Hassan Rouhani’s Mother: I Listened to All the Debates

Sakineh Peyvandi, mother of Iranian President-elect Hassan Rouhani, recently spoke to Sharq newspaper about her son's boyhood, his strengths as a student, and his devotion to family. Mrs. Peyvandi has lived in Semnan, the Rouhanis' town of origin, since 2011, when she moved there from Sorkheh after the death of her husband, Asadollah Feridon. The Sorkheh villa where she lived with Haj Asadollah was beautiful, but in Semnan she is closer to her daughters. Her apartment there was built by her son, Hassan Rouhani, on a piece of land owned by his father.

The Shargh reporter writers that: “Mr. Rouhani’s mother is at an age where her ears cannot hear very well, nor can her eyes see sufficiently. She walks with the help of a walker, but her memory is strong enough to remember exact details from the childhood and youth of her son, the new President of Iran. She also is a nimble and expert conversationalist about daily affairs. She followed the election debates and can also remember her son’s election promises.”

Shargh quotes Mrs. Peyvandi’s interview with Iran Network about her son:

He was always good since childhood, he was quiet, listened to what his parents told him and respected them. He would do whatever was to God’s satisfaction. He studied until the sixth grade. Then, because he was good at school and had a good memory, he went to the seminary. He was at the Semnan Seminary. He wasn’t boarding there; he used to go to Haji Esmaeel Khoshvaght’s home and study day and night.

Because he had a good memory, he was 15 when he went to Qom to study theology. He should have gone at 16, but he went when he turned 15. The Ayatollah (his teacher) said that ‘because he had good grades and memory, we have to give him a room.’ Thank God, this is what happened.

I was happy that the path he chose was for God’s satisfaction. Everybody misses their loved ones, but because my son had not picked a path of destruction and whatever he did was good, I was happy for him.

He always helped his father on the land. He would go to [work at] the shop, too. Those years, Mr. Natanzi was the Sorkheh Prayer Imam, and he had a school where he taught the kids the Quran. Whenever Hassan came home from Qum, he would help him out so that he could do other things.

He was 20 when he married his cousin, my niece. We went and picked her for him. We told him, ‘it’s time to get married, what would you like us to do for you?’ He said, ‘as my parents you have my consent, whatever you say.’ We went to ask for her hand in marriage and they agreed wholeheartedly, ‘our daughter is yours,’ they said. He was wearing his clerical frock on his wedding day.

Back then, weddings were religious. We had a religious wedding for him. It wasn’t like these days with all that noise. He used to take us to Tehran and keep us there. Both my sons are good sons, both Hassan and Hossein.

He didn’t stay abroad for long. He was there for 18 months; the revolution happened soon and he came back to Iran. He believed a great deal in what Ayatollah Khomeini said. He was the first person to go visit Ayatollah Khomeini since 1963.

I was so proud, for every step he took for God’s satisfaction and the Twelfth Imam. I always told him, ‘Go my son. If you don’t go, the revolution will not be preserved, and we ask God to protect you.’ He had no fear from the beginning. He would send the statements to his father, and he would distribute them. He delivered the sermon at Imam Khomeini’s son’s memorial service.

Whenever we go to Tehran, we stay at my son’s house for one to two months.

When he first wanted to register to run for presidency, he didn’t tell anyone, he didn’t reveal it. First he went on a trip before the Iranian new year [March 21, 2013]. He called me and said, ‘Mother, I won’t be coming to Semnan for the New Year.’ I asked him why. He said, ‘I have things to do around here.’ Only this Mr. Nahidi [points at him], his brother-in-law, knew about it. He didn’t want it publicized, maybe it wasn’t going to happen, or maybe he would change his mind. He wanted to do the right thing.

He always calls me, every day, even on days when he has meetings, or even right before his presidency. He tells his wife, ‘tell my mother that I have a meeting today.’ Whatever he gives up, he does not give up calling me. Hossein doesn’t call me every day, but [Hassan] calls me all the time. He says, ‘Dear Mother, whatever we have is because of you.’

On the nights before the election and during the debates when Hassan used to come on TV and talk, I watched and listened to everything. These kids [pointing to her daughters] would tell me, ‘Dear Mother, go to bed. These programs are of no use to you.’ I would say, ‘All Iranian people are listening. I am his mother. I will listen here and pray for him, too.’ He, himself told me, ‘Dear Mother, people have made an effort to vote for me, but if it weren’t for your prayers, I would never be anything.’

He spoke well. Of course he wasn’t talking for me. It would have to be good for people.

When Mr. Rouhani was elected, the locals came to congratulate me for the victory.