Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Difference between revisions
Revert unexplained mass deletions of 1/4 of the article. See talk page |
Fix line break errors |
||
Line 7: | Line 7: | ||
|order = [[President of Iran]] |
|order = [[President of Iran]] |
||
|leader = [[Ali Khamenei]] |
|leader = [[Ali Khamenei]] |
||
|vicepresident = [[Parviz Davoodi]]<br>[[Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei]]<ref |
|vicepresident = [[Parviz Davoodi]]<br>[[Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei]]<ref name=PI20090725 >{{cite web |
||
name=PI20090725 >{{cite web |
|||
| title = Iran VP pick is forced out |
| title = Iran VP pick is forced out |
||
| author= Ali Akbar Dareini, Associated Press |
| author= Ali Akbar Dareini, Associated Press |
||
| date =2009-07-25 |
| date =2009-07-25 |
||
| publisher = Philadelphia Inquirer |
| publisher = Philadelphia Inquirer |
||
| url = http://www.philly.com/inquirer/world_us/20090725_Iran_VP_pick_is_forced_out.html |
|||
| url = |
|||
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/world_us/20090725_Iran_VP_pick_is_forced_out.html |
|||
| accessdate = 2009-07-25 }}</ref><br>''Position now vacant'' |
| accessdate = 2009-07-25 }}</ref><br>''Position now vacant'' |
||
|term_start = 3 August 2005 |
|term_start = 3 August 2005 |
||
Line 35: | Line 31: | ||
|religion = [[Shia Islam]] |
|religion = [[Shia Islam]] |
||
}} |
}} |
||
'''Mahmoud Ahmadinejad''' ({{lang-fa|محمود احمدی نژاد}}, ''Mahmūd Ahmadinezhād'' {{Audio- |
'''Mahmoud Ahmadinejad''' ({{lang-fa|محمود احمدی نژاد}}, ''Mahmūd Ahmadinezhād'' {{Audio-IPA|lang=Persian|Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Clean.ogg|mæhmuːd-e æhmædiː-neʒɒːd}}; born 28 October 1956<ref name=EABTDO >{{cite web |
||
IPA|lang=Persian|Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Clean.ogg|mæhmuːd-e æhmædiː-neʒɒːd}}; born 28 |
|||
October 1956<ref name=EABTDO >{{cite web |
|||
| title = Ahmedinejad: Rose and Thorn |
| title = Ahmedinejad: Rose and Thorn |
||
| publisher = The Diplomatic Observer |
| publisher = The Diplomatic Observer |
||
Line 47: | Line 39: | ||
| publisher = [[Facebook]] |
| publisher = [[Facebook]] |
||
| date = 2001-07-24 |
| date = 2001-07-24 |
||
| url = http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mahmud-Ahmedinejad/8613283977? |
| url = http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mahmud-Ahmedinejad/8613283977?v=info&viewas=0 |
||
| accessdate = 2009-07-27 }}</ref>) is the sixth and current [[President of Iran|President]] of the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]]. |
|||
Previously [[List of mayors of Tehran|mayor]] of [[Tehran]] and governor general of Iran's [[Ardabil Province]],<ref>[http://www.iranchamber.com/history/mahmadinejad/mahmoud_ahmadinejad.php]</ref> he became president at the [[Iranian presidential election, 2005|2005 presidential election]] and [[Iranian presidential election, 2009|gained]] a second term in 2009 after a disputed election.<ref>{{cite news |date={{Date|2009-06-13|mdy}} |title=Ahmadinejad wins second term in Iranian elections|url=http://www.geo.tv/6-13-2009/44103.htm |publisher=[[GEO News]] |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-14|mdy}}}}</ref> Many Iranians are continuing mass protests claiming election fraud and other abuses.<ref>{{cite news |first=Ali Akbar Dareininasser |last=Karimi |coauthors=[[Associated Press]] |date={{Date|2009-06-16|mdy}} |title=Iran's Guardian Council agrees to limited ballot recount in disputed elections |url=http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-ml-iran-election,0,3911930.story |work=[[Newsday]] |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-16|mdy}}}}</ref> Ahmadinejad’s cabinet was officially announced as illegal for a short period from July 26 2009 until the second term’s official inauguration.<ref>[http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=101692§ionid=351020101]</ref> |
|||
v=info&viewas=0 |
|||
| accessdate = 2009-07-27 }}</ref>) is the sixth and current [[President of Iran|President]] of the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]] and the main poltical leader of [[Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran]]. |
|||
The presidency is not the highest constitutional office in Iran, which belongs to the [[Supreme Leader of Iran]] ([[Ali Khamenei]]). He is also the [[commander-in-chief]] of the [[Military of Iran|armed forces of Iran]], according to Article 113 of the [[Constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran|Constitution of Iran]].<ref name=ir-const-art113>{{cite web |title=Article 113 |work=[[Constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran]] |url=http://www.servat.unibe.ch/law/icl/ir00000_.html#A113_ |publisher=International Constitutional Law |year=1992 |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-16|mdy}}}}{{Failed verification|date=June 2009}}</ref> |
|||
Previously [[List of mayors of Tehran|mayor]] of [[Tehran]] and governor general of |
|||
The legitimacy of Ahmadinejad's presidency has been widely questioned by influential Iranian politicians, traditional clerical circles<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2009/07/090704_op_brief_majma_qom.shtml Is this government legitimate? (BBC Persian)]</ref> and major Iranian political parties, including the [[Islamic Iran Participation Front]] and the National Confidence Party.<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE5602YG20090701 Iran's moderate party says vote result "unacceptable"]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8134904.stm Iran clerics defy election ruling]</ref> Ex-prime minister [[Mousavi]], former [[president Khatami]], former parliament speaker [[Karroubi]] and Grand [[marja]] [[Yousef Sanei]]<ref>[http://saanei.org/page.php?pg=showpayam&id=77&lang=fa]</ref> and others have called the government illegitimate.<ref>[http://news.antiwar.com/2009/07/01/mousavi-declares-iranian-government-illegitimate/]</ref><ref>[http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-woiran0212937004jul01,0,2519201.story]</ref> Several western governments and international bodies have also questioned the 2009 presidential election result.<ref>[http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jSWPwBGmOByDmvG6OPfqesxJ2O7Q G8 calls on Iran to halt election violence]</ref> |
|||
Iran's [[Ardabil Province]],<ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad has been a critic of the United States and [[Israel]], and backs strengthening Iran's relations with [[Russia]], [[Venezuela]], [[Syria]], and the [[Arab states of the Persian Gulf]].<ref name="Russia">{{cite journal |first=Babak |last=Dehghanpisheh |authorlink=Babak Dehghanpisheh |month=June |year=2009 |title=Bear Hugs |url=http://www.worldpress.org/Mideast/1185.cfm |journal=[[World Press Review]] |volume=48 |issue=6 |accessdate={{Date|2009-05-31|mdy}}}}</ref><ref name="IranVenezuela">{{cite news |date={{Date|2007-07-10|mdy}} |title=Oiling the axis - Iran and Venezuela develop closer ties |url=http://www.janes.com/news/security/countryrisk/jir/jir070710_1_n.shtml |publisher=[[Jane's Information Group]] |accessdate={{Date|2009-05-31|mdy}}}}</ref> During his term, Iran has also been the largest regional aid donor to the [[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan]]<ref>[http://www.irantracker.org/foreign-relations/afghanistan-iran-foreign-relations Afghanistan - Iran Foreign Relations]</ref>. |
|||
[http://www.iranchamber.com/history/mahmadinejad/mahmoud_ahmadinejad.php]</ref> he |
|||
Ahmadinejad has stated repeatedly that [[nuclear program of Iran|Iran's nuclear program]] is for peaceful electricity generation, not nuclear weapons development. Under his leadership, Iran has rejected [[United Nations Security Council]] resolutions calling for it to end [[nuclear enrichment]].<ref>{{cite news |date={{Date|2007-02-13|mdy}} |title=Iran president 'ready for talks' |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6357451.stm |publisher=BBC News |accessdate={{Date|2009-05-31|mdy}}}}</ref> Ahmadinejad called Western sanctions over Iran's nuclear enrichment "illegal" and said Iran will continue to abide by [[International Atomic Energy Agency]] monitoring of its nuclear program, though Iran has not done so.<ref>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |date={{Date|2007-09-25|mdy}} |title=Ahmadinejad: Iran’s nuclear issue is 'closed' |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20969975/ |publisher=[[MSNBC]] |accessdate={{Date|2009-05-31|mdy}}}}</ref> |
|||
became president at the [[Iranian presidential election, 2005|2005 presidential |
|||
According to a speech translation disputed by the Iranian government, Ahmadinejad has called for the dissolution of the state of [[Israel]].<ref>{{cite news |date={{Date|2006-04-24|mdy}} |title=Iran president says U.N. sanctions unlikely |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/04/24/iran.nuclear/index.html |publisher=CNN |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-01|mdy}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |date={{Date|2007-08-18|mdy}} |title=Iran president: Israel flies Satan's flag |url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-08-18-ahmadinejad_N.htm |work=[[USA Today]] |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-01|mdy}}}}</ref> He also calls for free elections in the [[Palestine|region]]. He believes that the [[Palestinian people|Palestinians]] need a stronger voice in the region's future.<ref>{{cite news |first=Nazila |last=Fathi |date={{Date|2006-01-15|mdy}} |title=U.N. Scrutiny Won't Make Iran Quit Nuclear Effort, President Says |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/15/international/middleeast/15tehran.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-01|mdy}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date={{Date|2005-10-29|mdy}} |title=Iran denies Israel attack threat |url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/10/29/iran.remarks/index.html |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20071201110714/http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/10/29/iran.remarks/index.html |archivedate={{Date|2007-12-01|mdy}} |publisher=CNN |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-16|mdy}}}}</ref> |
|||
election]] and [[Iranian presidential election, 2009|gained]] a second term in 2009 |
|||
In one of Ahmadinejad's most controversial statements, according to the initial [[Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting]] translation, he called for the "occupying regime" to be "[[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel#2005 "World Without Zionism" speech|wiped off the map]],"<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070927213903/http://www.iribnews.ir/Full_en.asp?news_id=200247 "Ahmadinejad: Israel must be wiped off the map"], IRIB News, October 26, 2005.</ref> though that translation and interpretation is disputed.<ref name = "InternationalList1"> |
|||
after a disputed election.<ref>{{cite news |date={{Date|2009-06-13|mdy}} |
|||
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4529198.stm "Holocaust comments spark outrage"], BBC News, Accessed 14-12-2005. |
|||
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4378948.stm "Iran leader's comments attacked"], BBC News, Accessed 27-01-2008. |
|||
|title=Ahmadinejad wins second term in Iranian elections|url=http://www.geo.tv/6- |
|||
*Esfandiari, Golnaz. [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/12/6f3acbdf-d5f9-4ba1-8c9d-278c700ae2ea.html "Iran: President's Latest Comments About Israel Spark Further Condemnation"]. Radio Free Europe. Accessed 28-01-2008. |
|||
*Vick, Karl and Mary Jordan. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/27/AR2005102702221.html "World Leaders Condemn Iranian's Call to Wipe Israel 'Off the Map'"]. [[Washington Post]]. Accessed 28-10-2005. |
|||
13-2009/44103.htm |publisher=[[GEO News]] |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-14|mdy}}}} |
|||
*[http://www.ncccusa.org/news/051216Ahmadinejad.html "NCC Condemns Ahmadinejad’s Holocaust Statement"]. [[National Council of Churches]]. Accessed 16-12-2007. |
|||
*Slackman, Michael. [http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/08/24/news/iran.php "In Tehran, a riposte to the Danish cartoons"]. [[The New York Times]], Accessed 24-09-2007. |
|||
</ref> Many Iranians are continuing mass protests claiming election fraud and other |
|||
*[http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2051820,00.html "Germans Protest Against Ahmadinejad, Racism As Cup Opens"]. [[Deutsche Welle]], Accessed 11-06-2006. |
|||
*[http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/10/27/ahmadinejad.reaction/index.html "Annan: 'Dismay' over Iranian comments on Israel"]. CNN. Accessed 27-09-2007. |
|||
abuses.<ref>{{cite news |first=Ali Akbar Dareininasser |last=Karimi |coauthors= |
|||
*Fathi, Nazila. [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/30/weekinreview/30iran.html?ex=1161230400&en=26f07fc5b7543417&ei=5070 "Text of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Speech"]. New York Times. Accessed 17-10-2006. |
|||
*[http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2006/12/15/iran_vote_seen_as_referendum_on_ahmadinejad/ "Iran vote seen as referendum on Ahmadinejad"]. [[The Boston Globe]]. Accessed 27-12-2006. |
|||
[[Associated Press]] |date={{Date|2009-06-16|mdy}} |title=Iran's Guardian Council |
|||
*Bronner, Ethan. [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/weekinreview/11bronner.html?ex=1307678400&en=efa2bd266224e880&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss "Just How Far Did They Go, Those Words Against Israel?"] The New York Times. Accessed 11-06-2006. |
|||
*[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C02%5C22%5Cstory_22-2-2006_pg4_15 "Ahmadinejad misunderstood, says Iran"]. The Daily Times of Pakistan. Retrieved 22-02-2006.</ref><ref name=schorn20060813>{{cite news |first=Daniel |last=Schorn |date={{Date|2006-08-13|mdy}} |title=Iranian Leader Opens Up |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/09/60minutes/main1879867.shtml |work=[[60 Minutes]] |publisher=[[CBS News]] |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-16|mdy}}}}</ref> He has also been condemned for describing [[the Holocaust]] as a [[Holocaust denial|myth]],<ref name = "InternationalList1" /><ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/12/14/iran.israel/ "Iranian leader: Holocaust a 'myth'"]. [[CNN]]. 14-12-2006.</ref> which has led to accusations of [[anti-semitism]]; the interpretation of this quote is also [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel#Denying the Holocaust.3F|disputed]].<ref name = "AntisemitismList1"> |
|||
agrees to limited ballot recount in disputed elections |
|||
*[http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,1795045,00.html "Iran team face mass protest"], [[The Guardian]], Accessed 11-06-2007. |
|||
*[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/832315.html "Eurovision may ban Israeli entry due to lyrics on nuclear war"], [[Haaretz]], Accessed 03-02-2007. |
|||
|url=http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-ml-iran- |
|||
*[http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1907670,00.html "Iran's Rhetoric on Holocaust Anger German Muslims"], [[Deutsche Welle]], Accessed 18-02-2007. |
|||
*Stephens, Bret. [http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=w070212&s=stephens021207 "Anti-Anti-Semitism defended"], [[The New Republic]], Accessed 12-02-2007. |
|||
election,0,3911930.story |work=[[Newsday]] |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-16|mdy}}}} |
|||
*[http://www.newsleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070215/OPINION01/702150303/1014/OPINION "We won't be fooled again"]. [[The News Leader]]. 15-02-2007. |
|||
*Namazi, Ghassem. [http://www.iranian.com/BTW/2006/January/Namazi/index.html "We should be sorry"]. Iranian.com. Accessed 01-02-2006.. |
|||
</ref> Ahmadinejad’s cabinet was officially announced as illegal for a short period |
|||
*Sayyed, Tashbih. [http://www.paktoday.com/mwtoday/bane26.htm The Bane Of Jihad]. Muslim World Today. Accessed 26-01-2007. |
|||
*Ivins, Molly. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/08/ivins.foreignpolicy/index.html "Ivins: Wow! Some real diplomacy!"], [[CNN]], Accessed 08-06-2006. |
|||
from July 26 2009 until the second term’s official inauguration.<ref> |
|||
*[http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/02/05/iran.wrap/index.html "Iran: Nuclear talks still possible"]. [[CNN]]. Accessed 05-02-2006. |
|||
*Smith-Spark, Laura. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5012182.stm "Racism fears dog World Cup build-up"]. [[BBC News]]. Accessed 26-05-2006. |
|||
[http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=101692§ionid=351020101]</ref> |
|||
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4653666.stm "Annan condemns Holocaust denial"]. [[BBC News]]. Accessed 27-01-2006. |
|||
*"He was defeated by the even more hard-line and anti-Semitic Mahmoud Ahmadinejad...". [[Joel C. Rosenberg]]. ''Epicenter: Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future'', Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2006, p. 109, ISBN 1414311354 |
|||
The presidency is not the highest constitutional office in Iran, which belongs to |
|||
*[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/13/international/middleeast/13israel.html "Israel Wants West to Deal More Urgently With Iran"] The New York Times. Accessed 28-03-2008. |
|||
*[http://www.ncccusa.org/news/051216Ahmadinejad.html "NCC Condemns Ahmadinejad’s Holocaust Statement"], National Council of Churches. Retrieved 16-12-2005.</ref> In response to these criticisms, Ahmadinejad said “No, I am not against [[Jew]]s, I respect them very much.”<ref name = "MA_respect_Jews">{{cite news |
|||
the [[Supreme Leader of Iran]] ([[Ali Khamenei]]). He is also the [[commander-in- |
|||
chief]] of the [[Military of Iran|armed forces of Iran]], according to Article 113 |
|||
of the [[Constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran|Constitution of Iran]].<ref |
|||
name=ir-const-art113>{{cite web |title=Article 113 |work=[[Constitution of Islamic |
|||
Republic of Iran]] |url=http://www.servat.unibe.ch/law/icl/ir00000_.html#A113_ |
|||
|publisher=International Constitutional Law |year=1992 |accessdate={{Date|2009-06- |
|||
16|mdy}}}}{{Failed verification|date=June 2009}}</ref> |
|||
The legitimacy of Ahmadinejad's presidency has been widely questioned by |
|||
influential Iranian politicians, traditional clerical circles<ref> |
|||
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2009/07/090704_op_brief_majma_qom.shtml Is this |
|||
government legitimate? (BBC Persian)]</ref> and major Iranian political parties, |
|||
including the [[Islamic Iran Participation Front]] and the National Confidence |
|||
Party.<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE5602YG20090701 Iran's |
|||
moderate party says vote result "unacceptable"]</ref><ref> |
|||
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8134904.stm Iran clerics defy election |
|||
ruling]</ref> Ex-prime minister [[Mousavi]], former [[president Khatami]], former |
|||
parliament speaker [[Karroubi]] and Grand [[marja]] [[Yousef Sanei]]<ref> |
|||
[http://saanei.org/page.php?pg=showpayam&id=77&lang=fa]</ref> and others have |
|||
called the government illegitimate.<ref> |
|||
[http://news.antiwar.com/2009/07/01/mousavi-declares-iranian-government- |
|||
illegitimate/]</ref><ref>[http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny- |
|||
woiran0212937004jul01,0,2519201.story]</ref> Several western governments and |
|||
international bodies have also questioned the 2009 presidential election |
|||
result.<ref> |
|||
[http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jSWPwBGmOByDmvG6OPfqesxJ2O7Q G8 |
|||
calls on Iran to halt election violence]</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad has been a critic of the United States and [[Israel]], and backs |
|||
strengthening Iran's relations with [[Russia]], [[Venezuela]], [[Syria]], and the |
|||
[[Arab states of the Persian Gulf]].<ref name="Russia">{{cite journal |first=Babak |
|||
|last=Dehghanpisheh |authorlink=Babak Dehghanpisheh |month=June |year=2009 |
|||
|title=Bear Hugs |url=http://www.worldpress.org/Mideast/1185.cfm |journal=[[World |
|||
Press Review]] |volume=48 |issue=6 |accessdate={{Date|2009-05-31|mdy}}}}</ref><ref |
|||
name="IranVenezuela">{{cite news |date={{Date|2007-07-10|mdy}} |title=Oiling the |
|||
axis - Iran and Venezuela develop closer ties |
|||
|url=http://www.janes.com/news/security/countryrisk/jir/jir070710_1_n.shtml |
|||
|publisher=[[Jane's Information Group]] |accessdate={{Date|2009-05-31|mdy}}}}</ref> |
|||
During his term, Iran has also been the largest regional aid donor to the [[Islamic |
|||
Republic of Afghanistan]]<ref>[http://www.irantracker.org/foreign- |
|||
relations/afghanistan-iran-foreign-relations Afghanistan - Iran Foreign Relations] |
|||
</ref>. |
|||
Ahmadinejad has stated repeatedly that [[nuclear program of Iran|Iran's nuclear |
|||
program]] is for peaceful electricity generation, not nuclear weapons development. |
|||
Under his leadership, Iran has rejected [[United Nations Security Council]] |
|||
resolutions calling for it to end [[nuclear enrichment]].<ref>{{cite news |date= |
|||
{{Date|2007-02-13|mdy}} |title=Iran president 'ready for talks' |
|||
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6357451.stm |publisher=BBC News |
|||
|accessdate={{Date|2009-05-31|mdy}}}}</ref> Ahmadinejad called Western sanctions |
|||
over Iran's nuclear enrichment "illegal" and said Iran will continue to abide by |
|||
[[International Atomic Energy Agency]] monitoring of its nuclear program, though |
|||
Iran has not done so.<ref>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |date={{Date|2007- |
|||
09-25|mdy}} |title=Ahmadinejad: Iran’s nuclear issue is 'closed' |
|||
|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20969975/ |publisher=[[MSNBC]] |accessdate= |
|||
{{Date|2009-05-31|mdy}}}}</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad is widely known for his anti-[[US]] and [[Israel]] comments for which he is often widely criticized. According to a speech translation disputed by the Iranian government, Ahmadinejad |
|||
has called for the dissolution of the state of [[Israel]].<ref>{{cite news |date= |
|||
{{Date|2006-04-24|mdy}} |title=Iran president says U.N. sanctions unlikely |
|||
|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/04/24/iran.nuclear/index.html |
|||
|publisher=CNN |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-01|mdy}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |
|||
|agency=Associated Press |date={{Date|2007-08-18|mdy}} |title=Iran president: |
|||
Israel flies Satan's flag |url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-08-18- |
|||
ahmadinejad_N.htm |work=[[USA Today]] |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-01|mdy}}}}</ref> |
|||
He also calls for free elections in the [[Palestine|region]]. He believes that the |
|||
[[Palestinian people|Palestinians]] need a stronger voice in the region's |
|||
future.<ref>{{cite news |first=Nazila |last=Fathi |date={{Date|2006-01-15|mdy}} |
|||
|title=U.N. Scrutiny Won't Make Iran Quit Nuclear Effort, President Says |
|||
|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/15/international/middleeast/15tehran.html |
|||
|work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-01|mdy}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite |
|||
news |date={{Date|2005-10-29|mdy}} |title=Iran denies Israel attack threat |
|||
|url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/10/29/iran.remarks/index.html |
|||
|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20071201110714/http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD |
|||
/meast/10/29/iran.remarks/index.html |archivedate={{Date|2007-12-01|mdy}} |
|||
|publisher=CNN |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-16|mdy}}}}</ref> |
|||
In one of Ahmadinejad's most controversial statements, according to the initial |
|||
[[Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting]] translation, he called for the "occupying |
|||
regime" to be "[[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel#2005 "World Without Zionism" |
|||
speech|wiped off the map]],"<ref> |
|||
[http://web.archive.org/web/20070927213903/http://www.iribnews.ir/Full_en.asp? |
|||
news_id=200247 "Ahmadinejad: Israel must be wiped off the map"], IRIB News, October |
|||
26, 2005.</ref> though that translation and interpretation is disputed.<ref name = |
|||
"InternationalList1"> |
|||
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4529198.stm "Holocaust comments spark |
|||
outrage"], BBC News, Accessed 14-12-2005. |
|||
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4378948.stm "Iran leader's comments |
|||
attacked"], BBC News, Accessed 27-01-2008. |
|||
*Esfandiari, Golnaz. [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/12/6f3acbdf-d5f9- |
|||
4ba1-8c9d-278c700ae2ea.html "Iran: President's Latest Comments About Israel Spark |
|||
Further Condemnation"]. Radio Free Europe. Accessed 28-01-2008. |
|||
*Vick, Karl and Mary Jordan. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- |
|||
dyn/content/article/2005/10/27/AR2005102702221.html "World Leaders Condemn |
|||
Iranian's Call to Wipe Israel 'Off the Map'"]. [[Washington Post]]. Accessed 28-10 |
|||
-2005. |
|||
*[http://www.ncccusa.org/news/051216Ahmadinejad.html "NCC Condemns Ahmadinejad’s |
|||
Holocaust Statement"]. [[National Council of Churches]]. Accessed 16-12-2007. |
|||
*Slackman, Michael. [http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/08/24/news/iran.php "In |
|||
Tehran, a riposte to the Danish cartoons"]. [[The New York Times]], Accessed 24-09 |
|||
-2007. |
|||
*[http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2051820,00.html "Germans Protest Against |
|||
Ahmadinejad, Racism As Cup Opens"]. [[Deutsche Welle]], Accessed 11-06-2006. |
|||
*[http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/10/27/ahmadinejad.reaction/index.html "Annan: |
|||
'Dismay' over Iranian comments on Israel"]. CNN. Accessed 27-09-2007. |
|||
*Fathi, Nazila. [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/30/weekinreview/30iran.html? |
|||
ex=1161230400&en=26f07fc5b7543417&ei=5070 "Text of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Speech"]. |
|||
New York Times. Accessed 17-10-2006. |
|||
* |
|||
[http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2006/12/15/iran_vote_seen_as_referendum_ |
|||
on_ahmadinejad/ "Iran vote seen as referendum on Ahmadinejad"]. [[The Boston |
|||
Globe]]. Accessed 27-12-2006. |
|||
*Bronner, Ethan. [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/weekinreview/11bronner.html? |
|||
ex=1307678400&en=efa2bd266224e880&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss "Just How Far Did |
|||
They Go, Those Words Against Israel?"] The New York Times. Accessed 11-06-2006. |
|||
*[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C02%5C22%5Cstory_22-2- |
|||
2006_pg4_15 "Ahmadinejad misunderstood, says Iran"]. The Daily Times of Pakistan. |
|||
Retrieved 22-02-2006.</ref><ref name=schorn20060813>{{cite news |first=Daniel |
|||
|last=Schorn |date={{Date|2006-08-13|mdy}} |title=Iranian Leader Opens Up |
|||
|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/09/60minutes/main1879867.shtml |work= |
|||
[[60 Minutes]] |publisher=[[CBS News]] |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-16|mdy}}}}</ref> |
|||
He has also been condemned for describing [[the Holocaust]] as a [[Holocaust |
|||
denial|myth]],<ref name = "InternationalList1" /><ref> |
|||
[http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/12/14/iran.israel/ "Iranian leader: Holocaust |
|||
a 'myth'"]. [[CNN]]. 14-12-2006.</ref> which has led to accusations of [[anti- |
|||
semitism]]; the interpretation of this quote is also [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and |
|||
Israel#Denying the Holocaust.3F|disputed]].<ref name = "AntisemitismList1"> |
|||
*[http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,1795045,00.html "Iran team face mass |
|||
protest"], [[The Guardian]], Accessed 11-06-2007. |
|||
*[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/832315.html "Eurovision may ban Israeli entry |
|||
due to lyrics on nuclear war"], [[Haaretz]], Accessed 03-02-2007. |
|||
*[http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1907670,00.html "Iran's Rhetoric on |
|||
Holocaust Anger German Muslims"], [[Deutsche Welle]], Accessed 18-02-2007. |
|||
*Stephens, Bret. [http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=w070212&s=stephens021207 "Anti- |
|||
Anti-Semitism defended"], [[The New Republic]], Accessed 12-02-2007. |
|||
*[http://www.newsleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article? |
|||
AID=/20070215/OPINION01/702150303/1014/OPINION "We won't be fooled again"]. [[The |
|||
News Leader]]. 15-02-2007. |
|||
*Namazi, Ghassem. [http://www.iranian.com/BTW/2006/January/Namazi/index.html "We |
|||
should be sorry"]. Iranian.com. Accessed 01-02-2006.. |
|||
*Sayyed, Tashbih. [http://www.paktoday.com/mwtoday/bane26.htm The Bane Of Jihad]. |
|||
Muslim World Today. Accessed 26-01-2007. |
|||
*Ivins, Molly. |
|||
[http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/08/ivins.foreignpolicy/index.html "Ivins: Wow! |
|||
Some real diplomacy!"], [[CNN]], Accessed 08-06-2006. |
|||
*[http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/02/05/iran.wrap/index.html "Iran: Nuclear |
|||
talks still possible"]. [[CNN]]. Accessed 05-02-2006. |
|||
*Smith-Spark, Laura. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5012182.stm "Racism fears |
|||
dog World Cup build-up"]. [[BBC News]]. Accessed 26-05-2006. |
|||
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4653666.stm "Annan condemns Holocaust denial"]. |
|||
[[BBC News]]. Accessed 27-01-2006. |
|||
*"He was defeated by the even more hard-line and anti-Semitic Mahmoud |
|||
Ahmadinejad...". [[Joel C. Rosenberg]]. ''Epicenter: Why the Current Rumblings in |
|||
the Middle East Will Change Your Future'', Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2006, p. |
|||
109, ISBN 1414311354 |
|||
*[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/13/international/middleeast/13israel.html "Israel |
|||
Wants West to Deal More Urgently With Iran"] The New York Times. Accessed 28-03- |
|||
2008. |
|||
*[http://www.ncccusa.org/news/051216Ahmadinejad.html "NCC Condemns Ahmadinejad’s |
|||
Holocaust Statement"], National Council of Churches. Retrieved 16-12-2005.</ref> In |
|||
response to these criticisms, Ahmadinejad said “No, I am not against [[Jew]]s, I |
|||
respect them very much.”<ref name = "MA_respect_Jews">{{cite news |
|||
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5368458.stm |
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5368458.stm |
||
| title = Iranian leader 'not anti-Semite' |
| title = Iranian leader 'not anti-Semite' |
||
Line 384: | Line 90: | ||
| archiveurl = |
| archiveurl = |
||
| archivedate = |
| archivedate = |
||
| quote = <small>'Some people think if they accuse me of being anti-Jew they can |
| quote = <small>'Some people think if they accuse me of being anti-Jew they can solve the problem. No, I am not anti-Jew,' he said. 'I respect them very much.'</small> |
||
solve the problem. No, I am not anti-Jew,' he said. 'I respect them very |
|||
much.'</small> |
|||
}} |
}} |
||
</ref> Ahmadinejad also clarified, "I'm not saying that the Holocaust didn't happen |
</ref> Ahmadinejad also clarified, "I'm not saying that the Holocaust didn't happen at all. This is not the judgment that I'm passing here."<ref name = "Ahmadinejad_Columbia">{{cite web |
||
at all. This is not the judgment that I'm passing here."<ref name = |
|||
"Ahmadinejad_Columbia">{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://ahmadinejadspeech.blogspot.com/ |
| url = http://ahmadinejadspeech.blogspot.com/ |
||
| title = Ahmadinejad's speech @ Columbia university - a transcript |
| title = Ahmadinejad's speech @ Columbia university - a transcript |
||
Line 402: | Line 100: | ||
</ref> |
</ref> |
||
During his presidency, Ahmadinejad launched a [[2007 Gas Rationing Plan in Iran|gas rationing plan]] to reduce the country's fuel consumption. He also instituted cuts in the interest rates that private and public banking facilities could charge.<ref name="InterestRates">[http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,2087915,00.html "Iran interest rate cut sparks panic selling"] Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 29-07-2007.</ref><ref name="MPO">[http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/story/2007/07/070710_ka-mpo.shtmlسازمان مدیریت و" برنامه ریزی منحل ش"] BBC Persian. Retrieved 29-07-2007.</ref><ref>{{cite web |
|||
During his presidency, Ahmadinejad launched a [[2007 Gas Rationing Plan in Iran|gas |
|||
rationing plan]] to reduce the country's fuel consumption. He also instituted cuts |
|||
in the interest rates that private and public banking facilities could charge.<ref |
|||
name="InterestRates">[http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,2087915,00.html "Iran |
|||
interest rate cut sparks panic selling"] Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 29-07- |
|||
2007.</ref><ref name="MPO"> |
|||
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/story/2007/07/070710_ka-mpo.shtmlسازمان مدیریت و" برنامه ریزی منحل |
|||
ش"] BBC Persian. Retrieved 29-07-2007.</ref><ref>{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=175959 |
| url = http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=175959 |
||
| title = Assembly of Experts to study economic reform plan: Rafsanjani |
| title = Assembly of Experts to study economic reform plan: Rafsanjani |
||
Line 423: | Line 107: | ||
| publisher = Tehran Times |
| publisher = Tehran Times |
||
}} |
}} |
||
</ref> He issued a directive, according to which the [[Management and Planning |
</ref> He issued a directive, according to which the [[Management and Planning Organisation of Iran|Management and Planning Organization]] should be affiliated to the government.<ref>{{cite web |
||
Organisation of Iran|Management and Planning Organization]] should be affiliated to |
|||
the government.<ref>{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://www.payvand.com/news/06/oct/1192.html |
| url = http://www.payvand.com/news/06/oct/1192.html |
||
| title = Iran: Debate heats up over restructuring of Management and Planning |
| title = Iran: Debate heats up over restructuring of Management and Planning Organization |
||
Organization |
|||
| accessdate = 2009-04-27 |
| accessdate = 2009-04-27 |
||
| date = 18 October 2006 |
| date = 18 October 2006 |
||
Line 445: | Line 123: | ||
| date = 2005-07-02 |
| date = 2005-07-02 |
||
| url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/jul/02/iran.roberttait |
| url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/jul/02/iran.roberttait |
||
| accessdate = 2009-07-27 }}</ref> was born near [[Garmsar]] in the village of |
| accessdate = 2009-07-27 }}</ref> was born near [[Garmsar]] in the village of Aradan, the fourth of seven children of an ironworker, grocer, barber and blacksmith who changed his name from Saborjhian when the family moved to Tehran.<ref name="bioSenate" /> |
||
In 1976, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took Iran's national university entrance contests. He has claimed that he ranked 132nd out of 400,000 participants that year,<ref name=EABBBC20060814 >{{cite web |
|||
Aradan, the fourth of seven children of an ironworker, grocer, barber and |
|||
blacksmith who changed his name from Saborjhian when the family moved to |
|||
Tehran.<ref name="bioSenate" /> |
|||
In 1976, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took Iran's national university entrance contests. He |
|||
has claimed that he ranked 132nd out of 400,000 participants that year,<ref |
|||
name=EABBBC20060814 >{{cite web |
|||
| title = Iran's president launches weblog |
| title = Iran's president launches weblog |
||
| publisher = [[BBC News]] |
| publisher = [[BBC News]] |
||
| date = 2006-08-14 |
| date = 2006-08-14 |
||
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4790005.stm |
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4790005.stm |
||
| accessdate = 2009-07-28 }}</ref> and soon enrolled in the [[Iran University of |
| accessdate = 2009-07-28 }}</ref> and soon enrolled in the [[Iran University of Science and Technology]] (IUST) as an undergraduate student of [[civil engineering]]. He received a PhD in transportation engineering and planning from IUST in 1997. |
||
Science and Technology]] (IUST) as an undergraduate student of [[civil |
|||
engineering]]. He received a PhD in transportation engineering and planning from |
|||
IUST in 1997. |
|||
Supporters of Ahmadinejad consider him a "simple man" that leads a "modest" life. |
|||
As president, he wanted to continue living in his "modest" family home in Tehran, |
|||
until his security advisers forced him to move. Ahmadinejad rolled up the antique |
|||
Persian carpets in the Presidential palace, sent them to a carpet museum, and used |
|||
low-cost carpets instead. There are stories that he refused the V.I.P. seat on the |
|||
Presidential plane, and that he eventually replaced it with a cargo plane |
|||
instead.<ref>{{cite news|title=Can Iran Change? |
|||
|url=http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/04/13/090413fa_fact_anderson|date=2009 |
|||
-04-13|publisher=[[The New Yorker|New Yorker]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Africa |
|||
can Learn from President Mahmoud |
|||
Ahmadinejad|url=http://www.africanexecutive.com/modules/magazine/articles.php? |
|||
article=4368|publisher=The African Executive}}</ref> Also upon gaining Iran's |
|||
presidency, Ahmadinejad held his first cabinet meeting in the [[Imam Reza shrine]] |
|||
at [[Mashhad]], an act perceived as "pious".<ref>{{cite article|author=Pepe Escobar |
|||
Supporters of Ahmadinejad consider him a "simple man" that leads a "modest" life. As president, he wanted to continue living in his "modest" family home in Tehran, until his security advisers forced him to move. Ahmadinejad rolled up the antique Persian carpets in the Presidential palace, sent them to a carpet museum, and used low-cost carpets instead. There are stories that he refused the V.I.P. seat on the Presidential plane, and that he eventually replaced it with a cargo plane instead.<ref>{{cite news|title=Can Iran Change?|url=http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/04/13/090413fa_fact_anderson|date=2009-04-13|publisher=[[The New Yorker|New Yorker]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Africa can Learn from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad|url=http://www.africanexecutive.com/modules/magazine/articles.php?article=4368|publisher=The African Executive}}</ref> Also upon gaining Iran's presidency, Ahmadinejad held his first cabinet meeting in the [[Imam Reza shrine]] at [[Mashhad]], an act perceived as "pious".<ref>{{cite article|author=Pepe Escobar |title=Travels in Ahmadinejadland |
|||
|title=Travels in Ahmadinejadland |
|||
|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GI15Ak02.html}}</ref> |
|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GI15Ak02.html}}</ref> |
||
Ahmadinejad is married with two sons and a daughter.<ref>[http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1145961353570&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull "Bio: Ahmadinejad."] [[Jerusalem Post]]. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref> One of his sons formerly studied at the [[Amirkabir University of Technology]] (Tehran Polytechnic).<ref>[http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/12/11/164728.shtml "Iran's Ahmadinejad Heckled at University."] Newsmax. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad is married with two sons and a daughter.<ref> |
|||
[http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite? |
|||
cid=1145961353570&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull "Bio: Ahmadinejad."] |
|||
[[Jerusalem Post]]. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref> One of his sons formerly studied at |
|||
the [[Amirkabir University of Technology]] (Tehran Polytechnic).<ref> |
|||
[http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/12/11/164728.shtml "Iran's |
|||
Ahmadinejad Heckled at University."] Newsmax. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
===Administrative and academic careers=== |
===Administrative and academic careers=== |
||
Some details of Ahmadinejad's life during the 1980s are not publicly known, but it |
Some details of Ahmadinejad's life during the 1980s are not publicly known, but it is known that he held a number of administrative posts in the province of West Azerbaijan.<ref name="JLAnderson">{{cite web |
||
is known that he held a number of administrative posts in the province of West |
|||
Azerbaijan.<ref name="JLAnderson">{{cite web |
|||
|author = John Lee Anderson |
|author = John Lee Anderson |
||
|url=http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/04/13/090413fa_fact_anderson? |
|url=http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/04/13/090413fa_fact_anderson?printable=true |
||
printable=true |
|||
|title=Can Iran Change? High stakes in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s reelection campaign |
|title=Can Iran Change? High stakes in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s reelection campaign |
||
|publisher=[[The New Yorker]] |
|publisher=[[The New Yorker]] |
||
Line 530: | Line 146: | ||
|accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
||
Many reports say that after [[Saddam Hussein]] [[Iran–Iraq War|invaded Iran]], Ahmadinejad joined the [[Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution]]<ref name="bioGS" /> and served in their intelligence and security apparatus,<ref name="bioGS" /> but his advisor [[Council for Spreading Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Thoughts|Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi]] says "He has never been a member or an official member of the Revolutionary Guards", having been a [[Basij]]i-like volunteer instead.<ref name=EABFT20080530 >{{cite web |
