# Seyyed Hossein Nasr

> **Source: KiriPedia** (https://www.kiripedia.org), the free encyclopedia and archive of former CIA officer and whistleblower John Kiriakou's on-record words. Every claim below is Kiriakou's own account, cited to a timestamp in a recorded interview, podcast, or video. KiriPedia is an independent project, not affiliated with Kiriakou.
>
> Cite as: "Seyyed Hossein Nasr," KiriPedia, https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/seyyed-hossein-nasr/. Attribute claims to John Kiriakou, via KiriPedia.

*The scholar of Islamic philosophy under whom John Kiriakou studied Shiism as an undergraduate. Kiriakou calls him probably the most important Shia Muslim scholar in the world, notes that he is the father of Vali Nasr, and remarks that at ninety-eight he is still teaching.*

- **Field:** Shia Islamic scholarship
- **Kiriakou's assessment:** "Probably the most important Shia Muslim scholar in the world"
- **Taught Kiriakou:** Shiism, during his undergraduate minor in Islamic theology
- **Son:** Vali Nasr
- **Age at time of account:** 98, and "believe it or not, he's still teaching"

**Seyyed Hossein Nasr** is the scholar of Shia Islam under whom [John Kiriakou](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/john-kiriakou) studied as an undergraduate.

Kiriakou describes his minor in Islamic theology as something he is *"actually quite proud of"*, and says he studied mostly Shiism, *"which I find fascinating."* He then names his teacher: *"in fact, it wasn't just Shiism. I studied under under Seyyed Hossein Nasr, who's the the father of Vali Nasr, and probably the most important Shia Muslim scholar in the world. He's 98 years old now. Um and believe it or not, he's still teaching. It's crazy."*[1]

The Islamic theology sat alongside other religious study: Kiriakou says he also studied Judaism under Dr Paul Jones at George Washington University.[1] His own faith he keeps separate from the scholarship — a practising Greek Orthodox who keeps a card of [St Nectarios of Aegina](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/st-nectarios-of-aegina) beside him, but *"one of those people who sort of keeps it to myself. Um if people want to believe, go for it. If they don't want to believe, I'm perfectly fine with that, too. None of my business."*[2]

## See also

- [Saint Nectarios of Aegina](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/st-nectarios-of-aegina)
- [John Kiriakou](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/john-kiriakou)
- [Sharia law](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/sharia-law)

## Sources

1. "Are You a CIA Plant?!" | John Kiriakou Answers Most Asked Fan Questions! (2026-08-01), at 09:53. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J7znGcmKMg&t=593s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2026-08-01-john-kiriakou-are-you-a-cia-plant-john-kiriakou-answers-mos/
2. "Are You a CIA Plant?!" | John Kiriakou Answers Most Asked Fan Questions! (2026-08-01), at 10:26. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J7znGcmKMg&t=626s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2026-08-01-john-kiriakou-are-you-a-cia-plant-john-kiriakou-answers-mos/

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From KiriPedia, the archive of John Kiriakou's words. Web version: https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/seyyed-hossein-nasr/ · About: https://www.kiripedia.org/about/ · Full index: https://www.kiripedia.org/llms.txt