Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
File:Mahmoud Ahmadinejad front view.jpg.jpg
6th President of Iran
Incumbent
Assumed office August 3, 2005
Vice President	Parviz Dawoodi
Preceded by	Mohammad Khatami
Personal details
Born	October 28, 1956 Aradan, Iran
Nationality	iranian
Political party	Islamic Society of Engineers

(Template:Lang-fa, IPA: [mæhˈmud æhmædineˈʒɒd], transcribed into English as Mahmud or Mahmood, Ahmadinezhad, Ahmadi-Nejad, Ahmadi Nejad, Ahmady Nejad) (born October 28, 1956) is the sixth president of the Islamic Republic of Iran. His term began on August 3, 2005.

He is a member of the Central Council of the Islamic Society of Engineers, but he has a more powerful base inside the Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran (Abadgaran) and is considered one of the main figures in the alliance.

Ahmadinejad is a controversial figure, criticised by Western governments for his statements that Israel should be "wiped off the map", support of Hezbollah, and controversial comments he has made about the Holocaust and the legitimacy of Israel's existence.

Personal life and education

Born in the village of Arādān near Garmsar, his family moved to Tehran when he was one year old. In 1976, he took Iran's national university entrance exams to gain admission into Iran's top universities. His test score allegedly ranked him 132nd among over 400,000 participants that year, thus landing him at the prestigious Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) as an undergraduate student of civil engineering.

In 1979 Ahmadinajad is believed to have been one of the "student" Islamic radicals who seized the U.S. Embassy and held 63 Americans hostage for more than a year with the blessing of the head of the Iranian government, Ayatollah Homeini. There is a clear photograph of a young, bearded Ahmadinajad leading a blindfolded American hostage across the embassy grounds.

After the hostages were released, Ahmadinjad continued his studies and entered the Master of Science program for civil engineering in 1984. In 1987 he reportedly received his Ph.D. in traffic and transportation engineering and planning. The graduate program was a special program for Revolutionary Guard members funded by the organization. After graduation, he was appointed a professor at the civil engineering department at IUST. Ahmadinejad is married, and has two sons and a daughter.

Early political career

Ahmadinejad was appointed Mayor of Tehran by the second City Council of Tehran on May 3, 2003, after a 12% turnout led to the election of the conservative candidates of Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran in Tehran. During his mayorship, he reversed many of the changes put into effect by previous moderate and reformist mayors, putting religious emphasis on the activities of the cultural centers founded by previous mayors, going on the record with the separation of elevators for men and women in the municipality offices and suggesting that the bodies of those killed in the Iran-Iraq war be buried in major city squares of Tehran. Such actions were coupled with an emphasis on charity, such as distributing free soup to the poor.

Ahmadinejad is known to have quarreled with president Mohammad Khatami, who then barred him from attending meetings of the Board of Ministers, a privilege usually extended to mayors of Tehran. He has publicly criticized Khatami for ignorance of the daily problems of the general public.

After two years as mayor, Ahmadinejad was shortlisted in a list of 65 finalists for World Mayor in 2005 . Out of the 550 nominated mayors, nine were from Asia.

Ahmadinejad resigned from his post as the mayor of Tehran after his election to the presidency. His resignation was accepted on June 28, 2005.

Presidency

Presidential campaign

Ahmadinejad generally sent mixed signals about his plans for his presidency, which some US-based analysts considered to have been designed to attract both religious conservatives and the lower economic classes . His campaign motto was, "It's possible and we can do it." (میشود و میتوانیم).

In his presidential campaign, Ahmadinejad took a populist approach, with emphasis on his own modest life, and had compared himself with Mohammad Ali Rajai, the second president of Iran—a claim that raised objections from Rajai's family. Ahmadinejad claims he plans to create an "exemplary government for the people of the world" in Iran. He is a self-described "principlist"; that is, acting politically based on Islamic and revolutionary principles. One of his goals is "putting the petroleum income on people's tables," referring to Iran's oil profits being distributed among the poor.

Ahmadinejad was the only presidential candidate who spoke out against future relations with the United States. Also, in an interview with Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting a few days before the elections, Ahmadinejad accused the United Nations of being "one-sided, stacked against the world of Islam." He has openly opposed the veto power given to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. In the same interview, he stated, "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." In addition, he has defended Iran's nuclear program and has accused "a few arrogant powers" of attempting to limit Iran's industrial and technological development in this and other fields.

