Hossein Noori Hamedani

Grand Ayatollah Hossein Noori-Hamedani (Persian: آيت الله العظمى حسين نورى همدانى; born 21 March 1925), also Hossein Nuri-Hamedani, is an Iranian Twelver Shi'a Marja' known for his conservative or "ultra-conservative" views.

He has publicly expressed his disapproval of Sufis and dervishes, Jews, the intellectual Abdolkarim Soroush the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and "anti-Islamic and atheist professors" in Iranian universities, whose purge he has called for. He has been noted for being the only grand ayatollah to congratulate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when Ahmadinejad was first declared victor in the controversial 12 June 2009 election; and also as "celebrated by the central government for his wholehearted support of the leader and the president".