|||
Many reports say that after [[Saddam Hussein]] [[Iran–Iraq War|invaded Iran]], |
|||
Ahmadinejad joined the [[Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution]]<ref |
|||
name="bioGS" /> and served in their intelligence and security apparatus,<ref |
|||
name="bioGS" /> but his advisor [[Council for Spreading Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's |
|||
Thoughts|Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi]] says "He has never been a member or an official |
|||
member of the Revolutionary Guards", having been a [[Basij]]i-like volunteer |
|||
instead.<ref name=EABFT20080530 >{{cite web |
|||
| author= Najmeh Bozorgmehr |
| author= Najmeh Bozorgmehr |
||
| url = http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3c04bcbc-2d9e-11dd-b92a- |
| url = http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3c04bcbc-2d9e-11dd-b92a-000077b07658,dwp_uuid=be75219e-940a-11da-82ea-0000779e2340.html?nclick_check=1 |
||
000077b07658,dwp_uuid=be75219e-940a-11da-82ea-0000779e2340.html?nclick_check=1 |
|||
| title = Interview transcript: Mojtaba Samareh-Hashemi |
| title = Interview transcript: Mojtaba Samareh-Hashemi |
||
| accessdate = 2009-07-28 |
| accessdate = 2009-07-28 |
||
Line 553: | Line 155: | ||
}}</ref> |
}}</ref> |
||
Ahmadinejad was accepted to a [[Master of Science]] program at his alma mater in |
Ahmadinejad was accepted to a [[Master of Science]] program at his alma mater in 1986. He joined the faculty there as a lecturer in 1989,<ref name="bioIR">[http://www.president.ir/eng/ahmadinejad/bio/ Biography of H.E. Dr. Ahmadi Nejad, Honourable President of Islamic Republic of Iran]. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref><ref name="bioSenate" >{{cite web |
||
1986. He joined the faculty there as a lecturer in 1989,<ref name="bioIR"> |
|||
[http://www.president.ir/eng/ahmadinejad/bio/ Biography of H.E. Dr. Ahmadi Nejad, |
|||
Honourable President of Islamic Republic of Iran]. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref><ref |
|||
name="bioSenate" >{{cite web |
|||
| author= Hussein D. Hassan |
| author= Hussein D. Hassan |
||
| title = Profile and Statements of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad |
| title = Profile and Statements of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad |
||
Line 567: | Line 161: | ||
| date = 2007-01-16 |
| date = 2007-01-16 |
||
| url = |
| url = |
||
http://brownback.senate.gov/public/legissues/ |
http://brownback.senate.gov/public/legissues/foreignpol_crsreportiranprofilestateofpres.pdf |
||
| accessdate = 2009-07-28 }}</ref> and in 1997 received his [[doctorate]] in civil engineering and traffic transportation planning.<ref name="bioGS">[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/ahmadinejad.htm "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad"] Global Security. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref><ref name="bioIR" /> |
|||
pres.pdf |
|||
| accessdate = 2009-07-28 }}</ref> and in 1997 received his [[doctorate]] in |
|||
civil engineering and traffic transportation planning.<ref name="bioGS"> |
|||
[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/ahmadinejad.htm "President |
|||
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad"] Global Security. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref><ref name="bioIR" |
|||
/> |
|||
===Embassy seige=== |
===Embassy seige=== |
||
{{main|Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the 1979 Hostage Crisis}} |
{{main|Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the 1979 Hostage Crisis}} |
||
According to a July 1, 2005 article of the [[New York Times]], 6 former hostages of the 1979 [[Iran hostage crisis|US Embassy Crisis]] in Iran remember Ahmadinejad playing a major role in their captivity. During this crisis 52 American hostages were held for 444 days. William J. Daugherty, a former intelligence officer, colonel Charles Scott, commander Donald Sharer, lieutenant colonel David Roeder, and marine guard Kevin Hermening are five of the hostages who distinctly remember Mahmoud Ahmadinejad being involved directly and in a supervisory role in interrogations. For example, Mr. Roeder recalls, “He was one of the interrogators in the room . . . when they threatened me with my son’s kidnapping.” Mr Roeder also recalled “Mr. Ahmadinejad working in a supervisory role in one third or more of the 44 interrogations he underwent.”<ref name=EABNYT20050701 >{{cite web |
|||
According to a July 1, 2005 article of the [[New York Times]], 6 former hostages of |
|||
the 1979 [[Iran hostage crisis|US Embassy Crisis]] in Iran remember Ahmadinejad |
|||
playing a major role in their captivity. During this crisis 52 American hostages |
|||
were held for 444 days. William J. Daugherty, a former intelligence officer, |
|||
colonel Charles Scott, commander Donald Sharer, lieutenant colonel David Roeder, |
|||
and marine guard Kevin Hermening are five of the hostages who distinctly remember |
|||
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad being involved directly and in a supervisory role in |
|||
interrogations. For example, Mr. Roeder recalls, “He was one of the interrogators |
|||
in the room . . . when they threatened me with my son’s kidnapping.” Mr Roeder also |
|||
recalled “Mr. Ahmadinejad working in a supervisory role in one third or more of the |
|||
44 interrogations he underwent.”<ref name=EABNYT20050701 >{{cite web |
|||
| author= Nazila Fathi and Joel Brinkley |
| author= Nazila Fathi and Joel Brinkley |
||
| title = U.S. Pursuing Reports That Link Iranian to Embassy Seizure in '79 |
| title = U.S. Pursuing Reports That Link Iranian to Embassy Seizure in '79 |
||
| publisher = [[New York Times]] |
| publisher = [[New York Times]] |
||
| date = 2005-07-01 |
| date = 2005-07-01 |
||
| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/01/international/middleeast/01tehran.html?_r=1 |
|||
| url = |
|||
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/01/international/middleeast/01tehran.html?_r=1 |
|||
| accessdate = 2009-07-28 }}</ref> |
| accessdate = 2009-07-28 }}</ref> |
||
A follow up article on July 29, 2005 from the New York Times indicated an investigation into the matter by the US State Department was inconclusive. However at the time of the July 29 article none of the aforementioned six hostages had been interviewed. The White House alleged that “Mr. Ahmadinejad was leader of the student movement that organized the attack on the embassy and the taking of American hostages." Admadinejad and Iranian officials deny he had any involvement with the hostage taking.<ref name=EABNYT20050729 >{{cite web |
|||
A follow up article on July 29, 2005 from the New York Times indicated an |
|||
investigation into the matter by the US State Department was inconclusive. However |
|||
at the time of the July 29 article none of the aforementioned six hostages had been |
|||
interviewed. The White House alleged that “Mr. Ahmadinejad was leader of the |
|||
student movement that organized the attack on the embassy and the taking of |
|||
American hostages." Admadinejad and Iranian officials deny he had any involvement |
|||
with the hostage taking.<ref name=EABNYT20050729 >{{cite web |
|||
| author= Joel Brinkley |
| author= Joel Brinkley |
||
| title = Aides Find No Evidence Linking Iranian to Embassy Seizure |
| title = Aides Find No Evidence Linking Iranian to Embassy Seizure |
||
Line 633: | Line 183: | ||
===Early political career=== |
===Early political career=== |
||
After the [[Islamic Revolution]], Ahmadinejad became a member of the [[Office for |
After the [[Islamic Revolution]], Ahmadinejad became a member of the [[Office for Strengthening Unity]],<ref name="bioIC" >{{cite web |
||
Strengthening Unity]],<ref name="bioIC" >{{cite web |
|||
| title = Mahmoud Ahmadinejad |
| title = Mahmoud Ahmadinejad |
||
| publisher = Iran Chamber Society |
| publisher = Iran Chamber Society |
||
| url = http://www.iranchamber.com/history/mahmadinejad/mahmoud_ahmadinejad.php |
| url = http://www.iranchamber.com/history/mahmadinejad/mahmoud_ahmadinejad.php |
||
| accessdate = 2009-07-28 }}</ref> an organization developed to prevent students |
| accessdate = 2009-07-28 }}</ref> an organization developed to prevent students from sympathizing or allying with the budding [[Mojahedin-e Khalq]].<ref name="bioIC" /> |
||
He first took political office as unelected governor to both [[Maku, Iran|Maku]] and [[Khoy]] in [[West Azarbaijan Province]] during the 1980s.<ref name="bioGS" /> He eventually became an advisor to the governor general of [[Kurdistan province (Iran)|Kurdistan Province]] for two years.<ref name="bioIR" /><ref name="bioSenate" /> During his doctoral studies at Tehran, he was appointed governor general of [[Ardabil Province]] from 1993 until [[Mohammad Khatami]] removed him in 1997.<ref name="bioSenate" /> Ahmadinejad returned to teaching.<ref name="bioGS" /> |
|||
from sympathizing or allying with the budding [[Mojahedin-e Khalq]].<ref |
|||
name="bioIC" /> |
|||
He first took political office as unelected governor to both [[Maku, Iran|Maku]] |
|||
and [[Khoy]] in [[West Azarbaijan Province]] during the 1980s.<ref name="bioGS" /> |
|||
He eventually became an advisor to the governor general of [[Kurdistan province |
|||
(Iran)|Kurdistan Province]] for two years.<ref name="bioIR" /><ref name="bioSenate" |
|||
/> During his doctoral studies at Tehran, he was appointed governor general of |
|||
[[Ardabil Province]] from 1993 until [[Mohammad Khatami]] removed him in 1997.<ref |
|||
name="bioSenate" /> Ahmadinejad returned to teaching.<ref name="bioGS" /> |
|||
===Mayor of Tehran=== |
===Mayor of Tehran=== |
||
In 2003, a 12 percent turnout elected [[conservative]] candidates from the |
In 2003, a 12 percent turnout elected [[conservative]] candidates from the [[Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran]] to the [[City Council of Tehran]].<ref name="bioIR" /> The Council appointed Ahmadinejad [[Mayor of Tehran|mayor]].<ref name="bioGS" /> |
||
As mayor, he reversed changes made by previous [[moderate]] and [[reformism|reformist]] mayors. He put religious emphasis on the activities of cultural centers they had founded, publicized the separation of [[elevator]]s for men and women in the municipality offices,<ref>[http://entekhab.ir/display/?ID=2648 "Ahamd Bozorgian (MP): 'The Separation of men and women's elevators is an advantageous policy. It would help to grow.'"] Entekhab News. Retrieved 31-08-2006.</ref> and suggested that people killed in the [[Iran–Iraq War]] be buried in major [[city square]]s of Tehran. He also worked to improve the traffic system and put an emphasis on [[Charity (virtue)|charity]], such as distributing free soup to the poor. |
|||
[[Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran]] to the [[City Council of Tehran]].<ref |
|||
After his election to the presidency, Ahmadinejad's resignation as the mayor of Tehran was accepted on 28 June 2005. After two years as mayor, Ahmadinejad was one of 65 finalists for [[World Mayor]] in 2005, selected from 550 nominees, only nine of them from Asia.<ref name="world mayor" /> He was among three strong candidates for the top ten list, but his resignation made him ineligible.<ref name="world mayor">[http://www.worldmayor.com/results05/worldmayor_finalists05.html "The 2005 World Mayor finalists"]. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
name="bioIR" /> The Council appointed Ahmadinejad [[Mayor of Tehran|mayor]].<ref |
|||
name="bioGS" /> |
|||
As mayor, he reversed changes made by previous [[moderate]] and |
|||
[[reformism|reformist]] mayors. He put religious emphasis on the activities of |
|||
cultural centers they had founded, publicized the separation of [[elevator]]s for |
|||
men and women in the municipality offices,<ref>[http://entekhab.ir/display/?ID=2648 |
|||
"Ahamd Bozorgian (MP): 'The Separation of men and women's elevators is an |
|||
advantageous policy. It would help to grow.'"] Entekhab News. Retrieved 31-08- |
|||
2006.</ref> and suggested that people killed in the [[Iran–Iraq War]] be buried in |
|||
major [[city square]]s of Tehran. He also worked to improve the traffic system and |
|||
put an emphasis on [[Charity (virtue)|charity]], such as distributing free soup to |
|||
the poor. |
|||
After his election to the presidency, Ahmadinejad's resignation as the mayor of |
|||
Tehran was accepted on 28 June 2005. After two years as mayor, Ahmadinejad was one |
|||
of 65 finalists for [[World Mayor]] in 2005, selected from 550 nominees, only nine |
|||
of them from Asia.<ref name="world mayor" /> He was among three strong candidates |
|||
for the top ten list, but his resignation made him ineligible.<ref name="world |
|||
mayor">[http://www.worldmayor.com/results05/worldmayor_finalists05.html "The 2005 |
|||
World Mayor finalists"]. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
==Presidency== |
==Presidency== |
||
===2005 campaign=== |
===2005 campaign=== |
||
Ahmadinejad was not widely known when he entered the presidential election campaign, although he had already made his mark in Tehran for rolling back earlier reforms. He is a member of the [[Islamic Society of Engineers|Central Council of the Islamic Society of Engineers]], but his key political support is inside the [[Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran]] (''Abadgaran'').<ref>Aneja, Atul (2006). He was also known as tir khalas zan before becoming president.[http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2326/stories/20070112001105500.htm "New Dynamics."] Frontline. Retrieved 28-07-2007.</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad was not widely known when he entered the presidential election |
|||
Ahmadinejad generally sent mixed signals about his plans for his presidency, perhaps to attract both [[religious conservative]]s and the lower economic classes.<ref name=WP20050619 >{{cite web |
|||
campaign, although he had already made his mark in Tehran for rolling back earlier |
|||
reforms. He is a member of the [[Islamic Society of Engineers|Central Council of |
|||
the Islamic Society of Engineers]], but his key political support is inside the |
|||
[[Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran]] (''Abadgaran'').<ref>Aneja, Atul (2006). |
|||
He was also known as tir khalas zan before becoming president. |
|||
[http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2326/stories/20070112001105500.htm "New |
|||
Dynamics."] Frontline. Retrieved 28-07-2007.</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad generally sent mixed signals about his plans for his presidency, |
|||
perhaps to attract both [[religious conservative]]s and the lower economic |
|||
classes.<ref name=WP20050619 >{{cite web |
|||
| author=Karl Vick |
| author=Karl Vick |
||
| title = Hard-Line Figure In Iran Runoff |
| title = Hard-Line Figure In Iran Runoff |
||
| publisher = [[Washington Post]] |
| publisher = [[Washington Post]] |
||
| date = 2005-06-19 |
| date = 2005-06-19 |
||
| url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- |
| url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/18/AR2005061801226_pf.html |
||
| accessdate = 2009-07-28 }}</ref> His campaign [[motto]] was: "It's doable and we can do it." |
|||
dyn/content/article/2005/06/18/AR2005061801226_pf.html |
|||
| accessdate = 2009-07-28 }}</ref> His campaign [[motto]] was: "It's doable and |
|||
we can do it." |
|||
In the campaign, he took a [[populism|populist]] approach. He emphasized his own |
|||
modest life, and compared himself with [[Mohammad Ali Rajai]], Iran's second |
|||
president. Ahmadinejad said he planned to create an "exemplary government for the |
|||
people of the world" in Iran. He was a "principlist", acting politically based on |
|||
Islamic and [[Iranian Revolution|revolutionary]] principles. One of his goals was |
|||
"putting the [[petroleum]] income on people's tables", meaning Iran's oil profits |
|||
In the campaign, he took a [[populism|populist]] approach. He emphasized his own modest life, and compared himself with [[Mohammad Ali Rajai]], Iran's second president. Ahmadinejad said he planned to create an "exemplary government for the people of the world" in Iran. He was a "principlist", acting politically based on Islamic and [[Iranian Revolution|revolutionary]] principles. One of his goals was "putting the [[petroleum]] income on people's tables", meaning Iran's oil profits would be distributed among the poor.<ref name=AT20060119 >{{cite web |
|||
would be distributed among the poor.<ref name=AT20060119 >{{cite web |
|||
| author= Sami Moubayed |
| author= Sami Moubayed |
||
| title = Iran and the art of crisis management |
| title = Iran and the art of crisis management |
||
Line 756: | Line 218: | ||
| accessdate = 2009-07-28 }}</ref> |
| accessdate = 2009-07-28 }}</ref> |
||
[[Image:Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.jpg|thumb|right|Ahmadinejad speaking at [[Columbia |
[[Image:Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.jpg|thumb|right|Ahmadinejad speaking at [[Columbia University]] on 24 September 2007.]] |
||
Ahmadinejad was the only presidential candidate who spoke out against future relations with the United States. He told [[Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting]] the [[United Nations]] was "one-sided, stacked against the [[Islamic world|world of Islam]]."<ref>Brea, Jennifer. [http://worldnews.about.com/od/iran/p/ahmadinejad.htm "Profile: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran."]. Retrieved 31-08-2006.</ref> He opposed the [[UN Security Council Veto Power|veto power]] of the [[UN Security Council]]'s five permanent members: "It is not just for a few states to sit and veto global approvals. Should such a privilege continue to exist, the [[Muslim world]] with a population of nearly 1.5 billion should be extended the same privilege." He defended [[Iran's nuclear program]] and accused "a few arrogant powers" of trying to limit Iran's industrial and technological development in this and other fields. |
|||
University]] on 24 September 2007.]] |
|||
In his second round campaign, he said, "We didn't participate in the revolution for turn-by-turn government.…This revolution tries to reach a world-wide government." He spoke of an extended program using [[terrorism]] to improve foreign relations, and called for greater ties with Iran's neighbours and ending [[Visa (document)|visa]] requirements between states in the region, saying that "people should visit anywhere they wish freely. People should have freedom in their [[pilgrimage]]s and tours."<ref>[http://persianmirror.com/community/2005/opinion/MahmoudAhmadinejad.cfm "Profile of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Friend or foe?"] Persian Mirror. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad was the only presidential candidate who spoke out against future |
|||
Ahmadinejad described [[Ayatollah]] [[Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi]], a senior cleric from [[Qom, Iran|Qom]] as his ideological and spiritual mentor. Mesbah founded the [[Haghani Circle|Haghani]] School of thought in Iran. He and his team strongly supported Ahmadinejad's 2005 presidential campaign.<ref>[http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=7487 "Iran Symposium: 'Divide and empower"] Prospect Magazine. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
relations with the United States. He told [[Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting]] |
|||
the [[United Nations]] was "one-sided, stacked against the [[Islamic world|world |
|||
of Islam]]."<ref>Brea, Jennifer. |
|||
[http://worldnews.about.com/od/iran/p/ahmadinejad.htm "Profile: Mahmoud |
|||
Ahmadinejad, President of Iran."]. Retrieved 31-08-2006.</ref> He opposed the [[UN |
|||
Security Council Veto Power|veto power]] of the [[UN Security Council]]'s five |
|||
permanent members: "It is not just for a few states to sit and veto global |
|||
approvals. Should such a privilege continue to exist, the [[Muslim world]] with a |
|||
population of nearly 1.5 billion should be extended the same privilege." He |
|||
defended [[Iran's nuclear program]] and accused "a few arrogant powers" of trying |
|||
to limit Iran's industrial and technological development in this and other fields. |
|||
In his second round campaign, he said, "We didn't participate in the revolution for |
|||
turn-by-turn government.…This revolution tries to reach a world-wide government." |
|||
He spoke of an extended program using [[terrorism]] to improve foreign relations, |
|||
and called for greater ties with Iran's neighbours and ending [[Visa (document) |
|||
|visa]] requirements between states in the region, saying that "people should visit |
|||
anywhere they wish freely. People should have freedom in their [[pilgrimage]]s and |
|||
tours."<ref>[http://persianmirror.com/community/2005/opinion/MahmoudAhmadinejad.cfm |
|||
"Profile of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Friend or foe?"] Persian Mirror. Retrieved 26-01- |
|||
2008.</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad described [[Ayatollah]] [[Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi]], a senior |
|||
cleric from [[Qom, Iran|Qom]] as his ideological and spiritual mentor. Mesbah |
|||
founded the [[Haghani Circle|Haghani]] School of thought in Iran. He and his team |
|||
strongly supported Ahmadinejad's 2005 presidential campaign.<ref> |
|||
[http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=7487 "Iran Symposium: |
|||
'Divide and empower"] Prospect Magazine. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
===2005 election=== |
===2005 election=== |
||
{{Main|Iranian presidential election, 2005}} |
{{Main|Iranian presidential election, 2005}} |
||
Ahmadinejad won 62 percent of the vote in the [[runoff election|run-off poll]] against [[Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani]]. [[Supreme Leader of Iran|Supreme Leader]] [[Ayatollah Khamenei]] authorized his presidency on 3 August 2005.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= |authorlink= | title=Ahmadinejad Sworn in as Iran's New President | date=2005-08-06 | publisher=Voice Of America | url =http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2005-08/2005-08-06-voa8.cfm | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-12-23 | language = }}</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad won 62 percent of the vote in the [[runoff election|run-off poll]] |
|||
against [[Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani]]. [[Supreme Leader of Iran|Supreme Leader]] |
|||
[[Ayatollah Khamenei]] authorized his presidency on 3 August 2005.<ref>{{cite news |
|||
| first= | last= | coauthors= |authorlink= | title=Ahmadinejad Sworn in as Iran's |
|||
New President | date=2005-08-06 | publisher=Voice Of America | url |
|||
=http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2005-08/2005-08-06-voa8.cfm | work = | |
|||
pages = | accessdate = 2008-12-23 | language = }}</ref> |
|||
<ref> |
<ref> |
||
{{cite news |
{{cite news |
||
Line 837: | Line 237: | ||
| publisher = BBC |
| publisher = BBC |
||
}} |
}} |
||
</ref> Ahmedinejad kissed Khamenei's hand during the ceremony to show his |
</ref> Ahmedinejad kissed Khamenei's hand during the ceremony to show his loyalty.<ref> |
||
loyalty.<ref> |
|||
{{cite web |
{{cite web |
||
| url = http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&m=09&d=09&a=1 |
| url = http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&m=09&d=09&a=1 |
||
Line 847: | Line 245: | ||
| publisher = New York Times |
| publisher = New York Times |
||
}} |
}} |
||
</ref><ref>[http://tofoiran.packdeal.com/clips/DrIman/20060906-DrIman-CNN-225.asx |
</ref><ref>[http://tofoiran.packdeal.com/clips/DrIman/20060906-DrIman-CNN-225.asx Clip DrIman CNN - at Tofoiran]</ref> |
||
Clip DrIman CNN - at Tofoiran]</ref> |
|||
===2005 cabinet appointments=== |
===2005 cabinet appointments=== |
||
Iran's President must obtain [[Majlis]] confirmation for his selection of ministers. Ahmadinejad presented a short-list at a private meeting on 5 August, and his final list on 14 August. The Majlis rejected all of his cabinet candidates for the oil portfolio and objected to the appointment of his allies in senior government office.<ref name=AT20060119 /> The Majlis approved a cabinet on 24 August.<ref>[http://president.ir/ahmadinejad/cronicnews/1384/06/02/index-f.htm#b3 "Ahmadinejad’s cabinet declared."] Presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Retrieved 18-10-2006.</ref> The ministers promised to meet frequently outside Tehran and held their first meeting on 25 August in [[Mashhad]]. |
|||
Iran's President must obtain [[Majlis]] confirmation for his selection of |
|||
ministers. Ahmadinejad presented a short-list at a private meeting on 5 August, and |
|||
his final list on 14 August. The Majlis rejected all of his cabinet candidates for |
|||
the oil portfolio and objected to the appointment of his allies in senior |
|||
government office.<ref name=AT20060119 /> The Majlis approved a cabinet on 24 |
|||
August.<ref>[http://president.ir/ahmadinejad/cronicnews/1384/06/02/index-f.htm#b3 |
|||
"Ahmadinejad’s cabinet declared."] Presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran. |
|||
Retrieved 18-10-2006.</ref> The ministers promised to meet frequently outside |
|||
Tehran and held their first meeting on 25 August in [[Mashhad]]. |
|||
{| style="margin:auto;" class="wikitable" border="1" |
{| style="margin:auto;" class="wikitable" border="1" |
||
Line 883: | Line 263: | ||
| Cooperatives || [[Mohammad Abbasi]] |
| Cooperatives || [[Mohammad Abbasi]] |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance|Culture and Islamic Guidance]] || |
| [[Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance|Culture and Islamic Guidance]] || [[Mohammad Hossein Saffar-Harandi]] |
||
[[Mohammad Hossein Saffar-Harandi]] |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics|Defense and Armed Forces |
| [[Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics|Defense and Armed Forces Logistics]] || [[Mostafa Mohammad Najjar]] |
||
Logistics]] || [[Mostafa Mohammad Najjar]] |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| Economy and Financial Affairs || [[Hossein Samsami]] (pending approval from |
| Economy and Financial Affairs || [[Hossein Samsami]] (pending approval from parliament) |
||
parliament) |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| Education || [[Alireza Aliahmadi]] |
| Education || [[Alireza Aliahmadi]] |
||
Line 907: | Line 281: | ||
| Industries and Mines || [[Aliakbar Mehrabian]] |
| Industries and Mines || [[Aliakbar Mehrabian]] |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[Ministry of Intelligence of Iran|Intelligence]] || [[Gholam Hossein Mohseni- |
| [[Ministry of Intelligence of Iran|Intelligence]] || [[Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejehei]] |
||
Ejehei]] |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[Ministry of Interior (Iran)|Interior]] || Seyed Sadegh Mahsooli<ref>{{cite |
| [[Ministry of Interior (Iran)|Interior]] || Seyed Sadegh Mahsooli<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7735947.stm |title=''BBC'': New Iran interior chief approved |publisher=BBC News |date=2008-11-18 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
||
news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7735947.stm |title=''BBC'': |
|||
New Iran interior chief approved |publisher=BBC News |date=2008-11-18 |
|||
|accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[Ministry of Justice (Iran)|Justice]] || [[Gholam Hossein Elham]] |
| [[Ministry of Justice (Iran)|Justice]] || [[Gholam Hossein Elham]] |
||
Line 935: | Line 301: | ||
{{Main|Iranian councils election, 2006|Iranian Assembly of Experts election, 2006}} |
{{Main|Iranian councils election, 2006|Iranian Assembly of Experts election, 2006}} |
||
Ahmadinejad’s team lost the 2006 city council elections, and his spiritual mentor, [[Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi]], was ranked sixth on the country's Assembly of Experts.<ref>[http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Security/10403.htm "Khamenei calls for moderating national stance on nukes"] Israeli Insider. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref> In the first nationwide election since Ahmadinejad became President, his allies failed to dominate election returns for the [[Assembly of Experts]] and local councils. Results, with a turnout of about 60%, suggested a voter shift toward more moderate policies. According to an editorial in the Kargozaran independent [[daily newspaper]], "The results show that voters have learned from the past and concluded that we need to support.. moderate figures." An Iranian political analyst said that "this is a blow for Ahmadinejad and [[Mohammad Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi|Mesbah Yazdi's]] list."<ref>Blair, Edmund. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/17/AR2006121700772.html "Results in Iranian Vote Seen as Setback for Ahmadinejad"] [[Reuters]]. Retrieved 18-12-2006.</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad’s team lost the 2006 city council elections, and his spiritual mentor, |
|||
[[Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi]], was ranked sixth on the country's Assembly of |
|||
Experts.<ref>[http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Security/10403.htm "Khamenei |
|||
calls for moderating national stance on nukes"] Israeli Insider. Retrieved 27-01- |
|||
2008.</ref> In the first nationwide election since Ahmadinejad became President, |
|||
his allies failed to dominate election returns for the [[Assembly of Experts]] and |
|||
local councils. Results, with a turnout of about 60%, suggested a voter shift |
|||
toward more moderate policies. According to an editorial in the Kargozaran |
|||
independent [[daily newspaper]], "The results show that voters have learned from |
|||
the past and concluded that we need to support.. moderate figures." An Iranian |
|||
political analyst said that "this is a blow for Ahmadinejad and [[Mohammad Taqi |
|||
Mesbah-Yazdi|Mesbah Yazdi's]] list."<ref>Blair, Edmund. |
|||
[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- |
|||
dyn/content/article/2006/12/17/AR2006121700772.html "Results in Iranian Vote Seen |
|||
as Setback for Ahmadinejad"] [[Reuters]]. Retrieved 18-12-2006.</ref> |
|||
===2009 presidential election=== |
===2009 presidential election=== |
||
[[File:Ahmadinejad Russia June 2009.jpg|thumb|240px|Ahmadinejad in |
[[File:Ahmadinejad Russia June 2009.jpg|thumb|240px|Ahmadinejad in [[Yekaterinburg]], [[Russia]], 16 June 2009]] |
||
[[Yekaterinburg]], [[Russia]], 16 June 2009]] |
|||
{{Main|Iranian presidential election, 2009}} |
{{Main|Iranian presidential election, 2009}} |
||
On 23 August 2008, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei announced that he "sees Ahmadinejad as president in the next five years," a comment interpreted as indicating support for Ahmadinejad's reelection.<ref>"Renewed Power Struggle in Iran as the Presidential Elections Approach: Part I – Ahmadinejad's Revolutionary-Messianic Faction vs. Rafsanjani–Reformist Alliance." By: Y. Mansharof and A. Savyon* Iran|#488 | 26 December 2008</ref> |
|||
On 23 August 2008, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei announced that he "sees Ahmadinejad |
|||
The election drew unprecedented public interest in Iran. There were live television debates between the candidates.<ref name=leads>{{cite news|publisher=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8098305.stm|date=13 June 2009|accessdate=13 June 2009|title=Ahmadinejad 'leads in Iran election' }}</ref> |
|||
as president in the next five years," a comment interpreted as indicating support |
|||
According to Iran's election headquarters, 39,165,191 ballots were cast in the election on 12 June 2009. Ahmadinejad won 24,527,516 votes, (62.63%). In second place, [[Mir-Hossein Mousavi]], won 13,216,411 (33.75%) of the votes. |
|||
for Ahmadinejad's reelection.<ref>"Renewed Power Struggle in Iran as the |
|||
Presidential Elections Approach: Part I – Ahmadinejad's Revolutionary-Messianic |
|||
Faction vs. Rafsanjani–Reformist Alliance." By: Y. Mansharof and A. Savyon* |
|||
Iran|#488 | 26 December 2008</ref> |
|||
The election drew unprecedented public interest in Iran. There were live television |
|||
debates between the candidates.<ref name=leads>{{cite news|publisher=BBC |
|||
News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8098305.stm|date=13 June |
|||
2009|accessdate=13 June 2009|title=Ahmadinejad 'leads in Iran election' }}</ref> |
|||
According to Iran's election headquarters, 39,165,191 ballots were cast in the |
|||
election on 12 June 2009. Ahmadinejad won 24,527,516 votes, (62.63%). In second |
|||
place, [[Mir-Hossein Mousavi]], won 13,216,411 (33.75%) of the votes. |
|||
===2009 Iranian election protests=== |
===2009 Iranian election protests=== |
||
{{main|2009 Iranian election protests}} |
{{main|2009 Iranian election protests}} |
||
As of July 2009, the election results remain in dispute with both Mousavi and |
As of July 2009, the election results remain in dispute with both Mousavi and Ahmadinejad believing that they won. |
||
Ahmadinejad believing that they won. |
|||
See also: |
See also: |
||
*[[Death of Neda Agha-Soltan]] |
*[[Death of Neda Agha-Soltan]] |
||
Line 1,011: | Line 325: | ||
{{Main|Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei}} |
{{Main|Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei}} |
||
Ahmadinejad announced controversial ministerial appointments for his second term. [[Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei]] was briefly appointed as first vice president, but opposed by a number of Majlis members and by the intelligence minister, [[Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i]]. Mashaei followed orders to resign. Ahmadinejad then appointed Mashaei as chief of staff, and fired Mohseni-Eje'i.<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran27-2009jul27,0,6911282.story Iran president clashes with conservatives]</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad announced controversial ministerial appointments for his second term. |
|||
On July 26 2009, Ahmadinejad's government faced a legal problem after he sacked four ministers. Iran's constitution (Article 136) stipulates that, if more than half of its members are replaced, the cabinet may not meet or act before the Majlis approves the revised membership.<ref>[http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jYm2jkM3p-MmD8B1Oh9ZDxXNG6xw]</ref> The Vice Chairman of the Majlis announced that no cabinet meetings or decisions would be legal, pending such a reapproval.<ref>[http://www.aftabnews.ir/vdchzinw.23nzmdftt2.html]</ref> |
|||
[[Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei]] was briefly appointed as first vice president, but |
|||
opposed by a number of Majlis members and by the intelligence minister, [[Gholam- |
|||
Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i]]. Mashaei followed orders to resign. Ahmadinejad then |
|||
appointed Mashaei as chief of staff, and fired Mohseni-Eje'i.<ref> |
|||
[http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran27- |
|||
2009jul27,0,6911282.story Iran president clashes with conservatives]</ref> |
|||
On July 26 2009, Ahmadinejad's government faced a legal problem after he sacked |
|||
four ministers. Iran's constitution (Article 136) stipulates that, if more than |
|||
half of its members are replaced, the cabinet may not meet or act before the Majlis |
|||
approves the revised membership.<ref> |
|||
[http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jYm2jkM3p-MmD8B1Oh9ZDxXNG6xw] |
|||
</ref> The Vice Chairman of the Majlis announced that no cabinet meetings or |
|||
decisions would be legal, pending such a reapproval.<ref> |
|||
[http://www.aftabnews.ir/vdchzinw.23nzmdftt2.html]</ref> |
|||
===2009 conviction for "earthquake saferoom"=== |
===2009 conviction for "earthquake saferoom"=== |
||
Ahmadinejad was involved in a fraud in which he along with Ali Akbar Mehrabian and Mousa Mazloum stole an invention by Farzan Salimi and published it under their own names in 2005. The idea for an "earthquake saferoom" — a design for a fortified room in homes in case of disaster was owned by Farzan Salimi, an Iranian researcher and engineer.<ref>[http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hWwhfDRFoOdvTxSte5ak4cFKMAaQD99N04A81]</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad was involved in a fraud in which he along with Ali Akbar Mehrabian and |
|||
In July 2009, the general court of Tehran convicted Industry Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian and Mousa Mazloum but kept silent about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's involvement, according to Etemad-Melli daily.<ref>[http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=199634]</ref><ref>[http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hWwhfDRFoOdvTxSte5ak4cFKMAaQD99N04A81]</ref> <ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2009/07/090728_mg_mehrabian_court.shtml]</ref> |
|||
Mousa Mazloum stole an invention by Farzan Salimi and published it under their own |
|||
names in 2005. The idea for an "earthquake saferoom" — a design for a fortified |
|||
room in homes in case of disaster was owned by Farzan Salimi, an Iranian researcher |
|||
and engineer.<ref> |
|||
[http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hWwhfDRFoOdvTxSte5ak4cFKMAaQD99N |
|||
04A81]</ref> |
|||
In July 2009, the general court of Tehran convicted Industry Minister Ali Akbar |
|||
Mehrabian and Mousa Mazloum but kept silent about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's |
|||
involvement, according to Etemad-Melli daily.<ref> |
|||
[http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=199634]</ref><ref> |
|||
[http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hWwhfDRFoOdvTxSte5ak4cFKMAaQD99N |
|||
04A81]</ref> <ref> |
|||
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2009/07/090728_mg_mehrabian_court.shtml]</ref> |
|||
==Domestic policy== |
==Domestic policy== |
||
Line 1,075: | Line 339: | ||
{{See also|Economy of Iran}} |
{{See also|Economy of Iran}} |
||
In Ahmadinejad's first three years as president, Iran's [[real GDP]] growth fell short of the 7.5 percent growth that was expected by the [[central bank]], despite a highly educated and young [[organized labor|labor force]] and a growing [[middle class]]. [[Inflation]] and [[unemployment]] have both increased and the government has continued a cycle of unsustainable spending and poor economic management.<ref name="entre">[http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/172835081.html "Tentative steps: Ahmadinejad's economic reform."] The Entrepreneur. Retrieved 01-02-2008.</ref> Ahmadinejad has increased spending by 25 percent and has supported [[subsidy|subsidies]] for food and [[gasoline]]. He also initially refused a gradual increase of petrol prices, saying that after making necessary preparations, such as a development of [[public transportation]] system, the government will free up petrol prices after five years.<ref>Bakhtiar, Abbas. [http://www.payvand.com/news/07/jan/1295.html "Ahmadinejad's Achilles Heel."] Payvand. Retrieved 25-01-2007.</ref> Interest rates were cut by presidential decree to below the inflation rate. One unintended effect of this stimulation of the economy has been the bidding up of some urban real estate prices by two or three times their pre-Ahmadinejad value by Iranians seeking to invest surplus cash and finding few other safe opportunities. The resulting increase in the cost of housing has hurt poorer, non-property owning Iranians, the putative beneficiaries of Ahmadinejad's populist policies.<ref>"Letter from Tehran, The rationalist" by Laura Secor p.31 ''The New Yorker'', February 2, 2009</ref> The Management and Planning Organisation, a state body charged with mapping out long-term economic and budget strategy, was broken up and its experienced managers were fired.<ref name="donkey">{{cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/economy/2008/09/iran-economic-ahmadinejad |title=“Economics is for donkeys” Robert Tait, Published 11 September 2008 |publisher=Newstatesman.com |date=2008-09-11 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
In Ahmadinejad's first three years as president, Iran's [[real GDP]] growth fell |
|||
In June 2006, 50 Iranian economists wrote a letter to Ahmadinejad that criticized his price interventions to stabilize prices of [[goods]], [[cement]], government services, and his decree issued by the High Labor Council and the Ministry of Labor that proposed an increase of workers' salaries by 40 percent. Ahmadinejad publicly responded harshly to the letter and denounced the accusations.<ref>[http://dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=73218 "Iranian economists lash out at Ahmadinejad's policies."] Daily Star. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref><ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/money/world/2006-09-04-iran-economy-usat_x.htm "Geopolitics casts pall on hobbled Iranian economy."] [[USA Today]]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Ahmadinejad has called for "middle-of-the-road" compromises with respect to Western-oriented [[capitalism]] and [[socialism]]. Current political conflicts with the United States have caused the central bank to fear increased capital flight due to [[Sanctions against Iran|global isolation]]. These factors have prevented an improvement of [[infrastructure]] and [[Financial capital|capital]] influx, despite high economic potential.<ref name="entre" /> Among those that did not vote for him in the first election, only 3.5 percent said they would consider voting for him in the next election.<ref>Sanati, Kimia. [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/IH24Ak03.html "Ahmadinejad held to election promises"]. Asia Times. Retrieved 01-02-2008.</ref> [[Mohammad Khoshchehreh]], a member of [[Iranian parliament]] that campaigned for Ahmadinejad, said that his government "has been strong on populist slogans, but weak on achievement."<ref name="discontent" >Dareini, Ali Akbar. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011701335.html "Iran's Discontent With Ahmadinejad Grows."] The [[Washington Post]]. Retrieved 28-08-2007.</ref> |