After his election he proclaimed, "Thanks to the blood of the martyrs, a new Islamic revolution has arisen and the Islamic revolution of 1384 [the current Iranian year] will, if God wills, cut off the roots of injustice in the world." He said, that "the wave of the Islamic revolution" would soon "reach the entire world."

During his campaign for the second round, he said, "We didn't participate in the revolution for turn-by-turn government. [...] This revolution tries to reach a world-wide government." Also he has mentioned that he has an extended program on fighting terrorism in order to improve foreign relations and has 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."

As confirmed by Ahmadinejad, Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, a senior cleric from Qom, is President Ahmadinejad's ideological mentor and spiritual guide. Mesbah is the founder of Haghani School of thought in Iran. He and his team strongly supported Ahmadinejad's campaign during presidential election in 2005.

Election

Main article: Iranian presidential election, 2005

Ahmadinejad was appointed the President of Iran on August 3, 2005, receiving the approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. During the inauguration ceremony he kissed Khamenei's hand in demonstration of his loyalty to him. The act caused a stir in the national media as he is the first Iranian president to kiss Khamenei's hand and the second Iranian president (after Mohammad Ali Rajai) to kiss a Supreme Leader's hand. Khamenei's eldest son Mujtaba was Ahmadinejad's campaign manager during the election, and Ahmadinejad was widely perceived at the time of his election to be Khamenei's protégé. In a speech in 2006 Khamenei said: "This government is the most favorite government of Iran in 100 years".

In the first announcement after his presidency, Ahmadinejad asked the public servants not to post his photographs and pictures in governmental offices and use the pictures and photos of Khomeini and Khamenei only.

Ahmadinejad completed the requisite inaugural ceremonies on August 6, when he took a vow before the Majlis to protect Iran's national institutions: Shi'a Islam, the Islamic Republic, and the Constitution of Iran. Mohammad Reza Aref, Khatami's First Vice President, had been Acting President during the period of inaugural ceremonies.

Cabinet

Ahmadinejad was required to introduce his suggested ministers to Majlis for a vote of approval in fifteen days, after which Majlis would have one week to decide about the ministers. It was mentioned by Masoud Zaribafan, Ahmadinejad's campaign manager, that Ahmadinejad would probably introduce his cabinet on the same day of his vow, which did not happen, but the list was finally sent to the Majlis on August 14. The Majlis were set to vote on the suggested ministers by August 21.

The parliament had held a private meeting on August 5, when Ahmadinejad presented a shortlist of three or four candidates for each ministry, to know the opinion of Majlis about his candidates. A news website close to Ahmadinejad published a partial list of Ahmadinejad's decisions based on the feedback, which was updated and changed a few times. The final list was officially sent to the Majlis on August 14, 2005.

After a few days of heavy discussions in Majlis, which started on August 21, 2005, Ahmadinejad's cabinet was voted for on August 24, 2005, and became the first cabinet since the Iranian revolution in not winning a complete vote of approval. Four candidates, for the ministries of Cooperatives, Education, Petroleum, and Welfare and Social Security, all previous colleagues of Ahmadinejad in the Municipality of Tehran, were voted down. The other candidates became ministers. Surprisingly, Ahmadinejad has placed many Jews in high positions of Iran's government.

The list of suggested ministers and their votes went:

