{{Short description|President of Iraq from 2014 to 2018}} {{Update|part=Presidency & post-presidency|date=September 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Fuad Masum 2018.jpg | image_size = | office = 7th President of Iraq | vice_president = Khodair al-Khozaei<br />Nouri al-Maliki<br />Osama al-Nujaifi <br />Ayad Alawi | signature = Fuadmasoumsign.jpg | prime_minister = Nouri al-Maliki<br />Haider al-Abadi | term_start = 24 July 2014 | term_end = 2 October 2018 | predecessor = Jalal Talabani | successor = Barham Salih | office1 = Speaker of the Council of Representatives<br />Acting | term_start1 = 14 June 2010 | term_end1 = 11 November 2010 | president1 = Jalal Talabani | predecessor1 = Ayad al-Samarrai | successor1 = Osama al-Nujaifi | office2 = 1st Prime Minister of Kurdistan Region | president2 = Saddam Hussein | term_start2 = 4 July 1992 | term_end2 = 26 April 1994 | predecessor2 = Position established | successor2 = Kosrat Rasul Ali | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1938|01|01|df=yes}} | birth_place = Koya, Kingdom of Iraq | death_date = | death_place = | party = Patriotic Union of Kurdistan {{small|(1974–present)}} | other_party = Iraqi Communist Party {{small|(1962–1964)}}<br />Kurdistan Democratic Party {{small|(1964–1974)}} | spouse = {{marriage|Rounak Abdulwahid Mustafa|1968|2023|end=died}} | children = 6; including Juwan | alma_mater = University of Baghdad<br />Al-Azhar University | blank1 = Religion | data1 = Sunni Islam | caption = Masum in 2018 | native_name_lang = ar | native_name = {{nobold|فوئاد مەعسووم}}<br>{{nobold|فؤاد معصوم}} }} '''Muhammad Fuad Masum Hurami''' ({{langx|ar|محمد فؤاد معصوم|translit=Muḥammad Fū’ād Ma‘ṣūm}}; {{Langx|ku|محەممەد فوئاد مەعسووم هەورامی}}, born 1 January 1938) is an Iraqi Kurdish politician who served as the president of Iraq from 24 July 2014 to 2 October 2018. He was elected as president following the 2014 parliamentary election.<ref name="FuadPresident">{{cite news |title=Moderate Kurd leader elected as Iraq president |url=http://www.iraqsun.com/index.php/sid/224095839/scat/c31d0aaa23b24a75/ht/Moderate-Kurd-leader-elected-as-Iraq-president |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20171010063651/http://www.iraqsun.com/news/224095839/moderate-kurd-leader-elected-as-iraq-president |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 October 2017 |access-date=25 July 2014 |publisher=Iraq Sun }}</ref> Masum is the second non-Arab president of Iraq, succeeding Jalal Talabani, also Kurdish, and was a confidant of Talabani.

==Early life and education== Fuad Masum was born in the city of Koya. He is the son of Mullah Masum Khider, a former head of the Association of Muslim Scholars in Kurdistan, who belongs to an established political dynasty with Muslim clerical links.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://iraqidinarchat.net/?p=28970 |title=Biography of President Fuad Masum, new President of the Republic of Iraq |date=24 July 2014 |publisher=Iraqi Dinar}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14544543 |title=Iraq profile - leaders |date=11 August 2015 |work=BBC News}}</ref> His family descends from the village of Khabanen, which is part of Hawraman.<ref name=Sumaria>{{cite web |title=Who is Fuad Masum, the President of Iraq? |url=http://www.alsumaria.tv/news/106401/%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%87%D9%88-%D9%81%D8%A4%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%B5%D9%88%D9%85-%D8%B1%D8%A6%D9%8A%D8%B3-%D8%AC%D9%85%D9%87%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82/ar |website=ALSUMARIA |access-date=24 July 2014}}</ref> He studied at various religious schools in Iraqi Kurdistan until the age of 18. He studied law and Sharia at Baghdad University.<ref name=BBC>{{cite web |title=Who is Fuad Masum, the new Iraqi President? |date=24 July 2014 |url=https://www.bbc.com/arabic/middleeast/2014/07/140724_fouad_massoum_profile |publisher=BBC |access-date=24 July 2014}}</ref> In 1958, Masum traveled to Cairo to complete his higher education at Al-Azhar University.<ref name="basnews">{{cite web |url=http://basnews.com/en/News/Details/Talabani-s-old-time-friend-becomes-candidate-for-Iraqi-President/28018 |title=Talabani's old time friend becomes candidate for Iraqi President &#124; BAS NEWS |publisher=Bas News |access-date=24 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727024319/http://basnews.com/en/News/Details/Talabani-s-old-time-friend-becomes-candidate-for-Iraqi-President/28018 |archive-date=27 July 2014 }}</ref> He worked as a professor in Basrah University in 1968.<ref name=BBC /> He earned his PhD in Islamic philosophy from Al-Azhar in 1975.<ref name=BBC />

