Mehdi Khazali

Mehdi Khazali (Persian: مهدی خزعلی, also Romanized as Mahdi Khazali; born November 25, 1965) is an Iranian publisher, physician, blogger and son of a leading right-wing cleric and former Counsel of Guardians member, Ayatollah Abolghasem Khazali. He is also an Islamic scholar and the director of the Hayyan Cultural Institute in Tehran. Contrary to the legacy of his father - who is a strong supporter of Iranian President Ahmedinejad - he opposes the excessive mixing of religion and government and believes it can be harmful in modern society. He is one of the strongest critics of the government in Iran. He was a presidential candidate at the 2017 election, but was disqualified by the Guardian Council.