ABU 'L-QASEM KASHANI (1882–1962)

Born in Tehran, Abu 'l-Qasem Kashani studied in Najaf and became a mujtahid (religious scholar) at the age of twenty-five. He began his political activities in Najaf against the British domination of Iraq. In 1916, Kashani's father was killed in an uprising and British authorities condemned Kashani to death in absentia. He fled to Iran in 1921 and began teaching and preaching in Tehran.

Kashani was imprisoned in the 1930s because of his pro-German activities. In 1949, after an attempt on the Shah's life, he was exiled to Lebanon. In June 1950, he returned to Iran, was elected to the Majlis, and became its Speaker.

During the crisis over the nationalization of Iran's oil industry and the ensuing conflict with the British (1950–1953), Kashani made and broke alliances with the Fedai˒yan-e Islam and the National Front of Dr. Mohammad Mosaddeq. He was instrumental in the assassination of the prime ministers ˓Abd al-Husayn Hazhir and Husayn ˓Ali Razmara.

Kashani was an anti-British, anticolonialist, anticommunist, constitutionalist, nationalist, and pan-Islamist religious-political leader. Although Kashani's opinions about Iranian nationalism, the role and function of the shari˓a, and attitude toward the West differed from his clerical predecessors and successors, political activities of the Shi ite ulema after World War II were greatly inspired and influenced by his views and activities. Indeed, many of his ideas were elaborated by leaders of the revolution of 1978 and 1979, including Ayatollah Khomeini, and formed the foundation of the Islamic government.

See alsoFeda˒iyan-e Islam ; Iran, Islamic Republic of ; Majlis ; Mosaddeq, Mohammad .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Akhavi, Shahrough. "The Role of Clergy in Iranian Politics, 1949–1954." In Mosaddiq, Iranian Nationalism, and Oil. Edited by James Bill and Roger Louis. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1988.

Faghfoory, Mohammad H. "The Role of the Ulama in Twentieth Century Iran with Particular Reference to Ayatullah Hajj Sayyid Abulqasim Kashani." Ph.D. diss., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1978.

Mohammad H. Faghfoory