==Political career== [[File:Secretary Kerry Meets With Iraqi President Masum (15021966337).jpg|thumb|left|Masum with US Secretary of State John Kerry at the United Nations headquarters, New York City (September 2014)]]

===Communist Party=== Masum joined the Iraqi Communist Party in 1962, until 1964, where he travelled to Syria to meet the Communist Party secretary there, Khalid Bakdash.<ref name=Sumaria /> After Masum discovered Bakdash's attitudes against the Kurds, he quit the party to join the Kurdistan Democratic Party (PDK).<ref name=ALHAYAT>{{cite web |title=Who is the new Iraqi president, Fuad Masum Hawrami? |url=http://alhayat.com/Articles/3769824/%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%87%D9%88-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%A6%D9%8A%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%81%D8%A4%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%B5%D9%88%D9%85-%D9%87%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%9F |website=Al Hayat |access-date=24 July 2014 |archive-date=14 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814023042/http://alhayat.com/Articles/3769824/%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%87%D9%88-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%A6%D9%8A%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%81%D8%A4%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%B5%D9%88%D9%85-%D9%87%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%9F |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lDkUDgAAQBAJ&q=Masum+joined+the+Iraqi+Communist+Party+in+1962%2C+until+1964%2C&pg=PA645 |title=The Statesman's Yearbook 2016: The Politics, Cultures and Economies of the World |last=Heath-Brown |first=Nick |date=7 February 2017 |publisher=Springer |isbn=9781349578238 |language=en}}</ref>

===Kurdistan Democratic Party=== In 1968, Masum was the PDK representative in Basra. He was also the representative of the Kurdish Revolution in Cairo until 1975.<ref name=Sumaria />

===Patriotic Union of Kurdistan=== Masum was one of the founders of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in 1976.<ref name=ALHAYAT /> By 1992, he was the first Prime Minister of Kurdistan Region.<ref name=ALHAYAT /> In 2003, following the invasion of Iraq, Masum returned to Baghdad to be a member of the delegation representing Kurdistan, and was a member of the constitution drafting committee.<ref name=Sumaria /> In 2010, Masum became the first Speaker of the Council of Representatives.<ref name=BBC />

===Presidency=== [[File:President Rouhani with Iraqi President Fuad Masum in Saadabad Palace 4.jpg|thumb|left|Masum with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Saadabad Palace]] In 2014, he was elected by the parliament representatives as the seventh president of Iraq.<ref name="Bulletin">{{cite web |url=http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/141288/iraq-selects-fuad-masum-as-new-president |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914204649/http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/141288/iraq-selects-fuad-masum-as-new-president |url-status=usurped |archive-date=14 September 2015 |title=Iraq selects senior Kurdish politician Fuad Masum president |publisher=World Bulletin |date=24 July 2014 |access-date=25 July 2014}}</ref> Masum won 211 votes while his closest competitor, Barham Salih,<ref name="Bulletin" /> only received 17.<ref name="AFP">{{cite news |url=http://www.interaksyon.com/article/91896/iraq-parliament-elects-fuad-masum-president-speaker |title=Iraq parliament elects Fuad Masum president: speaker |agency=Agence France-Presse |newspaper=InterAksyon |date=24 July 2014 |access-date=25 July 2014 |archive-date=25 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725204428/http://www.interaksyon.com/article/91896/iraq-parliament-elects-fuad-masum-president-speaker |url-status=dead }}</ref> The decision was made during a secret vote of Kurdish MPs, who traditionally have control over the presidency for the sake of political balance.<ref name="Bulletin" /> United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was present in Iraq when the decision was made, meeting with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki about the need for a more inclusive government.<ref name="India">{{cite web |url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/iraq-gets-new-president-in-fuad-masum-un-chief-ban-ki-moon-seeks-more-urgency/articleshow/38982539.cms |title=Iraq gets new president in Fuad Masum, UN chief Ban Ki-moon seeks more urgency |agency=Agence France-Presse |work=The Times of India |date=25 July 2014 |access-date=25 July 2014 |archive-date=5 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905195746/http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/iraq-gets-new-president-in-fuad-masum-un-chief-ban-ki-moon-seeks-more-urgency/articleshow/38982539.cms |url-status=dead }}</ref> Masum accepted the position, noting the "huge security, political and economic tasks" he faces as president.<ref name="Hindu">{{cite web |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/iraq-elects-fuad-masum-as-president/article6246331.ece |title=Iraq elects Fuad Masum as president |agency=Associated Press |work=The Hindu |date=25 July 2014 |access-date=25 July 2014}}</ref>