|||
short of the 7.5 percent growth that was expected by the [[central bank]], despite |
|||
President Ahmadinejad has changed almost all of his economic ministers, including oil, industry and economy, since coming to power in 2005. In an interview with Fars News Agency on April 2008, [[Davoud Danesh Jaafari]] who acted as minister of economy in President Ahmadinejad’s cabinet, harshly criticized Ahmadinejad’s economic policy: “During my time, there was no positive attitude towards previous experiences or experienced people and there was no plan for the future. Peripheral issues which were not of dire importance to the nation were given priority. Most of the scientific economic concepts like the effect of liquidity on inflation were put in question."<ref>{{cite web|author=Apr 22, 2008 |url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jPjMFDWR5wix280l0R7irdv5THEg |title=AFP: Ahmadinejad slammed by outgoing economy minister |publisher=Afp.google.com |date=2008-04-22 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> In response to these criticisms, Ahmadinejad accused his minister of not being "a man of justice" and declared that the solution to Iran’s economic problem is "the culture of martyrdom".<ref>{{cite web|author=Apr 24, 2008 |url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jelVVHDZfukEAiK80qF88B6Q1Tpg |title=AFP: Martyrdom would solve Iran's economic woes: Ahmadinejad |publisher=Afp.google.com |date=2008-04-24 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> In May 2008, the Petroleum minister of Iran admitted that the government illegally invested 2 billion dollars to import petrol in 2007. At Iranian parliament, he also mentioned that he simply followed the president's order. <ref>[http://www.alef.ir/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26085&Itemid=99999999 الف - واردات غیرقانونی بنزین را به دستور رئیسجمهور انجام دادهایم<!-- Bot generated title -->]{{Dead link|date=June 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://norooznews.ir/news/7088.php |title=تخلف دو ميليارد دلاري احمدينژاد در وارادات غيرقانوني بنزين :: |publisher=www.norooznews.ir |date= |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
While his government had 275 thousand billion [[Iranian toman|toman]] oil income, the highest in Iranian history, Ahmadinejad’s government had the highest budget deficit since Iranian revolution.<ref>{{cite news|last=Leyne |first=Jon |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7687107.stm |title=Middle East | Iran economy facing 'perfect storm' |publisher=BBC News |date=2008-10-24 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
a highly educated and young [[organized labor|labor force]] and a growing [[middle |
|||
During his presidency, Ahmadinejad launched a [[2007 Gas Rationing Plan in Iran|gas rationing plan]] to reduce the country's fuel consumption. He also instituted cuts in the interest rates that private and public banking facilities could charge.<ref name="InterestRates">[http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,2087915,00.html "Iran interest rate cut sparks panic selling"] Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 29-07-2007.</ref><ref name="MPO">[http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/story/2007/07/070710_ka-mpo.shtmlسازمان مدیریت و" برنامه ریزی منحل ش"] BBC Persian. Retrieved 29-07-2007.</ref><ref>{{cite web |
|||
class]]. [[Inflation]] and [[unemployment]] have both increased and the government |
|||
has continued a cycle of unsustainable spending and poor economic management.<ref |
|||
name="entre">[http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/172835081.html |
|||
"Tentative steps: Ahmadinejad's economic reform."] The Entrepreneur. Retrieved 01- |
|||
02-2008.</ref> Ahmadinejad has increased spending by 25 percent and has supported |
|||
[[subsidy|subsidies]] for food and [[gasoline]]. He also initially refused a |
|||
gradual increase of petrol prices, saying that after making necessary preparations, |
|||
such as a development of [[public transportation]] system, the government will free |
|||
up petrol prices after five years.<ref>Bakhtiar, Abbas. |
|||
[http://www.payvand.com/news/07/jan/1295.html "Ahmadinejad's Achilles Heel."] |
|||
Payvand. Retrieved 25-01-2007.</ref> Interest rates were cut by presidential decree |
|||
to below the inflation rate. One unintended effect of this stimulation of the |
|||
economy has been the bidding up of some urban real estate prices by two or three |
|||
times their pre-Ahmadinejad value by Iranians seeking to invest surplus cash and |
|||
finding few other safe opportunities. The resulting increase in the cost of housing |
|||
has hurt poorer, non-property owning Iranians, the putative beneficiaries of |
|||
Ahmadinejad's populist policies.<ref>"Letter from Tehran, The rationalist" by Laura |
|||
Secor p.31 ''The New Yorker'', February 2, 2009</ref> The Management and Planning |
|||
Organisation, a state body charged with mapping out long-term economic and budget |
|||
strategy, was broken up and its experienced managers were fired.<ref |
|||
name="donkey">{{cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/economy/2008/09/iran- |
|||
economic-ahmadinejad |title=“Economics is for donkeys” Robert Tait, Published 11 |
|||
September 2008 |publisher=Newstatesman.com |date=2008-09-11 |accessdate=2009-06- |
|||
21}}</ref> |
|||
In June 2006, 50 Iranian economists wrote a letter to Ahmadinejad that criticized |
|||
his price interventions to stabilize prices of [[goods]], [[cement]], government |
|||
services, and his decree issued by the High Labor Council and the Ministry of Labor |
|||
that proposed an increase of workers' salaries by 40 percent. Ahmadinejad publicly |
|||
responded harshly to the letter and denounced the accusations.<ref> |
|||
[http://dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=73218 |
|||
"Iranian economists lash out at Ahmadinejad's policies."] Daily Star. Retrieved 26 |
|||
-01-2008.</ref><ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/money/world/2006-09-04-iran-economy- |
|||
usat_x.htm "Geopolitics casts pall on hobbled Iranian economy."] [[USA Today]]. |
|||
Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Ahmadinejad has called for "middle-of-the-road" |
|||
compromises with respect to Western-oriented [[capitalism]] and [[socialism]]. |
|||
Current political conflicts with the United States have caused the central bank to |
|||
fear increased capital flight due to [[Sanctions against Iran|global isolation]]. |
|||
These factors have prevented an improvement of [[infrastructure]] and [[Financial |
|||
capital|capital]] influx, despite high economic potential.<ref name="entre" /> |
|||
Among those that did not vote for him in the first election, only 3.5 percent said |
|||
they would consider voting for him in the next election.<ref>Sanati, Kimia. |
|||
[http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/IH24Ak03.html "Ahmadinejad held to |
|||
election promises"]. Asia Times. Retrieved 01-02-2008.</ref> [[Mohammad |
|||
Khoshchehreh]], a member of [[Iranian parliament]] that campaigned for Ahmadinejad, |
|||
said that his government "has been strong on populist slogans, but weak on |
|||
achievement."<ref name="discontent" >Dareini, Ali Akbar. |
|||
[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- |
|||
dyn/content/article/2007/01/17/AR2007011701335.html "Iran's Discontent With |
|||
Ahmadinejad Grows."] The [[Washington Post]]. Retrieved 28-08-2007.</ref> |
|||
President Ahmadinejad has changed almost all of his economic ministers, including |
|||
oil, industry and economy, since coming to power in 2005. In an interview with Fars |
|||
News Agency on April 2008, [[Davoud Danesh Jaafari]] who acted as minister of |
|||
economy in President Ahmadinejad’s cabinet, harshly criticized Ahmadinejad’s |
|||
economic policy: “During my time, there was no positive attitude towards previous |
|||
experiences or experienced people and there was no plan for the future. Peripheral |
|||
issues which were not of dire importance to the nation were given priority. Most of |
|||
the scientific economic concepts like the effect of liquidity on inflation were put |
|||
in question."<ref>{{cite web|author=Apr 22, 2008 |
|||
|url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jPjMFDWR5wix280l0R7irdv5THEg |title=AFP: |
|||
Ahmadinejad slammed by outgoing economy minister |publisher=Afp.google.com |
|||
|date=2008-04-22 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> In response to these criticisms, |
|||
Ahmadinejad accused his minister of not being "a man of justice" and declared that |
|||
the solution to Iran’s economic problem is "the culture of martyrdom".<ref>{{cite |
|||
web|author=Apr 24, 2008 |
|||
|url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jelVVHDZfukEAiK80qF88B6Q1Tpg |title=AFP: |
|||
Martyrdom would solve Iran's economic woes: Ahmadinejad |publisher=Afp.google.com |
|||
|date=2008-04-24 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> In May 2008, the Petroleum minister |
|||
of Iran admitted that the government illegally invested 2 billion dollars to import |
|||
petrol in 2007. At Iranian parliament, he also mentioned that he simply followed |
|||
the president's order. <ref>[http://www.alef.ir/index.php? |
|||
option=com_content&task=view&id=26085&Itemid=99999999 الف - واردات غیرقانونی بنزین را به دستور رئیسجمهور انجام دادهایم<!-- |
|||
Bot generated title -->]{{Dead link|date=June 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite |
|||
web|url=http://norooznews.ir/news/7088.php |title=تخلف دو ميليارد دلاري احمدينژاد در وارادات غيرقانوني بنزين :: |
|||
|publisher=www.norooznews.ir |date= |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
While his government had 275 thousand billion [[Iranian toman|toman]] oil income, |
|||
the highest in Iranian history, Ahmadinejad’s government had the highest budget |
|||
deficit since Iranian revolution.<ref>{{cite news|last=Leyne |first=Jon |
|||
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7687107.stm |title=Middle East | |
|||
Iran economy facing 'perfect storm' |publisher=BBC News |date=2008-10-24 |
|||
|accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
During his presidency, Ahmadinejad launched a [[2007 Gas Rationing Plan in Iran|gas |
|||
rationing plan]] to reduce the country's fuel consumption. He also instituted cuts |
|||
in the interest rates that private and public banking facilities could charge.<ref |
|||
name="InterestRates">[http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,2087915,00.html "Iran |
|||
interest rate cut sparks panic selling"] Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 29-07- |
|||
2007.</ref><ref name="MPO"> |
|||
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/story/2007/07/070710_ka-mpo.shtmlسازمان مدیریت و" برنامه ریزی منحل |
|||
ش"] BBC Persian. Retrieved 29-07-2007.</ref><ref>{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=175959 |
| url = http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=175959 |
||
| title = Assembly of Experts to study economic reform plan: Rafsanjani |
| title = Assembly of Experts to study economic reform plan: Rafsanjani |
||
Line 1,261: | Line 353: | ||
| publisher = Tehran Times |
| publisher = Tehran Times |
||
}} |
}} |
||
</ref> He issued a directive, according to which the [[Management and Planning |
</ref> He issued a directive, according to which the [[Management and Planning Organisation of Iran|Management and Planning Organization]] should be affiliated to the government.<ref>{{cite web |
||
Organisation of Iran|Management and Planning Organization]] should be affiliated to |
|||
the government.<ref>{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://www.payvand.com/news/06/oct/1192.html |
| url = http://www.payvand.com/news/06/oct/1192.html |
||
| title = Iran: Debate heats up over restructuring of Management and Planning |
| title = Iran: Debate heats up over restructuring of Management and Planning Organization |
||
Organization |
|||
| accessdate = 2009-04-27 |
| accessdate = 2009-04-27 |
||
| date = 18 October 2006 |
| date = 18 October 2006 |
||
Line 1,279: | Line 365: | ||
{{See also|Family planning in Iran}} |
{{See also|Family planning in Iran}} |
||
In October 2006, Ahmadinejad opposed encouraging families to limit themselves to just two children, stating that Iran could cope with 50 million more people than the current 70 million. In remarks that have drawn criticism, he told [[Member of Parliament|MPs]] he wanted to scrap existing birth control policies which discouraged Iranian couples from having more than two children. Critics said his call was ill-judged at a time when Iran was struggling with surging inflation and rising unemployment, estimated at around 11 percent. Ahmadinejad’s call for an increased birth rate is reminiscent of a call Ayatollah [[Ruhollah Khomeini]] made in 1979. The policy was effective in increasing population growth, but was eventually reversed in response to the resultant economic strain.<ref name="Guard-Child">[http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,1929364,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=1 "Ahmadinejad urges Iranian baby boom to challenge West"] [[The Guardian]]. Retrieved 03-05-2007.</ref> |
|||
In October 2006, Ahmadinejad opposed encouraging families to limit themselves to |
|||
In 2008, the government sent the "Family Protection Bill" to the Iranian parliament. Women's rights activists criticized the bill for removing protections from women, such as the requirement that a husband obtain his wife's consent before bringing another wife into the family. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=&id=d2936dca-6f92-4333-bba3-a0e61c07edab&MatchID1=4737&TeamID1=8&TeamID2=6&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1194&MatchID2=4728&TeamID3=2&TeamID4=3&MatchType2=1&SeriesID2=1191&PrimaryID=4737&Headline=Ebadi+protests+against+Iran%e2%80%99s+polygamy+bill&strParent=strParentID |title=Ebadi protests against Iran’s polygamy bill |publisher=Hindustan Times |date= |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
just two children, stating that Iran could cope with 50 million more people than |
|||
the current 70 million. In remarks that have drawn criticism, he told [[Member of |
|||
Parliament|MPs]] he wanted to scrap existing birth control policies which |
|||
discouraged Iranian couples from having more than two children. Critics said his |
|||
call was ill-judged at a time when Iran was struggling with surging inflation and |
|||
rising unemployment, estimated at around 11 percent. Ahmadinejad’s call for an |
|||
increased birth rate is reminiscent of a call Ayatollah [[Ruhollah Khomeini]] made |
|||
in 1979. The policy was effective in increasing population growth, but was |
|||
eventually reversed in response to the resultant economic strain.<ref name="Guard- |
|||
Child">[http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,1929364,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=1 |
|||
"Ahmadinejad urges Iranian baby boom to challenge West"] [[The Guardian]]. |
|||
Retrieved 03-05-2007.</ref> |
|||
In 2008, the government sent the "Family Protection Bill" to the Iranian |
|||
parliament. Women's rights activists criticized the bill for removing protections |
|||
from women, such as the requirement that a husband obtain his wife's consent before |
|||
bringing another wife into the family. <ref>{{cite |
|||
web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx? |
|||
sectionName=&id=d2936dca-6f92-4333-bba3- |
|||
a0e61c07edab&MatchID1=4737&TeamID1=8&TeamID2=6&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1194&MatchID2 |
|||
=4728&TeamID3=2&TeamID4=3&MatchType2=1&SeriesID2=1191&PrimaryID=4737&Headline=Ebadi |
|||
+protests+against+Iran%e2%80%99s+polygamy+bill&strParent=strParentID |title=Ebadi |
|||
protests against Iran’s polygamy bill |publisher=Hindustan Times |date= |
|||
|accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
===Housing=== |
===Housing=== |
||
The first legislation to emerge from his newly formed government was a 12 trillion |
The first legislation to emerge from his newly formed government was a 12 trillion [[Rial]] ([[US$]]1.3 billion) fund called ''"Reza's Compassion Fund"''<ref>{{cite web |
||
[[Rial]] ([[US$]]1.3 billion) fund called ''"Reza's Compassion Fund"''<ref>{{cite |
|||
web |
|||
| url = http://roozonline.com/01newsstory/012137.shtml |
| url = http://roozonline.com/01newsstory/012137.shtml |
||
| title = "Reza's Compassion Fund" project archived. |
| title = "Reza's Compassion Fund" project archived. |
||
Line 1,343: | Line 381: | ||
| language = {{fa icon}} |
| language = {{fa icon}} |
||
}} |
}} |
||
</ref> which was named after [[Shi'a Islam|Shi'a]] [[Shi'a Imam|Imam]] [[Ali al-Rida]]. By tapping into Iran's [[oil]] [[revenue]]s, Ahmadinejad's government says that this fund will be used to help young people to get jobs and to afford marriage, as well to assist in purchasing their own homes.<ref>[http://irannegah.com/Video.aspx?id=593 "Video of Imam Reza Love Fund."] [[IranNegah]]. Retrieved 18-05-2008.</ref> The fund also sought charitable donations, and includes a [[trustee|boards of trustees]] in each of Iran's 30 provinces. The legislation was in response to the costly housing in urban centres which is pushing up the national average marital age (currently around 25 years for women and 28 years for men). In 2006 the Iranian parliament rejected the fund. |
|||
</ref> which was named after [[Shi'a Islam|Shi'a]] [[Shi'a Imam|Imam]] [[Ali al- |
|||
However, Ahmadinejad ordered the administrative council to execute the plan.<ref>{{cite web |
|||
Rida]]. By tapping into Iran's [[oil]] [[revenue]]s, Ahmadinejad's government says |
|||
that this fund will be used to help young people to get jobs and to afford |
|||
marriage, as well to assist in purchasing their own homes.<ref> |
|||
[http://irannegah.com/Video.aspx?id=593 "Video of Imam Reza Love Fund."] |
|||
[[IranNegah]]. Retrieved 18-05-2008.</ref> The fund also sought charitable |
|||
donations, and includes a [[trustee|boards of trustees]] in each of Iran's 30 |
|||
provinces. The legislation was in response to the costly housing in urban centres |
|||
which is pushing up the national average marital age (currently around 25 years for |
|||
women and 28 years for men). In 2006 the Iranian parliament rejected the fund. |
|||
However, Ahmadinejad ordered the administrative council to execute the plan.<ref> |
|||
{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://roozonline.com/01newsstory/016575.shtml |
| url = http://roozonline.com/01newsstory/016575.shtml |
||
| title = Reza's Compassion Fund; a political fund with 530 billion budget. |
| title = Reza's Compassion Fund; a political fund with 530 billion budget. |
||
Line 1,379: | Line 397: | ||
===Human rights=== |
===Human rights=== |
||
{{See also|Human rights in Islamic Republic of Iran}} |
{{See also|Human rights in Islamic Republic of Iran}} |
||
Several Western [[human rights]] organizations and governments have criticized |
Several Western [[human rights]] organizations and governments have criticized Ahmadinejad's human rights record. |
||
According to a report by the group [[Human Rights Watch]], "Since President Ahmadinejad came to power, treatment of detainees has worsened in [[Evin Prison]] as well as in detention centers operated clandestinely by the Judiciary, the Ministry of Information, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps."<ref>[http://hrw.org/englishwr2k7/docs/2007/01/11/iran14703.htm "World Report 2007"] [[Human Rights Watch]]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Again according to [[Human Rights Watch]], "Respect for basic human rights in Iran, especially freedom of expression and assembly, deteriorated in 2006. The government routinely [[torture]]s and mistreats detained dissidents, including through prolonged [[solitary confinement]]." Human Rights Watch described the source of human rights violations in contemporary Iran as coming from the Judiciary, accountable to [[Ali Khamenei]], and from members directly appointed by Ahmadinejad. |
|||
Ahmadinejad's human rights record. |
|||
Responses to dissent have varied. Human Rights Watch writes that "the Ahmadinejad government, in a pronounced shift from the policy under former president [[Mohammed Khatami]], has shown no tolerance for peaceful protests and gatherings." In December 2006, Ahmadinejad advised officials not to disturb students who engaged in a protest during a speech of his at the [[Amirkabir University of Technology]] in Tehran,<ref>[http://www.rajanews.com/News/?3739 ""] Rajanews. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref><ref>[http://www.rajanews.com/News/?3737 ""] Rajanews. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> although speakers at other protests have included among their complaints that there had been a crackdown on dissent at universities since Ahmadinejad was elected.<ref>Fathi, Nazila. [http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650214386,00.html "Students disrupt speech by Iran chief"] [[New York Times]]. Retrieved 12-12-2006.</ref> |
|||
According to a report by the group [[Human Rights Watch]], "Since President |
|||
In April 2007, the Tehran police, which is under Khamenei's supervision, began a crackdown on women with "improper [[hijab]]." This led to criticism from associates of Ahmadinejad.<ref>[http://www.baztab.com/news/65372.php "Ahmadinejad's adviser criticizes hijab enforcement issue."] Baztab. Retrieved 23-4-2007.</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad came to power, treatment of detainees has worsened in [[Evin Prison]] |
|||
as well as in detention centers operated clandestinely by the Judiciary, the |
|||
Ministry of Information, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps."<ref> |
|||
[http://hrw.org/englishwr2k7/docs/2007/01/11/iran14703.htm "World Report 2007"] |
|||
[[Human Rights Watch]]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Again according to [[Human |
|||
Rights Watch]], "Respect for basic human rights in Iran, especially freedom of |
|||
expression and assembly, deteriorated in 2006. The government routinely |
|||
[[torture]]s and mistreats detained dissidents, including through prolonged |
|||
[[solitary confinement]]." Human Rights Watch described the source of human rights |
|||
violations in contemporary Iran as coming from the Judiciary, accountable to [[Ali |
|||
Khamenei]], and from members directly appointed by Ahmadinejad. |
|||
Responses to dissent have varied. Human Rights Watch writes that "the Ahmadinejad |
|||
government, in a pronounced shift from the policy under former president [[Mohammed |
|||
Khatami]], has shown no tolerance for peaceful protests and gatherings." In |
|||
December 2006, Ahmadinejad advised officials not to disturb students who engaged in |
|||
a protest during a speech of his at the [[Amirkabir University of Technology]] in |
|||
Tehran,<ref>[http://www.rajanews.com/News/?3739 ""] Rajanews. Retrieved 26-01- |
|||
2008.</ref><ref>[http://www.rajanews.com/News/?3737 ""] Rajanews. Retrieved 26-01- |
|||
2008.</ref> although speakers at other protests have included among their |
|||
complaints that there had been a crackdown on dissent at universities since |
|||
Ahmadinejad was elected.<ref>Fathi, Nazila. |
|||
[http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650214386,00.html "Students disrupt speech |
|||
by Iran chief"] [[New York Times]]. Retrieved 12-12-2006.</ref> |
|||
In April 2007, the Tehran police, which is under Khamenei's supervision, began a |
|||
crackdown on women with "improper [[hijab]]." This led to criticism from associates |
|||
of Ahmadinejad.<ref>[http://www.baztab.com/news/65372.php "Ahmadinejad's adviser |
|||
criticizes hijab enforcement issue."] Baztab. Retrieved 23-4-2007.</ref> |
|||
===Universities=== |
===Universities=== |
||
In 2006, the Ahmadinejad government reportedly forced numerous Iranian scientists and university professors to resign or to retire. It has been referred to as "second [[Islamic Cultural Revolution|cultural revolution]]".<ref>[http://roozonline.com/01newsstory/016196.shtml "Protest against the second cultural revolution."] Rooz. Retrieved 18-10-2006.</ref><ref>Irani, Hamid. [http://roozonline.com/english/016235.shtml "Cleansing in the Name of Retirement"]. Retrieved 18-10-2006.</ref> The policy has been said to replace old professors with younger ones.<ref>[http://www.aftabnews.ir/vdcco4q2boqe0.html "Khoshchehreh (MP) protests against the unwanted retirement of university professors."] Aftab News. Retrieved 18-10-2006.</ref> Some university professors received letters indicating their early retirement unexpectedly.<ref>[http://www.aftabnews.ir/vdcdnf0yt509o.html "Different aspects of the unwanted retirement of university professors."] Aftab News. Retrieved 18-10-2006.</ref> In November 2006, 53 university professors had to retire from [[Iran University of Science and Technology]].<ref>[http://news.gooya.eu/politics/archives/2006/11/055304.php "صدور حکم بازنشستگی برای ۵۳ استاد دانشگاه علم و صنعت، ادوار نيوز"] Gooya. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
In 2006, the Ahmadinejad government reportedly forced numerous Iranian scientists |
|||
and university professors to resign or to retire. It has been referred to as |
|||
"second [[Islamic Cultural Revolution|cultural revolution]]".<ref> |
|||
[http://roozonline.com/01newsstory/016196.shtml "Protest against the second |
|||
cultural revolution."] Rooz. Retrieved 18-10-2006.</ref><ref>Irani, Hamid. |
|||
[http://roozonline.com/english/016235.shtml "Cleansing in the Name of Retirement"]. |
|||
Retrieved 18-10-2006.</ref> The policy has been said to replace old professors with |
|||
younger ones.<ref>[http://www.aftabnews.ir/vdcco4q2boqe0.html "Khoshchehreh (MP) |
|||
protests against the unwanted retirement of university professors."] Aftab News. |
|||
Retrieved 18-10-2006.</ref> Some university professors received letters indicating |
|||
their early retirement unexpectedly.<ref> |
|||
[http://www.aftabnews.ir/vdcdnf0yt509o.html "Different aspects of the unwanted |
|||
retirement of university professors."] Aftab News. Retrieved 18-10-2006.</ref> In |
|||
November 2006, 53 university professors had to retire from [[Iran University of |
|||
Science and Technology]].<ref> |
|||
[http://news.gooya.eu/politics/archives/2006/11/055304.php "صدور حکم بازنشستگی برای ۵۳ استاد دانشگاه علم و صنعت، |
|||
ادوار نيوز"] Gooya. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
In 2006, Ahmadinejad's government applied a 50 percent [[quota]] for male students |
|||
and 50 percent for female students in the university entrance exam for |
|||
[[medicine]], [[dentistry]] and [[pharmacy]]. The plan was supposed to stop the |
|||
growing presence of female students in the universities. In a response to critics, |
|||
Iranian minister of health and medical education, [[Kamran Bagheri Lankarani]] |
|||
argued that there are not enough facilities such as dormitories for female |
|||
students. Masoud Salehi, president of Zahedan University said that presence of |
|||
women generates some problems with transportation. Also, Ebrahim Mekaniki, |
|||
president of [[Babol University of Medical Sciences]], stated that an increase in |
|||
the presence of women will make it difficult to distribute facilities in a suitable |
|||
manner. Bagher Larijani, the president of [[Tehran University of Medical Sciences]] |
|||
made similar remarks. According to [[Rooz|Rooz Online]], the quotas lack a legal |
|||
foundation and are justified as support for "family" and "religion."<ref> |
|||
[http://www.roozonline.com/archives/2007/01/001911.php] Rooz Online. Retrieved 26- |
|||
In 2006, Ahmadinejad's government applied a 50 percent [[quota]] for male students and 50 percent for female students in the university entrance exam for [[medicine]], [[dentistry]] and [[pharmacy]]. The plan was supposed to stop the growing presence of female students in the universities. In a response to critics, Iranian minister of health and medical education, [[Kamran Bagheri Lankarani]] argued that there are not enough facilities such as dormitories for female students. Masoud Salehi, president of Zahedan University said that presence of women generates some problems with transportation. Also, Ebrahim Mekaniki, president of [[Babol University of Medical Sciences]], stated that an increase in the presence of women will make it difficult to distribute facilities in a suitable manner. Bagher Larijani, the president of [[Tehran University of Medical Sciences]] made similar remarks. According to [[Rooz|Rooz Online]], the quotas lack a legal foundation and are justified as support for "family" and "religion."<ref>[http://www.roozonline.com/archives/2007/01/001911.php] Rooz Online. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
01-2008.</ref> |
|||
====December 2006 student protest==== |
====December 2006 student protest==== |
||
On 11 December 2006, some students disrupted a speech by Ahmadinejad at the [[Amirkabir University of Technology]] (Tehran Polytechnic) in Tehran. According to the [[Iranian Student News Agency]], students set fire to photographs of Ahmadinejad and threw firecrackers. The protesters also chanted "death to the [[dictatorship|dictator]]." It was the first major public protest against Ahmadinejad since his election. In a statement carried on the students' Web site,{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} they announced that they had been protesting the growing political pressure under Ahmadinejad, also accusing him of corruption, mismanagement, and discrimination. The statement added that "the students showed that despite vast [[propaganda]], the president has not been able to deceive [[academia]]." It was also reported that some students were angry about the [[International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust]].<ref name="students" >Theodoulou, Michael. [http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1841632006 "Protesters condemn Holocaust conference."] The Scotsman. Retrieved 06-05-2007.</ref> |
|||
On 11 December 2006, some students disrupted a speech by Ahmadinejad at the |
|||
In response to the students' slogans, the president said: "We have been standing up to dictatorship so that no one will dare to establish dictatorship in a millennium even in the name of freedom. Given the scars inflicted on the Iranian nation by agents of the US and British dictatorship, no one will ever dare to initiate the rise of a dictator."<ref>[http://www.irna.com/en/news/view/line-17/0612111551150517.htm President: Students are pioneers of revolutionary movements - Irna<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> It was reported that even though the protesters broke the TV cameras and threw hand-made bombs at Ahmadinejad,<ref>{{cite web|author=14:29:55 |url=http://peyvast.blog.com/1353199/ |title=Films of yesterday protest in Iran are leaking out « Connections پیوست |publisher=Peyvast.blog.com |date=2006-12-12 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> the president asked the officials not to question or disturb the protesters.<ref>[http://www.rajanews.com/News/?3739]</ref><ref>[http://www.rajanews.com/News/?3737]</ref> In his blog, Ahmadinejad described his reaction to the incident as "a feeling of joy" because of the freedom that people enjoyed after the revolution.<ref>[http://www.ahmadinejad.ir/en/freedom/ ''Freedom and Liberty''] - Ahmadinejad's English Blog</ref> |
|||
[[Amirkabir University of Technology]] (Tehran Polytechnic) in Tehran. According to |
|||
One thousand students also protested the day before to denounce the increased pressure on the reformist groups at the university. One week prior, more than two thousand students protested at [[Tehran University]] on the country's annual student day, with speakers saying that there had been a crackdown on dissent at universities since Ahmadinejad was elected.<ref name="students" /><ref>{{cite news | url=http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650214386,00.html | title=Students disrupt speech by Iran chief | author=Nazila Fathi | publisher=New York Times News Service | date=12 December 2006}}</ref> |
|||
the [[Iranian Student News Agency]], students set fire to photographs of |
|||
Ahmadinejad and threw firecrackers. The protesters also chanted "death to the |
|||
[[dictatorship|dictator]]." It was the first major public protest against |
|||
Ahmadinejad since his election. In a statement carried on the students' Web site, |
|||
{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} they announced that they had been protesting |
|||
the growing political pressure under Ahmadinejad, also accusing him of corruption, |
|||
mismanagement, and discrimination. The statement added that "the students showed |
|||
that despite vast [[propaganda]], the president has not been able to deceive |
|||
[[academia]]." It was also reported that some students were angry about the |
|||
[[International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust]].<ref |
|||
name="students" >Theodoulou, Michael. [http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm? |
|||
id=1841632006 "Protesters condemn Holocaust conference."] The Scotsman. Retrieved |
|||
06-05-2007.</ref> |
|||
In response to the students' slogans, the president said: "We have been standing up |
|||
to dictatorship so that no one will dare to establish dictatorship in a millennium |
|||
even in the name of freedom. Given the scars inflicted on the Iranian nation by |
|||
agents of the US and British dictatorship, no one will ever dare to initiate the |
|||
rise of a dictator."<ref>[http://www.irna.com/en/news/view/line- |
|||
17/0612111551150517.htm President: Students are pioneers of revolutionary movements |
|||
- Irna<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> It was reported that even though the |
|||
protesters broke the TV cameras and threw hand-made bombs at Ahmadinejad,<ref> |
|||
{{cite web|author=14:29:55 |url=http://peyvast.blog.com/1353199/ |title=Films of |
|||
yesterday protest in Iran are leaking out « Connections پیوست |
|||
|publisher=Peyvast.blog.com |date=2006-12-12 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> the |
|||
president asked the officials not to question or disturb the protesters.<ref> |
|||
[http://www.rajanews.com/News/?3739]</ref><ref>[http://www.rajanews.com/News/? |
|||
3737]</ref> In his blog, Ahmadinejad described his reaction to the incident as "a |
|||
feeling of joy" because of the freedom that people enjoyed after the |
|||
revolution.<ref>[http://www.ahmadinejad.ir/en/freedom/ ''Freedom and Liberty''] - |
|||
Ahmadinejad's English Blog</ref> |
|||
One thousand students also protested the day before to denounce the increased |
|||
pressure on the reformist groups at the university. One week prior, more than two |
|||
thousand students protested at [[Tehran University]] on the country's annual |
|||
student day, with speakers saying that there had been a crackdown on dissent at |
|||
universities since Ahmadinejad was elected.<ref name="students" /><ref>{{cite news |
|||
| url=http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650214386,00.html | title=Students |
|||
disrupt speech by Iran chief | author=Nazila Fathi | publisher=New York Times News |
|||
Service | date=12 December 2006}}</ref> |
|||
===Nuclear program=== |
===Nuclear program=== |
||
{{See also|Nuclear program of Iran}} |
{{See also|Nuclear program of Iran}} |
||
Ahmadinejad has been a vocal supporter of [[Nuclear program of Iran|Iran's nuclear program]], and has insisted that it is for peaceful purposes. He has repeatedly emphasized that building a [[nuclear weapon|nuclear bomb]] is not the policy of his government. He has said that such a policy is "illegal and against our religion."<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/story/2006/01/060111_mj-ir-nuke-ahmadinejad.shtml "Ahamadinejad: "We will reach the nuclear energy in near future."] [[BBC News]]. Retrieved 29-10-2006.</ref><ref>[http://www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org/news/article.php?cat=threats&articleid=383 "Ahmadinejad Claims Iran Has 3,000 Centrifuges"] [[Missile Defense Advocacy]]. Retrieved 04-09-2007.</ref> He also added at a January 2006 conference in Tehran that a nation with "culture, logic and civilization" would not need nuclear weapons, and that countries that seek nuclear weapons are those which want to solve all problems by the use of force.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4613644.stm "Excerpts: Ahmadinejad conference."] [[BBC News]]. Retrieved 29-10-2006.</ref> In a 2008 interview Ahmadinejad elaborated that countries striving to obtain nuclear weapons are politically backward nations and those who possess them and continually make new generations of such bombs are "even more backward".<ref name="Press TV">{{cite news |author= [[Amy Goodman|Goodman, Amy]]; [[Juan Gonzalez (journalist)|Gonzalez, Juan]] |title= Ahmadinejad: Nukes for politically backward states |url= http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=70578§ionid=3510302 |work= [[Press TV]] |date=2008-09-26 |accessdate=2008-09-26 }}</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad has been a vocal supporter of [[Nuclear program of Iran|Iran's nuclear |
|||
program]], and has insisted that it is for peaceful purposes. He has repeatedly |
|||
emphasized that building a [[nuclear weapon|nuclear bomb]] is not the policy of his |
|||
government. He has said that such a policy is "illegal and against our |
|||
religion."<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/story/2006/01/060111_mj-ir-nuke- |
|||
ahmadinejad.shtml "Ahamadinejad: "We will reach the nuclear energy in near |
|||
future."] [[BBC News]]. Retrieved 29-10-2006.</ref><ref> |
|||
[http://www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org/news/article.php?cat=threats&articleid=383 |
|||
"Ahmadinejad Claims Iran Has 3,000 Centrifuges"] [[Missile Defense Advocacy]]. |
|||
Retrieved 04-09-2007.</ref> He also added at a January 2006 conference in Tehran |
|||
that a nation with "culture, logic and civilization" would not need nuclear |
|||
weapons, and that countries that seek nuclear weapons are those which want to solve |
|||
all problems by the use of force.<ref> |
|||
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4613644.stm "Excerpts: Ahmadinejad |
|||
conference."] [[BBC News]]. Retrieved 29-10-2006.</ref> In a 2008 interview |
|||
Ahmadinejad elaborated that countries striving to obtain nuclear weapons are |
|||
politically backward nations and those who possess them and continually make new |
|||
generations of such bombs are "even more backward".<ref name="Press TV">{{cite news |
|||
|author= [[Amy Goodman|Goodman, Amy]]; [[Juan Gonzalez (journalist)|Gonzalez, |
|||
Juan]] |title= Ahmadinejad: Nukes for politically backward states |url= |
|||
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=70578§ionid=3510302 |work= [[Press TV]] |
|||
|date=2008-09-26 |accessdate=2008-09-26 }}</ref> |
|||
In April 2006, Ahmadinejad announced that Iran had successfully refined [[uranium]] |
|||
to a stage suitable for the [[nuclear fuel cycle]]. In a speech to students and |
|||
academics in [[Mashhad]], he was quoted as saying that Iran's conditions had |
|||
changed completely as it had become a nuclear state and could talk to other states |
|||
from that stand.<ref> |
|||
[http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/060413/2006041301.html "Ahmadinejad: |
|||
Iran can now talk to world from vantage point of a nuclear state."] Arabic News. |
|||
Retrieved 29-10-2006.</ref> On 13 April 2006, Iranian news agency, [[IRNA]], quoted |
|||
Ahmadinejad as saying that the peaceful Iranian nuclear technology would not pose a |
|||
threat to any party because "we want peace and stability and we will not cause |
|||
injustice to anyone and at the same time we will not submit to injustice."<ref> |
|||
[http://washtimes.com/upi/20060413-093634-8426r.htm "Ahmadinejad: Iran nuke right |
|||
non-negotiable."] UPI. Retrieved 12-06-2006.</ref> |
|||
Despite Ahmadinejad's vocal support for the program, the office of the Iranian |
|||
president is not responsible for nuclear policy. It is instead set by the [[Supreme |
|||
National Security Council]]. The council includes two representatives appointed by |
|||
the Supreme Leader, military officials and members of the executive, judicial, and |
|||
legislative branches of government. It reports directly to Supreme Leader [[Ali |
|||
Khamenei]], who issued a [[fatwa]] against nuclear weapons in 2005.<ref>Recknagel, |
|||
Charles. [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/6/C10D5293-86D9-4C7D-8B9F- |
|||
1A252BC10D3E.html "Iran: Election Of Ahmadinejad Unlikely To Affect Nuclear |
|||
Negotiations."] Radio Free Europe. Retrieved 29-102006.</ref> |
|||
Khamenei usually refrains from speaking in public, but has criticized Ahmadinejad's |
|||
"personalization" of the nuclear issue.<ref name="moderating"> |
|||
[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/World/Rest_of_World/Iran_rebukes_its_prez_ |
|||
over_N-policy/articleshow/1319950.cms "Iran rebukes its prez over N-policy."] The |
|||
Times of India. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> However, sources close to the president |
|||
have said the article comes from [[Rafsanjani]].<ref> |
|||
[http://www.rajanews.com/News/?5625] Raja News. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad vowed on 23 February 2008, that Iran will not be held back from |
|||
developing its peaceful nuclear program, and said the "nuclear technology is ... |
|||
the sort of technology that has been monopolized by a few countries".<ref> |
|||
[http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/02/23/iran.jealous/index.html |
|||
