Mohammad Khatami (Khatami Mohammad)

(p. 1943)
Born in 1943 in Ardakane in central Iran in the family of Muslim priest. He studied theology at seminaries in Qom and Isfahan. In 1960-1970-ies has collaborated with the opposition to the Government of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the political forces. I became acquainted with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. In 1978, settled in Germany, becoming head of the Hamburg Islamic Center. He held the post of Minister of Culture and Islamic education in 1982-1992, in 1992, was dismissed from his post for excessive liberalism. Later in the 1992 became director of the National Library, also served as an advisor on culture to the Government.
In May 1997, Khatami was elected president of Iran, and on August 3 officially took office. He continued his line of tolerance for secular culture, expressed its readiness to establish closer ties with the West, but did not go for talks on restoring diplomatic relations with the U.S.. In September 1998 the Majlis approved the policy of persecution of journalists, who opposed the principles of Islam. A month later, Khatami expressed his support for free press. In March 1999, Khatami visited Italy, and in October 1999 - France. In February 2000, Khatami and his supporters won a landslide victory in elections to the Majlis.