he was a history professor at tarbiat modares university, a teacher-training college in tehran. in june 2002 aghajari gave an address in hamadan commemorating the 25th anniversary of the death of dr. ali shariati, criticized some of the present islamic practices in iran as being in contradiction with the original practices and ideology of islam, and calling for "islamic protestantism" and reform in islam. this prompted an "immediate outcry" from hard-line clerics, who claimed that he was attacking "the prophet of islam and fundamental shiite islamic traditions", although dr. aghajari has repeatedly denied that his speech was intended as an attack on islam or the prophet.