In April 2006, Ahmadinejad announced that Iran had successfully refined [[uranium]] to a stage suitable for the [[nuclear fuel cycle]]. In a speech to students and academics in [[Mashhad]], he was quoted as saying that Iran's conditions had changed completely as it had become a nuclear state and could talk to other states from that stand.<ref>[http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/060413/2006041301.html "Ahmadinejad: Iran can now talk to world from vantage point of a nuclear state."] Arabic News. Retrieved 29-10-2006.</ref> On 13 April 2006, Iranian news agency, [[IRNA]], quoted Ahmadinejad as saying that the peaceful Iranian nuclear technology would not pose a threat to any party because "we want peace and stability and we will not cause injustice to anyone and at the same time we will not submit to injustice."<ref>[http://washtimes.com/upi/20060413-093634-8426r.htm "Ahmadinejad: Iran nuke right non-negotiable."] UPI. Retrieved 12-06-2006.</ref> |
|||
"Ahmadinejad: Nations jealous of nuclear progress"]. Retrieved 24-02-2008.</ref> |
|||
Despite Ahmadinejad's vocal support for the program, the office of the Iranian president is not responsible for nuclear policy. It is instead set by the [[Supreme National Security Council]]. The council includes two representatives appointed by the Supreme Leader, military officials and members of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government. It reports directly to Supreme Leader [[Ali Khamenei]], who issued a [[fatwa]] against nuclear weapons in 2005.<ref>Recknagel, Charles. [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/6/C10D5293-86D9-4C7D-8B9F-1A252BC10D3E.html "Iran: Election Of Ahmadinejad Unlikely To Affect Nuclear Negotiations."] Radio Free Europe. Retrieved 29-102006.</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad has stated that at least 16 different peaceful uses for nuclear |
|||
Khamenei usually refrains from speaking in public, but has criticized Ahmadinejad's "personalization" of the nuclear issue.<ref name="moderating">[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/World/Rest_of_World/Iran_rebukes_its_prez_over_N-policy/articleshow/1319950.cms "Iran rebukes its prez over N-policy."] The Times of India. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> However, sources close to the president have said the article comes from [[Rafsanjani]].<ref>[http://www.rajanews.com/News/?5625] Raja News. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Ahmadinejad vowed on 23 February 2008, that Iran will not be held back from developing its peaceful nuclear program, and said the "nuclear technology is ... the sort of technology that has been monopolized by a few countries".<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/02/23/iran.jealous/index.html "Ahmadinejad: Nations jealous of nuclear progress"]. Retrieved 24-02-2008.</ref> Ahmadinejad has stated that at least 16 different peaceful uses for nuclear technology have so far been identified.<ref name="Press TV"/> |
|||
technology have so far been identified.<ref name="Press TV"/> |
|||
==Domestic criticism== |
==Domestic criticism== |
||
===Accusations of corruption=== |
===Accusations of corruption=== |
||
Ahmadinejad has been criticized for attacking private “plunderers” and “corrupt officials,” while engaging in "[[cronyism]] and political favouritism". Many of his close associates have been appointed to positions for which they have no obvious qualifications, and "billion dollar no-bid contracts" have been awarded to the [[Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution|Islamic Revolution Guard Corps]] (IRGC), an organization that he is strongly associated with.<ref>{{cite web|author=Crisis Group |url=http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=4647&l=1 |title=International Crisis Group, Iran: Ahmadi-Nejad’s Tumultuous Presidency, 6 February 2007 |publisher=Crisisgroup.org |date=2007-02-06 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad has been criticized for attacking private “plunderers” and “corrupt |
|||
officials,” while engaging in "[[cronyism]] and political favouritism". Many of his |
|||
close associates have been appointed to positions for which they have no obvious |
|||
qualifications, and "billion dollar no-bid contracts" have been awarded to the |
|||
[[Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution|Islamic Revolution Guard Corps]] |
|||
(IRGC), an organization that he is strongly associated with.<ref>{{cite |
|||
web|author=Crisis Group |url=http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=4647&l=1 |
|||
|title=International Crisis Group, Iran: Ahmadi-Nejad’s Tumultuous Presidency, 6 |
|||
February 2007 |publisher=Crisisgroup.org |date=2007-02-06 |accessdate=2009-06-21}} |
|||
</ref> |
|||
===Criticisms of statements and social issues=== |
===Criticisms of statements and social issues=== |
||
In 2005, [[Ali Khamenei]] responded to Ahmadinejad's remark that [[Israel]] should be "[[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel#2005 "World Without Zionism" speech|wiped off the map]]" by saying that "the [[Iran|Islamic Republic]] has never threatened and will never threaten any country."<ref>Edalat, Abbas. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2050168,00.html "The US can learn from this example of mutual respect"]. The Guardian. Retrieved 05-04-2007.</ref> Moreover, Khamenei's main adviser in foreign policy, [[Ali Akbar Velayati]], refused to take part in Ahmadinejad's Holocaust conference. In contrast to Ahmadinejad's remarks, Velayati said that the Holocaust was a [[genocide]] and a historical reality.<ref>[http://www.iran-press-service.com/ips/articles-2007/february-2007/ali-akbar-velayati-adviso.shtml "Ali Akbar Velayati, Adviser To The Leader: 'Everything is negotiable'"]. Iran Press Service. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
In 2005, [[Ali Khamenei]] responded to Ahmadinejad's remark that [[Israel]] should |
|||
In June 2007, Ahmadinejad was criticized by some Iranian parliament members over his remark about [[Christianity]] and [[Judaism]]. According to Aftab News Agency, Ahmadinejad stated: "In the world, there are deviations from the right path: Christianity and Judaism. Dollars have been devoted to the propagation of these deviations. There are also false claims that these [religions] will save mankind. But Islam is the only religion that [can] save mankind." Some members of Iranian parliament criticized these remarks as being fuels to religious war.<ref><nowiki>http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/CWN/121605iran.aspx</nowiki>{{Dead link|date=May 2009}} "Iran's President Threatens Crackdown on Christianity" CBN News. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref><ref>{{cite web |date={{Date|2007-06-07|mdy}} |title=دفاع از اظهارات احمدینژاد عليه مسيحيت و يهود، آفتاب |url=http://news.gooya.eu/politics/archives/2007/06/060469.php |publisher=[[Gooya]] |language=[[Persian language|Persian]] |accessdate={{Date|2009-05-31|mdy}}}}</ref> |
|||
be "[[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel#2005 "World Without Zionism" speech|wiped off |
|||
Conservative MP Rafat Bayat has blamed Ahmadinejad for a decline in observance of the required [[hijab]] for women, calling him "not that strict on this issue".<ref>Harrison, Frances. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6213854.stm "Iran police move into fashion business"]. Retrieved 16-04-2007.</ref> Ahmadinejad has been also accused of indecency by people close to [[Rafsanjani]],<ref>[http://www.ansarnews.com/?usr=news/detail&nid=993 "روزنامه هاشمي": بوسه احمدینژاد بر دست معلم سالخوردهاش، اشكال شرعي دارد!"] Ansar News. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref> after he publicly kissed the hand of a woman who used to be his school teacher.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6619077.stm "Ahmadinejad accused of indecency"] BBC News. Retrieved 28-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
the map]]" by saying that "the [[Iran|Islamic Republic]] has never threatened and |
|||
Ahmadinejad's criticism of the West has led to attempts to compel him to go to the Iranian parliament to answer questions.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6267105.stm "Growing pressure on Ahmadinejad"] [[BBC News]], Accessed16-01-2007.</ref> In October 2008, Ahmadinejad's statements on the Holocaust were criticized within Iran by cleric and presidential hopeful [[Mahdi Karroubi]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Karrubi declares presidential candidacy |url=http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=179869 |work=Tehran Times |date=2008-10-13 |accessdate=2008-10-21 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Iran presidential candidate hits out at Holocaust denial |url=http://news.trendaz.com/index.shtml?show=news&newsid=1317719&lang=EN |work=Trend News Agency |date=2006-10-12 |accessdate=2008-10-21}}</ref> |
|||
will never threaten any country."<ref>Edalat, Abbas. |
|||
[http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2050168,00.html "The US can learn from |
|||
this example of mutual respect"]. The Guardian. Retrieved 05-04-2007.</ref> |
|||
Moreover, Khamenei's main adviser in foreign policy, [[Ali Akbar Velayati]], |
|||
refused to take part in Ahmadinejad's Holocaust conference. In contrast to |
|||
Ahmadinejad's remarks, Velayati said that the Holocaust was a [[genocide]] and a |
|||
historical reality.<ref>[http://www.iran-press-service.com/ips/articles- |
|||
2007/february-2007/ali-akbar-velayati-adviso.shtml "Ali Akbar Velayati, Adviser To |
|||
The Leader: 'Everything is negotiable'"]. Iran Press Service. Retrieved 27-01- |
|||
2008.</ref> |
|||
In June 2007, Ahmadinejad was criticized by some Iranian parliament members over |
|||
his remark about [[Christianity]] and [[Judaism]]. According to Aftab News Agency, |
|||
Ahmadinejad stated: "In the world, there are deviations from the right path: |
|||
Christianity and Judaism. Dollars have been devoted to the propagation of these |
|||
deviations. There are also false claims that these [religions] will save mankind. |
|||
But Islam is the only religion that [can] save mankind." Some members of Iranian |
|||
parliament criticized these remarks as being fuels to religious |
|||
war.<ref><nowiki>http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/CWN/121605iran.aspx</nowiki>{{Dead |
|||
link|date=May 2009}} "Iran's President Threatens Crackdown on Christianity" CBN |
|||
News. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref><ref>{{cite web |date={{Date|2007-06-07|mdy}} |
|||
|title=دفاع از اظهارات احمدینژاد عليه مسيحيت و يهود، آفتاب |
|||
|url=http://news.gooya.eu/politics/archives/2007/06/060469.php |publisher=[[Gooya]] |
|||
|language=[[Persian language|Persian]] |accessdate={{Date|2009-05-31|mdy}}}}</ref> |
|||
Conservative MP Rafat Bayat has blamed Ahmadinejad for a decline in observance of |
|||
the required [[hijab]] for women, calling him "not that strict on this |
|||
issue".<ref>Harrison, Frances. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6213854.stm |
|||
"Iran police move into fashion business"]. Retrieved 16-04-2007.</ref> Ahmadinejad |
|||
has been also accused of indecency by people close to [[Rafsanjani]],<ref> |
|||
[http://www.ansarnews.com/?usr=news/detail&nid=993 "روزنامه هاشمي": بوسه احمدینژاد بر دست معلم سالخوردهاش، اشكال شرعي |
|||
دارد!"] Ansar News. Retrieved 27-01-2008.</ref> after he publicly kissed the hand of a |
|||
woman who used to be his school teacher.<ref> |
|||
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6619077.stm "Ahmadinejad accused of |
|||
indecency"] BBC News. Retrieved 28-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad's criticism of the West has led to attempts to compel him to go to the |
|||
Iranian parliament to answer questions.<ref> |
|||
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6267105.stm "Growing pressure on |
|||
Ahmadinejad"] [[BBC News]], Accessed16-01-2007.</ref> In October 2008, |
|||
Ahmadinejad's statements on the Holocaust were criticized within Iran by cleric and |
|||
presidential hopeful [[Mahdi Karroubi]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Karrubi declares |
|||
presidential candidacy |url=http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=179869 |
|||
|work=Tehran Times |date=2008-10-13 |accessdate=2008-10-21 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |
|||
|title=Iran presidential candidate hits out at Holocaust denial |
|||
|url=http://news.trendaz.com/index.shtml?show=news&newsid=1317719&lang=EN |
|||
|work=Trend News Agency |date=2006-10-12 |accessdate=2008-10-21}}</ref> |
|||
===Statements on the United Nations and football stadiums=== |
===Statements on the United Nations and football stadiums=== |
||
Two statements that have brought criticism from some religious authorities concern his speech at the United Nations, and the attendance of women at football matches. In a visit to group of Ayatollahs in [[Qom]] after returning from his 2005 speech to the [[UN General Assembly]], Ahmadinejad stated he had "felt a halo over his head" during his speech and that a hidden presence had mesmerized the unblinking audience of foreign leaders, foreign ministers, and ambassadors. According to at least one source (Hooman Majd), this was offensive to the conservative religious leaders because an ordinary man cannot presume a special closeness to God or any of the [[Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)|Imams]], nor can he imply the presence of the [[Muhammad al-Mahdi|Mahdi]].<ref name=majd2008p79>''The Ayatollah Begs to Differ : The Paradox of Modern Iran'' by Hooman Majd, Doubleday, 2008, p.79</ref> |
|||
Two statements that have brought criticism from some religious authorities concern |
|||
his speech at the United Nations, and the attendance of women at football matches. |
|||
In a visit to group of Ayatollahs in [[Qom]] after returning from his 2005 speech |
|||
to the [[UN General Assembly]], Ahmadinejad stated he had "felt a halo over his |
|||
head" during his speech and that a hidden presence had mesmerized the unblinking |
|||
audience of foreign leaders, foreign ministers, and ambassadors. According to at |
|||
least one source (Hooman Majd), this was offensive to the conservative religious |
|||
leaders because an ordinary man cannot presume a special closeness to God or any of |
|||
the [[Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)|Imams]], nor can he imply the presence of the |
|||
[[Muhammad al-Mahdi|Mahdi]].<ref name=majd2008p79>''The Ayatollah Begs to Differ : |
|||
The Paradox of Modern Iran'' by Hooman Majd, Doubleday, 2008, p.79</ref> |
|||
In another statement the next year, Ahmadinejad proclaimed (without consulting the |
|||
clerics before hand), that women should be allowed into football stadiums to watch |
|||
male football clubs compete. This proclamation "was quickly overruled" by clerical |
|||
authorities, one of whom, Grand Ayatollah [[Mohammad Fazel Lankarani]] "refused for |
|||
In another statement the next year, Ahmadinejad proclaimed (without consulting the clerics before hand), that women should be allowed into football stadiums to watch male football clubs compete. This proclamation "was quickly overruled" by clerical authorities, one of whom, Grand Ayatollah [[Mohammad Fazel Lankarani]] "refused for weeks to meet with President Ahmadinejad" in early 2007.<ref name=majd2008p79/> |
|||
weeks to meet with President Ahmadinejad" in early 2007.<ref name=majd2008p79/> |
|||
===Criticisms from other political parties=== |
===Criticisms from other political parties=== |
||
Many reformist and independent political parties, including some of those that boycotted the first round of the presidential election, have called for an alliance against Ahmadinejad, calling it "a national alliance against [[fascism]]."{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}} Critics, including some independent ones, have mentioned that while there are some similarities between the actions and rising of supporters of Ahmadinejad with those of fascism, the movement differs because it is neither [[nationalism|nationalistic]] nor [[racism|racist]] and lacks [[corporatism]]. |
|||
Many reformist and independent political parties, including some of those that |
|||
Some dissident groups also accused him of being a ruthless interrogator and torturer in the 1980s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2605 |title=Iran Focus-Iran’s new President has a past mired in controversy - Iran (General) - News |publisher=Iranfocus.com |date=2005-06-24 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
boycotted the first round of the presidential election, have called for an alliance |
|||
against Ahmadinejad, calling it "a national alliance against |
|||
[[fascism]]."{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}} Critics, including some |
|||
independent ones, have mentioned that while there are some similarities between the |
|||
actions and rising of supporters of Ahmadinejad with those of fascism, the movement |
|||
differs because it is neither [[nationalism|nationalistic]] nor [[racism|racist]] |
|||
and lacks [[corporatism]]. |
|||
Some dissident groups also accused him of being a ruthless interrogator and |
|||
torturer in the 1980s.<ref>{{cite |
|||
web|url=http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2605 |title=Iran |
|||
Focus-Iran’s new President has a past mired in controversy - Iran (General) - News |
|||
|publisher=Iranfocus.com |date=2005-06-24 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
===Ahmadinejad–Haddad Adel conflict over Iranian constitution=== |
===Ahmadinejad–Haddad Adel conflict over Iranian constitution=== |
||
In 2008, a serious conflict emerged between Iranian President and the head of parliament over three laws approved by Iranian parliament: "the agreement for civil and criminal legal cooperation between Iran and Kyrgyzstan", "the agreement to support mutual investment between Iran and Kuwait", and "the law for registration of industrial designs and trademarks". The conflict was so serious that the Iranian leader stepped in to resolve the conflict. Ahmadinejad wrote a letter to parliament speaker [[Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel]], furiously denouncing him for an "inexplicable act" in bypassing the presidency by giving the order to implement legislation in an official newspaper.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20080422%5CACQDJON200804220542DOWJONESDJONLINE000190.htm&&mypage=newsheadlines&title=Iran%20President%20Ahmadinejad%20In%20Rows%20With%203%20Leading%20Officials%20-%20AFP |title=Iran President Ahmadinejad In Rows With 3 Leading Officials - AFP |publisher=Nasdaq.com |date= |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> President Ahmadinejad accused the head of parliament of violating Iranian constitutional law. He called for legal action against the Parliament speaker.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iran-press-service.com/ips/articles-2008/april-2008/ahmadinejad-attacks-haddad-adel.shtml |title=Ahmadinejad Attacks Haddad Adel (Iran Press Service) |publisher=Iran Press Service |date= |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=52720§ionid=351020101 |title=Press TV - Haddad-Adel: Constitution not violated |publisher=Presstv.ir |date=2008-04-23 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> Haddad-Adel responded to Ahmadinejad accusing him of using inappropriate language in his remarks and letters. <ref>[http://www.alef.ir/content/view/25046/ الف - پاسخ رئیسمجلس به رئیسجمهور<!-- Bot generated title -->]{{Dead link|date=June 2009}}</ref> |
|||
In 2008, a serious conflict emerged between Iranian President and the head of |
|||
parliament over three laws approved by Iranian parliament: "the agreement for civil |
|||
and criminal legal cooperation between Iran and Kyrgyzstan", "the agreement to |
|||
support mutual investment between Iran and Kuwait", and "the law for registration |
|||
of industrial designs and trademarks". The conflict was so serious that the |
|||
Iranian leader stepped in to resolve the conflict. Ahmadinejad wrote a letter to |
|||
parliament speaker [[Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel]], furiously denouncing him for an |
|||
"inexplicable act" in bypassing the presidency by giving the order to implement |
|||
legislation in an official newspaper.<ref>{{cite |
|||
web|url=http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20080422% |
|||
5CACQDJON200804220542DOWJONESDJONLINE000190.htm&&mypage=newsheadlines&title=Iran% |
|||
20President%20Ahmadinejad%20In%20Rows%20With%203%20Leading%20Officials%20-%20AFP |
|||
|title=Iran President Ahmadinejad In Rows With 3 Leading Officials - AFP |
|||
|publisher=Nasdaq.com |date= |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> President Ahmadinejad |
|||
accused the head of parliament of violating Iranian constitutional law. He called |
|||
for legal action against the Parliament speaker.<ref>{{cite |
|||
web|url=http://www.iran-press-service.com/ips/articles-2008/april-2008/ahmadinejad |
|||
-attacks-haddad-adel.shtml |title=Ahmadinejad Attacks Haddad Adel (Iran Press |
|||
Service) |publisher=Iran Press Service |date= |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref><ref> |
|||
{{cite web|url=http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=52720§ionid=351020101 |
|||
|title=Press TV - Haddad-Adel: Constitution not violated |publisher=Presstv.ir |
|||
|date=2008-04-23 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> Haddad-Adel responded to |
|||
Ahmadinejad accusing him of using inappropriate language in his remarks and |
|||
letters. <ref>[http://www.alef.ir/content/view/25046/ الف - پاسخ رئیسمجلس به رئیسجمهور<!-- Bot |
|||
generated title -->]{{Dead link|date=June 2009}}</ref> |
|||
===Ali Kordan's fabricated doctoral degree and moral charges=== |
===Ali Kordan's fabricated doctoral degree and moral charges=== |
||
{{Main|Ali Kordan}} |
{{Main|Ali Kordan}} |
||
In August 2008, Dr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, appointed [[Ali Kordan]] as Iran's interior minister. Kordan's appointment has been criticized by Iranian parliamentarians, media and analysts after it came to light that a doctoral degree allegedly awarded to Ali Kordan was fabricated, and that the putative issuer of the degree, [[Oxford University]], had no record of Ali Kordan receiving any degree from the University.<ref name="oxfordstatement" >{{cite news |
|||
In August 2008, Dr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, appointed [[Ali Kordan]] as Iran's interior |
|||
minister. Kordan's appointment has been criticized by Iranian parliamentarians, |
|||
media and analysts after it came to light that a doctoral degree allegedly awarded |
|||
to Ali Kordan was fabricated, and that the putative issuer of the degree, [[Oxford |
|||
University]], had no record of Ali Kordan receiving any degree from the |
|||
University.<ref name="oxfordstatement" >{{cite news |
|||
|url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_stories/2008/080815.html |
|url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_stories/2008/080815.html |
||
|title=Statement: Mr Ali Kordan |
|title=Statement: Mr Ali Kordan |
||
Line 1,950: | Line 462: | ||
|publisher=[[The University of Oxford]] |
|publisher=[[The University of Oxford]] |
||
}}</ref> |
}}</ref> |
||
It was also revealed that he had been jailed in 1978 for moral charges.<ref>{{cite |
It was also revealed that he had been jailed in 1978 for moral charges.<ref>{{cite news |
||
news |
|||
|url=http://www.roozonline.com/archives/2008/08/post_8726.php |
|url=http://www.roozonline.com/archives/2008/08/post_8726.php |
||
|title= سوابق اخلاقي |
|title= سوابق اخلاقي |
||
Line 1,966: | Line 476: | ||
|publisher=[[Peykeiran]] |
|publisher=[[Peykeiran]] |
||
}}</ref> |
}}</ref> |
||
Fabrication of legal documents is punishable in Iranian law with one to three years |
Fabrication of legal documents is punishable in Iranian law with one to three years of imprisonment and in the case of government officials, the maximum sentence (three years) is demanded.{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}} |
||
In November 2008, President Ahmadinejad announced that he was against impeachment of Ali Kordan by Iranian parliament. He refused to attend the parliament on the impeachment day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=mideast&item=081104102917.yxb25ese.php |title=IC Publications |publisher=Africasia.com |date= |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> Ali Kordan was expelled from Iranian interior ministry by Iranian parliament on 4 November 2008. 188 MPs voted against Ali Kordan. An impeachment of Kordan would push Ahmadinejad close to having to submit his entire cabinet for review by parliament, which is led by one of his chief political opponents. Iran's constitution requires that step if more than half the cabinet ministers are replaced, and Ahmadinejad has replaced nine of 21.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/03/AR2008110301757.html?hpid=moreheadlines |title=Scandal, Fistfight Erupt Over Impeachment Move in Iran |publisher=washingtonpost.com |date= |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
of imprisonment and in the case of government officials, the maximum sentence |
|||
<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7707963.stm |title=Middle East | Iran minister sacked over forgery |publisher=BBC News |date=2008-11-04 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
(three years) is demanded.{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}} |
|||
In November 2008, President Ahmadinejad announced that he was against impeachment |
|||
of Ali Kordan by Iranian parliament. He refused to attend the parliament on the |
|||
impeachment day.<ref>{{cite |
|||
web|url=http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php? |
|||
area=mideast&item=081104102917.yxb25ese.php |title=IC Publications |
|||
|publisher=Africasia.com |date= |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> Ali Kordan was |
|||
expelled from Iranian interior ministry by Iranian parliament on 4 November 2008. |
|||
188 MPs voted against Ali Kordan. An impeachment of Kordan would push Ahmadinejad |
|||
close to having to submit his entire cabinet for review by parliament, which is led |
|||
by one of his chief political opponents. Iran's constitution requires that step if |
|||
more than half the cabinet ministers are replaced, and Ahmadinejad has replaced |
|||
nine of 21.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- |
|||
dyn/content/article/2008/11/03/AR2008110301757.html?hpid=moreheadlines |
|||
|title=Scandal, Fistfight Erupt Over Impeachment Move in Iran |
|||
|publisher=washingtonpost.com |date= |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7707963.stm |
|||
|title=Middle East | Iran minister sacked over forgery |publisher=BBC News |
|||
|date=2008-11-04 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
===Ahmadinejad–parliament conflict=== |
===Ahmadinejad–parliament conflict=== |
||
On [[February]] [[2009]] after [[Supreme Audit Court of Iran|Iran's National Audit |
On [[February]] [[2009]] after [[Supreme Audit Court of Iran|Iran's National Audit Office]] reported that $1.058 billion of surplus [[oil revenue]] in the (2006-2007) budget hasn't been returned by the government to the national treasury,<ref> |
||
Office]] reported that $1.058 billion of surplus [[oil revenue]] in the (2006-2007) |
|||
budget hasn't been returned by the government to the national treasury,<ref> |
|||
{{cite news |
{{cite news |
||
|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090207-700479.html?mod= |
|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090207-700479.html?mod= |
||
Line 2,024: | Line 494: | ||
<ref name="international1"> |
<ref name="international1"> |
||
{{cite news |
{{cite news |
||
|url=http://www.upi.com/Energy_Resources/2009/02/16/Iran_examines_missing_oil_revenue/UPI-25891234800966/ |
|||
|url=http://www.upi.com/Energy_Resources/2009/02/16/Iran_examines_missing_oil_reven |
|||
ue/UPI-25891234800966/ |
|||
|title=Iran examines missing oil revenue |
|title=Iran examines missing oil revenue |
||
|author= |
|author= |
||
Line 2,035: | Line 501: | ||
|publisher=United Press International |
|publisher=United Press International |
||
|accessdate=2009-02-23 |
|accessdate=2009-02-23 |
||
}}</ref> [[Ali Larijani]]-[[Majlis of Iran|Iran's parliamentary]] speaker-called |
}}</ref> [[Ali Larijani]]-[[Majlis of Iran|Iran's parliamentary]] speaker-called for further investigations in order to make sure the missing funds are returned to the treasury as soon as possible.<ref> |
||
for further investigations in order to make sure the missing funds are returned to |
|||
the treasury as soon as possible.<ref> |
|||
{{cite news |
{{cite news |
||
|url=http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=84719§ionid=351020102 |
|url=http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=84719§ionid=351020102 |
||
Line 2,048: | Line 510: | ||
|publisher=[[presstv]] |
|publisher=[[presstv]] |
||
|accessdate=2009-02-23 |
|accessdate=2009-02-23 |
||
}}</ref> Ahmadinejad criticized the National Audit Office for what he called its |
}}</ref> Ahmadinejad criticized the National Audit Office for what he called its "carelessness", saying the report "incites the people" against the government.<ref> |
||
"carelessness", saying the report "incites the people" against the government.<ref> |
|||
{{cite news |
{{cite news |
||
|url=http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3346/html/economy.htm#s364827 |
|url=http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3346/html/economy.htm#s364827 |
||
Line 2,059: | Line 519: | ||
|publisher=Iran newspaper |
|publisher=Iran newspaper |
||
|accessdate=2009-02-23 |
|accessdate=2009-02-23 |
||
}}</ref> also Head of the parliament Energy Commission, Hamidreza Katouzian |
}}</ref> also Head of the parliament Energy Commission, Hamidreza Katouzian reprted:The government spent $5 billion to import fuel, about $2 billion more than the sum parliament had authorized.Katouzian quoted Iran's Oil Minister, Gholam-Hossein Nozari, as saying that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had ordered the extra purchase.<ref> |
||
reprted:The government spent $5 billion to import fuel, about $2 billion more than |
|||
the sum parliament had authorized.Katouzian quoted Iran's Oil Minister, Gholam- |
|||
Hossein Nozari, as saying that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had ordered the extra |
|||
purchase.<ref> |
|||
{{cite news |
{{cite news |
||
|url=http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=85792§ionid=351020102 |
|url=http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=85792§ionid=351020102 |
||
Line 2,077: | Line 529: | ||
|accessdate=2009-02-23 |
|accessdate=2009-02-23 |
||
}}</ref><br /> |
}}</ref><br /> |
||
On February 2009 parliamentary research centre report Iran faces a budget deficit |
On February 2009 parliamentary research centre report Iran faces a budget deficit of 44 billion dollars in the financial year starting in March.<ref> |
||
of 44 billion dollars in the financial year starting in March.<ref> |
|||
{{cite news |
{{cite news |
||
|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090209/wl_mideast_afp/iraneconomybudget_20090209115359 |
|||
|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090209/wl_mideast_afp/iraneconomybudget_20090209 |
|||
115359 |
|||
|title=Iran faces $44 bln deficit |
|title=Iran faces $44 bln deficit |
||
|author= |
|author= |
||
Line 2,098: | Line 544: | ||
{{See also|United States-Iran relations}} |
{{See also|United States-Iran relations}} |
||
During Ahmadinejad's presidency, Iran and the US have had the most high-profile |
During Ahmadinejad's presidency, Iran and the US have had the most high-profile contact in almost 30 years. Iran and the US froze diplomatic relations in 1980 and had no direct diplomatic contact until May 2007.<ref>Gollust, David. [http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-07-17-voa49.cfm "US Ready For Another Meeting With Iran."] Voice of America. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> |
||
While the U.S has linked its support for a Palestinian state to acceptance of Israel's "[[right to exist]]," Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has retorted that Israel should be moved to Europe instead,<ref name=afp20051208>{{cite news |publisher=[[Agence France-Presse]] |date={{Date|2005-12-08|mdy}} |title=Iran's Ahmadinejad wants Israel moved to Europe |url=http://www.mywire.com/a/AFP/Irans-Ahmadinejad-wants-Israel-moved/1109382?extID=10051 |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-16|mdy}}}}</ref> reiterating [[Muammar al-Gaddafi]]'s 1990 statement.<ref>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |date={{Date|1990-10-04|mdy}} |title=Gadhafi: Move Israel to Europe |url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9loPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=f4YDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3447,424692&dq=israel-should-be-moved-to-europe |work=[[The Bulletin (Bend)|The Bulletin]] |page=A-2 |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-16|mdy}}}}</ref> The U.S. has sent clear signals to Iran that its posturing against Israel's right to exist is unacceptable in their opinion, leading to increased speculation of a U.S. led attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. Even though Iran has denied involvement in Iraq, then-President Bush warned of "consequences," sending a clear message to Iran that the U.S may take military action against it.<ref name=afp20051208/> The [[George W. Bush administration|Bush administration]] considered Iran to be the world's leading state supporter of terrorism. Iran has been on the [[U.S. list of state sponsors of international terrorism]] since 1984,<ref>Armitage, Richard. [http://www.state.gov/s/d/former/armitage/remarks/25682.htm "U.S. Policy and Iran. Testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee."] U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 01-12-2006.</ref><ref>Burns, R. Nicholas. [http://www.state.gov/p/us/rm/2005/57473.htm "U.S. Policy and Iran. Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies."] U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 01-12-2006.</ref><ref>[http://www.state.gov/s/ct/c14151.htm "State Sponsors of Terrorism."] U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 05-02-2007.</ref> a claim that Iran and Ahmadinejad have denied. |
|||
contact in almost 30 years. Iran and the US froze diplomatic relations in 1980 and |
|||
On 8 May 2006, Ahmadinejad sent a [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's letter to George W. Bush|personal letter]] to then-[[President of the United States|President]] [[George W. Bush|Bush]] to propose "new ways" to end Iran's nuclear dispute.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3362443.stm "Timeline: US-Iran ties."] [[BBC News]]. Retrieved 29-10-2006.</ref> U.S. Secretary of State [[Condoleezza Rice]] and National Security Adviser [[Stephen Hadley]] both reviewed the letter and dismissed it as a negotiating ploy and publicity stunt that did not address U.S. concerns about Iran's nuclear program.<ref name="WPLetter">Vick, Karl. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/08/AR2006050800141.html "No Proposals in Iranian's Letter to Bush, U.S. Says."] The [[Washington Post]]. Retrieved 29-10-2006.</ref> A few days later at a meeting in [[Jakarta]], Ahmadinejad said, "the letter was an invitation to monotheism and justice, which are common to all divine prophets."<ref>[http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-24/0605110155191821.htm "President says his letter to President Bush was invitation to Islam."] Islamic Republic News Agency. Retrieved 29-10-2006.</ref> |
|||
had no direct diplomatic contact until May 2007.<ref>Gollust, David. |
|||
Ahmadinejad invited Bush to a debate at the [[United Nations]] [[United Nations General Assembly|General Assembly]], which was to take place on 19 September 2006. The debate was to be about Iran's right to enrich uranium. The invitation was promptly rejected by White House spokesman [[Tony Snow]], who said "There's not going to be a [[Professional wrestling match types#Cages|steel-cage grudge match]] between the President and Ahmadinejad."<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/situation.room/blog/2006/09/no-steel-cage-grudge-match-between.html "No 'steel-cage, grudge match' between Bush, Ahmadinejad."] [[CNN]]. Retrieved 10-01-2007.</ref> |
|||
[http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-07-17-voa49.cfm "US Ready For Another Meeting |
|||
[[Image:Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at Columbia 1 by David Shankbone.jpg|thumb|left|[[Columbia University]] students protesting against the university's decision to invite Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the university campus.]] |
|||
On November 2006, Ahmadinejad wrote an open letter to the American people,<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/11/29/ahmadinejad.letter "Ahmadinejad's letter to Americans."] [[CNN.]]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> representing some of his anxieties and concerns. He stated that there is an urgency to have a dialog because of the activities of the US administration in the Middle East, and that the US is concealing the truth about current realities.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/iran_pres_letter.pdf "Message of H.E. Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad President of the Republic of Iran to the American People."] [[Fox News]]. Retrieved 29-11-2006.</ref> |
|||
The United States Senate passed a resolution warning Iran about attacks in Iraq. On 26 September 2007, the United States Senate passed a resolution 76-22 and labeled an arm of the Iranian military as a terrorist organization. |
|||
With Iran."] Voice of America. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
In September 2007 Ahmadinejad visited New York to address the General Assembly of the United Nations. Prior to this he gave a speech at [[Columbia University]], where the university president Lee Bollinger <!--this is editorializing, until a citation can clear it up: — clearly stung by criticism for hosting Ahmadinejad — -->used his introduction to excoriate the Iranian leader as everything from a "cruel and petty dictator" to "astonishingly uneducated." Taking questions from Columbia faculty and students who attended his address, Ahmadinejad answered a query about the treatment of gays in Iran by saying: "We don't have homosexuals like in your country. We don't have that in our country. We don't have this phenomenon; I don't know who's told you we have it." An aide later claimed that he was misrepresented and was actually saying that "compared to American society, we don't have many homosexuals". <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSBLA05294620071010 |title=President misquoted over gays in Iran: aide | International | Reuters |publisher=Reuters<! |date=2007-10-10 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
While the U.S has linked its support for a Palestinian state to acceptance of |
|||
In a speech given in April 2008, Ahmadinejad described the [[September 11 attacks|September 11, 2001 attacks]] as a "suspect event." He minimized the attacks by saying all that had happened was, "a building collapsed." He claimed that the death toll was never published, that the victims' names were never published, and that the attacks were used subsequently as pretext for the invasions of [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|Afghanistan]] and Iraq. <ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7350830.stm |title=Ahmadinejad: 9/11 'suspect event' |publisher=BBC News |date=2008-04-16 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
Israel's "[[right to exist]]," Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has retorted |
|||
In October 2008, President Ahmadinejad expressed his happiness of [[Economic crisis of 2008|2008 global economic crisis]] and what he called "collapse of liberalism". He said the West has been driven to deadend and that Iran was proud "to put an end to liberal economy".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mathaba.net/news/?x=610339 |title=Iran mulling dynamic, progressive economy, prez |publisher=Mathaba.net |date=2008-10-31 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> Ahmadinejad used a September 2008 speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations to assert the American empire is soon going to end without specifying how. "The American empire in the world is reaching the end of its road, and its next rulers must limit their interference to their own borders," Ahmadinejad said.<ref>{{cite web |
|||
that Israel should be moved to Europe instead,<ref name=afp20051208>{{cite news |
|||
|publisher=[[Agence France-Presse]] |date={{Date|2005-12-08|mdy}} |title=Iran's |
|||
Ahmadinejad wants Israel moved to Europe |url=http://www.mywire.com/a/AFP/Irans- |
|||
Ahmadinejad-wants-Israel-moved/1109382?extID=10051 |accessdate={{Date|2009-06- |
|||
16|mdy}}}}</ref> reiterating [[Muammar al-Gaddafi]]'s 1990 statement.<ref>{{cite |
|||
news |agency=Associated Press |date={{Date|1990-10-04|mdy}} |title=Gadhafi: Move |
|||
Israel to Europe |url=http://news.google.com/newspapers? |
|||
id=9loPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=f4YDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3447,424692&dq=israel-should-be-moved-to- |
|||
europe |work=[[The Bulletin (Bend)|The Bulletin]] |page=A-2 |accessdate= |
|||
{{Date|2009-06-16|mdy}}}}</ref> The U.S. has sent clear signals to Iran that its |
|||
posturing against Israel's right to exist is unacceptable in their opinion, leading |
|||
to increased speculation of a U.S. led attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. Even |
|||
though Iran has denied involvement in Iraq, then-President Bush warned of |
|||
"consequences," sending a clear message to Iran that the U.S may take military |
|||
action against it.<ref name=afp20051208/> The [[George W. Bush administration|Bush |
|||
administration]] considered Iran to be the world's leading state supporter of |
