Masoud Dehnamaki is a conservative Iranian activist and one of the founders of Ansar-e Hezbollah. Dehnamaki was also involved in journalist and film making. For decades he has been considered as one of the most extremist members of the ultra-conservative circles.
Early life
Massoud Dehnamaki took part in the 1979 Iranian revolution. Dehnamaki was also a member of the decimated army that liberated Khoramshahr in 1982 — a decisive turning point in Iran-Iraq war. In his interview to CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour, he said that the war front in Iran-Iraq war was a utopia and an ideal society for him.
Activism
Dehnamaki was mostly unknown until he started his activities with Ansar-e Hezbollah. Dehnamaki has been for years the General Commander of the notorious Ansar Hezbollah and a leader of Baseej vigilantes who aggressively attacked conferences and festivals. For years, Massoud Dehnamaki was known widely as the feared enforcer of conservative rules that restricted freedom for women and society. He used to break-up peaceful gatherings, attack speakers, and bring motor-cycle vigilantes into streets.
Dehnamaki was involved in the Tehran University student riots in July 1999. Several students who were protesting that night the closure of "Salam" and were subsequently beaten up by the attackers have told the investigation committee that Mr. Dehnamaki was among the ones who were directing the brutal night raid.
In 2002, Ansar e Hezbollah, hard-line group best known for disrupting reformist gatherings and beating up students declared a "holy war" to rid Iran of reformers who promote Western democracy and challenge the country's supreme leader. Masoud Dehnamaki, an ideologue with the group, also said that Iranians who try to appease Iran's enemies such as the United States "should be stopped."
Journalism
He was a managing director of Do-Kouheh weekly, Jebheh weekly, Shalamcheh weekley, Ansar-e Hezbollah weekly, and Sobh magazine, all close to conservative ideology. "Shalamcheh" and "Jebheh" were closed by Tehran’s Press Court. Shalamcheh was banned by the Iranian court reportedly for "insulting a source of emulation".
Film career
In 2002 he directed "Poverty and Prostitution", a documentary on prostitution that traces its roots to the evils of poverty. His documentary shows the rampant prostitution that is so strictly forbidden and suppressed by the Islamic Regime in control of the country. Prostitution in Iran is a taboo and therefore not directly discussed or addressed, allowing for the problem to spiral out of control.
In 2004 Dehnamaki directed "Which Blue, Which Red".
In 2006 Massoud Dehnamaki's "Ekhrajiha (The Outcasts)" , also called "Expelled", tells the story of Majid, a gangster from south Tehran who falls in love with Narges, the daughter of Mirza, a pious man. Majid must reform himself to marry Narges,so he decides to head to the Iranian warfront and his protégés also follow him.
In 2006 he directed "Ekhrajiha 2". The film set a box-office record in Iran.
مسعود ده نمکی از اعضا و رهبران اولیه گروه شبه نظامی انصار حزب الله است. او فارغالتحصیل رشتهٔ علوم سیاسی از دانشگاه آزاد است.
مسعود ده نمکی از سال 1369 فعاليت مطبوعاتي خود را با نوشتن در نشريات مختلف آغاز كرد و از سال 1375 تا سال 1385 مديريت و سردبيري نشريات شلمچه، جبهه و صبح را به عهده داشته است.
ده نمكي از سال 1369 تحقيق و نگارش مجموعه 40 جلدي فرهنگنامه اسارت را آغاز كرده كه از سال گذشته پنج جلد كتب مرجع آن به بازار آمده است. فيلم مستند «فقر و فحشا» در سال 1383 و فيلم مستند «كدام استقلال كدام پيروزي» در سال 1384 و فيلم داستاني ويدئويي نيمه بلند «ضرب آخر» در سال 1385 از كارهاي ديگر اوست.
مسعود ده نمكي تاكنون دو فيلم سينمايي اخراجيهاي يك و دو را ساخته كه مورد استقبال عموم قرار گرفته است و هماكنون در حال نگارش فيلمنامه اخراجيهاي 3 است.