Ministry	Candidate minister	Approvals	Denials	Abstentions
Agricultural	Mohammad Reza Eskandari (Persian bio)	214	45	24
Commerce	Seyyed Masoud Mirkazemi	169	85	25
Communication and Information Technology	Mohammad Soleimani	220	43	16
Cooperatives	Alireza Ali-Ahmadi	105	134	34
Culture and Islamic Guidance	Mohammad Hossein Saffar Harandi	181	78	20
Defense and Logistics	Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar	205	55	17
Economy and Financial Affairs	Davoud Danesh-Jafari (Persian bio)	216	47	19
Education	Ali Akbar Ash'ari (Persian bio)	73	175	31
Energy	Parviz Fattah (Persian bio)	194	56	23
Foreign Affairs	Manouchehr Mottaki (Persian bio)	220	47	16
Health and Medical Education	Kamran Bagheri Lankarani (Persian bio)	169	86	27
Housing and Urban Development	Mohammad Saeedikia	222	31	25
Industries and Mines	Alireza Tahmasbi	182	58	30
Intelligence	Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeii (Persian bio)	217	51	13
Interior	Mostafa Pourmohammadi (Persian bio)	153	90	31
Justice	Jamal Karimi-Rad (Persian bio)	191	59	24
Labour and Social Affairs	Mohammad Jahromi	197	59	20
Petroleum	Ali Saeedlou	101	133	38
Petroleum	Mohsen Tasalloti	77	139	38
Petroleum	Kazem Vaziri Hamane	172	53	34
Roads and Transportation	Mohammad Rahmati (Persian bio)	214	43	21
Science, Research, and Technology	Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi (Persian bio)	144	101	35
Welfare and Social Security	Mehdi Hashemi	131	108	36

The new board of ministers held its first meeting on August 25 in Mashhad, promising to keep frequent meetings to cities other than the capital, Tehran. Temporary supervisors for two of the four ministries without new ministers were appointed by Ahmadinejad on August 27, Mohammad Nazemi Ardakani for the Ministry of Cooperatives and Davoud Madadi for the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security.

Domestic policy

Economy

Ahmadinejad submitted his first annual budget, covering April 2006–March 2007, to Iran’s parliament on January 15, 2006. The draft budget called for 1,956 trillion Rials (US$217.4 billion) in total spending, 27% more than in the fiscal 2005–06 budget. The oil-revenue projections, a significant portion of fiscal revenues, were based on a US$39.70/barrel price forecast for oil exports. The plan called on state-owned banks to allocate a larger portion of their resources to consumer loans for low-income families and small enterprises in underdeveloped regions. It also called for a visible increase in housing subsidies for low-income families, accounting for roughly US$1 billion in construction costs for the worse off.

2006-2007 budget proposal is to be an operational budget where funds would be devoted based on the outcome of an operation rather than dividing the budget among organizations. 0.6% of GDP has been devoted to scientific research, slightly under half of what is demanded by Iran's 4th Five-Year Social and Economic Development Plan (ie. 1.25% of GDP).

Despite the government's hostility toward NGOs, Ahmadinejad devoted approximately 35 billion Rials (roughly US$3.5 million) to an NGO associated with Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, an increase of almost tenfold.

In June 2006, 50 Iranian economists wrote a letter to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, criticising price interventions to stabilize prices of goods, cement, and government services, as well as a decree issued by the High Labor Council and the Ministry of Labor proposing an increase of workers' salaries by 40%. Ahmadinejad publicly responded harshly to the letter and denounced the accusations.

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" which was named after one of Shi'a Islam's Imams, Ali al-Rida. By tapping into Iran's oil revenues, Ahmadinejad's government claims 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. The fund also sought charitable donations, and includes a boards of trustees in each of Iran's 30 provinces. The new plan is subject to the approval of the conservative-held Majlis, but is seen as unlikely to encounter strong opposition, given that deputies in the Majles have also shown an eagerness to focus on resolving economic problems. 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 allegedly put his proposal into practice by ordering the administrative council to execute the plan.

Women's rights

On 24 April 2006, Ahmadinejad announced that a ruling which prevented women from watching men playing sports in stadiums would soon be reversed. A state television announcer reported that Ahmadinejad "ordered the head of the sports organisation to provide facilities in the stadiums to watch national matches." Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying: "The best stands should be allocated to women and families in the stadiums in which national and important matches are being held." Two days earlier, Ahmadinejad had objected to punishment of women appearing in stadiums without proper hijab. His remarks angered some supporters. Soon after his remarks, several of the highest ranking clerics and marjas including, Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, Grand Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani, Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, Grand Ayatollah Safi Golpaygani, Grand Ayatollah Fazel Lankarani and Ayatollah Mirza Javad Tabrizi announced their objection to his decision, calling for urgent cancellation of the order. In Qom, many clerics demonstrated against the president's letter. A Shi'ite news agency quoted one of Ahmadinejad's advisors saying that the President's statement about the attendance of women in stadium was a political measure to defend the Islamic regime against a US-led conspiracy. According to these reports, Ahmadinejad's government believed that the attendance of women in stadiums were against Sharia and therefore had to be banned, contrary to the earlier letter.