On 26 August, Masum appointed a new prime minister, Haider al-Abadi.<ref name="bbc abadi appointment">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28748366 |title=Profile: Haider al-Abadi, Iraqi PM in waiting |work=BBC News |date=11 August 2014 |access-date=12 August 2014 |author=Madi, Mohamed}}</ref> His appointment was considered illegal by Nouri al-Maliki and in violation of the constitution.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-security/maliki-defiant-as-his-special-forces-deploy-in-baghdad-idUSKBN0G808J20140811 |title=Power struggle on Baghdad streets as Maliki replaced but refuses to go |date=August 2014 |work=Reuters |access-date=12 December 2017 }}</ref> Maliki said that in spite of his erosion of power it was his duty to remain in power because the appointment was a conspiracy rooted from outside of Iraq.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Morris |title=Maliki asserts 'duty' to cling to power in Iraq; Iran's supreme leader weighs in |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/maliki-asserts-duty-to-cling-to-power-in-iraq-irans-supreme-leader-weighs-in/2014/08/13/af649782-22dd-11e4-8593-da634b334390_story.html |newspaper=Washington Post |date=13 August 2014}}</ref> Al-Maliki referred the matter to the federal court claiming, "the insistence on this until the end is to protect the state."<ref name="NewPM">{{cite news |title=Iraq's Incumbent PM Nouri Al-Maliki Grows More Isolated As He Clings To Power |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/12/iraq-maliki-isolated_n_5671154.html |date=13 August 2014 |access-date=14 August 2014 |work=Huffington Post}}</ref> However, on 14 August 2014, in the face of growing calls from world leaders and members of his own party, Maliki announced he was stepping down, paving the way for al-Abadi to take over.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/14092017 |title=Baghdad's Shiites in bid to oust Kurdish president of Iraq |date=14 September 2017 |agency=Rudaw |access-date=12 December 2017}}</ref>

==Personal life== Masum married to Rounak Abdulwahid Mustafa (1940–2023)<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 August 2023 |title=وفاة زوجة رئيس الجمهورية الاسبق فؤاد معصوم |url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/ar/story/321243 |access-date=25 February 2025 |website=Kurdistan 24 |language=ar}}</ref> in 1968, and has five daughters: Shireen (b. 1970), Juwan (b. 1972), Zozan (b. 1977), Shilan (b. 1979) and Veian (b. 1982). He had a son, Showan (1974&ndash;1988), who died from a childhood illness.<ref name="iraqidinarnewstoday">{{cite web |url=http://iraqidinarnewstoday.net/who-is-dr-fuad-masum/ |title=Who is Dr. Fuad Masum? &#124; Iraqi Dinar News Today |publisher=Iraqi Dinar News Today |access-date=24 July 2014 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728064939/http://iraqidinarnewstoday.net/who-is-dr-fuad-masum/ |archive-date=28 July 2014 }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== {{Sister project links | wikt=no | q=no | b=no | n=no |s=no | v=no | voy=no | species=no |d=Q17410819 | display=Fuad Masum}} * {{C-SPAN}}

{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-new|office}} {{s-ttl|title=Prime Minister of Kurdistan Region|years=1992–1993}} {{s-aft|after=Kosrat Rasul Ali}} |- {{s-bef|before=Ayad al-Samarrai}} {{s-ttl|title=Speaker of the Council of Representatives|years=2010}} {{s-aft|after=Usama al-Nujayfi}} |- {{s-bef|before=Jalal Talabani}} {{s-ttl|title=President of Iraq|years=2014–2018}} {{s-aft|after=Barham Salih}} {{s-end}}

{{Presidents of Iraq}} {{Speakers of the Iraqi Parliament}} {{Prime Ministers of Kurdistan Region}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Masum, Fuad}} Category:1938 births Category:University of Baghdad alumni Category:Al-Azhar University alumni Category:Academic staff of the University of Basrah Category:Kurdish people in Iraq Category:Iraqi Sunni Muslims Category:Iraqi Communist Party politicians Category:Kurdish Muslims Category:Living people Category:Patriotic Union of Kurdistan politicians Category:People from Koy Sanjaq Category:Presidents of Iraq Category:Prime ministers of the Kurdistan Region (Iraq) Category:Speakers of the Council of Representatives of Iraq Category:Kurdish politicians