|||
terrorism. Iran has been on the [[U.S. list of state sponsors of international |
|||
terrorism]] since 1984,<ref>Armitage, Richard. |
|||
[http://www.state.gov/s/d/former/armitage/remarks/25682.htm "U.S. Policy and Iran. |
|||
Testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee."] U.S. Department of |
|||
State. Retrieved 01-12-2006.</ref><ref>Burns, R. Nicholas. |
|||
[http://www.state.gov/p/us/rm/2005/57473.htm "U.S. Policy and Iran. Johns Hopkins |
|||
University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies."] U.S. |
|||
Department of State. Retrieved 01-12-2006.</ref><ref> |
|||
[http://www.state.gov/s/ct/c14151.htm "State Sponsors of Terrorism."] U.S. |
|||
Department of State. Retrieved 05-02-2007.</ref> a claim that Iran and Ahmadinejad |
|||
have denied. |
|||
On 8 May 2006, Ahmadinejad sent a [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's letter to George W. |
|||
Bush|personal letter]] to then-[[President of the United States|President]] |
|||
[[George W. Bush|Bush]] to propose "new ways" to end Iran's nuclear dispute.<ref> |
|||
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3362443.stm "Timeline: US-Iran ties."] |
|||
[[BBC News]]. Retrieved 29-10-2006.</ref> U.S. Secretary of State [[Condoleezza |
|||
Rice]] and National Security Adviser [[Stephen Hadley]] both reviewed the letter |
|||
and dismissed it as a negotiating ploy and publicity stunt that did not address |
|||
U.S. concerns about Iran's nuclear program.<ref name="WPLetter">Vick, Karl. |
|||
[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- |
|||
dyn/content/article/2006/05/08/AR2006050800141.html "No Proposals in Iranian's |
|||
Letter to Bush, U.S. Says."] The [[Washington Post]]. Retrieved 29-10-2006.</ref> A |
|||
few days later at a meeting in [[Jakarta]], Ahmadinejad said, "the letter was an |
|||
invitation to monotheism and justice, which are common to all divine |
|||
prophets."<ref>[http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-24/0605110155191821.htm |
|||
"President says his letter to President Bush was invitation to Islam."] Islamic |
|||
Republic News Agency. Retrieved 29-10-2006.</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad invited Bush to a debate at the [[United Nations]] [[United Nations |
|||
General Assembly|General Assembly]], which was to take place on 19 September 2006. |
|||
The debate was to be about Iran's right to enrich uranium. The invitation was |
|||
promptly rejected by White House spokesman [[Tony Snow]], who said "There's not |
|||
going to be a [[Professional wrestling match types#Cages|steel-cage grudge match]] |
|||
between the President and Ahmadinejad."<ref> |
|||
[http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/situation.room/blog/2006/09/no-steel-cage-grudge- |
|||
match-between.html "No 'steel-cage, grudge match' between Bush, Ahmadinejad."] |
|||
[[CNN]]. Retrieved 10-01-2007.</ref> |
|||
[[Image:Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at Columbia 1 by David Shankbone.jpg|thumb|left| |
|||
[[Columbia University]] students protesting against the university's decision to |
|||
invite Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the university campus.]] |
|||
On November 2006, Ahmadinejad wrote an open letter to the American people,<ref> |
|||
[http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/11/29/ahmadinejad.letter "Ahmadinejad's |
|||
letter to Americans."] [[CNN.]]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> representing some of |
|||
his anxieties and concerns. He stated that there is an urgency to have a dialog |
|||
because of the activities of the US administration in the Middle East, and that the |
|||
US is concealing the truth about current realities.<ref> |
|||
[http://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/iran_pres_letter.pdf "Message of H.E. Dr. |
|||
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad President of the Republic of Iran to the American People."] |
|||
[[Fox News]]. Retrieved 29-11-2006.</ref> |
|||
The United States Senate passed a resolution warning Iran about attacks in Iraq. On |
|||
26 September 2007, the United States Senate passed a resolution 76-22 and labeled |
|||
an arm of the Iranian military as a terrorist organization. |
|||
In September 2007 Ahmadinejad visited New York to address the General Assembly of |
|||
the United Nations. Prior to this he gave a speech at [[Columbia University]], |
|||
where the university president Lee Bollinger <!--this is editorializing, until a |
|||
citation can clear it up: — clearly stung by criticism for hosting Ahmadinejad — - |
|||
->used his introduction to excoriate the Iranian leader as everything from a "cruel |
|||
and petty dictator" to "astonishingly uneducated." Taking questions from Columbia |
|||
faculty and students who attended his address, Ahmadinejad answered a query about |
|||
the treatment of gays in Iran by saying: "We don't have homosexuals like in your |
|||
country. We don't have that in our country. We don't have this phenomenon; I don't |
|||
know who's told you we have it." An aide later claimed that he was misrepresented |
|||
and was actually saying that "compared to American society, we don't have many |
|||
homosexuals". <ref>{{cite |
|||
web|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSBLA05294620071010 |
|||
|title=President misquoted over gays in Iran: aide | International | |
|||
Reuters |publisher=Reuters<! |date=2007-10-10 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
In a speech given in April 2008, Ahmadinejad described the [[September 11 |
|||
attacks|September 11, 2001 attacks]] as a "suspect event." He minimized the attacks |
|||
by saying all that had happened was, "a building collapsed." He claimed that the |
|||
death toll was never published, that the victims' names were never published, and |
|||
that the attacks were used subsequently as pretext for the invasions of [[War in |
|||
Afghanistan (2001–present)|Afghanistan]] and Iraq. <ref>{{cite |
|||
news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7350830.stm |title=Ahmadinejad: |
|||
9/11 'suspect event' |publisher=BBC News |date=2008-04-16 |accessdate=2009-06-21}} |
|||
</ref> |
|||
In October 2008, President Ahmadinejad expressed his happiness of [[Economic crisis |
|||
of 2008|2008 global economic crisis]] and what he called "collapse of liberalism". |
|||
He said the West has been driven to deadend and that Iran was proud "to put an end |
|||
to liberal economy".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mathaba.net/news/?x=610339 |
|||
|title=Iran mulling dynamic, progressive economy, prez |publisher=Mathaba.net |
|||
|date=2008-10-31 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> Ahmadinejad used a September 2008 |
|||
speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations to assert the American empire |
|||
is soon going to end without specifying how. "The American empire in the world is |
|||
reaching the end of its road, and its next rulers must limit their interference to |
|||
their own borders," Ahmadinejad said.<ref>{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://www.un.org/ga/63/generaldebate/pdf/iran_en.pdf |
| url = http://www.un.org/ga/63/generaldebate/pdf/iran_en.pdf |
||
|format=PDF| title = Statement by H.E. Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad |
|format=PDF| title = Statement by H.E. Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad |
||
Line 2,319: | Line 569: | ||
| archiveurl = |
| archiveurl = |
||
| archivedate = |
| archivedate = |
||
| quote = <small>'The American empire in the world is reaching the end of its road, |
| quote = <small>'The American empire in the world is reaching the end of its road, and its next rulers must limit their interference to their own borders.'</small> |
||
and its next rulers must limit their interference to their own borders.'</small> |
|||
}} |
}} |
||
</ref> |
</ref> |
||
On November 6, 2008 (two days after the [[United States presidential election, 2008|2008 US Presidential Election]]), [[President of Iran|President]] Mahmoud Ahmadinejad congratulated [[Barack Obama]], the newly elected President of the United States, and said that he "Welcomes basic and fair changes in U.S. policies and conducts, I hope you will prefer real public interests and justice to the never-ending demands of a selfish minority and seize the opportunity to serve people so that you will be remembered with high esteem". It is the first congratulatory message to a new elected President of the United States by an Iranian President since the 1979 [[Iran Hostage Crisis|Iranian Hostage Crisis]]. <ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/11/06/iran.obama/index.html ]{{Dead link|date=June 2009}}</ref> |
|||
On November 6, 2008 (two days after the [[United States presidential election, |
|||
2008|2008 US Presidential Election]]), [[President of Iran|President]] Mahmoud |
|||
Ahmadinejad congratulated [[Barack Obama]], the newly elected President of the |
|||
United States, and said that he "Welcomes basic and fair changes in U.S. policies |
|||
and conducts, I hope you will prefer real public interests and justice to the |
|||
never-ending demands of a selfish minority and seize the opportunity to serve |
|||
people so that you will be remembered with high esteem". It is the first |
|||
congratulatory message to a new elected President of the United States by an |
|||
Iranian President since the 1979 [[Iran Hostage Crisis|Iranian Hostage Crisis]]. |
|||
<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/11/06/iran.obama/index.html ]{{Dead |
|||
link|date=June 2009}}</ref> |
|||
===Relations with Israel=== |
===Relations with Israel=== |
||
{{Main|Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel}} |
{{Main|Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel}} |
||
{{See also|Iran–Israel relations}} |
{{See also|Iran–Israel relations}} |
||
On 26 October 2005 Ahmadinejad gave a [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel#2005 "World Without Zionism" speech|speech]] at a conference in Tehran entitled "World Without [[Zionism]]". According to widely published translations, he agreed with a statement he attributed to [[Ruhollah Khomeini|Ayatollah Khomeini]] that the "occupying regime" had to be removed, and referred to it as a "disgraceful stain [on] the Islamic world", that needed to be "wiped from the pages of history."<ref name = "WIPED">*[http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/10/27/ahmadinejad.reaction/index.html "Annan: 'Dismay' over Iranian comments on Israel"]. CNN. Accessed 27-09-2007. |
|||
On 26 October 2005 Ahmadinejad gave a [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel#2005 "World |
|||
*Fathi, Nazila. [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/30/weekinreview/30iran.html?ex=1161230400&en=26f07fc5b7543417&ei=5070 "Text of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Speech"]. New York Times. Accessed 17-10-2006. |
|||
*[http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2006/12/15/iran_vote_seen_as_referendum_on_ahmadinejad/ "Iran vote seen as referendum on Ahmadinejad"]. [[The Boston Globe]]. Retrieved 27-12-2006.</ref> |
|||
Without Zionism" speech|speech]] at a conference in Tehran entitled "World Without |
|||
[[Zionism]]". According to widely published translations, he agreed with a |
|||
statement he attributed to [[Ruhollah Khomeini|Ayatollah Khomeini]] that the |
|||
"occupying regime" had to be removed, and referred to it as a "disgraceful stain |
|||
[on] the Islamic world", that needed to be "wiped from the pages of history."<ref |
|||
name = "WIPED">* |
|||
[http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/10/27/ahmadinejad.reaction/index.html "Annan: |
|||
'Dismay' over Iranian comments on Israel"]. CNN. Accessed 27-09-2007. |
|||
*Fathi, Nazila. [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/30/weekinreview/30iran.html? |
|||
ex=1161230400&en=26f07fc5b7543417&ei=5070 "Text of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Speech"]. |
|||
New York Times. Accessed 17-10-2006. |
|||
* |
|||
[http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2006/12/15/iran_vote_seen_as_referendum_ |
|||
on_ahmadinejad/ "Iran vote seen as referendum on Ahmadinejad"]. [[The Boston |
|||
Globe]]. Retrieved 27-12-2006.</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad's comments were condemned by major [[Western world|Western |
|||
governments]], the [[European Union]], Russia, the [[United Nations Security |
|||
Council]] and then [[United Nations|UN]] [[Secretary General of the United |
|||
Nations|Secretary General]] [[Kofi Annan]].<ref>{{cite news |
Ahmadinejad's comments were condemned by major [[Western world|Western governments]], the [[European Union]], Russia, the [[United Nations Security Council]] and then [[United Nations|UN]] [[Secretary General of the United Nations|Secretary General]] [[Kofi Annan]].<ref>{{cite news |
||
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4384024.stm |
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4384024.stm |
||
| title = Annan ‘dismayed’ by Iran remarks |
| title = Annan ‘dismayed’ by Iran remarks |
||
Line 2,393: | Line 589: | ||
| publisher = BBC News |
| publisher = BBC News |
||
}} |
}} |
||
</ref> [[Egypt]]ian, [[Turkey|Turkish]] and [[Palestinian people|Palestinian]] |
</ref> [[Egypt]]ian, [[Turkey|Turkish]] and [[Palestinian people|Palestinian]] leaders also expressed displeasure over Ahmadinejad's remark.<ref>{{cite news |
||
leaders also expressed displeasure over Ahmadinejad's remark.<ref>{{cite news |
|||
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4387206.stm |
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4387206.stm |
||
| title = UN raps Iran's anti-Israel rant |
| title = UN raps Iran's anti-Israel rant |
||
Line 2,402: | Line 596: | ||
| publisher = BBC News |
| publisher = BBC News |
||
}} |
}} |
||
</ref> Canada's then [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] [[Paul Martin]] |
</ref> Canada's then [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] [[Paul Martin]] said, “this threat to Israel's existence, this call for genocide coupled with Iran's obvious nuclear ambitions is a matter that the world cannot ignore.”<ref>{{cite web |
||
| url = http://www.carolynbennettmp.ca/dev/downloads/2005-11-13_Prime-Minister-Martin-Addresses-Jewish-Leaders_Toronto.doc |
|||
said, “this threat to Israel's existence, this call for genocide coupled with |
|||
Iran's obvious nuclear ambitions is a matter that the world cannot ignore.”<ref> |
|||
{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://www.carolynbennettmp.ca/dev/downloads/2005-11-13_Prime-Minister- |
|||
Martin-Addresses-Jewish-Leaders_Toronto.doc |
|||
| title = Prime Minister Martin Speaks Before Jewish Leaders in Toronto |
| title = Prime Minister Martin Speaks Before Jewish Leaders in Toronto |
||
| accessdate = 2006-10-29 |
| accessdate = 2006-10-29 |
||
Line 2,421: | Line 607: | ||
}} |
}} |
||
</ref> |
</ref> |
||
<!-- <ref name="r31">{{cite web | title=European Commissioner for External |
<!-- <ref name="r31">{{cite web | title=European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood policy: Statement on recent declarations by the President of Iran | work=EUROPA | url=http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/05/696&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en | accessdate=16 November | accessyear=2005}}</ref> --> |
||
The translation of his statement has been disputed. Iran's foreign minister stated that Ahmadinejad had been "misunderstood": "He is talking about the regime. We do not recognise legally this regime."<ref>{{cite web |
|||
Relations and European Neighbourhood policy: Statement on recent declarations by |
|||
| url = http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C02%5C22%5Cstory_22-2-2006_pg4_15 |
|||
the President of Iran | work=EUROPA | |
|||
url=http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do? |
|||
reference=SPEECH/05/696&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en | |
|||
accessdate=16 November | accessyear=2005}}</ref> --> |
|||
The translation of his statement has been disputed. Iran's foreign minister stated |
|||
that Ahmadinejad had been "misunderstood": "He is talking about the regime. We do |
|||
not recognise legally this regime."<ref>{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C02%5C22%5Cstory_22-2- |
|||
2006_pg4_15 |
|||
| title = Ahmadinejad misunderstood, says Iran |
| title = Ahmadinejad misunderstood, says Iran |
||
| accessdate = 2007-09-07 |
| accessdate = 2007-09-07 |
||
| date = 22 February 2006 |
| date = 22 February 2006 |
||
| publisher = [http://www.dailytimes.com.pk DailyTimes.com Pakistan] |
| publisher = [http://www.dailytimes.com.pk DailyTimes.com Pakistan] |
||
}}</ref> Some experts state that the phrase in question (بايد از صفحه روزگار محو شود) is more |
}}</ref> Some experts state that the phrase in question (بايد از صفحه روزگار محو شود) is more accurately translated as "eliminated" or "wiped off" or "wiped away" from "the page of time" or "the pages of history", rather than "wiped off the map".<ref>{{cite web |
||
accurately translated as "eliminated" or "wiped off" or "wiped away" from "the page |
|||
of time" or "the pages of history", rather than "wiped off the map".<ref>{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/jonathan_steele/2006/06/post_155.html |
| url = http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/jonathan_steele/2006/06/post_155.html |
||
| title = Lost in translation |
| title = Lost in translation |
||
Line 2,457: | Line 623: | ||
| date = 14 June 2006 |
| date = 14 June 2006 |
||
| publisher = Guardian |
| publisher = Guardian |
||
}}</ref> Reviewing the controversy over the translation, [[New York Times]] deputy |
}}</ref> Reviewing the controversy over the translation, [[New York Times]] deputy foreign editor [[Ethan Bronner]] observed that "all official translations" of the comments, including the foreign ministry and president's office, "refer to wiping Israel away".<ref>{{cite news |
||
foreign editor [[Ethan Bronner]] observed that "all official translations" of the |
|||
comments, including the foreign ministry and president's office, "refer to wiping |
|||
Israel away".<ref>{{cite news |
|||
| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/weekinreview/11bronner.html |
| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/weekinreview/11bronner.html |
||
| title = Just How Far Did They Go, Those Words Against Israel? |
| title = Just How Far Did They Go, Those Words Against Israel? |
||
Line 2,472: | Line 632: | ||
| publisher = New York Times |
| publisher = New York Times |
||
}}</ref> |
}}</ref> |
||
Dr. Joshua Teitelbaum, an Israel-based professor with ties to [[AIPAC]], in a paper for the [[Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs]], examined the language that President Ahmadinejad has used when discussing Israel. Using Farsi translations from Dr. [[Denis MacEoin]], a former lecturer in [[Islamic studies]] in the United Kingdom, Teitelbaum wrote that "the Iranian president was not just calling for “regime change” in Jerusalem, but rather the actual physical destruction of the State of Israel," and asserted that Ahmadinejad was advocating the genocide of its residents as well. Teitelbaum said that in a speech given on 26 October 2005, Ahmadinejad said the following about Israel: "Soon this stain of disgrace will be cleaned from the garment of the world of Islam, and this is attainable." Teitelbaum argued that this type of dehumanizing rhetoric is a documented prelude to genocide incitement. Dr. [[Juan Cole]], a professor of modern Middle Eastern and South Asian history at the University of Michigan, has argued that Ahmadinejad was not calling for the destruction of Israel, “Ahmadinejad did not say he was going to wipe Israel off the map because no such idiom exists in Persian.” Dr. [[Stephen Walt]], a professor of international affairs at Harvard University has said “I don’t think he is inciting to genocide."<ref>"What Iranian Leaders Really Say About Doing Away with Israel." Joshua Teitelbaum. (Jerusalem: Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, 2008). [http://www.jcpa.org/text/ahmadinejad2-words.pdf]</ref> According to Gawdat Bahgat, Director of Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, "the fiery calls to destroy Israel are meant to mobilize domestic and regional constituencies" and that "Rhetoric aside, most analysts agree that the Islamic Republic and the Jewish state are not likely to engage in a military confrontation against each other."<ref> Nuclear Proliferation: The Islamic. Republic of Iran. G. AWDAT. B. AHGAT, Iranian Studies, volume 39, number 3, September 2006 </ref> |
|||
Dr. Joshua Teitelbaum, an Israel-based professor with ties to [[AIPAC]], in a paper |
|||
In July 2006, Ahmadinejad compared Israel's actions in the [[2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict]] to [[Adolf Hitler]]'s actions during [[World War II]] saying that "like Hitler, the [[Zionism|Zionist regime]] is just looking for a pretext for launching military attacks" and "is now acting just like him."<ref>{{cite news |author=[[Deutsche Presse-Agentur]] |date={{Date|2006-07-16|mdy}} |title=Ahmadinejad compares Israel to Hitler |url=http://www.indiaenews.com/middle-east/20060716/15031.htm |publisher=[[Indo-Asian News Service]] |accessdate={{Date|2009-06-16|mdy}}}}</ref> On 8 August 2006, he gave a television interview to [[Mike Wallace (journalist)|Mike Wallace]], a correspondent for [[60 Minutes]], in which he questioned American support of Israel's "murderous regime" and the moral grounds for Israel's invasion of Lebanon.<ref name=schorn20060813/> On 2 December 2006, Ahmadinejad met with Palestinian Prime Minister [[Ismail Haniyah]] in [[Doha]], [[Qatar]]. At that meeting, he said that Israel "was created to establish dominion of arrogant states over the region and to enable the enemy to penetrate the heart Muslim land." He called Israel a "threat" and said it was created to create tensions in and impose US and UK policies upon the region.<ref>{{cite web |
|||
for the [[Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs]], examined the language that |
|||
President Ahmadinejad has used when discussing Israel. Using Farsi translations |
|||
from Dr. [[Denis MacEoin]], a former lecturer in [[Islamic studies]] in the United |
|||
Kingdom, Teitelbaum wrote that "the Iranian president was not just calling for |
|||
“regime change” in Jerusalem, but rather the actual physical destruction of the |
|||
State of Israel," and asserted that Ahmadinejad was advocating the genocide of its |
|||
residents as well. Teitelbaum said that in a speech given on 26 October 2005, |
|||
Ahmadinejad said the following about Israel: "Soon this stain of disgrace will be |
|||
cleaned from the garment of the world of Islam, and this is attainable." Teitelbaum |
|||
argued that this type of dehumanizing rhetoric is a documented prelude to genocide |
|||
incitement. Dr. [[Juan Cole]], a professor of modern Middle Eastern and South Asian |
|||
history at the University of Michigan, has argued that Ahmadinejad was not calling |
|||
for the destruction of Israel, “Ahmadinejad did not say he was going to wipe Israel |
|||
off the map because no such idiom exists in Persian.” Dr. [[Stephen Walt]], a |
|||
professor of international affairs at Harvard University has said “I don’t think he |
|||
is inciting to genocide."<ref>"What Iranian Leaders Really Say About Doing Away |
|||
with Israel." Joshua Teitelbaum. (Jerusalem: Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, |
|||
2008). [http://www.jcpa.org/text/ahmadinejad2-words.pdf]</ref> According to Gawdat |
|||
Bahgat, Director of Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Indiana University of |
|||
Pennsylvania, "the fiery calls to destroy Israel are meant to mobilize domestic and |
|||
regional constituencies" and that "Rhetoric aside, most analysts agree that the |
|||
Islamic Republic and the Jewish state are not likely to engage in a military |
|||
confrontation against each other."<ref> Nuclear Proliferation: The Islamic. |
|||
Republic of Iran. G. AWDAT. B. AHGAT, Iranian Studies, volume 39, number 3, |
|||
September 2006 </ref> |
|||
In July 2006, Ahmadinejad compared Israel's actions in the [[2006 Israel-Lebanon |
|||
conflict]] to [[Adolf Hitler]]'s actions during [[World War II]] saying that "like |
|||
Hitler, the [[Zionism|Zionist regime]] is just looking for a pretext for launching |
|||
military attacks" and "is now acting just like him."<ref>{{cite news |author= |
|||
[[Deutsche Presse-Agentur]] |date={{Date|2006-07-16|mdy}} |title=Ahmadinejad |
|||
compares Israel to Hitler |url=http://www.indiaenews.com/middle- |
|||
east/20060716/15031.htm |publisher=[[Indo-Asian News Service]] |accessdate= |
|||
{{Date|2009-06-16|mdy}}}}</ref> On 8 August 2006, he gave a television interview to |
|||
[[Mike Wallace (journalist)|Mike Wallace]], a correspondent for [[60 Minutes]], in |
|||
which he questioned American support of Israel's "murderous regime" and the moral |
|||
grounds for Israel's invasion of Lebanon.<ref name=schorn20060813/> On 2 December |
|||
2006, Ahmadinejad met with Palestinian Prime Minister [[Ismail Haniyah]] in |
|||
[[Doha]], [[Qatar]]. At that meeting, he said that Israel "was created to |
|||
establish dominion of arrogant states over the region and to enable the enemy to |
|||
penetrate the heart Muslim land." He called Israel a "threat" and said it was |
|||
created to create tensions in and impose US and UK policies upon the region.<ref> |
|||
{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-236/0612026937093956.htm |
| url = http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-236/0612026937093956.htm |
||
| title = President Ahmadinejad, Palestinian PM meet in Doha |
| title = President Ahmadinejad, Palestinian PM meet in Doha |
||
Line 2,562: | Line 640: | ||
| date = 2 December 2006 |
| date = 2 December 2006 |
||
| publisher = [[IRNA]] |
| publisher = [[IRNA]] |
||
}}</ref> On 12 December 2006, Ahmadinejad addressed the [[International Conference |
}}</ref> On 12 December 2006, Ahmadinejad addressed the [[International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust]], and made comments about the future of Israel. He said, "Israel is about to crash. This is God's promise and the wish of all the world's nations."<ref>{{cite web |
||
to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust]], and made comments about the future |
|||
of Israel. He said, "Israel is about to crash. This is God's promise and the wish |
|||
of all the world's nations."<ref>{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20061212-072558-3819r |
| url = http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20061212-072558-3819r |
||
| title = Iran students rebel over Holocaust denial |
| title = Iran students rebel over Holocaust denial |
||
Line 2,576: | Line 648: | ||
}}</ref> |
}}</ref> |
||
When [[CNN]]'s [[Larry King]] asked Ahmadinejad "does Israel remain Israel" in his version of the Middle East, Ahmadinejad suggested that throughout the Palestinian territories free elections for all be conducted under the supervision of international organizations. Ahmadinejad suggested that "..we must allow free elections to happen in Palestine under the supervision of the United Nations. And the Palestinian people, the displaced Palestinian people, or whoever considers Palestine its land, can participate in free elections. And then whatever happens as a result could happen."<ref name="KingInt" /> |
|||
When [[CNN]]'s [[Larry King]] asked Ahmadinejad "does Israel remain Israel" in his |
|||
version of the Middle East, Ahmadinejad suggested that throughout the Palestinian |
|||
territories free elections for all be conducted under the supervision of |
|||
international organizations. Ahmadinejad suggested that "..we must allow free |
|||
elections to happen in Palestine under the supervision of the United Nations. And |
|||
the Palestinian people, the displaced Palestinian people, or whoever considers |
|||
Palestine its land, can participate in free elections. And then whatever happens as |
|||
a result could happen."<ref name="KingInt" /> |
|||
===Relations with Russia=== |
===Relations with Russia=== |
||
[[Image:Vladimir Putin in Iran 16-17 October 2007-2.jpg|thumb|upright|Ahmadinejad |
[[Image:Vladimir Putin in Iran 16-17 October 2007-2.jpg|thumb|upright|Ahmadinejad with then [[President of Russia]] [[Vladimir Putin]] in [[Tehran]] on 16 October 2007.]] |
||
with then [[President of Russia]] [[Vladimir Putin]] in [[Tehran]] on 16 October |
|||
2007.]] |
|||
{{See also|Iran-Russia relations}} |
{{See also|Iran-Russia relations}} |
||
Ahmadinejad has moved to strengthen relations with Russia, setting up an office expressly dedicated to the purpose in October 2005. He has worked with [[Vladimir Putin]] on the nuclear issue, and both Putin and Ahmadinejad have expressed a desire for more mutual cooperation on issues involving the [[Caspian Sea]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Ahmadinejad: Special Hq to be formed for Tehran-Moscow cooperation|publisher=[[Islamic Republic News Agency]]| url=http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-17/0510268047185402.htm|accessdate=2006-04-14|date=26 October 2005}}</ref> More recently, Iran has been increasingly pushed into an alliance with Moscow due to the controversy over Iran's nuclear program. By late December 2007, Russia began to deliver enriched batches of nuclear fuel to Iran as a way of persuading Iran to end self-enrichment. |
|||
Ahmadinejad has moved to strengthen relations with Russia, setting up an office |
|||
expressly dedicated to the purpose in October 2005. He has worked with [[Vladimir |
|||
Putin]] on the nuclear issue, and both Putin and Ahmadinejad have expressed a |
|||
desire for more mutual cooperation on issues involving the [[Caspian Sea]].<ref> |
|||
{{cite news|title=Ahmadinejad: Special Hq to be formed for Tehran-Moscow |
|||
cooperation|publisher=[[Islamic Republic News Agency]]| |
|||
url=http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-17/0510268047185402.htm|accessdate=2006- |
|||
04-14|date=26 October 2005}}</ref> More recently, Iran has been increasingly pushed |
|||
into an alliance with Moscow due to the controversy over Iran's nuclear program. By |
|||
late December 2007, Russia began to deliver enriched batches of nuclear fuel to |
|||
Iran as a way of persuading Iran to end self-enrichment. |
|||
===Relations with Venezuela=== |
===Relations with Venezuela=== |
||
{{See also|Iran-Venezuela relations}} |
{{See also|Iran-Venezuela relations}} |
||
Ahmadinejad has sought to develop ties with other world leaders that are also opposed to [[U.S. foreign policy]] and influence like [[Hugo Chavez]] of [[Venezuela]].<ref name="Venezuela strategy">Prada, Leandro. [http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewForeignBureaus.asp?Page=/ForeignBureaus/archive/200709/INT20070928b.html "Ahmadinejad Visits Anti-US Allies in Latin America."] CNS News. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Venezuela voted in favor of Iran's nuclear program before the [[United Nations]],<ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iran/2005/iran-050928-irna02.htm "Ahmadinejad hails Venezuela's vote in IAEA."] Global Security. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> and both governments have sought to develop more bilateral trade.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,206204,00.html "Venezuela's Chavez, Iran's Ahmadinejad Pledge Mutual Support."] [[Fox News]]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> As of 2006, the ties between the two countries are strategic rather than economic;<ref name="Venezuela strategy"/> Venezuela is still not one of Iran's major trading partners.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ir.html "CIA - The World Factbook - Iran."] CIA. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad has sought to develop ties with other world leaders that are also |
|||
opposed to [[U.S. foreign policy]] and influence like [[Hugo Chavez]] of |
|||
[[Venezuela]].<ref name="Venezuela strategy">Prada, Leandro. |
|||
[http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewForeignBureaus.asp? |
|||
Page=/ForeignBureaus/archive/200709/INT20070928b.html "Ahmadinejad Visits Anti-US |
|||
Allies in Latin America."] CNS News. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Venezuela voted in |
|||
favor of Iran's nuclear program before the [[United Nations]],<ref> |
|||
[http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iran/2005/iran-050928-irna02.htm |
|||
"Ahmadinejad hails Venezuela's vote in IAEA."] Global Security. Retrieved 26-01- |
|||
2008.</ref> and both governments have sought to develop more bilateral trade.<ref> |
|||
[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,206204,00.html "Venezuela's Chavez, Iran's |
|||
Ahmadinejad Pledge Mutual Support."] [[Fox News]]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> As |
|||
of 2006, the ties between the two countries are strategic rather than economic;<ref |
|||
name="Venezuela strategy"/> Venezuela is still not one of Iran's major trading |
|||
partners.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- |
|||
factbook/geos/ir.html "CIA - The World Factbook - Iran."] CIA. Retrieved 26-01- |
|||
2008.</ref> |
|||
===Regional relations=== |
===Regional relations=== |
||
Immediately after the [[Islamic Revolution]], Iran's relations with most of its neighbors, particularly those with large [[Shiite]] minorities, were severely strained.<ref name="Revolution">Abdel-Mageed, Dina [http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1175008835987&pagename=Zone-English-Muslim_Affairs%2FMAELayout#9 "Has the Revolution Affected Iran's Relations With Its Neighbors?"]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Ahmadinejad's priority in the region has been to improve ties with most of Iran's neighbors in order to strengthen Iran's status and influence in both the Middle East and [[Muslim World|Greater Muslim World]]. |
|||
Immediately after the [[Islamic Revolution]], Iran's relations with most of its |
|||
<!-- Link now blocked by spamfilter <ref>[http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=51627&NewsKind=current%20affairs "Iran leader tries to pry Arabs out of US alliance."]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref>--><ref>[http://www.saudi-us-relations.org/articles/2007/special-reports/070305-iran-saudi.html "Saudi-Iran Meeting Yields Little Substance."]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
[[Turkey]] has always been an important ally in the region due to its ties to the West through [[NATO]], [[Israel]],<ref>Vest, Jason [http://www.thenation.com/doc/20020902/vest20020823 "Turkey, Israel and the US."] [[The Nation]]. Retrieved 26-01-2006.</ref> and its potential entry into the [[European Union]]. Ahmadinejad made a visit to [[Ankara]] in order to reinforce relations with Turkey immediately after the [[Iranian nuclear program#2007 Iran National Intelligence Estimate|2007 NIE report]] was released.<ref>[http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=91008 "Ahmadinejad seeks to improve Iran image with Ankara visit."] [[Turkish Daily News]]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Relations were briefly strained after President [[Abdullah Gul]] had stated that he wants the atomic threat to be eliminated from the region, perhaps a hint to Iran;<ref>[http://www.shalomdc.org/page.html?ArticleID=127683 "Israel, Turkey patch up relations."]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> however, business has remained cordial between the two countries.<ref name="cordial Turkey">[http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKL2693425220070926 "Turkey's Botas says Iran is important gas partner."] [[Reuters]]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Despite US disapproval, Turkey recently signed a multibillion dollar gas line deal with Tehran in late 2007.<ref name="cordial Turkey"/><ref>[http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=85127 "Turkey to fund $3.5 bln Iran gas deal alone."] [[Reuters]]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
neighbors, particularly those with large [[Shiite]] minorities, were severely |
|||
Iran's relations with the Arab states have been complex, partly due to the [[Islamic Revolution]]<ref name="Revolution"/> of decades ago, as well as more recent efforts by the United States to establish a united front against Iran over the [[Iranian nuclear program|nuclear issue]] and [[War on Terror]].<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/14/world/middleeast/14prexy.html?_r=1&oref=slogin "Bush Urges Unity Against Iran."] [[New York Times]]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Ahmadinejad has sought reconciliation with the Arab states by encouraging bilateral trade and posturing for Iranian entry into the [[Gulf Cooperation Council]].<ref>[http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/080115/2008011507.html "Ahmadi-Nejad message to Gulf states on relations with Iran."]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Outside of the Persian Gulf, Ahmadinejad has sought to reestablish relations with other major Arab states, most notably [[Egypt]].<ref name="Iran and Egypt">[http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2007/12/iran_anxious_to.php "Iran anxious to reopen embassy in Cairo."]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> As of 2007, Iran did not have an open embassy there.<ref name="Iran and Egypt"/> |
|||
strained.<ref name="Revolution">Abdel-Mageed, Dina |
|||
Iran's [[Iran-Arab relations#Syria|ties to Syria]] have been most notable in the West. Both nations have had to deal with international and regional isolation.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/syria/story/0,,1690447,00.html "Ahmadinejad visits Syria."] Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Further, they both have cordial ties to the militant group, [[Hezbollah]],<ref name="mock">[http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8JGVFKO0&show_article=1 "Iran, Syria Praise Hezbollah, Mock US."] Associated Press. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> and concerns over Iran-Syria relations were further exacerbated following the [[2006 Lebanon War]],<ref>[http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HJ24Ak03.html "Speaking with the enemy."] Asia Times. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> which both Ahmadinejad and President [[Bashar Assad|Assad]] claimed as a victory over Israel.<ref name="mock"/> |
|||
[http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite? |
|||
Ahmadinejad has also attempted to develop stronger, more intimate ties with both Afghanistan and [[Pakistan]] to the East in order to ensure "regional stability."<ref name="Iran-Pak-Afgh">[http://www.irna.com/en/news/view/line-22/0612212936010042.htm "Iran-Pakistan- Afghanistan friendly ties to ensure regional security."] IRNA. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> In particular, Ahmadinejad is interested in more bilateral talks between Iran and both Afghanistan and Pakistan.<ref name="Iran-Pak-Afgh"/> Moreover, Ahmadinejad's administration has taken part in establishing the "[[Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline|peace pipeline]]"; a pipeline from Iran that will eventually fuel both Pakistan and India. In theory, the plan will help to [[globalization|integrate]] [[South Asia]]n economies, and, by consequence, calm tensions between Pakistan and India.<ref>Shahid, Sohaib. [http://jang.com.pk/thenews/jan2007-weekly/busrev-15-01-2007/p8.htm "Iran-Pak-India gas pipeline: implications and prospects."] Business and Finance Review. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
c=Article_C&cid=1175008835987&pagename=Zone-English-Muslim_Affairs%2FMAELayout#9 |
|||
Ahmadinejad met foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov of [[Azerbaijan]] in order to discuss increased cooperation between the two nations.<ref name="azeri">[http://www.spokesman.gov.ir/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=460&Itemid=58 "Ahmadinejad meets Azeri FM."] Fars. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Mammadyarov also expressed desire to expand the North-South corridor between Iran and Azerbaijan and to launch cooperative projects regarding [[power plant]] construction.<ref name="azeri"/> Iran has also redoubled efforts to forge ties with [[Armenia]]; during Ahmadinejad's visit in October 2007 the discussions were focused on developing energy ties between the two countries.<ref>Whitemore, Brian. [http://www.energypublisher.com/article.asp?id=11638 "Energy to dominate Ahmadinejad's Armenia visit."] Energy Publisher. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
"Has the Revolution Affected Iran's Relations With Its Neighbors?"]. Retrieved 26- |
|||
01-2008.</ref> Ahmadinejad's priority in the region has been to improve ties with |
|||
most of Iran's neighbors in order to strengthen Iran's status and influence in both |
|||
the Middle East and [[Muslim World|Greater Muslim World]].<ref> |
|||
<!-- <[http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp? |
|||
NewsCode=51627&NewsKind=current%20affairs "Iran leader tries to pry Arabs out of US |
|||
alliance."]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref><ref>[http://www.saudi-us- Blocked link by spamfilter--> |
|||
relations.org/articles/2007/special-reports/070305-iran-saudi.html "Saudi-Iran |
|||
Meeting Yields Little Substance."]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
[[Turkey]] has always been an important ally in the region due to its ties to the |
|||
West through [[NATO]], [[Israel]],<ref>Vest, Jason |
|||
[http://www.thenation.com/doc/20020902/vest20020823 "Turkey, Israel and the US."] |
|||
[[The Nation]]. Retrieved 26-01-2006.</ref> and its potential entry into the |
|||
[[European Union]]. Ahmadinejad made a visit to [[Ankara]] in order to reinforce |
|||
relations with Turkey immediately after the [[Iranian nuclear program#2007 Iran |
|||
National Intelligence Estimate|2007 NIE report]] was released.<ref> |
