Page:Documents from the Den of Espionage.djvu/125

 DEPARTMENT OF STATE Foreign Service of the United States of America BIOGRAPHIC DATA FORM

NAME

PRESENT POSITION

DATA AND REMARKS Personal : Born about 1894 at Tabris of a clerical family. Presently has one wife. In the past he had a number of sigah (temporary contract wives), especially during his travels to holy cities in Iraq and Iran. Nothing is known about his children, although he undoubtedly has some.

Education : Began his religious education in Tabris and later studied in Qom. He has also studied at Mealwd for a number of years and for short periods of time at Majaf and Kerbala.

Teaching : He is presently one of the four most important Shia clergymen at Qon and is a prominent teacher, specializing in religious jurisprudence. He is presently using some of the tithes which are available to him to construct a "House of Islamic Propagation" in Qon wih a branch in Tehran across Avenue Shah Reza from Tehran University. He has also obtained a credit of Rials 50 Million ($667,000) for this project. Students at these "Houses" will be taught modern science and foreign languages as well as regular religious studies. The graduates of this school will reportedly be used as misisonaries to proselyte Islam in foreign countries. Some years ago, Shariat-Hadari was promoted to rank of ? and is considered on eof the ? (most senior Shia clergymen and one of those contending for the Shia ?). As such, he is considered a pre-eminent clergyman whose religious instructions should be followed and who has the right to command the faithful. He can also legitimately use the title of Ayatollah.

Travels : Iraq

Languages : Persian and Arabic

Political Activities : ? has considerable religious followers in Tabris and Aserbaijan and his political base is in the Tabris ?. Reports have estimated that he has perhaps as many as 500,000 followers in Northwestern Iran. He has a secondary base in Qon where he has a particular following among Azerbaijanis studying in that shrine city. ? is considered to be extremely cautious and conservative when it comes to ? but he is self-possessed, intelligent, and somewhat modernist in his religious outlook (see Political and Social Attitudes .)