Anvar Khamei Information

Anvar Khamei (March 20, 1917 – November 20, 2018) was an Iranian politician, economist, sociologist, journalist, writer, and translator. He was a member of the “Group of 53” and one of the founders of the Tudeh Party of Iran. Khamei also pursued studies in chemical engineering at the Higher School of Tehran (now Sharif University of Technology), being among the first students in this field.

Early Life and Education
Born on March 20, 1917, in Tehran, Iran, Anvar Khamei came from a distinguished lineage. His father, Yahya Kashani, was a prominent cleric, journalist, and editor of newspapers such as Ḥabl al-Matin and Majles. On his mother’s side, Khamei was a descendant of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar.

After losing his father at the age of 12, Khamei initially pursued chemical engineering in 1934 but was unable to complete his studies due to his involvement in the Group of 53, which led to his imprisonment.

In the early 1960s, he moved to Europe, where he resumed his education, obtaining a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Freiburg and a B.Sc. in Sociology from Heidelberg University.

Political Involvement and Activism
Khamei was a close associate of Taqi Arani and joined his intellectual circle before becoming part of the Group of 53, which was arrested in May 1937 for allegedly promoting communist ideology. He was sentenced to six years in prison, but with the fall of Reza Shah in 1941, he was released early.

In 1943, Khamei joined the newly formed Tudeh Party of Iran, playing a key role in its leadership and editing its official newspaper, Rahbar. However, in January 1948, he split from the party, criticizing its leadership and alignment with Soviet interests. Along with Khalil Maleki, Jalal Al-e Ahmad, and Fereydoun Tavallali, he formed an independent socialist movement.

During the nationalization of Iran’s oil industry, Khamei and his associates launched the newspapers Jahan-e Ma and Hajjar to support the movement. After the 1953 coup, he was briefly arrested before leaving Iran to continue his education in Europe.

Academic and Literary Contributions
Khamei spent over a decade in Europe, where he pursued academic and journalistic activities. He later taught at the University of Louvain (UCLouvain) in Belgium and worked with UNESCO.

He was a polyglot, fluent in Persian, German, French, and English, and wrote extensively in these languages. His most renowned book, Revisionism from Marx to Mao Tse-Tung, was first published in French in 1976 and later translated into Persian by himself. The book was highly regarded internationally, receiving praise from Herbert Marcuse, the German philosopher.

Return to Iran and Later Years
After 14 years abroad, Khamei returned to Iran in the 1970s, teaching at the University of Tehran. Over his lifetime, he authored more than 20 books, including his three-volume memoirs:

Fifty-Three People
From Split to Coup
A Lost Great Opportunity
Other notable works include:

Economy Without Oil (1990)
Four Figures: Nima Yooshij, Sadegh Hedayat, Abdolhossein Noushin, and Zabih Behrouz (1989)
Alienation and Praxis (1990)
Was the Collapse of the Soviet Union Inevitable? (1996)
Shah-Killing in Iran and the World
Philosophy for Everyone
The Turbulent Years (A Ten-Volume Research Series)
Personal Life and Death
Khamei married in 1977 at the age of 60, and he had one daughter. His wife passed away in a car accident about 15 years before his own death.

He passed away on November 20, 2018, at the age of 101 due to respiratory failure in Karaj, Iran. In accordance with his will, his body was donated to Tehran University’s Faculty of Medical Sciences for research.

Legacy
Anvar Khamei’s contributions to Iranian political thought, journalism, and sociology were significant. His intellectual journey, from communism to social democracy, reflected a lifelong quest for a “Third Way” between capitalism and socialism. His critical writings on Tudeh Party’s alignment with Soviet policies and his emphasis on independent socialism remain key references in the history of Iran’s leftist movements.