Seyed Mostafa Azmayesh

Through scholarly research he has shown that Human Rights principles are compatible with Quranic principles, and according to the Quran, a Muslim civilisation must be based on mutual respect and equality for all, regardless of race, gender or religious beliefs, and there is no place for any kind of violence. His weekly Radio and online TV programmes, such as Dorr TV, along with the satellite channel PARS-TV, put pressure on extremist elements within the Iranian Regime in order to reform the regimes’ radical movements.

Azmayesh co-founded the International Organisation to Preserve Human Rights (IOPHR) in February 2014, in order to continue his efforts to protect human rights for all, counter the rise of Islamist extremism and violence, and continue his advocacy for gender-equality and eliminating gender-based violence.

Azmayesh has over 40 years of experience in the research and study of the Quran. His scholarly work and publications embody an innovative and scientific approach to the Quranic text. His book New Researches on the Quran – Why and how two versions of Islam entered the history of mankind, brings forth many such scientific elements to the text, along with historical findings and contextual elements to the Quran. Some of his other works include – The Teachings of a Sufi Master, The Pearl of Sufism, Heart Meditation: An Introduction to Gnostic Heart Meditation, and Crucifixion: Fact or Fiction?.

For many years, Azmayesh has spoken in opposition of the practice of stoning in Iran. Through research-findings, he proved that there is no relation between Islam and stoning, and his research highlighted how several tyrants throughout history have used stoning punishments for reasons of power and suppression. As of 2011, the practice of stoning is no longer practised in Iran as a result of the years of advocacy by Azmayesh.

In response to the uprising in 2009 following the presidential elections, he supported the Freedom of expression and free speech, and campaigned for the freedom of prominent political prisoners such as Nasrin Sotoudeh (an Iranian female human rights lawyer), Narges Mohammadi, and religious and ethnic minorities such as Kurds, Baha’i and Sufis. He has been influential in the release of numerous Sufis who were imprisoned by the extremist elements in the Iranian Regime as part of its program to suppress minorities.

Since the onset of the Iranian Revolution in 1979 and the growth of extremist ideologies under the name of Islam, Azmayesh has worked to oppose those who propagate extremist ideas based on the false interpretation of Islam. His activities have included talks in the United Nations (UN) as well as an exclusive interview with Ahmed Shaheed, the former United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran, along with meetings and interviews with members of the European Parliament, who are responsible for covering the Human Rights issues in Iran.

Seyed Mostafa Azmayesh was born in Tehran, Iran in 1952. On completion of his studies in Arabian Literature (Tehran 1974) and Law (Tehran 1975), he moved to France in 1976. In Paris he studied Theology and History of Law at the Sorbonne University, as well as Comparative Studies of Islam and Christianity at the University of Lyon for which he received two doctorate degrees. One of his professors was the philosopher and theologian Henri Corbin. After having completed his academic studies he continued his research in the areas of religion, philosophy and various fields of science. Azmayesh was admitted into the lineage of initiates of the Nematollahi-Gonabadi order in 1969, which is the most popular and oldest Sufi order in Iran. Azmayesh is the official representative of the Shah Ni'matullah Wali Gonabadi Order outside of Iran.