Alireza Arafi

Alireza Arafi  (born 1956, in Meybod) is an Iranian Shia cleric and he is currently a member of the Guardian Council and also a member of the Assembly of Experts. He was former Chairman of Al-Mustafa International University, Qom Friday prayer leader and head of Iran's Seminary.

Biography
Arafi was born in 1959 in the city of Maybod, in the province of Yazd His father, Mohammad Ibrahim al-Arafi, was a close friend Ruhollah Khomeini Before the Islamic Revolution he used to be a preacher and a writer. Despite his lack of participation in the written test by the Guardian Council to participate in the Assembly of Experts, he was confirmed to the Assembly in the elections of 2015, thanks to the Article III of the Law regulating the Assembly of Experts elections in Iran, which allows a discretionary approval by the supreme leader of Iran to overrule the requirements of the Guardian Council.

Education
Began his classical education in their own country. After reading some of the lessons of literature, in 1970, came to Qom and Where he completed his primary school education at the same time he began his seminary courses and Courses preliminaries and finished quickly. During these years he did not take part in the courses and the courses are also open philosophy to the fullest extent swept and Also had a significant presence in the ethics of their professors. He also attended seminary courses, learned Arabic and English and Studies in mathematics and philosophy did not open West and Many books that were common in those days in the field, swept and cooperation in the field of education offices and universities (University Research Institute) attended.

Professors
His professors are as follows:
 * Ali Meshkini
 * Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr
 * Kazem al-Haeri
 * Morteza Haeri Yazdi
 * Mohammad Fazel Lankarani
 * Hossein Vahid Khorasani
 * Jawad Tabrizi
 * Abdollah Javadi-Amoli
 * Morteza Motahhari
 * Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi

Records and responsibilities

 * President of the International Center for Islamic Sciences and a member of the board of trustees
 * President of the University Research Institute
 * Educational Department in Imam Khomeini Institute
 * Research Council of Qom Seminary
 * Friday the city of Meybod
 * Member of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution
 * Seminary president of Iran
 * Head of Almostafa Institute

His Actions in Almostafa Institute
When Arafi was the head of Almostafa institute from 2009 and 2018. Almostafa Institute is a religious educational centre for "spreading the ideology of Islamic Republic" and "spreading Shia Islam". Arafi claims that in 8 years in Almostafa institute they have successfully been able to convert 50 million people to become Shia. A claim which is regarded by many experts as "unbelievable and unachievable."

Views
Arafi is strongly opposed to atheism and Christianity (especially house churches in Iran), which he considers forms of idolatry. He also is critical of how the seminary in Qom is run theologically.