His Excellency Hojjatoleslam Seyyed Mohammad Khatami was born in Iran’s Yazd Province. He studied theology in the holy city of Qom and philosophy in Isfahan, completing his graduate studies in education in Tehran. President Khatami was elected as the fifth President of the Islamic Republic in May 1997, receiving nearly 70 percent of votes cast, and was re-elected in June 2001 for a second term. Prior to his presidency, Mr. Khatami held the position of Advisor to former President Rafsanjani, and from 1982 to 1992 served as Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
H.E. Mr. Khatami is the author of numerous articles and books, including Fear of Wave; From World City to Global City; Faith and Thought Trapped by Despotism (forthcoming); “To Whom Does Velayat Belong?” (1979); and “Tradition, Modernism and Development” (1996). He is the recipient of the Gold medal from the Greek University in Athens, of the key to Madrid from the Spanish Congress of Deputies and Senate, and of Pakistan’s highest civilian honor. He has also received honorary doctorates from the University of Moscow, the University of Tokyo, and the University of Delhi.