|||
[http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=91008 "Ahmadinejad seeks to |
|||
improve Iran image with Ankara visit."] [[Turkish Daily News]]. Retrieved 26-01- |
|||
2008.</ref> Relations were briefly strained after President [[Abdullah Gul]] had |
|||
stated that he wants the atomic threat to be eliminated from the region, perhaps a |
|||
hint to Iran;<ref>[http://www.shalomdc.org/page.html?ArticleID=127683 "Israel, |
|||
Turkey patch up relations."]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> however, business has |
|||
remained cordial between the two countries.<ref name="cordial Turkey"> |
|||
[http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKL2693425220070926 "Turkey's Botas says |
|||
Iran is important gas partner."] [[Reuters]]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Despite |
|||
US disapproval, Turkey recently signed a multibillion dollar gas line deal with |
|||
Tehran in late 2007.<ref name="cordial Turkey"/><ref> |
|||
[http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=85127 "Turkey to fund $3.5 |
|||
bln Iran gas deal alone."] [[Reuters]]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
Iran's relations with the Arab states have been complex, partly due to the |
|||
[[Islamic Revolution]]<ref name="Revolution"/> of decades ago, as well as more |
|||
recent efforts by the United States to establish a united front against Iran over |
|||
the [[Iranian nuclear program|nuclear issue]] and [[War on Terror]].<ref> |
|||
[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/14/world/middleeast/14prexy.html?_r=1&oref=slogin |
|||
"Bush Urges Unity Against Iran."] [[New York Times]]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad has sought reconciliation with the Arab states by encouraging bilateral |
|||
trade and posturing for Iranian entry into the [[Gulf Cooperation Council]].<ref> |
|||
[http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/080115/2008011507.html "Ahmadi-Nejad |
|||
message to Gulf states on relations with Iran."]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
Outside of the Persian Gulf, Ahmadinejad has sought to reestablish relations with |
|||
other major Arab states, most notably [[Egypt]].<ref name="Iran and Egypt"> |
|||
[http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2007/12/iran_anxious_to.php "Iran anxious to |
|||
reopen embassy in Cairo."]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> As of 2007, Iran did not |
|||
have an open embassy there.<ref name="Iran and Egypt"/> |
|||
Iran's [[Iran-Arab relations#Syria|ties to Syria]] have been most notable in the |
|||
West. Both nations have had to deal with international and regional |
|||
isolation.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/syria/story/0,,1690447,00.html |
|||
"Ahmadinejad visits Syria."] Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
Further, they both have cordial ties to the militant group, [[Hezbollah]],<ref |
|||
name="mock">[http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8JGVFKO0&show_article=1 |
|||
"Iran, Syria Praise Hezbollah, Mock US."] Associated Press. Retrieved 26-01- |
|||
2008.</ref> and concerns over Iran-Syria relations were further exacerbated |
|||
following the [[2006 Lebanon War]],<ref> |
|||
[http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HJ24Ak03.html "Speaking with the enemy."] |
|||
Asia Times. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> which both Ahmadinejad and President |
|||
[[Bashar Assad|Assad]] claimed as a victory over Israel.<ref name="mock"/> |
|||
Ahmadinejad has also attempted to develop stronger, more intimate ties with both |
|||
Afghanistan and [[Pakistan]] to the East in order to ensure "regional |
|||
stability."<ref name="Iran-Pak-Afgh">[http://www.irna.com/en/news/view/line- |
|||
22/0612212936010042.htm "Iran-Pakistan- Afghanistan friendly ties to ensure |
|||
regional security."] IRNA. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> In particular, Ahmadinejad |
|||
is interested in more bilateral talks between Iran and both Afghanistan and |
|||
Pakistan.<ref name="Iran-Pak-Afgh"/> Moreover, Ahmadinejad's administration has |
|||
taken part in establishing the "[[Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline|peace |
|||
pipeline]]"; a pipeline from Iran that will eventually fuel both Pakistan and |
|||
India. In theory, the plan will help to [[globalization|integrate]] [[South Asia]]n |
|||
economies, and, by consequence, calm tensions between Pakistan and |
|||
India.<ref>Shahid, Sohaib. [http://jang.com.pk/thenews/jan2007-weekly/busrev-15-01 |
|||
-2007/p8.htm "Iran-Pak-India gas pipeline: implications and prospects."] Business |
|||
and Finance Review. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
Ahmadinejad met foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov of [[Azerbaijan]] in order to |
|||
discuss increased cooperation between the two nations.<ref name="azeri"> |
|||
[http://www.spokesman.gov.ir/en/index.php? |
|||
option=com_content&task=view&id=460&Itemid=58 "Ahmadinejad meets Azeri FM."] Fars. |
|||
Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> Mammadyarov also expressed desire to expand the North- |
|||
South corridor between Iran and Azerbaijan and to launch cooperative projects |
|||
regarding [[power plant]] construction.<ref name="azeri"/> Iran has also redoubled |
|||
efforts to forge ties with [[Armenia]]; during Ahmadinejad's visit in October 2007 |
|||
the discussions were focused on developing energy ties between the two |
|||
countries.<ref>Whitemore, Brian. [http://www.energypublisher.com/article.asp? |
|||
id=11638 "Energy to dominate Ahmadinejad's Armenia visit."] Energy Publisher. |
|||
Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
====Afghanistan==== |
====Afghanistan==== |
||
Due to the similar culture and language Iran has with [[Afghanistan]], the two |
Due to the similar culture and language Iran has with [[Afghanistan]], the two countries have historically been close and, even though the US has a military presence in Afghanistan, President [[Hamid Karzai]] of Afghanistan maintains he wants Iran to be one of its closest allies.<ref>{{cite news |
||
countries have historically been close and, even though the US has a military |
|||
presence in Afghanistan, President [[Hamid Karzai]] of Afghanistan maintains he |
|||
wants Iran to be one of its closest allies.<ref>{{cite news |
|||
| url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/07/america/07prexy.php |
| url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/07/america/07prexy.php |
||
| title=Bush differs with Karzai on Iran |
| title=Bush differs with Karzai on Iran |
||
Line 2,847: | Line 682: | ||
| accessdate=2009-01-19 |
| accessdate=2009-01-19 |
||
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |
||
| url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2003/10/mil-031012- |
| url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2003/10/mil-031012-irna01.htm |
||
irna01.htm |
|||
| title=Iran, Afghanistan stress expansion of ties |
| title=Iran, Afghanistan stress expansion of ties |
||
| publisher=IRNA |
| publisher=IRNA |
||
| date=2003-10-12 |
| date=2003-10-12 |
||
| accessdate=2009-01-19 |
| accessdate=2009-01-19 |
||
}}</ref> At Camp David in August 2007, Karzai rejected the U.S. claim that Iran |
}}</ref> At Camp David in August 2007, Karzai rejected the U.S. claim that Iran backs Afghan militants. Karzai described Iran as "a helper and a solution," and "a supporter of Afghanistan", both in "the fight against terror, and the fight against narcotics". He called relations between Afghanistan and Iran "very, very good, very, very close ".<ref>{{cite news |
||
| url=http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=c5d07911-605b-4a4a-becb-8768009974b3 |
|||
backs Afghan militants. Karzai described Iran as "a helper and a solution," and "a |
|||
supporter of Afghanistan", both in "the fight against terror, and the fight against |
|||
narcotics". He called relations between Afghanistan and Iran "very, very good, |
|||
very, very close ".<ref>{{cite news |
|||
| url=http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=c5d07911-605b-4a4a- |
|||
becb-8768009974b3 |
|||
| title=Karzai's Iran reference raises eyebrows at Camp David |
| title=Karzai's Iran reference raises eyebrows at Camp David |
||
| publisher=The Calgary Herald News Services |
| publisher=The Calgary Herald News Services |
||
| date=2007-08-06 |
| date=2007-08-06 |
||
| accessdate=2009-01-19 |
| accessdate=2009-01-19 |
||
}}</ref> Iran is also the largest regional donor to Afghanistan. [[Al-Arabiya]] |
}}</ref> Iran is also the largest regional donor to Afghanistan. [[Al-Arabiya]] television, considered by many Western sources as a more neutral Middle Eastern media network, said "Shiite Iran has close ethnic and religious ties with Afghanistan."<ref>{{cite news |
||
television, considered by many Western sources as a more neutral Middle Eastern |
|||
media network, said "Shiite Iran has close ethnic and religious ties with |
|||
Afghanistan."<ref>{{cite news |
|||
| url=http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/03/11/68237.html |
| url=http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/03/11/68237.html |
||
| title=Iran Summit urges aid for Afghanistan and Gaza |
| title=Iran Summit urges aid for Afghanistan and Gaza |
||
Line 2,885: | Line 702: | ||
====Iraq==== |
====Iraq==== |
||
[[Image:Nechervan Idris Barzani and Ahmadinejad.jpg|thumb|right|Ahmadinejad meeting |
[[Image:Nechervan Idris Barzani and Ahmadinejad.jpg|thumb|right|Ahmadinejad meeting with [[Nechervan Idris Barzani|Nechervan Barzani]].]] |
||
Ahmadinejad was the first Iranian president to visit [[Iraq]].<ref>[http://irannegah.com/Video.aspx?id=506"Video of Ahmadinejad's Visit to Iraq."] [[IranNegah]]. Retrieved 26-05-2008.</ref> Ahmadinejad, in Baghdad 2 March 2008 for the start of a historic two-day trip, said that "visiting Iraq without the dictator [[Saddam Hussein]] is a good thing."<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/03/02/iraq.ahmadinejad/index.html "Iran president on landmark Iraq visit"] CNN. Retrieved 03-02-2008.</ref> Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, heading home after a two-day visit to Iraq, again touted his country's closer relations with Iraq and reiterated his criticism of the United States.<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/03/03/iraq.iran/index.html "Iran's president: No one likes Americans"] CNN. Retrieved 03-03-2008.</ref> |
|||
with [[Nechervan Idris Barzani|Nechervan Barzani]].]] |
|||
Ahmadinejad was the first Iranian president to visit [[Iraq]].<ref> |
|||
[http://irannegah.com/Video.aspx?id=506"Video of Ahmadinejad's Visit to Iraq."] |
|||
[[IranNegah]]. Retrieved 26-05-2008.</ref> Ahmadinejad, in Baghdad 2 March 2008 for |
|||
the start of a historic two-day trip, said that "visiting Iraq without the dictator |
|||
[[Saddam Hussein]] is a good thing."<ref> |
|||
[http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/03/02/iraq.ahmadinejad/index.html "Iran |
|||
president on landmark Iraq visit"] CNN. Retrieved 03-02-2008.</ref> Iranian |
|||
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, heading home after a two-day visit to Iraq, again |
|||
touted his country's closer relations with Iraq and reiterated his criticism of the |
|||
United States.<ref> |
|||
[http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/03/03/iraq.iran/index.html "Iran's |
|||
president: No one likes Americans"] CNN. Retrieved 03-03-2008.</ref> |
|||
==Allegations of Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism== |
==Allegations of Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism== |
||
Line 2,916: | Line 709: | ||
{{Main|Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel}} |
{{Main|Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel}} |
||
===Controversies=== |
===Controversies=== |
||
On 14 December 2005, Ahmadinejad made several controversial statements about the [[Holocaust]], repeatedly referring to it as a "myth," as well as criticizing European laws against [[Holocaust denial]]. According to a report from Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Ahmadinejad said, referring to Europeans, "Today, they have created a myth in the name of Holocaust and consider it to be above God, religion and the prophets."<ref>{{cite news |title=Holocaust a myth, says Iranian president |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/dec/14/iran.secondworldwar |agency=Associated Press |work=Guardian.co.uk |date=2005-12-14 |accessdate=2008-10-21}}</ref> The quote has also translated as "They have created a myth today that they call the massacre of Jews and they consider it a principle above God, religions and the prophets."<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4527142.stm Iranian Leader Denies Holocaust] BBC, 14 December 2005</ref> |
|||
On 14 December 2005, Ahmadinejad made several controversial statements about the |
|||
In a May 30, 2006 interview with ''[[Der Spiegel]]'', Ahmadinejad insisted there were "two opinions" on the Holocaust. When asked if the Holocaust was a myth, he responded "I will only accept something as truth if I am actually convinced of it." He also said, "We are of the opinion that, if a historical occurrence conforms to the truth, this truth will be revealed all the more clearly if there is more research into it and more discussion about it". He then argued that "most" scholars who recognized the existence of the Holocaust are "politically motivated," stating that: |
|||
[[Holocaust]], repeatedly referring to it as a "myth," as well as criticizing |
|||
<blockquote>"...there are two opinions on this in Europe. One group of scholars or persons, most of them politically motivated, say the Holocaust occurred. Then there is the group of scholars who represent the opposite position and have therefore been imprisoned for the most part."<ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,418660,00.html "We Are Determined: Spiegel interview with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad"]. Retrieved 20-10-2008.</ref></blockquote> |
|||
European laws against [[Holocaust denial]]. According to a report from Islamic |
|||
In August 2006, the Iranian leader was reported to have again cast doubt on the existence of the Holocaust, this time in a letter to German Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]], where he wrote that the Holocaust may have been invented by the Allied powers to embarrass Germany.<ref>{{cite news |first=ARESU |last=EQBALI |title=Ahmadinejad: Holocaust was made up |url=http://www.mg.co.za/article/2006-08-28-ahmadinejad-holocaust-was-made-up |work=Mail and Guardian Online |date=2006-08-28 |accessdate=2008-10-21 }}</ref> During the same month, in a public speech that aired on the Iranian News Channel (IRINN), Ahmadinejad reportedly implied that Zionists may not be human beings, saying “They have no boundaries, limits, or taboos when it comes to killing human beings. Who are they? Where did they come from? Are they human beings? ‘They are like cattle, nay, more misguided.’”<ref>[http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP122906 Iranian President Ahmadinejad Addresses Rally]. Retrieved 10-6-2009.</ref> |
|||
Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Ahmadinejad said, referring to Europeans, "Today, |
|||
On 11 December 2006 the "[[International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust]]" was held in Iran.<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/12/11/iran.holocaust/index.html "Iran hosts Holocaust conference"]. [[CNN]]. Retrieved 27-12-2006.</ref> The conference was called for by and held at the request of Ahmadinejad.<ref>"Iran: Holocaust Conference Soon in Tehran". Adnkronos International (AKI). Retrieved 27-12-2006.</ref> Western media widely condemned the conference and described it as a "Holocaust denial conference" or a "meeting of Holocaust deniers",<ref>*[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/12/europe/EU_GEN_Europe_Holocaust_Denial.php "Across Europe, outrage over meeting of Holocaust deniers in Iran"]. [[International Herald Tribune]]. Accessed 11-12-2006. |
|||
they have created a myth in the name of Holocaust and consider it to be above God, |
|||
*[http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1970042,00.html "Holocaust deniers gather in Iran for 'scientific' conference"]. [[The Guardian]]. Accessed 11-12-2006. |
|||
*[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/11/world/middleeast/11cnd-iran.html?hp&ex=1165899600&en=89a54e1e0974643d&ei=5094&partner=homepage "Holocaust Deniers and Skeptics Gather in Iran"], [[The New York Times]]. Accessed 11-12-2006. |
|||
*[http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20061212-072558-3819r "Iran students rebel over Holocaust denial."] United Press International. Accessed 12-12-2006. |
|||
*[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6637685 "Iran Further Isolates Itself with 'Holocaust Denial'"] [[Weekend Edition]], [[National Public Radio]]. Accessed 17-12-2006. |
|||
*[http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2006/12/20061212.html "Statement on Holocaust Denial Conference Sponsored by Iranian Regime"], The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, 12 December 2006.</ref> though Iran maintained that it was not a [[Holocaust denial]] conference, commenting the conference was meant to "create an opportunity for thinkers who cannot express their views freely in Europe about the Holocaust".<ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,453691,00.html "Berlin Counters Holocaust Conference"] Spiegel Online. Retrieved 27-12-2006.</ref> |
|||
In his September 2007 appearance at [[Columbia University]], Ahmadinejad stated "I'm not saying that it didn't happen at all. This is not judgment that I'm passing here"<ref name="Ahmadinejad_Columbia"/> and that the Holocaust should be left open to debate and research like any other historical event.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/24/AR2007092401042_pf.html "President Ahmadinejad Delivers Remarks at Columbia University"] [[The Washington Post]]. Retrieved 26-01-2008.</ref> |
|||
religion and the prophets."<ref>{{cite news |title=Holocaust a myth, says Iranian |
|||
In response to some of Ahmadinejad's controversial statements and actions, a variety of sources, including the [[U.S. Senate]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2008_record&page=S922&position=all |title="Condemning antisemitic Statements of the President of Iran" |publisher=Frwebgate.access.gpo.gov |date= |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> have accused Ahmadinejad of [[antisemitism|anti-Semitism]]. Ahmadinejad's September 2008 speech to the UN General Assembly, in which he dwelled on what he described as Zionist control of international finance, was also denounced as "blatant anti-Semitism" by German Foreign Minister [[Frank-Walter Steinmeier]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Germany: Ahmadinejad anti-Semitic |url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/2110198 |work=onenews (New Zealand) |date=2008-09-27 |accessdate=2008-10-21 }}</ref> |
|||
president |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/dec/14/iran.secondworldwar |
|||
[[POTUS|American President]] [[Barack Obama]] posed a direct challenge to Ahmadinejad during his June 2009 visit to [[Buchenwald concentration camp]], saying that Ahmadinejad "should make his own visit" to the camp and that "[t]his place is the ultimate rebuke to such thoughts, a reminder of our duty to confront those who would tell lies about our history".<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06/07/obama-holocaust-comments-moderates-boost-iran-election/ Can Obama Holocaust Comments Give Moderates Boost in Iran Election?] [[Fox News]]. Published June 07, 2009.</ref> |
|||
|agency=Associated Press |work=Guardian.co.uk |date=2005-12-14 |accessdate=2008-10 |
|||
-21}}</ref> The quote has also translated as "They have created a myth today that |
|||
they call the massacre of Jews and they consider it a principle above God, |
|||
religions and the prophets."<ref> |
|||
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4527142.stm Iranian Leader Denies |
|||
Holocaust] BBC, 14 December 2005</ref> |
|||
In a May 30, 2006 interview with ''[[Der Spiegel]]'', Ahmadinejad insisted there |
|||
were "two opinions" on the Holocaust. When asked if the Holocaust was a myth, he |
|||
responded "I will only accept something as truth if I am actually convinced of it." |
|||
He also said, "We are of the opinion that, if a historical occurrence conforms to |
|||
the truth, this truth will be revealed all the more clearly if there is more |
|||
research into it and more discussion about it". He then argued that "most" scholars |
|||
who recognized the existence of the Holocaust are "politically motivated," stating |
|||
that: |
|||
<blockquote>"...there are two opinions on this in Europe. One group of scholars or |
|||
persons, most of them politically motivated, say the Holocaust occurred. Then there |
|||
is the group of scholars who represent the opposite position and have therefore |
|||
been imprisoned for the most part."<ref> |
|||
[http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,418660,00.html "We Are |
|||
Determined: Spiegel interview with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad"]. |
|||
Retrieved 20-10-2008.</ref></blockquote> |
|||
In August 2006, the Iranian leader was reported to have again cast doubt on the |
|||
existence of the Holocaust, this time in a letter to German Chancellor [[Angela |
|||
Merkel]], where he wrote that the Holocaust may have been invented by the Allied |
|||
powers to embarrass Germany.<ref>{{cite news |first=ARESU |last=EQBALI |
|||
|title=Ahmadinejad: Holocaust was made up |url=http://www.mg.co.za/article/2006-08 |
|||
-28-ahmadinejad-holocaust-was-made-up |work=Mail and Guardian Online |date=2006-08 |
|||
-28 |accessdate=2008-10-21 }}</ref> During the same month, in a public speech that |
|||
aired on the Iranian News Channel (IRINN), Ahmadinejad reportedly implied that |
|||
Zionists may not be human beings, saying “They have no boundaries, limits, or |
|||
taboos when it comes to killing human beings. Who are they? Where did they come |
|||
from? Are they human beings? ‘They are like cattle, nay, more misguided.’”<ref> |
|||
[http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP122906 Iranian |
|||
President Ahmadinejad Addresses Rally]. Retrieved 10-6-2009.</ref> |
|||
On 11 December 2006 the "[[International Conference to Review the Global Vision of |
|||
the Holocaust]]" was held in Iran.<ref> |
|||
[http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/12/11/iran.holocaust/index.html "Iran |
|||
hosts Holocaust conference"]. [[CNN]]. Retrieved 27-12-2006.</ref> The conference |
|||
was called for by and held at the request of Ahmadinejad.<ref>"Iran: Holocaust |
|||
Conference Soon in Tehran". Adnkronos International (AKI). Retrieved 27-12- |
|||
2006.</ref> Western media widely condemned the conference and described it as a |
|||
"Holocaust denial conference" or a "meeting of Holocaust deniers",<ref>* |
|||
[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/12/europe/EU_GEN_Europe_Holocaust_Denial.ph |
|||
p "Across Europe, outrage over meeting of Holocaust deniers in Iran"]. |
|||
[[International Herald Tribune]]. Accessed 11-12-2006. |
|||
*[http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1970042,00.html "Holocaust deniers |
|||
gather in Iran for 'scientific' conference"]. [[The Guardian]]. Accessed 11-12- |
|||
2006. |
|||
*[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/11/world/middleeast/11cnd-iran.html? |
|||
hp&ex=1165899600&en=89a54e1e0974643d&ei=5094&partner=homepage "Holocaust Deniers |
|||
and Skeptics Gather in Iran"], [[The New York Times]]. Accessed 11-12-2006. |
|||
*[http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20061212-072558-3819r "Iran |
|||
students rebel over Holocaust denial."] United Press International. Accessed 12-12 |
|||
-2006. |
|||
*[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6637685 "Iran Further |
|||
Isolates Itself with 'Holocaust Denial'"] [[Weekend Edition]], [[National Public |
|||
Radio]]. Accessed 17-12-2006. |
|||
*[http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2006/12/20061212.html |
|||
"Statement on Holocaust Denial Conference Sponsored by Iranian Regime"], The White |
|||
House, Office of the Press Secretary, 12 December 2006.</ref> though Iran |
|||
maintained that it was not a [[Holocaust denial]] conference, commenting the |
|||
conference was meant to "create an opportunity for thinkers who cannot express |
|||
their views freely in Europe about the Holocaust".<ref> |
|||
[http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,453691,00.html "Berlin Counters |
|||
Holocaust Conference"] Spiegel Online. Retrieved 27-12-2006.</ref> |
|||
In his September 2007 appearance at [[Columbia University]], Ahmadinejad stated |
|||
"I'm not saying that it didn't happen at all. This is not judgment that I'm passing |
|||
here"<ref name="Ahmadinejad_Columbia"/> and that the Holocaust should be left open |
|||
to debate and research like any other historical event.<ref> |
|||
[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- |
|||
dyn/content/article/2007/09/24/AR2007092401042_pf.html "President Ahmadinejad |
|||
Delivers Remarks at Columbia University"] [[The Washington Post]]. Retrieved 26-01 |
|||
-2008.</ref> |
|||
In response to some of Ahmadinejad's controversial statements and actions, a |
|||
variety of sources, including the [[U.S. Senate]],<ref>{{cite |
|||
web|url=http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi? |
|||
dbname=2008_record&page=S922&position=all |title="Condemning antisemitic Statements |
|||
of the President of Iran" |publisher=Frwebgate.access.gpo.gov |date= |
|||
|accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> have accused Ahmadinejad of [[antisemitism|anti- |
|||
Semitism]]. Ahmadinejad's September 2008 speech to the UN General Assembly, in |
|||
which he dwelled on what he described as Zionist control of international finance, |
|||
was also denounced as "blatant anti-Semitism" by German Foreign Minister [[Frank- |
|||
Walter Steinmeier]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Germany: Ahmadinejad anti-Semitic |
|||
|url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/2110198 |work=onenews (New Zealand) |
|||
|date=2008-09-27 |accessdate=2008-10-21 }}</ref> |
|||
[[POTUS|American President]] [[Barack Obama]] posed a direct challenge to |
|||
Ahmadinejad during his June 2009 visit to [[Buchenwald concentration camp]], saying |
|||
that Ahmadinejad "should make his own visit" to the camp and that "[t]his place is |
|||
the ultimate rebuke to such thoughts, a reminder of our duty to confront those who |
|||
would tell lies about our history".<ref> |
|||
[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06/07/obama-holocaust-comments-moderates- |
|||
boost-iran-election/ Can Obama Holocaust Comments Give Moderates Boost in Iran |
|||
Election?] [[Fox News]]. Published June 07, 2009.</ref> |
|||
===Response to allegations=== |
===Response to allegations=== |
||
Ahmadinejad has denied allegations of Holocaust denial<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/09/24/2007-09-24_irans_president_i_dont_deny_holocaust-3.html |title=''New York Daily News'': "Iran's president: I don't deny Holocaust" |publisher=Nydailynews.com |date=2007-09-24 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> and acknowledged that it seems the West is right in its claim of the Holocaust:<blockquote>"If the Europeans are telling the truth in their claim that they have killed six million Jews in the Holocaust during the World War II - which seems they are right in their claim because they insist on it and arrest and imprison those who oppose it, why the Palestinian nation should pay for the crime. Why have they come to the very heart of the Islamic world and are committing crimes against the dear Palestine using their bombs, rockets, missiles and sanctions.<ref>{{cite web|author=John Pike |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iran/2005/iran-051214-irna02.htm |title=''GlobalSecurity.org'': "Polling only solution to Palestine problem, President" |publisher=Globalsecurity.org |date=2006-04-24 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref></blockquote> |
|||
Ahmadinejad has denied allegations of Holocaust denial<ref>{{cite |
|||
web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/09/24/2007-09- |
|||
24_irans_president_i_dont_deny_holocaust-3.html |title=''New York Daily |
|||
News'': "Iran's president: I don't deny Holocaust" |publisher=Nydailynews.com |
|||
|date=2007-09-24 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> and acknowledged that it seems the |
|||
West is right in its claim of the Holocaust:<blockquote>"If the Europeans are |
|||
telling the truth in their claim that they have killed six million Jews in the |
|||
Holocaust during the World War II - which seems they are right in their claim |
|||
because they insist on it and arrest and imprison those who oppose it, why the |
|||
Palestinian nation should pay for the crime. Why have they come to the very heart |
|||
of the Islamic world and are committing crimes against the dear Palestine using |
|||
their bombs, rockets, missiles and sanctions.<ref>{{cite web|author=John Pike |
|||
|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iran/2005/iran-051214- |
|||
irna02.htm |title=''GlobalSecurity.org'': "Polling only solution to |
|||
Palestine problem, President" |publisher=Globalsecurity.org |date=2006-04-24 |
|||
|accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref></blockquote> |
|||
Ahmadinejad has said he respects Jews and that "in Palestine there are Muslims, |
|||
Christians and Jews who live together". He added, "We love everyone in the world - |
|||
Jews, Christians, Muslims, non-Muslims, non-Jews, non-Christians... We are against |
|||
occupation, aggression, killings and displacing people - otherwise we have no |
|||
problem with ordinary people." |
|||
<ref name = "MA_respect_Jews" /> Ahmadinejad has further said the Jewish community |
|||
in Iran has its own independent member of parliament. Ahmadinejad has argued |
|||
Zionists are "neither Jews nor Christians nor Muslims", and has asked "How can you |
|||
possibly be religious and occupy the land of other people?"<ref name="KingInt" > |
|||
{{cite web|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0809/23/lkl.01.html |
|||
|title=CNN's Larry King Live: Transcript of Interview with Iranian President |
|||
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad |publisher=Transcripts.cnn.com |date=2008-09-23 |
|||
|accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
Shiraz Dossa, a professor at [[St. Francis Xavier University]], in [[Nova Scotia]], |
|||
[[Canada]], argued in June 2007 that<blockquote>Ahmadinejad has not denied the |
|||
Holocaust or proposed Israel’s liquidation; he has never done so in any of his |
|||
speeches on the subject (all delivered in Farsi/Persian). As an Iran specialist, I |
|||
can attest that both accusations are false... What Ahmadinejad has questioned is |
|||
the mythologizing, the sacralization, of the Holocaust and the “Zionist regime’s” |
|||
continued killing of Palestinians and Muslims. He has even raised doubts about the |
|||
scale of the Holocaust. His rhetoric has been excessive and provocative. And he |
|||
does not really care what we in the West think about Iran or Muslims; he does not |
|||
kowtow to western or Israeli diktat.<ref name="Dossa1" >{{cite |
|||
web|url=http://lrc.reviewcanada.ca/index.php?page=the-explanation-we-never- |
|||
heard|title=Canadian The Explanation We Never Heard, Volume 15, Number |
|||
5|publisher=Literary Review of Canada|author=Shiraz Dossa|month=June | year=2007}} |
|||
</ref></blockquote> Dossa was criticized in Canadian media, by university president |
|||
Sean Riley, and by 105 professors<ref name="fued" >{{cite web|author=Joshua Mitnick |
|||
|url=http://www.thestar.com/News/article/184492 |title=''The Star'': Blood |
|||
feud in Israel's religious academia |publisher=Thestar.com |date=2007-02-22 |
|||
|accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> at his university for his attendance at Tehran's |
|||
Holocaust conference.<ref>{{cite |
|||
web|url=http://www.canadafreepress.com/2006/cover121506.htm |title=''Canada |
|||
Free Press'': Professor Shiraz Dossa known by the company he keeps |
|||
|publisher=Canadafreepress.com |date=2006-12-15 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
Dossa replied he did not know Holocaust deniers would be in attendance, that he has |
|||
"never denied the Holocaust, only noted its propaganda power", and that the |
|||
university should respect his academic freedom to participate.<ref>{{cite |
|||
news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/05/28/dossa-essay.html |
|||
Ahmadinejad has said he respects Jews and that "in Palestine there are Muslims, Christians and Jews who live together". He added, "We love everyone in the world - Jews, Christians, Muslims, non-Muslims, non-Jews, non-Christians... We are against occupation, aggression, killings and displacing people - otherwise we have no problem with ordinary people." |
|||
|title=''CBC'': Prof defends participation at controversial Tehran |
|||
<ref name = "MA_respect_Jews" /> Ahmadinejad has further said the Jewish community in Iran has its own independent member of parliament. Ahmadinejad has argued Zionists are "neither Jews nor Christians nor Muslims", and has asked "How can you possibly be religious and occupy the land of other people?"<ref name="KingInt" >{{cite web|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0809/23/lkl.01.html |title=CNN's Larry King Live: Transcript of Interview with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad |publisher=Transcripts.cnn.com |date=2008-09-23 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
Shiraz Dossa, a professor at [[St. Francis Xavier University]], in [[Nova Scotia]], [[Canada]], argued in June 2007 that<blockquote>Ahmadinejad has not denied the Holocaust or proposed Israel’s liquidation; he has never done so in any of his speeches on the subject (all delivered in Farsi/Persian). As an Iran specialist, I can attest that both accusations are false... What Ahmadinejad has questioned is the mythologizing, the sacralization, of the Holocaust and the “Zionist regime’s” continued killing of Palestinians and Muslims. He has even raised doubts about the scale of the Holocaust. His rhetoric has been excessive and provocative. And he does not really care what we in the West think about Iran or Muslims; he does not kowtow to western or Israeli diktat.<ref name="Dossa1" >{{cite web|url=http://lrc.reviewcanada.ca/index.php?page=the-explanation-we-never-heard|title=Canadian The Explanation We Never Heard, Volume 15, Number 5|publisher=Literary Review of Canada|author=Shiraz Dossa|month=June | year=2007}}</ref></blockquote> Dossa was criticized in Canadian media, by university president Sean Riley, and by 105 professors<ref name="fued" >{{cite web|author=Joshua Mitnick |url=http://www.thestar.com/News/article/184492 |title=''The Star'': Blood feud in Israel's religious academia |publisher=Thestar.com |date=2007-02-22 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> at his university for his attendance at Tehran's Holocaust conference.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canadafreepress.com/2006/cover121506.htm |title=''Canada Free Press'': Professor Shiraz Dossa known by the company he keeps |publisher=Canadafreepress.com |date=2006-12-15 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> Dossa replied he did not know Holocaust deniers would be in attendance, that he has "never denied the Holocaust, only noted its propaganda power", and that the university should respect his academic freedom to participate.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/05/28/dossa-essay.html |title=''CBC'': Prof defends participation at controversial Tehran conference |publisher=Cbc.ca |date=2007-05-28 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
conference |publisher=Cbc.ca |date=2007-05-28 |accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> |
|||
==See also== |
==See also== |
||
Line 3,246: | Line 759: | ||
===Further reading=== |
===Further reading=== |
||
*{{cite book|author=[[David Harris (protestor)|Harris, David]] |
*{{cite book|author=[[David Harris (protestor)|Harris, David]] [https://www.reachandteach.com/ppjcstore/index.php?action=item&id=89&prevaction=pricelist]|title=The Crisis: the President, the Prophet, and the Shah—1979 and the Coming of Militant Islam|publisher=Little, Brown|year=2004}} |
||
*[http://www.jcpa.org/text/ahmadinejad-incitement.pdf "Referral of Iranian President Ahmadinejad on the Charge of Incitement to Commit Genocide" by Justus Reid Weiner, Esq., with Amb. Meir Rosenne, Prof. Elie Wiesel, Amb. Dore Gold, Irit Kohn, Adv., Amb. Eytan Bentsur, and MK Dan Naveh] |
|||
[https://www.reachandteach.com/ppjcstore/index.php? |
|||
action=item&id=89&prevaction=pricelist]|title=The Crisis: the President, the |
|||
Prophet, and the Shah—1979 and the Coming of Militant Islam|publisher=Little, |
|||
Brown|year=2004}} |
|||
*[http://www.jcpa.org/text/ahmadinejad-incitement.pdf "Referral of Iranian |
|||
President Ahmadinejad on the Charge of Incitement to Commit Genocide" by Justus |
|||
Reid Weiner, Esq., with Amb. Meir Rosenne, Prof. Elie Wiesel, Amb. Dore Gold, Irit |
|||
Kohn, Adv., Amb. Eytan Bentsur, and MK Dan Naveh] |
|||
==External links== |
==External links== |
||
{{sisterlinks|s=Author:Mahmoud Ahmadinejad}} |
{{sisterlinks|s=Author:Mahmoud Ahmadinejad}} |
||
* [http://www.apakistannews.com/ahmadinejad-wins-2nd-term-in-iranian-elections- |
* [http://www.apakistannews.com/ahmadinejad-wins-2nd-term-in-iranian-elections-125636 Ahmadinejad Wins 2nd Term in Iranian Elections 2009] |
||
125636 Ahmadinejad Wins 2nd Term in Iranian Elections 2009] |
|||
* [http://www.president.ir/en/ Official website of the President of Iran] |
* [http://www.president.ir/en/ Official website of the President of Iran] |
||
* [http://www.ahmadinejad.ir Blog of President Ahmadinejad] |
* [http://www.ahmadinejad.ir Blog of President Ahmadinejad] |
||
*[http://www.cidob.org/es/documentacion/biografias_lideres_politicos/asia/iran/mahmoud_ahmadinejad Biography by CIDOB Foundation] |
|||
* |
|||
* [http://www.irannegah.com/video_browse.aspx?keyword=ahmadinejad Video Archive of President Ahmadinejad] |
|||
* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1570714,00.html Interview with Ahmadinejad in TIME Magazine] |
|||
[http://www.cidob.org/es/documentacion/biografias_lideres_politicos/asia/iran/mahmo |
|||
* [http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/06/the-results-as-they-came-in.html The Results As They Came In: Votes for Ahmadinejad and Mousavi on 6 different announcements at 2009] |
|||
ud_ahmadinejad Biography by CIDOB Foundation] |
|||
* [http://www.irannegah.com/video_browse.aspx?keyword=ahmadinejad Video Archive of |
|||
President Ahmadinejad] |
|||
* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1570714,00.html Interview with |
|||
Ahmadinejad in TIME Magazine] |
|||
* [http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/06/the-results-as- |
|||
they-came-in.html The Results As They Came In: Votes for Ahmadinejad and Mousavi on |
|||
6 different announcements at 2009] |
|||
{{start box}} |
{{start box}} |
Revision as of 14:06, 1 August 2009
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad محمود احمدینژاد | |
---|---|
File:Ahmadinejad with SBY in Tehran 11Mar08.jpg | |
President of Iran | |
Assumed office 3 August 2005 | |
Vice President | Parviz Davoodi Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei[1] Position now vacant |
Leader | Ali Khamenei |
Preceded by | Mohammad Khatami |
Mayor of Tehran | |
In office 20 June 2003 – 3 August 2005 | |
Preceded by | Mohammad Hasan Malekmadani |
Succeeded by | Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf |
Personal details | |
Born | Aradan, Iran | 28 October 1956
Political party | Alliance of Builders |
Other political affiliations | Islamic Society of Engineers |
Alma mater | Iran University of Science and Technology |
Profession | Civil engineer |
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Persian: محمود احمدی نژاد, Mahmūd Ahmadinezhād ; born 28 October 1956[2][3]) is the sixth and current President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Previously mayor of Tehran and governor general of Iran's Ardabil Province,[4] he became president at the 2005 presidential election and gained a second term in 2009 after a disputed election.[5] Many Iranians are continuing mass protests claiming election fraud and other abuses.[6] Ahmadinejad’s cabinet was officially announced as illegal for a short period from July 26 2009 until the second term’s official inauguration.[7]
The presidency is not the highest constitutional office in Iran, which belongs to the Supreme Leader of Iran (Ali Khamenei). He is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Iran, according to Article 113 of the Constitution of Iran.[8]
The legitimacy of Ahmadinejad's presidency has been widely questioned by influential Iranian politicians, traditional clerical circles[9] and major Iranian political parties, including the Islamic Iran Participation Front and the National Confidence Party.[10][11] Ex-prime minister Mousavi, former president Khatami, former parliament speaker Karroubi and Grand marja Yousef Sanei[12] and others have called the government illegitimate.[13][14] Several western governments and international bodies have also questioned the 2009 presidential election result.[15]
Ahmadinejad has been a critic of the United States and Israel, and backs strengthening Iran's relations with Russia, Venezuela, Syria, and the Arab states of the Persian Gulf.[16][17] During his term, Iran has also been the largest regional aid donor to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan[18].