Science

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" after the Islamic Cultural Revolution earlier. The policy has been said to replace current professors with younger ones. Many University professors received letters indicating their early retirement unexpectedly.

Nuclear program

Ahmadinejad has been a vocal supporter of Iran's nuclear program. On January 11, 2006, Ahmadinejad announced that Iran would have peaceful nuclear technology very soon. He also emphasized that building the nuclear bomb is not the policy of his government. He reportedly said that there was no such policy and that such a policy was "illegal and against our religion."

He also added at a January 2006 conference in Tehran that a nation that had "culture, logic and civilisation" would not need nuclear weapons, but that countries which sought nuclear weapons were those which wanted to solve all problems by the use of force.

Ahmadinejad reportedly invited all countries to participate in Iran's nuclear project . He turned down an offer by Russian president Vladimir Putin to process uranium in order for Iran to use it. 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 Mashad, he was quoted saying that Iran's conditions had changed completely as it became a nuclear state and could talk to other states from that stand.

On April 13, 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."

However, 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 representatives appointed by the Supreme Leader, military officials and members of the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government (see eg. Ali Larijani), and reports directly to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who reportedly issued a fatwa against nuclear weapons in 2005 (see Ali Khamenei).

Foreign policy

United States-Iran relations

Main article: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's letter to George W. Bush

See also: United States-Iran relations

On May 8, 2006, Ahmadinejad sent a personal letter to United States President George Bush to propose "new ways" to end Iran's nuclear dispute. 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. The letter was meant to be an invitation to Islam. and took a broad, historical look at the U.S.-Iranian relationship. It was the first contact between both governments since April 9 1980. Ahmadinejad denied that his aim was to provoke the United States.

On August 8, 2006, he gave a television interview to Mike Wallace, a correspondent for 60 Minutes. It was his first interview for U.S. media after 6 months. .

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. However, Western intelligence officials recently accused Ahmadinejad of sanctioning the training and funding of Chechen rebels, who are fighting against Russia, inside Iran.

Iran-Israel relations

Main article: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel

See also: Iran-Israel relations

In October 2005 Ahmadinejad gave a speech that contained antagonistic statements about Israel. 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 Israel as a "disgraceful stain [on] the Islamic world" that would be eliminated.

Ahmadinejad's comments were condemned by major Western governments, the European Union, Russia, the United Nations Security Council and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Egyptian, Turkish and Palestinian leaders also expressed displeasure over Ahmadinejad's remark. 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."

The translation of his statement has been disputed. At a news conference on January 14, 2006, Ahmadinejad claimed regarding the October speech "There is no new policy, they created a lot of hue and cry over that." In June, 2006 Guardian columnist and foreign correspondent Jonathan Steele cited several Farsi speakers and translators who state that the phrase in question 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". 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".

Ahmadinejad also compared Israel's actions in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict to Adolf Hitler's actions during WWII saying that "Hitler sought pretexts to attack other nations" and that "the Zionist regime is seeking baseless pretexts to invade Islamic countries and right now it is justifying its attacks with groundless excuses".

On August 8, 2006, he gave a television interview to Mike Wallace, a correspondent for 60 Minutes, in which he talked about what he views as Israel's culpability for Lebanese suffering and the moral justification for Hezbollah's missile attacks. Later on in the interview Ahmadinejad was pressed on his views regarding the state of Israel, and asked to explain his previous statements questioning its right to exist, and suggesting that it should be relocated to Europe, since Europeans should have been forced to bear primary culpability for the Holocaust.

Holocaust denial

See also: Controversies surrounding Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Ahmadinejad repeatedly made controversial statements questioning the Holocaust, and criticized European laws against Holocaust denial. These statements were condemned by many governments, and led to accusations of anti-Semitism.

According to CNN, he stated that "they have invented a myth that Jews were massacred" . In an interview with Der Spiegel, he was asked, "Are you still saying that the Holocaust is just 'a myth'?" Ahmadinejad responded, "I will only accept something as truth if I am actually convinced of it." In the same interview, he later stated, "We oppose every type of crime against any people. But we want to know whether this crime actually took place or not. [...] If it did not occur, then the Jews have to go back to where they came from".

