing the Supreme Leader of Iran and supervising his activities.Members of the assembly are elected from a government-screened list of candidates by...
, representing the Islamic holy city of Qom
Qom
Qom is a city in Iran. It lies by road southwest of Tehran and is the capital of Qom Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 957,496, in 241,827 families. It is situated on the banks of the Qom River....
in the latter and winning in the Iranian Assembly of Experts election, 2006
Iranian Assembly of Experts election, 2006
The Iranian Assembly of Experts election of 2006 was held on December 15, 2006. People elected representatives for the Assembly of Experts, the mujtahid that elect the Supreme Leader....
. He gained a very large percentage of the vote. His opponent, Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Mesbah-Yazdi, was a strong supporter and spiritual mentor of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and his victory has been interpreted by some as a sign of dissatisfaction with Ahmedinejad's policies. Because of his political influence in the government, Siyasat, a conservative weekly periodical, has been touted, along with the hard-line conservative Ayatollah Morteza Moqtadai, to be a possible replacement for Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi. Some have even said that he may succeed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Ali Khamenei
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Hoseyni Khāmene’i is the Supreme Leader of Iran and the figurative head of the Muslim conservative establishment in Iran and Twelver Shi'a marja...
, though this is very unlikely.
Political position
He is a moderate conservative, and is considered to be an excellent student of the Qur'anQur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
. He is a notable figure among fundamentalists in Iran
History of fundamentalist Islam in Iran
The history of fundamentalist Islam in Iran covers the history of Islamic revivalism and the rise of political Islam in modern Iran. Today, there are basically three types of Islam in Iran: traditionalism, modernism, and a variety of forms of revivalism usually brought together as fundamentalism...
. Some consider him to be more of a theologian than a politician.