Ali Meshkini

Ali Meshkini
1st Chairman of the Assembly of Experts for Leadership
In office
12 November 1983 – 30 July 2007
Supreme LeaderRuhollah Khomeini
Ali Khamenei
Preceded byOffice created
Succeeded byAkbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Member of the Assembly of Experts for Leadership
In office
15 August 1983 – 30 July 2007
ConstituencyTehran Province
Member of the Assembly of Experts for Constitution
In office
15 August 1979 – 15 November 1979
ConstituencyEast Azerbaijan Province
Majority434,262 (47.9%)
Personal details
Born(1921-12-02)2 December 1921
Meshgin Shahr, Iran
Died30 July 2007(2007-07-30) (aged 85)
Tehran, Iran
Political partyCombatant Clergy Association
Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom

Ali Akbar Feiz Aleni (Persian: علی‌اکبر فیض آلنی; 2 December 1921[1] – 30 July 2007[2][3]), better known as Ali Meshkini (علی مشکینی), was an Iranian cleric and politician.

Life

Meshkini was an Iranian Azerbaijani born in a village near Meshkin Shahr[4] and the Sabalan mountain.[5] He was born as Āli, but preferred the pronunciation Ali during his career. He succeeded Ayatollah Montazeri as chairman of the Iranian Assembly of Experts after the latter was ousted. The Assembly of Experts selects the Supreme Leader of Iran and supervises his activities.

Meshkini chaired the commission that drafted the amendment of 1989 to the 1979 constitution of Iran. Within the commission, he also chaired one of its four committees, the one tasked with drafting amendments that would strengthen the judiciary. As such, he was an influential force in changing the leadership of the judiciary from a triumvirate, the Supreme Judicial Council, to an individual in 1989.

He was the author of many books on Islamic jurisprudence and general issues of Islam. Mohammadi Reyshahri, Iran's minister of intelligence from 1984 to 1989, was Meshkini's son-in-law.

Meshkini was the chair of the Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom[6] and also served as Friday prayer leader in Qom. Despite his old age and poor health,[7] he became a candidate for re-election in 2006 Assembly of Experts elections.[7]

Death

Meshkini died on 30 July 2007 at 16:30 local time, at Tehran Hospital, of respiratory and kidney failure.[8]

Quotes and political views

Meshkini was known for his unyielding support of the likes of Ahmadinejad and the hardline politicians of Iran. He regarded the Iranian reformist movement "as a complete waste of time" and on several occasions called for the resignation of the likes of Mohammad Khatami.[9]

After the election of Ahmadinejad, Meshkini spoke at a Friday prayer in Ardebil saying: "As the Supreme Leader of The Assembly of Experts of the Islamic Republic of Iran, it gives me great pleasure to announce that Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is our new President. From this moment onwards, we will follow his words (religiously). Our people in Azerbaijan will follow him alongside the Persians in the same spirit of brotherhood that we have kept for decades ... as Shia's".

After the Israel-Lebanon conflict, Meshkini has been quoted to say that "victory of the Lebanese Hizbollah over the Zionist regime was a divine phenomenon."[10]

Referring to US occupation of Iraq, Meshkini said: "A bully has embarked on a military expedition and has attacked another bully in the midst of Islamic countries ... Look at what they have done and what they are doing under the pretext of freedom ... The mask of deception has been lifted from the face of Bush and Blair. It has become clear that they are both blood-sucking Hitlers."[11]

References

  1. ^ A part of the biography of Ayatollah Ali Akbar Feiz Aleni Archived 2020-09-21 at the Wayback Machine darolsadeghiyon.ir
  2. ^ "فيض آنى (مشكينى) ـ على اكبر" [Faiz Ani (Meshkini) - Ali Akbar]. Encyclopedia of Tabriz (in Persian). Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  3. ^ "Archived copy". jameeh.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ "The chairman of the Assembly of Experts died" (in Persian). Radio Zamaneh. 30 August 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2007.
  5. ^ Modarresi, Farid. "Ayatollah's trilogy (سه‌گانهٔ آیت‌الله)" (in Persian). Shahrvand -e Emrooz. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2007.
  6. ^ "Ayatollah Meshkini's letter to the districts ulama: the list of candidates of the Society of Teachers for the Assembly of Experts election" (in Persian). Hayat. 5 November 2006. Retrieved 8 August 2007.
  7. ^ a b Abtahi, Mohammad Ali (31 August 2006). "If Ayatollah Meshkini had retired (اگر آیةالله مشکینی بازنشسته شده بود)" (in Persian). Retrieved 8 August 2007.
  8. ^ AFP (30 July 2007). "Key Iran clerical body chief dies after illness". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 8 August 2007. [dead link‍]
  9. ^ "The loyal cleric of Iran: Meshkini". Time. 8 July 2006.
  10. ^ "16th Experts Assembly session kicks off". IRNA. 29 August 2006. Archived from the original on 10 May 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2007.
  11. ^ "Iraq situation torments Iranians". BBC News. 13 April 2003. Retrieved 8 August 2007.

Quotations related to Ali Meshkini at Wikiquote

Political offices
Preceded by
Inaugural holder
 Chair of Assembly of Experts
1983–2007 		Succeeded by
Religious titles
Preceded by Friday prayers Imam of Qom
1990–2007 		Succeeded by