In reaction to Ahmadinejad's comments on the Holocaust, the United States Senate passed a unanimous resolution condemning his "harmful, destructive, and anti-Semitic statements." and "hate and animosity toward all Jewish people of the world.". Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said that the Holocaust was a "historic fact," while criticizing what he claimed was a connection between the Holocaust and "the persecution of the Palestinian people".

The translation of his statements on the Holocaust have been disputed by the Iranian government. The government-controlled IRNA news agency has stated that Ahmadinejad said, "some have created a myth on holocaust and hold it even higher than the very belief in religion and prophets." It should be noted that IRNA's mission is to secure "the Islamic Republic of Iran's national interests." . The Iranian government further responded through a spokesman who charged that "the Western media empire is trying to portrait [sic] Iran as an anti-Semitic country. [...] If you believe in the Holocaust [...] let other people express their ideas too and then try to convince them by your justifications." .

See also

• Iran
• President of Iran
• Politics of Iran
• Haghani Circle
• Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi
• 2006 Iranian sumptuary law controversy
• Controversies surrounding Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

External links

• Official website of the President of Iran
• Blog of President Ahmadinejad
• English transcripts Ahmadinejad's speeches
• List of audio versions of Ahmadinejad's speeches in Persian
• Gallery of the President of Iran
• Just How Far Did They Go, Those Words Against Israel? (Ethan Bronner, The New York Times)
• Iran victor 'kidnap role' probe (BBC)
• "Sample of his own words"
• Iran: President Says Light Surrounded Him During UN Speech
• President's Interview with USA Today, Feb 2006
• President Ahmadinejad Press Conference
• "Iranian leader: Holocaust a 'myth,'" CNN, Dec 2005
• Letter to US President George W. Bush, May 8, 2006
• English translated interview with German magazine DER SPIEGEL May 2006
• "Iran's Jews Learn to Live with Ahmadinejad"
• US prepares new provocations against Iran
• President Ahmadinejad interview shown on CSPAN, August 8, 2006.

Election and profile

• "Preparing for judgement day" (Channel 4 News profile)
• "News from Iran Blog" (Channel 4 News)
• "Iran elects new hardline leader" (BBC)
• Preparing Iran for the Judgement Day
• "Victor wants 'modern Islamic' Iran" (CNN)
• "Ahmadinejad elected president of Iran" (Al-Jazeera)
• Profile: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, BBC's profile on Ahmadinejad
• "Iran elections candidates: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad"
• "Iran’s new President has a past mired in controversy", a detailed biography
• Losing to Islamic Fascism: The Self-made Failure of Governmental Reformism in Iran
• Template:Fa icon Ahmadinejad's biography
• Template:Fa icon Ahmadinejad's campaign website
• Template:Fa icon اين عكس احمدى نژاد نيست, Shargh's report on Ahmadinejad's background as a student active in politics and that he was not involved in the US hostage crisis
• "What Do the Iranians Want?"
• "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Face"
• "Market Fundamentalists Lose in Iran (For Now)"
• A full list of Ahmadinejad's chosen cabinet ministers
• "Meet the West's worst nightmare" (Observer profile)

Criticisms

• 21 Billion Dollar Fraud is a Hoax
• "Ahmadinejad Faces Character Assassination" by Amir Taheri
• Template:Fa icon Karroubi's letter to Ayatollah Khamenei, alleging Ahmadinejad supporters of organized illegal activities
• Template:Fa icon The Mayor Who Does Not Like Criticism
• Who Is Ahmadinejad And What He Is Up To?
• In Iran, Arming for Armageddon (Charles Krauthammer)
• Son of the Ayatollah
• The Apocalyptic Vision of Iranian President Ahmadinejad
• Ahmadinejad and Armageddon: Iran's president craves Doomsday. We must not cave in to him.
• Daniel Pipes: The Mystical Menace of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
• Iran, Israel & the 12th Imam by Tony Pearce
• A short video on the opinion of Iranian people concerning President Ahmadinejad and his policies
• The New Republic, "Ahmadinejad's Demons" by Matthias Küntzel
• Billion Dollar Fraud of Ahmadinejad's brother during Ahmadinejad’s mayorship
• A Strategy for Reigning in Iran Press release issued by Senator Bill Nelson, critical of Ahmadinejad, which was published on his Senate website

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