Bani Sadr, Abol Hasan

Bani Sadr, Abol Hasan (b. 1933). Iranian leader 1980–1 Born into a family of religious Islamic scholars, he became active in the opposition to Reza Pahlavi's regime from his student days at Tehran University in the 1960s. He studied in Paris, and became a close supporter of Khomeini. After his pivotal role in drafting the Constitution of the Islamic Republic after the Iranian Revolution of 1979, Khomeini made him President. However, he was too moderate and secular for the religious circles around Khomeini, and resented the latter's interference in his day-to-day running of the government. After his dismissal, he fled into French exile, where he became an important opposition leader.