Morteza Aghatehrani
# Morteza Aghatehrani

Morteza Aghatehrani (Persian: مرتضی آقاتهرانی) is an Iranian Shia cleric and conservative politician. He was former secretary-general of the Front of Islamic Revolution Stability, and represented Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr in the Parliament of Iran from 2008 to 2016.

A protégé of Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi, he was the "morality teacher" of the cabinet of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Aghatehrani he was formerly Imam of 'Islamic Institute of New York', a Shia mosque located in New York City.

## Education

Aghatehrani went to Canada to pursue his graduate studies at McGill University, before gaining a PhD in Middle East Studies from State University of New York at Binghamton and defending a thesis entitled "Khajah Nasir al-Din Tusi on the Meta-Mysticism of Ibn Sina" in 2000.

## Controversy

In 2012, it stirred controversy when it was revealed that Aghatehrani holds a Green card, tantamount to permanent residency status in the United States, while he is often regarded "strongly anti-foreign".

