[1] During his high school years, he developed political views and established close ties with Ayatollah Asadollah Madani.

At this time, his family were living in Khorramabad when his father was exiled to Saqqez due to his political activities.

Here, he was expelled from the high school for refusing to join the Rastakhiz Party and for resisting against the Pahlavi regime.

Mahdi was accepted to a university in France, but he decided not to go after hearing that Imam Khomeini was urging the youth to stay in Iran.

[3] During the Iran-Iraq War, Zeinoddin went to the front lines with a group of one hundred people after passing a short military course.