Ahmadinejad has stated repeatedly that Iran's nuclear program is for peaceful electricity generation, not nuclear weapons development. Under his leadership, Iran has rejected United Nations Security Council resolutions calling for it to end nuclear enrichment.[19] Ahmadinejad called Western sanctions over Iran's nuclear enrichment "illegal" and said Iran will continue to abide by International Atomic Energy Agency monitoring of its nuclear program, though Iran has not done so.[20]
According to a speech translation disputed by the Iranian government, Ahmadinejad has called for the dissolution of the state of Israel.[21][22] He also calls for free elections in the region. He believes that the Palestinians need a stronger voice in the region's future.[23][24]
In one of Ahmadinejad's most controversial statements, according to the initial Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting translation, he called for the "occupying regime" to be "wiped off the map,"[25] though that translation and interpretation is disputed.[26][27] He has also been condemned for describing the Holocaust as a myth,[26][28] which has led to accusations of anti-semitism; the interpretation of this quote is also disputed.[29] In response to these criticisms, Ahmadinejad said “No, I am not against Jews, I respect them very much.”[30] Ahmadinejad also clarified, "I'm not saying that the Holocaust didn't happen at all. This is not the judgment that I'm passing here."[31]
During his presidency, Ahmadinejad launched a gas rationing plan to reduce the country's fuel consumption. He also instituted cuts in the interest rates that private and public banking facilities could charge.[32][33][34] He issued a directive, according to which the Management and Planning Organization should be affiliated to the government.[35]
Background
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad[36] was born near Garmsar in the village of Aradan, the fourth of seven children of an ironworker, grocer, barber and blacksmith who changed his name from Saborjhian when the family moved to Tehran.[37]
In 1976, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took Iran's national university entrance contests. He has claimed that he ranked 132nd out of 400,000 participants that year,[38] and soon enrolled in the Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) as an undergraduate student of civil engineering. He received a PhD in transportation engineering and planning from IUST in 1997.
Supporters of Ahmadinejad consider him a "simple man" that leads a "modest" life. As president, he wanted to continue living in his "modest" family home in Tehran, until his security advisers forced him to move. Ahmadinejad rolled up the antique Persian carpets in the Presidential palace, sent them to a carpet museum, and used low-cost carpets instead. There are stories that he refused the V.I.P. seat on the Presidential plane, and that he eventually replaced it with a cargo plane instead.[39][40] Also upon gaining Iran's presidency, Ahmadinejad held his first cabinet meeting in the Imam Reza shrine at Mashhad, an act perceived as "pious".[41]
Ahmadinejad is married with two sons and a daughter.[42] One of his sons formerly studied at the Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic).[43]
Administrative and academic careers
Some details of Ahmadinejad's life during the 1980s are not publicly known, but it is known that he held a number of administrative posts in the province of West Azerbaijan.[44]
Many reports say that after Saddam Hussein invaded Iran, Ahmadinejad joined the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution[45] and served in their intelligence and security apparatus,[45] but his advisor Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi says "He has never been a member or an official member of the Revolutionary Guards", having been a Basiji-like volunteer instead.[46]
Ahmadinejad was accepted to a Master of Science program at his alma mater in 1986. He joined the faculty there as a lecturer in 1989,[47][37] and in 1997 received his doctorate in civil engineering and traffic transportation planning.[45][47]
Embassy seige
According to a July 1, 2005 article of the New York Times, 6 former hostages of the 1979 US Embassy Crisis in Iran remember Ahmadinejad playing a major role in their captivity. During this crisis 52 American hostages were held for 444 days. William J. Daugherty, a former intelligence officer, colonel Charles Scott, commander Donald Sharer, lieutenant colonel David Roeder, and marine guard Kevin Hermening are five of the hostages who distinctly remember Mahmoud Ahmadinejad being involved directly and in a supervisory role in interrogations. For example, Mr. Roeder recalls, “He was one of the interrogators in the room . . . when they threatened me with my son’s kidnapping.” Mr Roeder also recalled “Mr. Ahmadinejad working in a supervisory role in one third or more of the 44 interrogations he underwent.”[48]
A follow up article on July 29, 2005 from the New York Times indicated an investigation into the matter by the US State Department was inconclusive. However at the time of the July 29 article none of the aforementioned six hostages had been interviewed. The White House alleged that “Mr. Ahmadinejad was leader of the student movement that organized the attack on the embassy and the taking of American hostages." Admadinejad and Iranian officials deny he had any involvement with the hostage taking.[49]
Early political career
After the Islamic Revolution, Ahmadinejad became a member of the Office for Strengthening Unity,[50] an organization developed to prevent students from sympathizing or allying with the budding Mojahedin-e Khalq.[50]
He first took political office as unelected governor to both Maku and Khoy in West Azarbaijan Province during the 1980s.[45] He eventually became an advisor to the governor general of Kurdistan Province for two years.[47][37] During his doctoral studies at Tehran, he was appointed governor general of Ardabil Province from 1993 until Mohammad Khatami removed him in 1997.[37] Ahmadinejad returned to teaching.[45]
Mayor of Tehran
In 2003, a 12 percent turnout elected conservative candidates from the Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran to the City Council of Tehran.[47] The Council appointed Ahmadinejad mayor.[45]
As mayor, he reversed changes made by previous moderate and reformist mayors. He put religious emphasis on the activities of cultural centers they had founded, publicized the separation of elevators for men and women in the municipality offices,[51] and suggested that people killed in the Iran–Iraq War be buried in major city squares of Tehran. He also worked to improve the traffic system and put an emphasis on charity, such as distributing free soup to the poor.
After his election to the presidency, Ahmadinejad's resignation as the mayor of Tehran was accepted on 28 June 2005. After two years as mayor, Ahmadinejad was one of 65 finalists for World Mayor in 2005, selected from 550 nominees, only nine of them from Asia.[52] He was among three strong candidates for the top ten list, but his resignation made him ineligible.[52]
Presidency
2005 campaign
Ahmadinejad was not widely known when he entered the presidential election campaign, although he had already made his mark in Tehran for rolling back earlier reforms. He is a member of the Central Council of the Islamic Society of Engineers, but his key political support is inside the Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran (Abadgaran).[53]
Ahmadinejad generally sent mixed signals about his plans for his presidency, perhaps to attract both religious conservatives and the lower economic classes.[54] His campaign motto was: "It's doable and we can do it."
In the campaign, he took a populist approach. He emphasized his own modest life, and compared himself with Mohammad Ali Rajai, Iran's second president. Ahmadinejad said he planned to create an "exemplary government for the people of the world" in Iran. He was a "principlist", acting politically based on Islamic and revolutionary principles. One of his goals was "putting the petroleum income on people's tables", meaning Iran's oil profits would be distributed among the poor.[55]
Ahmadinejad was the only presidential candidate who spoke out against future relations with the United States. He told Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting the United Nations was "one-sided, stacked against the world of Islam."[56] He opposed the veto power of the UN Security Council's five permanent members: "It is not just for a few states to sit and veto global approvals. Should such a privilege continue to exist, the Muslim world with a population of nearly 1.5 billion should be extended the same privilege." He defended Iran's nuclear program and accused "a few arrogant powers" of trying to limit Iran's industrial and technological development in this and other fields.
In his second round campaign, he said, "We didn't participate in the revolution for turn-by-turn government.…This revolution tries to reach a world-wide government." He spoke of an extended program using terrorism to improve foreign relations, and called for greater ties with Iran's neighbours and ending visa requirements between states in the region, saying that "people should visit anywhere they wish freely. People should have freedom in their pilgrimages and tours."[57]
Ahmadinejad described Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, a senior cleric from Qom as his ideological and spiritual mentor. Mesbah founded the Haghani School of thought in Iran. He and his team strongly supported Ahmadinejad's 2005 presidential campaign.[58]
2005 election
Ahmadinejad won 62 percent of the vote in the run-off poll against Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei authorized his presidency on 3 August 2005.[59] [60] Ahmedinejad kissed Khamenei's hand during the ceremony to show his loyalty.[61][62]
2005 cabinet appointments
Iran's President must obtain Majlis confirmation for his selection of ministers. Ahmadinejad presented a short-list at a private meeting on 5 August, and his final list on 14 August. The Majlis rejected all of his cabinet candidates for the oil portfolio and objected to the appointment of his allies in senior government office.[55] The Majlis approved a cabinet on 24 August.[63] The ministers promised to meet frequently outside Tehran and held their first meeting on 25 August in Mashhad.
Ministry | Candidate minister |
---|---|
Agricultural | Mohammadreza Eskandari |
Commerce | Masoud Mirkazemi |
Communication and Information Technology | Mohammad Soleimani |
Cooperatives | Mohammad Abbasi |
Culture and Islamic Guidance | Mohammad Hossein Saffar-Harandi |
Defense and Armed Forces Logistics | Mostafa Mohammad Najjar |
Economy and Financial Affairs | Hossein Samsami (pending approval from parliament) |
Education | Alireza Aliahmadi |
Energy | Parviz Fattah |
Foreign Affairs | Manouchehr Mottaki |
Health and Medical Education | Kamran Bagheri Lankarani |
Housing and Urban Development | Mohammad Saeedikia |
Industries and Mines | Aliakbar Mehrabian |
Intelligence | Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejehei |
Interior | Seyed Sadegh Mahsooli[64] |
Justice | Gholam Hossein Elham |
Labour and Social Affairs | Mohammad Jahromi |
Petroleum | Gholamhossein Nozari |
Roads and Transportation | Hamid Behbahani |
Science, Research, and Technology | Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi |
Welfare and Social Security | Abdolreza Mesri |
2006 Councils and Assembly of Experts election
Ahmadinejad’s team lost the 2006 city council elections, and his spiritual mentor, Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, was ranked sixth on the country's Assembly of Experts.[65] In the first nationwide election since Ahmadinejad became President, his allies failed to dominate election returns for the Assembly of Experts and local councils. Results, with a turnout of about 60%, suggested a voter shift toward more moderate policies. According to an editorial in the Kargozaran independent daily newspaper, "The results show that voters have learned from the past and concluded that we need to support.. moderate figures." An Iranian political analyst said that "this is a blow for Ahmadinejad and Mesbah Yazdi's list."[66]
2009 presidential election
On 23 August 2008, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei announced that he "sees Ahmadinejad as president in the next five years," a comment interpreted as indicating support for Ahmadinejad's reelection.[67]
The election drew unprecedented public interest in Iran. There were live television debates between the candidates.[68]
According to Iran's election headquarters, 39,165,191 ballots were cast in the election on 12 June 2009. Ahmadinejad won 24,527,516 votes, (62.63%). In second place, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, won 13,216,411 (33.75%) of the votes.
2009 Iranian election protests
As of July 2009, the election results remain in dispute with both Mousavi and Ahmadinejad believing that they won. See also:
2009 cabinet appointments
Ahmadinejad announced controversial ministerial appointments for his second term. Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei was briefly appointed as first vice president, but opposed by a number of Majlis members and by the intelligence minister, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i. Mashaei followed orders to resign. Ahmadinejad then appointed Mashaei as chief of staff, and fired Mohseni-Eje'i.[69]
On July 26 2009, Ahmadinejad's government faced a legal problem after he sacked four ministers. Iran's constitution (Article 136) stipulates that, if more than half of its members are replaced, the cabinet may not meet or act before the Majlis approves the revised membership.[70] The Vice Chairman of the Majlis announced that no cabinet meetings or decisions would be legal, pending such a reapproval.[71]
2009 conviction for "earthquake saferoom"
Ahmadinejad was involved in a fraud in which he along with Ali Akbar Mehrabian and Mousa Mazloum stole an invention by Farzan Salimi and published it under their own names in 2005. The idea for an "earthquake saferoom" — a design for a fortified room in homes in case of disaster was owned by Farzan Salimi, an Iranian researcher and engineer.[72]
In July 2009, the general court of Tehran convicted Industry Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian and Mousa Mazloum but kept silent about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's involvement, according to Etemad-Melli daily.[73][74] [75]
Domestic policy
Economic policy
In Ahmadinejad's first three years as president, Iran's real GDP growth fell short of the 7.5 percent growth that was expected by the central bank, despite a highly educated and young labor force and a growing middle class. Inflation and unemployment have both increased and the government has continued a cycle of unsustainable spending and poor economic management.[76] Ahmadinejad has increased spending by 25 percent and has supported subsidies for food and gasoline. He also initially refused a gradual increase of petrol prices, saying that after making necessary preparations, such as a development of public transportation system, the government will free up petrol prices after five years.[77] Interest rates were cut by presidential decree to below the inflation rate. One unintended effect of this stimulation of the economy has been the bidding up of some urban real estate prices by two or three times their pre-Ahmadinejad value by Iranians seeking to invest surplus cash and finding few other safe opportunities. The resulting increase in the cost of housing has hurt poorer, non-property owning Iranians, the putative beneficiaries of Ahmadinejad's populist policies.[78] The Management and Planning Organisation, a state body charged with mapping out long-term economic and budget strategy, was broken up and its experienced managers were fired.[79]
In June 2006, 50 Iranian economists wrote a letter to Ahmadinejad that criticized his price interventions to stabilize prices of goods, cement, government services, and his decree issued by the High Labor Council and the Ministry of Labor that proposed an increase of workers' salaries by 40 percent. Ahmadinejad publicly responded harshly to the letter and denounced the accusations.[80][81] Ahmadinejad has called for "middle-of-the-road" compromises with respect to Western-oriented capitalism and socialism. Current political conflicts with the United States have caused the central bank to fear increased capital flight due to global isolation. These factors have prevented an improvement of infrastructure and capital influx, despite high economic potential.[76] Among those that did not vote for him in the first election, only 3.5 percent said they would consider voting for him in the next election.[82] Mohammad Khoshchehreh, a member of Iranian parliament that campaigned for Ahmadinejad, said that his government "has been strong on populist slogans, but weak on achievement."[83] President Ahmadinejad has changed almost all of his economic ministers, including oil, industry and economy, since coming to power in 2005. In an interview with Fars News Agency on April 2008, Davoud Danesh Jaafari who acted as minister of economy in President Ahmadinejad’s cabinet, harshly criticized Ahmadinejad’s economic policy: “During my time, there was no positive attitude towards previous experiences or experienced people and there was no plan for the future. Peripheral issues which were not of dire importance to the nation were given priority. Most of the scientific economic concepts like the effect of liquidity on inflation were put in question."[84] In response to these criticisms, Ahmadinejad accused his minister of not being "a man of justice" and declared that the solution to Iran’s economic problem is "the culture of martyrdom".[85] In May 2008, the Petroleum minister of Iran admitted that the government illegally invested 2 billion dollars to import petrol in 2007. At Iranian parliament, he also mentioned that he simply followed the president's order. [86][87]
While his government had 275 thousand billion toman oil income, the highest in Iranian history, Ahmadinejad’s government had the highest budget deficit since Iranian revolution.[88]
During his presidency, Ahmadinejad launched a gas rationing plan to reduce the country's fuel consumption. He also instituted cuts in the interest rates that private and public banking facilities could charge.[32][33][89] He issued a directive, according to which the Management and Planning Organization should be affiliated to the government.[90]
Family planning and population policy
In October 2006, Ahmadinejad opposed encouraging families to limit themselves to just two children, stating that Iran could cope with 50 million more people than the current 70 million. In remarks that have drawn criticism, he told MPs he wanted to scrap existing birth control policies which discouraged Iranian couples from having more than two children. Critics said his call was ill-judged at a time when Iran was struggling with surging inflation and rising unemployment, estimated at around 11 percent. Ahmadinejad’s call for an increased birth rate is reminiscent of a call Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini made in 1979. The policy was effective in increasing population growth, but was eventually reversed in response to the resultant economic strain.[91]
In 2008, the government sent the "Family Protection Bill" to the Iranian parliament. Women's rights activists criticized the bill for removing protections from women, such as the requirement that a husband obtain his wife's consent before bringing another wife into the family. [92]
Housing
The first legislation to emerge from his newly formed government was a 12 trillion Rial (US$1.3 billion) fund called "Reza's Compassion Fund"[93] which was named after Shi'a Imam Ali al-Rida. By tapping into Iran's oil revenues, Ahmadinejad's government says that this fund will be used to help young people to get jobs and to afford marriage, as well to assist in purchasing their own homes.[94] The fund also sought charitable donations, and includes a boards of trustees in each of Iran's 30 provinces. The legislation was in response to the costly housing in urban centres which is pushing up the national average marital age (currently around 25 years for women and 28 years for men). In 2006 the Iranian parliament rejected the fund. However, Ahmadinejad ordered the administrative council to execute the plan.[95]
Human rights
Several Western human rights organizations and governments have criticized Ahmadinejad's human rights record.
According to a report by the group Human Rights Watch, "Since President Ahmadinejad came to power, treatment of detainees has worsened in Evin Prison as well as in detention centers operated clandestinely by the Judiciary, the Ministry of Information, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps."[96] Again according to Human Rights Watch, "Respect for basic human rights in Iran, especially freedom of expression and assembly, deteriorated in 2006. The government routinely tortures and mistreats detained dissidents, including through prolonged solitary confinement." Human Rights Watch described the source of human rights violations in contemporary Iran as coming from the Judiciary, accountable to Ali Khamenei, and from members directly appointed by Ahmadinejad.
Responses to dissent have varied. Human Rights Watch writes that "the Ahmadinejad government, in a pronounced shift from the policy under former president Mohammed Khatami, has shown no tolerance for peaceful protests and gatherings." In December 2006, Ahmadinejad advised officials not to disturb students who engaged in a protest during a speech of his at the Amirkabir University of Technology in Tehran,[97][98] although speakers at other protests have included among their complaints that there had been a crackdown on dissent at universities since Ahmadinejad was elected.[99]
In April 2007, the Tehran police, which is under Khamenei's supervision, began a crackdown on women with "improper hijab." This led to criticism from associates of Ahmadinejad.[100]
Universities
In 2006, the Ahmadinejad government reportedly forced numerous Iranian scientists and university professors to resign or to retire. It has been referred to as "second cultural revolution".[101][102] The policy has been said to replace old professors with younger ones.[103] Some university professors received letters indicating their early retirement unexpectedly.[104] In November 2006, 53 university professors had to retire from Iran University of Science and Technology.[105]
In 2006, Ahmadinejad's government applied a 50 percent quota for male students and 50 percent for female students in the university entrance exam for medicine, dentistry and pharmacy. The plan was supposed to stop the growing presence of female students in the universities. In a response to critics, Iranian minister of health and medical education, Kamran Bagheri Lankarani argued that there are not enough facilities such as dormitories for female students. Masoud Salehi, president of Zahedan University said that presence of women generates some problems with transportation. Also, Ebrahim Mekaniki, president of Babol University of Medical Sciences, stated that an increase in the presence of women will make it difficult to distribute facilities in a suitable manner. Bagher Larijani, the president of Tehran University of Medical Sciences made similar remarks. According to Rooz Online, the quotas lack a legal foundation and are justified as support for "family" and "religion."[106]
December 2006 student protest
On 11 December 2006, some students disrupted a speech by Ahmadinejad at the Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic) in Tehran. According to the Iranian Student News Agency, students set fire to photographs of Ahmadinejad and threw firecrackers. The protesters also chanted "death to the dictator." It was the first major public protest against Ahmadinejad since his election. In a statement carried on the students' Web site,[citation needed] they announced that they had been protesting the growing political pressure under Ahmadinejad, also accusing him of corruption, mismanagement, and discrimination. The statement added that "the students showed that despite vast propaganda, the president has not been able to deceive academia." It was also reported that some students were angry about the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust.[107]
In response to the students' slogans, the president said: "We have been standing up to dictatorship so that no one will dare to establish dictatorship in a millennium even in the name of freedom. Given the scars inflicted on the Iranian nation by agents of the US and British dictatorship, no one will ever dare to initiate the rise of a dictator."[108] It was reported that even though the protesters broke the TV cameras and threw hand-made bombs at Ahmadinejad,[109] the president asked the officials not to question or disturb the protesters.[110][111] In his blog, Ahmadinejad described his reaction to the incident as "a feeling of joy" because of the freedom that people enjoyed after the revolution.[112]
One thousand students also protested the day before to denounce the increased pressure on the reformist groups at the university. One week prior, more than two thousand students protested at Tehran University on the country's annual student day, with speakers saying that there had been a crackdown on dissent at universities since Ahmadinejad was elected.[107][113]
Nuclear program
Ahmadinejad has been a vocal supporter of Iran's nuclear program, and has insisted that it is for peaceful purposes. He has repeatedly emphasized that building a nuclear bomb is not the policy of his government. He has said that such a policy is "illegal and against our religion."[114][115] He also added at a January 2006 conference in Tehran that a nation with "culture, logic and civilization" would not need nuclear weapons, and that countries that seek nuclear weapons are those which want to solve all problems by the use of force.[116] In a 2008 interview Ahmadinejad elaborated that countries striving to obtain nuclear weapons are politically backward nations and those who possess them and continually make new generations of such bombs are "even more backward".[117]
In April 2006, Ahmadinejad announced that Iran had successfully refined uranium to a stage suitable for the nuclear fuel cycle. In a speech to students and academics in Mashhad, he was quoted as saying that Iran's conditions had changed completely as it had become a nuclear state and could talk to other states from that stand.[118] On 13 April 2006, Iranian news agency, IRNA, quoted Ahmadinejad as saying that the peaceful Iranian nuclear technology would not pose a threat to any party because "we want peace and stability and we will not cause injustice to anyone and at the same time we will not submit to injustice."[119]
Despite Ahmadinejad's vocal support for the program, the office of the Iranian president is not responsible for nuclear policy. It is instead set by the Supreme National Security Council. The council includes two representatives appointed by the Supreme Leader, military officials and members of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government. It reports directly to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who issued a fatwa against nuclear weapons in 2005.[120]
Khamenei usually refrains from speaking in public, but has criticized Ahmadinejad's "personalization" of the nuclear issue.[121] However, sources close to the president have said the article comes from Rafsanjani.[122] Ahmadinejad vowed on 23 February 2008, that Iran will not be held back from developing its peaceful nuclear program, and said the "nuclear technology is ... the sort of technology that has been monopolized by a few countries".[123] Ahmadinejad has stated that at least 16 different peaceful uses for nuclear technology have so far been identified.[117]
Domestic criticism
Accusations of corruption
Ahmadinejad has been criticized for attacking private “plunderers” and “corrupt officials,” while engaging in "cronyism and political favouritism". Many of his close associates have been appointed to positions for which they have no obvious qualifications, and "billion dollar no-bid contracts" have been awarded to the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), an organization that he is strongly associated with.[124]
Criticisms of statements and social issues
In 2005, Ali Khamenei responded to Ahmadinejad's remark that Israel should be "wiped off the map" by saying that "the Islamic Republic has never threatened and will never threaten any country."[125] Moreover, Khamenei's main adviser in foreign policy, Ali Akbar Velayati, refused to take part in Ahmadinejad's Holocaust conference. In contrast to Ahmadinejad's remarks, Velayati said that the Holocaust was a genocide and a historical reality.[126]
In June 2007, Ahmadinejad was criticized by some Iranian parliament members over his remark about Christianity and Judaism. According to Aftab News Agency, Ahmadinejad stated: "In the world, there are deviations from the right path: Christianity and Judaism. Dollars have been devoted to the propagation of these deviations. There are also false claims that these [religions] will save mankind. But Islam is the only religion that [can] save mankind." Some members of Iranian parliament criticized these remarks as being fuels to religious war.[127][128]
Conservative MP Rafat Bayat has blamed Ahmadinejad for a decline in observance of the required hijab for women, calling him "not that strict on this issue".[129] Ahmadinejad has been also accused of indecency by people close to Rafsanjani,[130] after he publicly kissed the hand of a woman who used to be his school teacher.[131]
Ahmadinejad's criticism of the West has led to attempts to compel him to go to the Iranian parliament to answer questions.[132] In October 2008, Ahmadinejad's statements on the Holocaust were criticized within Iran by cleric and presidential hopeful Mahdi Karroubi.[133][134]
Statements on the United Nations and football stadiums
Two statements that have brought criticism from some religious authorities concern his speech at the United Nations, and the attendance of women at football matches. In a visit to group of Ayatollahs in Qom after returning from his 2005 speech to the UN General Assembly, Ahmadinejad stated he had "felt a halo over his head" during his speech and that a hidden presence had mesmerized the unblinking audience of foreign leaders, foreign ministers, and ambassadors. According to at least one source (Hooman Majd), this was offensive to the conservative religious leaders because an ordinary man cannot presume a special closeness to God or any of the Imams, nor can he imply the presence of the Mahdi.[135]
In another statement the next year, Ahmadinejad proclaimed (without consulting the clerics before hand), that women should be allowed into football stadiums to watch male football clubs compete. This proclamation "was quickly overruled" by clerical authorities, one of whom, Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Fazel Lankarani "refused for weeks to meet with President Ahmadinejad" in early 2007.[135]
Criticisms from other political parties
Many reformist and independent political parties, including some of those that boycotted the first round of the presidential election, have called for an alliance against Ahmadinejad, calling it "a national alliance against fascism."[citation needed] Critics, including some independent ones, have mentioned that while there are some similarities between the actions and rising of supporters of Ahmadinejad with those of fascism, the movement differs because it is neither nationalistic nor racist and lacks corporatism.
Some dissident groups also accused him of being a ruthless interrogator and torturer in the 1980s.[136]
Ahmadinejad–Haddad Adel conflict over Iranian constitution
In 2008, a serious conflict emerged between Iranian President and the head of parliament over three laws approved by Iranian parliament: "the agreement for civil and criminal legal cooperation between Iran and Kyrgyzstan", "the agreement to support mutual investment between Iran and Kuwait", and "the law for registration of industrial designs and trademarks". The conflict was so serious that the Iranian leader stepped in to resolve the conflict. Ahmadinejad wrote a letter to parliament speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, furiously denouncing him for an "inexplicable act" in bypassing the presidency by giving the order to implement legislation in an official newspaper.[137] President Ahmadinejad accused the head of parliament of violating Iranian constitutional law. He called for legal action against the Parliament speaker.[138][139] Haddad-Adel responded to Ahmadinejad accusing him of using inappropriate language in his remarks and letters. [140]
Ali Kordan's fabricated doctoral degree and moral charges
In August 2008, Dr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, appointed Ali Kordan as Iran's interior minister. Kordan's appointment has been criticized by Iranian parliamentarians, media and analysts after it came to light that a doctoral degree allegedly awarded to Ali Kordan was fabricated, and that the putative issuer of the degree, Oxford University, had no record of Ali Kordan receiving any degree from the University.[141] It was also revealed that he had been jailed in 1978 for moral charges.[142][143] Fabrication of legal documents is punishable in Iranian law with one to three years of imprisonment and in the case of government officials, the maximum sentence (three years) is demanded.[citation needed]
In November 2008, President Ahmadinejad announced that he was against impeachment of Ali Kordan by Iranian parliament. He refused to attend the parliament on the impeachment day.[144] Ali Kordan was expelled from Iranian interior ministry by Iranian parliament on 4 November 2008. 188 MPs voted against Ali Kordan. An impeachment of Kordan would push Ahmadinejad close to having to submit his entire cabinet for review by parliament, which is led by one of his chief political opponents. Iran's constitution requires that step if more than half the cabinet ministers are replaced, and Ahmadinejad has replaced nine of 21.[145] [146]
Ahmadinejad–parliament conflict
On February 2009 after Iran's National Audit Office reported that $1.058 billion of surplus oil revenue in the (2006-2007) budget hasn't been returned by the government to the national treasury,[147]
[148] Ali Larijani-Iran's parliamentary speaker-called for further investigations in order to make sure the missing funds are returned to the treasury as soon as possible.[149] Ahmadinejad criticized the National Audit Office for what he called its "carelessness", saying the report "incites the people" against the government.[150] also Head of the parliament Energy Commission, Hamidreza Katouzian reprted:The government spent $5 billion to import fuel, about $2 billion more than the sum parliament had authorized.Katouzian quoted Iran's Oil Minister, Gholam-Hossein Nozari, as saying that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had ordered the extra purchase.[151]
On February 2009 parliamentary research centre report Iran faces a budget deficit of 44 billion dollars in the financial year starting in March.[152]
Foreign relations
Relations with the United States
During Ahmadinejad's presidency, Iran and the US have had the most high-profile contact in almost 30 years. Iran and the US froze diplomatic relations in 1980 and had no direct diplomatic contact until May 2007.[153]
While the U.S has linked its support for a Palestinian state to acceptance of Israel's "right to exist," Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has retorted that Israel should be moved to Europe instead,[154] reiterating Muammar al-Gaddafi's 1990 statement.[155] The U.S. has sent clear signals to Iran that its posturing against Israel's right to exist is unacceptable in their opinion, leading to increased speculation of a U.S. led attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. Even though Iran has denied involvement in Iraq, then-President Bush warned of "consequences," sending a clear message to Iran that the U.S may take military action against it.[154] The Bush administration considered Iran to be the world's leading state supporter of terrorism. Iran has been on the U.S. list of state sponsors of international terrorism since 1984,[156][157][158] a claim that Iran and Ahmadinejad have denied.
On 8 May 2006, Ahmadinejad sent a personal letter to then-President Bush to propose "new ways" to end Iran's nuclear dispute.[159] U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley both reviewed the letter and dismissed it as a negotiating ploy and publicity stunt that did not address U.S. concerns about Iran's nuclear program.[160] A few days later at a meeting in Jakarta, Ahmadinejad said, "the letter was an invitation to monotheism and justice, which are common to all divine prophets."[161]
Ahmadinejad invited Bush to a debate at the United Nations General Assembly, which was to take place on 19 September 2006. The debate was to be about Iran's right to enrich uranium. The invitation was promptly rejected by White House spokesman Tony Snow, who said "There's not going to be a steel-cage grudge match between the President and Ahmadinejad."[162]
On November 2006, Ahmadinejad wrote an open letter to the American people,[163] representing some of his anxieties and concerns. He stated that there is an urgency to have a dialog because of the activities of the US administration in the Middle East, and that the US is concealing the truth about current realities.[164]
The United States Senate passed a resolution warning Iran about attacks in Iraq. On 26 September 2007, the United States Senate passed a resolution 76-22 and labeled an arm of the Iranian military as a terrorist organization.
In September 2007 Ahmadinejad visited New York to address the General Assembly of the United Nations. Prior to this he gave a speech at Columbia University, where the university president Lee Bollinger used his introduction to excoriate the Iranian leader as everything from a "cruel and petty dictator" to "astonishingly uneducated." Taking questions from Columbia faculty and students who attended his address, Ahmadinejad answered a query about the treatment of gays in Iran by saying: "We don't have homosexuals like in your country. We don't have that in our country. We don't have this phenomenon; I don't know who's told you we have it." An aide later claimed that he was misrepresented and was actually saying that "compared to American society, we don't have many homosexuals". [165]
In a speech given in April 2008, Ahmadinejad described the September 11, 2001 attacks as a "suspect event." He minimized the attacks by saying all that had happened was, "a building collapsed." He claimed that the death toll was never published, that the victims' names were never published, and that the attacks were used subsequently as pretext for the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. [166]
In October 2008, President Ahmadinejad expressed his happiness of 2008 global economic crisis and what he called "collapse of liberalism". He said the West has been driven to deadend and that Iran was proud "to put an end to liberal economy".[167] Ahmadinejad used a September 2008 speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations to assert the American empire is soon going to end without specifying how. "The American empire in the world is reaching the end of its road, and its next rulers must limit their interference to their own borders," Ahmadinejad said.[168]
On November 6, 2008 (two days after the 2008 US Presidential Election), President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad congratulated Barack Obama, the newly elected President of the United States, and said that he "Welcomes basic and fair changes in U.S. policies and conducts, I hope you will prefer real public interests and justice to the never-ending demands of a selfish minority and seize the opportunity to serve people so that you will be remembered with high esteem". It is the first congratulatory message to a new elected President of the United States by an Iranian President since the 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis. [169]
Relations with Israel
On 26 October 2005 Ahmadinejad gave a speech at a conference in Tehran entitled "World Without Zionism". According to widely published translations, he agreed with a statement he attributed to Ayatollah Khomeini that the "occupying regime" had to be removed, and referred to it as a "disgraceful stain [on] the Islamic world", that needed to be "wiped from the pages of history."[170]
Ahmadinejad's comments were condemned by major Western governments, the European Union, Russia, the United Nations Security Council and then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.[171] Egyptian, Turkish and Palestinian leaders also expressed displeasure over Ahmadinejad's remark.[172] Canada's then Prime Minister Paul Martin said, “this threat to Israel's existence, this call for genocide coupled with Iran's obvious nuclear ambitions is a matter that the world cannot ignore.”[173]
The translation of his statement has been disputed. Iran's foreign minister stated that Ahmadinejad had been "misunderstood": "He is talking about the regime. We do not recognise legally this regime."[174] Some experts state that the phrase in question (بايد از صفحه روزگار محو شود) is more accurately translated as "eliminated" or "wiped off" or "wiped away" from "the page of time" or "the pages of history", rather than "wiped off the map".[175] Reviewing the controversy over the translation, New York Times deputy foreign editor Ethan Bronner observed that "all official translations" of the comments, including the foreign ministry and president's office, "refer to wiping Israel away".[176] Dr. Joshua Teitelbaum, an Israel-based professor with ties to AIPAC, in a paper for the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, examined the language that President Ahmadinejad has used when discussing Israel. Using Farsi translations from Dr. Denis MacEoin, a former lecturer in Islamic studies in the United Kingdom, Teitelbaum wrote that "the Iranian president was not just calling for “regime change” in Jerusalem, but rather the actual physical destruction of the State of Israel," and asserted that Ahmadinejad was advocating the genocide of its residents as well. Teitelbaum said that in a speech given on 26 October 2005, Ahmadinejad said the following about Israel: "Soon this stain of disgrace will be cleaned from the garment of the world of Islam, and this is attainable." Teitelbaum argued that this type of dehumanizing rhetoric is a documented prelude to genocide incitement. Dr. Juan Cole, a professor of modern Middle Eastern and South Asian history at the University of Michigan, has argued that Ahmadinejad was not calling for the destruction of Israel, “Ahmadinejad did not say he was going to wipe Israel off the map because no such idiom exists in Persian.” Dr. Stephen Walt, a professor of international affairs at Harvard University has said “I don’t think he is inciting to genocide."[177] According to Gawdat Bahgat, Director of Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, "the fiery calls to destroy Israel are meant to mobilize domestic and regional constituencies" and that "Rhetoric aside, most analysts agree that the Islamic Republic and the Jewish state are not likely to engage in a military confrontation against each other."[178]
In July 2006, Ahmadinejad compared Israel's actions in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict to Adolf Hitler's actions during World War II saying that "like Hitler, the Zionist regime is just looking for a pretext for launching military attacks" and "is now acting just like him."[179] On 8 August 2006, he gave a television interview to Mike Wallace, a correspondent for 60 Minutes, in which he questioned American support of Israel's "murderous regime" and the moral grounds for Israel's invasion of Lebanon.[27] On 2 December 2006, Ahmadinejad met with Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyah in Doha, Qatar. At that meeting, he said that Israel "was created to establish dominion of arrogant states over the region and to enable the enemy to penetrate the heart Muslim land." He called Israel a "threat" and said it was created to create tensions in and impose US and UK policies upon the region.[180] On 12 December 2006, Ahmadinejad addressed the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust, and made comments about the future of Israel. He said, "Israel is about to crash. This is God's promise and the wish of all the world's nations."[181]
When CNN's Larry King asked Ahmadinejad "does Israel remain Israel" in his version of the Middle East, Ahmadinejad suggested that throughout the Palestinian territories free elections for all be conducted under the supervision of international organizations. Ahmadinejad suggested that "..we must allow free elections to happen in Palestine under the supervision of the United Nations. And the Palestinian people, the displaced Palestinian people, or whoever considers Palestine its land, can participate in free elections. And then whatever happens as a result could happen."[182]
Relations with Russia
Ahmadinejad has moved to strengthen relations with Russia, setting up an office expressly dedicated to the purpose in October 2005. He has worked with Vladimir Putin on the nuclear issue, and both Putin and Ahmadinejad have expressed a desire for more mutual cooperation on issues involving the Caspian Sea.[183] More recently, Iran has been increasingly pushed into an alliance with Moscow due to the controversy over Iran's nuclear program. By late December 2007, Russia began to deliver enriched batches of nuclear fuel to Iran as a way of persuading Iran to end self-enrichment.
