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Hassan Rouhani

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Hassan Rouhani is a prominent Iranian politician and religious scholar. He served as the seventh president of Iran from 2013 to 2021.

Hassan Rouhani - January 29, 2005
Hassan Rouhani - January 29, 2005

Rouhani is often described as a centrist or a reformist. This means he seeks a middle ground in politics. He also advocates for gradual changes to the government system. His influence reached a global level in 2013. That year, Time magazine included him on its list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Rouhani has held many different professional roles throughout his life. He is a sharia lawyer, which is a lawyer who specializes in Islamic law. He is also an academic and an Islamic cleric. A cleric is a religious leader. In the political sphere, he was a diplomat and a negotiator. He served in the Majlis, which is the Parliament of Iran. He also held seats on the Expediency Council and the Supreme National Security Council.

Hassan Rouhani in theologian uniform (Talabegi clothes) poster for the 1st Islamic Consultative Assembly election
Hassan Rouhani in theologian uniform (Talabegi clothes) poster for the 1st Islamic Consultative Assembly election

These roles allowed him to influence both domestic laws and international relations.

His education combined religious studies with modern legal training. Rouhani began his religious studies in 1960 at the Semnan Seminary. In 1961, he moved to the Qom Seminary to study under famous scholars. He later attended the University of Tehran. There, he earned a BA in Judicial Law in 1972. He also studied in Scotland at Glasgow Caledonian University. He earned an MPhil in Law in 1995. Finally, he received a PhD in Constitutional Law in 1999.

Hassan Rouhani childhood
Hassan Rouhani childhood

His doctoral thesis focused on the flexibility of Shariah, or Islamic law.

Rouhani's early life was shaped by political activity. He was born Hassan Fereydoun on November 12, 1948, in Sorkheh. His father, Haj Asadollah Fereydoun, was a spice shop owner. His father was also politically active against the Shah of Iran. Rouhani himself began making political speeches in 1965. He supported the Islamist movement led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Because of this activity, Rouhani was arrested many times. He eventually traveled outside Iran to join Khomeini in France.

After the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Rouhani took on significant leadership tasks. He worked to stabilize the new Islamic Republic. During the Iran–Iraq War, he held several military-related positions. He served on the Supreme Defense Council from 1982 to 1988. He also acted as the commander of the Iran Air Defense Force.

Hassan Rouhani at US Field Hospital 12-24-2003 - FEMA - 13321 - by Marty Bahamonde
Hassan Rouhani at US Field Hospital 12-24-2003 - FEMA - 13321 - by Marty Bahamonde

Later, he became a top negotiator regarding nuclear technology. He represented Iran in talks with the European Union, the UK, France, and Germany.

Rouhani's presidency was marked by two major election victories. He first ran for president in 2013. He campaigned on improving the economy and relations with Western nations.

Hassan Rouhani press conference after his election as president 14
Hassan Rouhani press conference after his election as president 14

He defeated Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to win. On August 3, 2013, he officially took office. In 2017, he ran for re-election and won a second term. He received 23,636,652 votes, which was 57.1% of the total.

Rouhani re-election celebrations in Tehran 3
Rouhani re-election celebrations in Tehran 3

This made him only the third Iranian president to win re-election as an incumbent.

During his time in office, Rouhani pursued several domestic policies. He encouraged personal freedoms and access to information. He also worked to improve the rights of women. For example, he appointed women as spokespeople for the foreign ministry. He also supported the rights of religious and ethnic minorities. However, his relationship with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei became difficult. Khamenei criticized Rouhani for being too soft during nuclear negotiations. Because of this tension, Khamenei did not appoint him to senior roles after 2021.

His career also faced academic scrutiny. In 2013 and 2017, allegations of plagiarism were raised regarding his PhD thesis. Some critics claimed he used work from Afghan author Mohammad Hashim Kamali without proper credit. Specifically, claims were made about Chapter 4 of his thesis. Glasgow Caledonian University investigated the claims. The university confirmed his status as an alumnus and published his thesis abstracts. This debate showed how academic work can become a part of political discussion.

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🖼️ Images & Media (25)
File:Order of Nasr Ribbon.svg
Order of Nasr Ribbon.svg
File:Order of Fat'h (2nd Class).svg
Order of Fat'h (2nd Class).svg
File:Hassan Rouhani childhood.jpg
Hassan Rouhani childhood.jpg
File:Hassan Rouhani's second term inauguration 26.jpg
Hassan Rouhani's second term inauguration 26.jpg
File:Khatam funeral of Asadollah Fereydoun, Noor Mosque, Tehran - 5 October 2011 01.jpg
Khatam funeral of Asadollah Fereydoun,...
File:Hassan Rouhani in theologian uniform (Talabegi clothes) poster for the 1st Islamic Consultative Assembly election.jpg
Hassan Rouhani in theologian uniform...
File:EU ministers in Iran for nuclear talks, 21 October 2003.jpg
EU ministers in Iran for nuclear talks,...
File:Hassan Rouhani - January 29, 2005.png
Hassan Rouhani - January 29, 2005.png
File:Hassan Rouhani at US Field Hospital 12-24-2003 - FEMA - 13321 - by Marty Bahamonde.jpg
Hassan Rouhani at US Field Hospital...
File:Hassan Rouhani election winning celebration 04.jpg
Hassan Rouhani election winning celebration 04.jpg
File:Hassan Rouhani press conference after his election as president 14.jpg
Hassan Rouhani press conference after his...
File:Rouhani and Raisi in Assembly of Experts.jpg
Rouhani and Raisi in Assembly of Experts.jpg

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