Quick Facts
Biography
Grand Ayatollah Asadollah Bayat-Zanjani (born 1942 Zanjan; in Persian: اسدالله بیات زنجانی) is an Iranian theologian, Islamic philosopher, writer and Grand marja of Islam. He published his objection to the velayat-e faqih (religious system in Iran) and claims this regime has nothing to do with Islam [2].
Religious authority
Grand Ayatollah Zanjani studied in Zanjan and Qom and was promoted to Ijtihad. Among his teachers were Allameh Tabatabaei, Morteza Motahhari, Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Araki and Golpaygani.
He authored more than 10 books and is currently teaching Philosophy and Hekmat at Qom seminaries.
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.