Relations with Venezuela
Ahmadinejad has sought to develop ties with other world leaders that are also opposed to U.S. foreign policy and influence like Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.[184] Venezuela voted in favor of Iran's nuclear program before the United Nations,[185] and both governments have sought to develop more bilateral trade.[186] As of 2006, the ties between the two countries are strategic rather than economic;[184] Venezuela is still not one of Iran's major trading partners.[187]
Regional relations
Immediately after the Islamic Revolution, Iran's relations with most of its neighbors, particularly those with large Shiite minorities, were severely strained.[188] Ahmadinejad's priority in the region has been to improve ties with most of Iran's neighbors in order to strengthen Iran's status and influence in both the Middle East and Greater Muslim World. [189]
Turkey has always been an important ally in the region due to its ties to the West through NATO, Israel,[190] and its potential entry into the European Union. Ahmadinejad made a visit to Ankara in order to reinforce relations with Turkey immediately after the 2007 NIE report was released.[191] Relations were briefly strained after President Abdullah Gul had stated that he wants the atomic threat to be eliminated from the region, perhaps a hint to Iran;[192] however, business has remained cordial between the two countries.[193] Despite US disapproval, Turkey recently signed a multibillion dollar gas line deal with Tehran in late 2007.[193][194]
Iran's relations with the Arab states have been complex, partly due to the Islamic Revolution[188] of decades ago, as well as more recent efforts by the United States to establish a united front against Iran over the nuclear issue and War on Terror.[195] Ahmadinejad has sought reconciliation with the Arab states by encouraging bilateral trade and posturing for Iranian entry into the Gulf Cooperation Council.[196] Outside of the Persian Gulf, Ahmadinejad has sought to reestablish relations with other major Arab states, most notably Egypt.[197] As of 2007, Iran did not have an open embassy there.[197]
Iran's ties to Syria have been most notable in the West. Both nations have had to deal with international and regional isolation.[198] Further, they both have cordial ties to the militant group, Hezbollah,[199] and concerns over Iran-Syria relations were further exacerbated following the 2006 Lebanon War,[200] which both Ahmadinejad and President Assad claimed as a victory over Israel.[199]
Ahmadinejad has also attempted to develop stronger, more intimate ties with both Afghanistan and Pakistan to the East in order to ensure "regional stability."[201] In particular, Ahmadinejad is interested in more bilateral talks between Iran and both Afghanistan and Pakistan.[201] Moreover, Ahmadinejad's administration has taken part in establishing the "peace pipeline"; a pipeline from Iran that will eventually fuel both Pakistan and India. In theory, the plan will help to integrate South Asian economies, and, by consequence, calm tensions between Pakistan and India.[202]
Ahmadinejad met foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov of Azerbaijan in order to discuss increased cooperation between the two nations.[203] Mammadyarov also expressed desire to expand the North-South corridor between Iran and Azerbaijan and to launch cooperative projects regarding power plant construction.[203] Iran has also redoubled efforts to forge ties with Armenia; during Ahmadinejad's visit in October 2007 the discussions were focused on developing energy ties between the two countries.[204]
Afghanistan
Due to the similar culture and language Iran has with Afghanistan, the two countries have historically been close and, even though the US has a military presence in Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan maintains he wants Iran to be one of its closest allies.[205][206] At Camp David in August 2007, Karzai rejected the U.S. claim that Iran backs Afghan militants. Karzai described Iran as "a helper and a solution," and "a supporter of Afghanistan", both in "the fight against terror, and the fight against narcotics". He called relations between Afghanistan and Iran "very, very good, very, very close ".[207] Iran is also the largest regional donor to Afghanistan. Al-Arabiya television, considered by many Western sources as a more neutral Middle Eastern media network, said "Shiite Iran has close ethnic and religious ties with Afghanistan."[208]
Iraq
Ahmadinejad was the first Iranian president to visit Iraq.[209] Ahmadinejad, in Baghdad 2 March 2008 for the start of a historic two-day trip, said that "visiting Iraq without the dictator Saddam Hussein is a good thing."[210] Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, heading home after a two-day visit to Iraq, again touted his country's closer relations with Iraq and reiterated his criticism of the United States.[211]
Allegations of Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism
Controversies
On 14 December 2005, Ahmadinejad made several controversial statements about the Holocaust, repeatedly referring to it as a "myth," as well as criticizing European laws against Holocaust denial. According to a report from Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Ahmadinejad said, referring to Europeans, "Today, they have created a myth in the name of Holocaust and consider it to be above God, religion and the prophets."[212] The quote has also translated as "They have created a myth today that they call the massacre of Jews and they consider it a principle above God, religions and the prophets."[213]
In a May 30, 2006 interview with Der Spiegel, Ahmadinejad insisted there were "two opinions" on the Holocaust. When asked if the Holocaust was a myth, he responded "I will only accept something as truth if I am actually convinced of it." He also said, "We are of the opinion that, if a historical occurrence conforms to the truth, this truth will be revealed all the more clearly if there is more research into it and more discussion about it". He then argued that "most" scholars who recognized the existence of the Holocaust are "politically motivated," stating that:
"...there are two opinions on this in Europe. One group of scholars or persons, most of them politically motivated, say the Holocaust occurred. Then there is the group of scholars who represent the opposite position and have therefore been imprisoned for the most part."[214]
In August 2006, the Iranian leader was reported to have again cast doubt on the existence of the Holocaust, this time in a letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, where he wrote that the Holocaust may have been invented by the Allied powers to embarrass Germany.[215] During the same month, in a public speech that aired on the Iranian News Channel (IRINN), Ahmadinejad reportedly implied that Zionists may not be human beings, saying “They have no boundaries, limits, or taboos when it comes to killing human beings. Who are they? Where did they come from? Are they human beings? ‘They are like cattle, nay, more misguided.’”[216]
On 11 December 2006 the "International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust" was held in Iran.[217] The conference was called for by and held at the request of Ahmadinejad.[218] Western media widely condemned the conference and described it as a "Holocaust denial conference" or a "meeting of Holocaust deniers",[219] though Iran maintained that it was not a Holocaust denial conference, commenting the conference was meant to "create an opportunity for thinkers who cannot express their views freely in Europe about the Holocaust".[220]
In his September 2007 appearance at Columbia University, Ahmadinejad stated "I'm not saying that it didn't happen at all. This is not judgment that I'm passing here"[31] and that the Holocaust should be left open to debate and research like any other historical event.[221]
In response to some of Ahmadinejad's controversial statements and actions, a variety of sources, including the U.S. Senate,[222] have accused Ahmadinejad of anti-Semitism. Ahmadinejad's September 2008 speech to the UN General Assembly, in which he dwelled on what he described as Zionist control of international finance, was also denounced as "blatant anti-Semitism" by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.[223]
American President Barack Obama posed a direct challenge to Ahmadinejad during his June 2009 visit to Buchenwald concentration camp, saying that Ahmadinejad "should make his own visit" to the camp and that "[t]his place is the ultimate rebuke to such thoughts, a reminder of our duty to confront those who would tell lies about our history".[224]
Response to allegations
Ahmadinejad has denied allegations of Holocaust denial[225] and acknowledged that it seems the West is right in its claim of the Holocaust:
"If the Europeans are telling the truth in their claim that they have killed six million Jews in the Holocaust during the World War II - which seems they are right in their claim because they insist on it and arrest and imprison those who oppose it, why the Palestinian nation should pay for the crime. Why have they come to the very heart of the Islamic world and are committing crimes against the dear Palestine using their bombs, rockets, missiles and sanctions.[226]
Ahmadinejad has said he respects Jews and that "in Palestine there are Muslims, Christians and Jews who live together". He added, "We love everyone in the world - Jews, Christians, Muslims, non-Muslims, non-Jews, non-Christians... We are against occupation, aggression, killings and displacing people - otherwise we have no problem with ordinary people." [30] Ahmadinejad has further said the Jewish community in Iran has its own independent member of parliament. Ahmadinejad has argued Zionists are "neither Jews nor Christians nor Muslims", and has asked "How can you possibly be religious and occupy the land of other people?"[182]
Shiraz Dossa, a professor at St. Francis Xavier University, in Nova Scotia, Canada, argued in June 2007 that
Ahmadinejad has not denied the Holocaust or proposed Israel’s liquidation; he has never done so in any of his speeches on the subject (all delivered in Farsi/Persian). As an Iran specialist, I can attest that both accusations are false... What Ahmadinejad has questioned is the mythologizing, the sacralization, of the Holocaust and the “Zionist regime’s” continued killing of Palestinians and Muslims. He has even raised doubts about the scale of the Holocaust. His rhetoric has been excessive and provocative. And he does not really care what we in the West think about Iran or Muslims; he does not kowtow to western or Israeli diktat.[227]
Dossa was criticized in Canadian media, by university president Sean Riley, and by 105 professors[228] at his university for his attendance at Tehran's Holocaust conference.[229] Dossa replied he did not know Holocaust deniers would be in attendance, that he has "never denied the Holocaust, only noted its propaganda power", and that the university should respect his academic freedom to participate.[230]
See also
- Politics of Iran
- History of fundamentalism in Iran
- Haghani Circle
- Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi
- Advisors to the president:
- Others:
- Visits:
References
- ^ Ali Akbar Dareini, Associated Press (2009-07-25). "Iran VP pick is forced out". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2009-07-25.
- ^ "Ahmedinejad: Rose and Thorn". The Diplomatic Observer. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
- ^ "Mahmoud Ahmedinejad on Facebook". Facebook. 2001-07-24. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Ahmadinejad wins second term in Iranian elections". GEO News. June 13, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2009.
- ^ Karimi, Ali Akbar Dareininasser (June 16, 2009). "Iran's Guardian Council agrees to limited ballot recount in disputed elections". Newsday. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|coauthors=
ignored (|author=
suggested) (help) - ^ [2]
- ^ "Article 113". Constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran. International Constitutional Law. 1992. Retrieved June 16, 2009.[failed verification]
- ^ Is this government legitimate? (BBC Persian)
- ^ Iran's moderate party says vote result "unacceptable"
- ^ Iran clerics defy election ruling
- ^ [3]
- ^ [4]
- ^ [5]
- ^ G8 calls on Iran to halt election violence
- ^ Dehghanpisheh, Babak (2009). "Bear Hugs". World Press Review. 48 (6). Retrieved May 31, 2009.
{{cite journal}}
: Unknown parameter|month=
ignored (help) - ^ "Oiling the axis - Iran and Venezuela develop closer ties". Jane's Information Group. July 10, 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
- ^ Afghanistan - Iran Foreign Relations
- ^ "Iran president 'ready for talks'". BBC News. February 13, 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
- ^ "Ahmadinejad: Iran's nuclear issue is 'closed'". MSNBC. Associated Press. September 25, 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
- ^ "Iran president says U.N. sanctions unlikely". CNN. April 24, 2006. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
- ^ "Iran president: Israel flies Satan's flag". USA Today. Associated Press. August 18, 2007. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
- ^ Fathi, Nazila (January 15, 2006). "U.N. Scrutiny Won't Make Iran Quit Nuclear Effort, President Says". The New York Times. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
- ^ "Iran denies Israel attack threat". CNN. October 29, 2005. Archived from the original on December 1, 2007. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
- ^ "Ahmadinejad: Israel must be wiped off the map", IRIB News, October 26, 2005.
- ^ a b
- "Holocaust comments spark outrage", BBC News, Accessed 14-12-2005.
- "Iran leader's comments attacked", BBC News, Accessed 27-01-2008.
- Esfandiari, Golnaz. "Iran: President's Latest Comments About Israel Spark Further Condemnation". Radio Free Europe. Accessed 28-01-2008.
- Vick, Karl and Mary Jordan. "World Leaders Condemn Iranian's Call to Wipe Israel 'Off the Map'". Washington Post. Accessed 28-10-2005.
- "NCC Condemns Ahmadinejad’s Holocaust Statement". National Council of Churches. Accessed 16-12-2007.
- Slackman, Michael. "In Tehran, a riposte to the Danish cartoons". The New York Times, Accessed 24-09-2007.
- "Germans Protest Against Ahmadinejad, Racism As Cup Opens". Deutsche Welle, Accessed 11-06-2006.
- "Annan: 'Dismay' over Iranian comments on Israel". CNN. Accessed 27-09-2007.
- Fathi, Nazila. "Text of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Speech". New York Times. Accessed 17-10-2006.
- "Iran vote seen as referendum on Ahmadinejad". The Boston Globe. Accessed 27-12-2006.
- Bronner, Ethan. "Just How Far Did They Go, Those Words Against Israel?" The New York Times. Accessed 11-06-2006.
- "Ahmadinejad misunderstood, says Iran". The Daily Times of Pakistan. Retrieved 22-02-2006.
- ^ a b Schorn, Daniel (August 13, 2006). "Iranian Leader Opens Up". 60 Minutes. CBS News. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
- ^ "Iranian leader: Holocaust a 'myth'". CNN. 14-12-2006.
- ^
- "Iran team face mass protest", The Guardian, Accessed 11-06-2007.
- "Eurovision may ban Israeli entry due to lyrics on nuclear war", Haaretz, Accessed 03-02-2007.
- "Iran's Rhetoric on Holocaust Anger German Muslims", Deutsche Welle, Accessed 18-02-2007.
- Stephens, Bret. "Anti-Anti-Semitism defended", The New Republic, Accessed 12-02-2007.
- "We won't be fooled again". The News Leader. 15-02-2007.
- Namazi, Ghassem. "We should be sorry". Iranian.com. Accessed 01-02-2006..
- Sayyed, Tashbih. The Bane Of Jihad. Muslim World Today. Accessed 26-01-2007.
- Ivins, Molly. "Ivins: Wow! Some real diplomacy!", CNN, Accessed 08-06-2006.
- "Iran: Nuclear talks still possible". CNN. Accessed 05-02-2006.
- Smith-Spark, Laura. "Racism fears dog World Cup build-up". BBC News. Accessed 26-05-2006.
- "Annan condemns Holocaust denial". BBC News. Accessed 27-01-2006.
- "He was defeated by the even more hard-line and anti-Semitic Mahmoud Ahmadinejad...". Joel C. Rosenberg. Epicenter: Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2006, p. 109, ISBN 1414311354
- "Israel Wants West to Deal More Urgently With Iran" The New York Times. Accessed 28-03-2008.
- "NCC Condemns Ahmadinejad’s Holocaust Statement", National Council of Churches. Retrieved 16-12-2005.
- ^ a b "Iranian leader 'not anti-Semite'". BBC. 21 September 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-08.
'Some people think if they accuse me of being anti-Jew they can solve the problem. No, I am not anti-Jew,' he said. 'I respect them very much.'
- ^ a b "Ahmadinejad's speech @ Columbia university - a transcript". 25 September 2007. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
- ^ a b "Iran interest rate cut sparks panic selling" Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 29-07-2007.
- ^ a b مدیریت و" برنامه ریزی منحل ش" BBC Persian. Retrieved 29-07-2007.
- ^ "Assembly of Experts to study economic reform plan: Rafsanjani". Tehran Times. 23 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-23.
- ^ "Iran: Debate heats up over restructuring of Management and Planning Organization". Payvand. 18 October 2006. Retrieved 2009-04-27.
- ^ Robert Tait (2005-07-02). "A humble beginning helped to form Iran's new hard man". The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
- ^ a b c d Hussein D. Hassan (2007-01-16). "Profile and Statements of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad" (PDF). Library of Congress. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
- ^ "Iran's president launches weblog". BBC News. 2006-08-14. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
- ^ "Can Iran Change?". New Yorker. 2009-04-13.
- ^ "Africa can Learn from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad". The African Executive.
- ^ Template:Cite article
- ^ "Bio: Ahmadinejad." Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 27-01-2008.
- ^ "Iran's Ahmadinejad Heckled at University." Newsmax. Retrieved 27-01-2008.
- ^ John Lee Anderson (2009-04-13). "Can Iran Change? High stakes in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's reelection campaign". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ a b c d e f "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad" Global Security. Retrieved 27-01-2008.
- ^ Najmeh Bozorgmehr (2008-05-30). "Interview transcript: Mojtaba Samareh-Hashemi". Financial Times. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
- ^ a b c d Biography of H.E. Dr. Ahmadi Nejad, Honourable President of Islamic Republic of Iran. Retrieved 27-01-2008.
- ^ Nazila Fathi and Joel Brinkley (2005-07-01). "U.S. Pursuing Reports That Link Iranian to Embassy Seizure in '79". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
- ^ Joel Brinkley (2005-07-29). "Aides Find No Evidence Linking Iranian to Embassy Seizure". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
- ^ a b "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad". Iran Chamber Society. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
- ^ "Ahamd Bozorgian (MP): 'The Separation of men and women's elevators is an advantageous policy. It would help to grow.'" Entekhab News. Retrieved 31-08-2006.
- ^ a b "The 2005 World Mayor finalists". Retrieved 27-01-2008.
- ^ Aneja, Atul (2006). He was also known as tir khalas zan before becoming president."New Dynamics." Frontline. Retrieved 28-07-2007.
- ^ Karl Vick (2005-06-19). "Hard-Line Figure In Iran Runoff". Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
- ^ a b Sami Moubayed (2006-01-19). "Iran and the art of crisis management". Asia Times Online. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
- ^ Brea, Jennifer. "Profile: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran.". Retrieved 31-08-2006.
- ^ "Profile of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Friend or foe?" Persian Mirror. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ "Iran Symposium: 'Divide and empower" Prospect Magazine. Retrieved 27-01-2008.
- ^ "Ahmadinejad Sworn in as Iran's New President". Voice Of America. 2005-08-06. Retrieved 2008-12-23.
{{cite news}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=
(help) - ^ "Iran hardliner becomes president". BBC. 3 August 2005. Retrieved 2006-12-06.
- ^ "Behind Ahmadinejad, a Powerful Cleric". New York Times. 9 September 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-06.
- ^ Clip DrIman CNN - at Tofoiran
- ^ "Ahmadinejad’s cabinet declared." Presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Retrieved 18-10-2006.
- ^ "''BBC'': New Iran interior chief approved". BBC News. 2008-11-18. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ "Khamenei calls for moderating national stance on nukes" Israeli Insider. Retrieved 27-01-2008.
- ^ Blair, Edmund. "Results in Iranian Vote Seen as Setback for Ahmadinejad" Reuters. Retrieved 18-12-2006.
- ^ "Renewed Power Struggle in Iran as the Presidential Elections Approach: Part I – Ahmadinejad's Revolutionary-Messianic Faction vs. Rafsanjani–Reformist Alliance." By: Y. Mansharof and A. Savyon* Iran|#488 | 26 December 2008
- ^ "Ahmadinejad 'leads in Iran election'". BBC News. 13 June 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
- ^ Iran president clashes with conservatives
- ^ [6]
- ^ [7]
- ^ [8]
- ^ [9]
- ^ [10]
- ^ [11]
- ^ a b "Tentative steps: Ahmadinejad's economic reform." The Entrepreneur. Retrieved 01-02-2008.
- ^ Bakhtiar, Abbas. "Ahmadinejad's Achilles Heel." Payvand. Retrieved 25-01-2007.
- ^ "Letter from Tehran, The rationalist" by Laura Secor p.31 The New Yorker, February 2, 2009
- ^ ""Economics is for donkeys" Robert Tait, Published 11 September 2008". Newstatesman.com. 2008-09-11. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ "Iranian economists lash out at Ahmadinejad's policies." Daily Star. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ "Geopolitics casts pall on hobbled Iranian economy." USA Today. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ Sanati, Kimia. "Ahmadinejad held to election promises". Asia Times. Retrieved 01-02-2008.
- ^ Dareini, Ali Akbar. "Iran's Discontent With Ahmadinejad Grows." The Washington Post. Retrieved 28-08-2007.
- ^ Apr 22, 2008 (2008-04-22). "AFP: Ahmadinejad slammed by outgoing economy minister". Afp.google.com. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Apr 24, 2008 (2008-04-24). "AFP: Martyrdom would solve Iran's economic woes: Ahmadinejad". Afp.google.com. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ الف - واردات غیرقانونی بنزین را به دستور رئیسجمهور انجام دادهایم[dead link]
- ^ "تخلف دو ميليارد دلاري احمدينژاد در وارادات غيرقانوني بنزين ::". www.norooznews.ir. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ Leyne, Jon (2008-10-24). "Middle East | Iran economy facing 'perfect storm'". BBC News. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ "Assembly of Experts to study economic reform plan: Rafsanjani". Tehran Times. 23 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-23.
- ^ "Iran: Debate heats up over restructuring of Management and Planning Organization". Payvand. 18 October 2006. Retrieved 2009-04-27.
- ^ "Ahmadinejad urges Iranian baby boom to challenge West" The Guardian. Retrieved 03-05-2007.
- ^ "Ebadi protests against Iran's polygamy bill". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ ""Reza's Compassion Fund" project archived" (in Template:Fa icon). Rooz. Retrieved 2006-10-17.
{{cite web}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=
(help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "Video of Imam Reza Love Fund." IranNegah. Retrieved 18-05-2008.
- ^ "Reza's Compassion Fund; a political fund with 530 billion budget" (in Template:Fa icon). Rooz. Retrieved 2006-10-17.
{{cite web}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=
(help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "World Report 2007" Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ "" Rajanews. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ "" Rajanews. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ Fathi, Nazila. "Students disrupt speech by Iran chief" New York Times. Retrieved 12-12-2006.
- ^ "Ahmadinejad's adviser criticizes hijab enforcement issue." Baztab. Retrieved 23-4-2007.
- ^ "Protest against the second cultural revolution." Rooz. Retrieved 18-10-2006.
- ^ Irani, Hamid. "Cleansing in the Name of Retirement". Retrieved 18-10-2006.
- ^ "Khoshchehreh (MP) protests against the unwanted retirement of university professors." Aftab News. Retrieved 18-10-2006.
- ^ "Different aspects of the unwanted retirement of university professors." Aftab News. Retrieved 18-10-2006.
- ^ "صدور حکم بازنشستگی برای ۵۳ استاد دانشگاه علم و صنعت، ادوار نيوز" Gooya. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ [12] Rooz Online. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ a b Theodoulou, Michael. "Protesters condemn Holocaust conference." The Scotsman. Retrieved 06-05-2007.
- ^ President: Students are pioneers of revolutionary movements - Irna
- ^ 14:29:55 (2006-12-12). "Films of yesterday protest in Iran are leaking out « Connections پیوست". Peyvast.blog.com. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
{{cite web}}
:|author=
has numeric name (help) - ^ [13]
- ^ [14]
- ^ Freedom and Liberty - Ahmadinejad's English Blog
- ^ Nazila Fathi (12 December 2006). "Students disrupt speech by Iran chief". New York Times News Service.
- ^ "Ahamadinejad: "We will reach the nuclear energy in near future." BBC News. Retrieved 29-10-2006.
- ^ "Ahmadinejad Claims Iran Has 3,000 Centrifuges" Missile Defense Advocacy. Retrieved 04-09-2007.
- ^ "Excerpts: Ahmadinejad conference." BBC News. Retrieved 29-10-2006.
- ^ a b Goodman, Amy; Gonzalez, Juan (2008-09-26). "Ahmadinejad: Nukes for politically backward states". Press TV. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Ahmadinejad: Iran can now talk to world from vantage point of a nuclear state." Arabic News. Retrieved 29-10-2006.
- ^ "Ahmadinejad: Iran nuke right non-negotiable." UPI. Retrieved 12-06-2006.
- ^ Recknagel, Charles. "Iran: Election Of Ahmadinejad Unlikely To Affect Nuclear Negotiations." Radio Free Europe. Retrieved 29-102006.
- ^ "Iran rebukes its prez over N-policy." The Times of India. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ [15] Raja News. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ "Ahmadinejad: Nations jealous of nuclear progress". Retrieved 24-02-2008.
- ^ Crisis Group (2007-02-06). "International Crisis Group, Iran: Ahmadi-Nejad's Tumultuous Presidency, 6 February 2007". Crisisgroup.org. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ Edalat, Abbas. "The US can learn from this example of mutual respect". The Guardian. Retrieved 05-04-2007.
- ^ "Ali Akbar Velayati, Adviser To The Leader: 'Everything is negotiable'". Iran Press Service. Retrieved 27-01-2008.
- ^ http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/CWN/121605iran.aspx[dead link] "Iran's President Threatens Crackdown on Christianity" CBN News. Retrieved 27-01-2008.
- ^ "دفاع از اظهارات احمدینژاد عليه مسيحيت و يهود، آفتاب" (in Persian). Gooya. June 7, 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ Harrison, Frances. "Iran police move into fashion business". Retrieved 16-04-2007.
- ^ "روزنامه هاشمي": بوسه احمدینژاد بر دست معلم سالخوردهاش، اشكال شرعي دارد!" Ansar News. Retrieved 27-01-2008.
- ^ "Ahmadinejad accused of indecency" BBC News. Retrieved 28-01-2008.
- ^ "Growing pressure on Ahmadinejad" BBC News, Accessed16-01-2007.
- ^ "Karrubi declares presidential candidacy". Tehran Times. 2008-10-13. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
- ^ "Iran presidential candidate hits out at Holocaust denial". Trend News Agency. 2006-10-12. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
- ^ a b The Ayatollah Begs to Differ : The Paradox of Modern Iran by Hooman Majd, Doubleday, 2008, p.79
- ^ "Iran Focus-Iran's new President has a past mired in controversy - Iran (General) - News". Iranfocus.com. 2005-06-24. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ "Iran President Ahmadinejad In Rows With 3 Leading Officials - AFP". Nasdaq.com. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ "Ahmadinejad Attacks Haddad Adel (Iran Press Service)". Iran Press Service. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ "Press TV - Haddad-Adel: Constitution not violated". Presstv.ir. 2008-04-23. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ الف - پاسخ رئیسمجلس به رئیسجمهور[dead link]
- ^ "Statement: Mr Ali Kordan". The University of Oxford. 2008-08-15. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
- ^ "سوابق اخلاقي". Rooz online. 2008-08-14. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
- ^ "تصویر سند بازداشت عوض علی کردان به اتهام ازاله بکارت" (in Persian). Peykeiran. 2008-08-18. Retrieved 2008-08-18.
- ^ "IC Publications". Africasia.com. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ "Scandal, Fistfight Erupt Over Impeachment Move in Iran". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ "Middle East | Iran minister sacked over forgery". BBC News. 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ Roshanak Taghavi (2009-02-07). "Iran Missing More Than $1 Bln In Surplus Oil Revenue - Report". Dow Jones Newswires. Retrieved 2009-02-23.
- ^ "Iran examines missing oil revenue". United Press International. 2009-02-16. Retrieved 2009-02-23.
- ^ "Iran looks into missing $1B oil money". presstv. 2009-02-05. Retrieved 2009-02-23.
- ^ "Oil Money Report Rejected". Iran newspaper. 2009-02-21. Retrieved 2009-02-23.
- ^ "Majlis searching for $1B missing oil money". presstv. 2009-02-15. Retrieved 2009-02-23.
- ^ "Iran faces $44 bln deficit". AFP. 2009-02-09. Retrieved 2009-02-23.
- ^ Gollust, David. "US Ready For Another Meeting With Iran." Voice of America. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ a b "Iran's Ahmadinejad wants Israel moved to Europe". Agence France-Presse. December 8, 2005. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
- ^ "Gadhafi: Move Israel to Europe". The Bulletin. Associated Press. October 4, 1990. p. A-2. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
- ^ Armitage, Richard. "U.S. Policy and Iran. Testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee." U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 01-12-2006.
- ^ Burns, R. Nicholas. "U.S. Policy and Iran. Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies." U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 01-12-2006.
- ^ "State Sponsors of Terrorism." U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 05-02-2007.
- ^ "Timeline: US-Iran ties." BBC News. Retrieved 29-10-2006.
- ^ Vick, Karl. "No Proposals in Iranian's Letter to Bush, U.S. Says." The Washington Post. Retrieved 29-10-2006.
- ^ "President says his letter to President Bush was invitation to Islam." Islamic Republic News Agency. Retrieved 29-10-2006.
- ^ "No 'steel-cage, grudge match' between Bush, Ahmadinejad." CNN. Retrieved 10-01-2007.
- ^ "Ahmadinejad's letter to Americans." CNN.. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ "Message of H.E. Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad President of the Republic of Iran to the American People." Fox News. Retrieved 29-11-2006.
- ^ "President misquoted over gays in Iran: aide | International | Reuters". Reuters<!. 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ "Ahmadinejad: 9/11 'suspect event'". BBC News. 2008-04-16. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ "Iran mulling dynamic, progressive economy, prez". Mathaba.net. 2008-10-31. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ "Statement by H.E. Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad" (PDF). United Nations. 23 September 2008. p. 8. Retrieved 2008-10-31.
'The American empire in the world is reaching the end of its road, and its next rulers must limit their interference to their own borders.'
- ^ [16][dead link]
- ^ *"Annan: 'Dismay' over Iranian comments on Israel". CNN. Accessed 27-09-2007.
- Fathi, Nazila. "Text of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Speech". New York Times. Accessed 17-10-2006.
- "Iran vote seen as referendum on Ahmadinejad". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 27-12-2006.
- ^ "Annan 'dismayed' by Iran remarks". BBC News. 28 October 2005. Retrieved 2006-10-29.
- ^ "UN raps Iran's anti-Israel rant". BBC News. 28 October 2005. Retrieved 2006-10-29.
- ^ Martin, Paul (15 November 2005). "Prime Minister Martin Speaks Before Jewish Leaders in Toronto". Carolyn Bennett. Retrieved 2006-10-29.
- ^ "Ahmadinejad misunderstood, says Iran". DailyTimes.com Pakistan. 22 February 2006. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
{{cite web}}
: External link in
(help)|publisher=
- ^ Steele, Jonathan (14 June 2006). "Lost in translation". Guardian. Retrieved 2006-12-11.
- ^ Bronner, Ethan (11 June 2006). "Just How Far Did They Go, Those Words Against Israel?". New York Times. Retrieved 2006-06-11.
- ^ "What Iranian Leaders Really Say About Doing Away with Israel." Joshua Teitelbaum. (Jerusalem: Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, 2008). [17]
- ^ Nuclear Proliferation: The Islamic. Republic of Iran. G. AWDAT. B. AHGAT, Iranian Studies, volume 39, number 3, September 2006
- ^ Deutsche Presse-Agentur (July 16, 2006). "Ahmadinejad compares Israel to Hitler". Indo-Asian News Service. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
- ^ "President Ahmadinejad, Palestinian PM meet in Doha". IRNA. 2 December 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-11.
- ^ "Iran students rebel over Holocaust denial". UPI. 12 December 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-20.
- ^ a b "CNN's Larry King Live: Transcript of Interview with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad". Transcripts.cnn.com. 2008-09-23. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ "Ahmadinejad: Special Hq to be formed for Tehran-Moscow cooperation". Islamic Republic News Agency. 26 October 2005. Retrieved 2006-04-14.
- ^ a b Prada, Leandro. "Ahmadinejad Visits Anti-US Allies in Latin America." CNS News. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ "Ahmadinejad hails Venezuela's vote in IAEA." Global Security. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ "Venezuela's Chavez, Iran's Ahmadinejad Pledge Mutual Support." Fox News. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ "CIA - The World Factbook - Iran." CIA. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ a b Abdel-Mageed, Dina "Has the Revolution Affected Iran's Relations With Its Neighbors?". Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ "Saudi-Iran Meeting Yields Little Substance.". Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ Vest, Jason "Turkey, Israel and the US." The Nation. Retrieved 26-01-2006.
- ^ "Ahmadinejad seeks to improve Iran image with Ankara visit." Turkish Daily News. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ "Israel, Turkey patch up relations.". Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ a b "Turkey's Botas says Iran is important gas partner." Reuters. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ "Turkey to fund $3.5 bln Iran gas deal alone." Reuters. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ "Bush Urges Unity Against Iran." New York Times. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ "Ahmadi-Nejad message to Gulf states on relations with Iran.". Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ a b "Iran anxious to reopen embassy in Cairo.". Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ "Ahmadinejad visits Syria." Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ a b "Iran, Syria Praise Hezbollah, Mock US." Associated Press. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ "Speaking with the enemy." Asia Times. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ a b "Iran-Pakistan- Afghanistan friendly ties to ensure regional security." IRNA. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ Shahid, Sohaib. "Iran-Pak-India gas pipeline: implications and prospects." Business and Finance Review. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ a b "Ahmadinejad meets Azeri FM." Fars. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ Whitemore, Brian. "Energy to dominate Ahmadinejad's Armenia visit." Energy Publisher. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ Sheryl Gay Stolberg (2007-08-07). "Bush differs with Karzai on Iran". IHT (NYT World). Retrieved 2009-01-19.
- ^ "Iran, Afghanistan stress expansion of ties". IRNA. 2003-10-12. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
- ^ "Karzai's Iran reference raises eyebrows at Camp David". The Calgary Herald News Services. 2007-08-06. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
- ^ "Iran Summit urges aid for Afghanistan and Gaza". Al-Arabiya News Channel. 2009-03-11. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
- ^ "Video of Ahmadinejad's Visit to Iraq." IranNegah. Retrieved 26-05-2008.
- ^ "Iran president on landmark Iraq visit" CNN. Retrieved 03-02-2008.
- ^ "Iran's president: No one likes Americans" CNN. Retrieved 03-03-2008.
- ^ "Holocaust a myth, says Iranian president". Guardian.co.uk. Associated Press. 2005-12-14. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
- ^ Iranian Leader Denies Holocaust BBC, 14 December 2005
- ^ "We Are Determined: Spiegel interview with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad". Retrieved 20-10-2008.
- ^ EQBALI, ARESU (2006-08-28). "Ahmadinejad: Holocaust was made up". Mail and Guardian Online. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
- ^ Iranian President Ahmadinejad Addresses Rally. Retrieved 10-6-2009.
- ^ "Iran hosts Holocaust conference". CNN. Retrieved 27-12-2006.
- ^ "Iran: Holocaust Conference Soon in Tehran". Adnkronos International (AKI). Retrieved 27-12-2006.
- ^ *"Across Europe, outrage over meeting of Holocaust deniers in Iran". International Herald Tribune. Accessed 11-12-2006.
- "Holocaust deniers gather in Iran for 'scientific' conference". The Guardian. Accessed 11-12-2006.
- "Holocaust Deniers and Skeptics Gather in Iran", The New York Times. Accessed 11-12-2006.
- "Iran students rebel over Holocaust denial." United Press International. Accessed 12-12-2006.
- "Iran Further Isolates Itself with 'Holocaust Denial'" Weekend Edition, National Public Radio. Accessed 17-12-2006.
- "Statement on Holocaust Denial Conference Sponsored by Iranian Regime", The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, 12 December 2006.
- ^ "Berlin Counters Holocaust Conference" Spiegel Online. Retrieved 27-12-2006.
- ^ "President Ahmadinejad Delivers Remarks at Columbia University" The Washington Post. Retrieved 26-01-2008.
- ^ ""Condemning antisemitic Statements of the President of Iran"". Frwebgate.access.gpo.gov. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ "Germany: Ahmadinejad anti-Semitic". onenews (New Zealand). 2008-09-27. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
- ^ Can Obama Holocaust Comments Give Moderates Boost in Iran Election? Fox News. Published June 07, 2009.
- ^ "''New York Daily News'': "Iran's president: I don't deny Holocaust"". Nydailynews.com. 2007-09-24. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ John Pike (2006-04-24). "''GlobalSecurity.org'': "Polling only solution to Palestine problem, President"". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ Shiraz Dossa (2007). "Canadian The Explanation We Never Heard, Volume 15, Number 5". Literary Review of Canada.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|month=
ignored (help) - ^ Joshua Mitnick (2007-02-22). "''The Star'': Blood feud in Israel's religious academia". Thestar.com. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ "''Canada Free Press'': Professor Shiraz Dossa known by the company he keeps". Canadafreepress.com. 2006-12-15. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ "''CBC'': Prof defends participation at controversial Tehran conference". Cbc.ca. 2007-05-28. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
Further reading
- Harris, David [18] (2004). The Crisis: the President, the Prophet, and the Shah—1979 and the Coming of Militant Islam. Little, Brown.
{{cite book}}
: External link in
(help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)|author=
- "Referral of Iranian President Ahmadinejad on the Charge of Incitement to Commit Genocide" by Justus Reid Weiner, Esq., with Amb. Meir Rosenne, Prof. Elie Wiesel, Amb. Dore Gold, Irit Kohn, Adv., Amb. Eytan Bentsur, and MK Dan Naveh
External links
- Ahmadinejad Wins 2nd Term in Iranian Elections 2009
- Official website of the President of Iran
- Blog of President Ahmadinejad
- Biography by CIDOB Foundation
- Video Archive of President Ahmadinejad
- Interview with Ahmadinejad in TIME Magazine
- The Results As They Came In: Votes for Ahmadinejad and Mousavi on 6 different announcements at 2009
- Wikipedia neutral point of view disputes from June 2009
- Wikipedia neutral point of view disputes from July 2009
- 1956 births
- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
- Civil engineers
- Current national leaders
- Presidents of Iran
- 21st-century national presidents in Asia
- 21st-century national presidents in the Middle East
- Iranian conservatives
- Iranian engineers
- Iranian governors
- Living people
- Mayors of Tehran
- Shi'a politicians