Asadollah Bayat-Zanjani


Asadollah Bayat-Zanjani is an Iranian theologian, Islamic philosopher, writer and Grand marja of Islam. He published his objection to the velayat-e faqih and claims this regime has nothing to do with Islam.

Biography

Grand Ayatollah Zanjani studied religion in Zanjan and Qom and was promoted to
degree of Ijtihad. Among his teachers were Allameh Tabatabaei, Morteza Motahhari, Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Araki and Golpaygani.
He is author of more than 10 books and is currently teaching Philosophy and religion in Qom Seminary.

Political career

Before the 1979 Iranian revolution, Zanjani was a pro-democracy activist. In 1972 he was arrested and spent a year in prison. After the revolution, he was involved in the launching of the Islamic Republican Party. Zanjani was also a member of the committee to reassess the Iranian constitution. He was elected three times to Iranian parliament where he represented the city of Zanjan.
Grand Ayatollah Zanjani was among the influential clerics who supported ex-prime minister Mousavi and questioned the legitimacy of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency.