Ahmad Alamolhoda | |
---|---|
![]() Alamolhoda in his office at Mashhad | |
Member of the Assembly of Experts | |
Assumed office 19 February 2007 | |
Constituency | Razavi Khorasan Province |
Majority | 1,235,565 (44.43%) |
Personal details | |
Born | Mashhad, Imperial State of Iran | 1 September 1944
Political party | Combatant Clergy Association |
Spouse |
Sakineh Rikhtegarzadeh
(died 2017) |
Children | 7, including Jamileh |
Relatives | Ebrahim Raisi (son-in-law) Abdol Javad Alamolhoda (older brother) |
Sayyid Ahmad Alamolhoda (also Alam Olhoda or Alam al-Hoda; Persian: احمد علمالهدی; born September 1, 1944) is an Iranian Shia Islamic cleric who has been described as "senior"[1] and "ultra conservative"[2] and "hardline."[3] His rank has been given both as Hojjatoleslam[4] and Ayatollah.[5] He is the Friday Prayer leader in Mashhad, Iran,[4] and is that city's representative in the Iranian Assembly of Experts.[6] Alamolhoda is a member of Combatant Clergy Association.[7]
Alamolhoda name appeared in international media as a speaker at a December 30, 2009 rally held in favor of the Islamic regime, where he was quoted as calling opponents of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei In comments broadcast on Iranian state TV, Alamolhoda told demonstrators,
"Enemies of the leader, according to the Quran, belong to the party of Satan ... Our war in the world is war against the opponents of the rule of the supreme leader."[8]
Alamolhoda was a strong critic of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the previous head of the Assembly of Experts, whom Alamolhoda attacked for "his silence in the face of unprecedented insults against the leader of the revolution" (Ali Khamenei), and warned him to "reform his behavior before it was too late."[6]
Alamolhoda is known for his restrictive measures against women's rights in Iran. He has in his Friday Prayers speeches spoken against women's right to ride bicycles in Mashhad. He opposes women entering football stadiums in Mashhad. He stands against the holding of concerts in Mashhad, believing that people who travel to the "holy city of Mashhad" should only come for prayers.[9]
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