Information about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad محمود احمدی‌نژاد--
Vice President(s)	Parviz Davoodi
Leader	Ali Khamenei
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Nationality	Iranian
Political party	Islamic Society of Engineers
Religion	Shi'a Islam

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (helpinfo)^[1] (born October 28, 1956)^[2] is the sixth and current President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He became president on 6 August 2005 after winning the 2005 presidential election by popular vote.^[3] Before becoming president, he was the Mayor of Tehran. He is the highest directly elected official in the country, but, according to Article 113 of Constitution of Iran, he has less total power than the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Iran and has the final word in all aspects of foreign and domestic policies.^[4][5]

Ahmadinejad is an outspoken critic of the George W. Bush Administration and supports strengthened relations between Iran and Russia (see Iran-Russia relations), Cuba, Venezuela (see Iran-Venezuela relations), Syria (see Iran-Syria relations) and the Persian Gulf states.^[6][7][8] He has said Iran's nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and has refused to end enrichment despite United Nations Security Council resolutions.^[9]

He was condemned, internationally, for calling for Israel to be "wiped off the map."^[10][11][12] He has also been condemned for describing the Holocaust as a myth to make "the innocent nation of Palestine pay",<ref name = "InternationalList1" />^[13] leading to accusations of antisemitism.^[14]

During his presidency, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launched a gas rationing plan to reduce the country's fuel consumption, dissolved the Management and Planning Organisation of Iran and cut the interest rate for private and public banking facilities.^[15][16]

Personal life and education

Ahmadinejad, the son of a blacksmith, was born in Garmsar, near Tehran on October 28, 1956. In 1976, he took Iran's national university entrance exams (konkoor) to gain admission into Iran's top universities. His test score ranked him 132nd among over 400,000 participants that year,^[17] landing him at the Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) as an undergraduate student of civil engineering.

After the Iranian Revolution, he entered the Master of Science program for civil engineering in 1984. In 1989, he became a member of the Science faculty at the university where he had studied.^[18] In 1997, he received his Ph.D. in transportation engineering and planning from the Science and Technology University. Even after being elected President, Ahmadinejad continued living in a simple apartment flat and eating meals brought from home, in his office.

Ahmadinejad is married with two sons and one daughter.^[19] One of his sons formerly studied at the Amirkabir University of Technology.^[20]

In August 2007, Ahmadinejad gave his approval for filmmaker Oliver Stone to make a biopic film on him. ^[21]

Timeline

Place	Position or Primary Activity	Year(s)
Garmsar	-	1956
Tehran	university examinee	1975
Basij	paramilitary member in engineering division	c.1980-1984
Iran University of Science and Technology	graduate student	c.1986-1989
Maku	Governor	c. early 1990s
Khoy	Governor	c. early 1990s
Kurdistan Province	Advisor to Governor General	c. early 1990s
Tehran	Advisor to Minister of Culture	1993
Ardabil Province	Governor General	1993-1997
Tehran	Active professor	1997-2003
Tehran	Mayor	2003-2005
Iran	President	2005-
Iran University of Science and Technology	Member of science & engineering board	1989-

Early political career

See also:

Ahmadinejad was politically active as a student during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. Several former hostages allege that Ahmadinejad was one of the key individuals holding Americans inside the embassy. A former Iranian secret agent said that the allegations were untrue (“I’m opposed to Ahmadinejad’s policies and thinking but he was not involved in the hostage drama nor in the assassination of an Iranian opposition Kurdish leader in Vienna”)^[22] and a classified CIA report says the claim is not proven.^[23]

Ahmadinejad served as Governor General of Ardabil Province from 1993 to 1997 but was not a nationally known figure when he was elected 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,^[24] 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.

After two years as mayor, Ahmadinejad was shortlisted in a list of 65 finalists for World Mayor in 2005.^[25] Out of the 550 nominated mayors, nine were from Asia.^[26]

He was not much better known when he entered the presidential election campaign, although he had already made his mark for rolling back earlier reforms. After his election to the presidency, Ahmadinejad resigned from his post as the mayor of Tehran. His resignation was accepted on June 28, 2005.

He is a member of the Central Council of the Islamic Society of Engineers, but his key support is inside the Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran (Abadgaran).^[27]

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.^[28] 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 compared himself with Mohammad Ali Rajai, the second president of Iran. Ahmadinejad said he had 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 has been "putting the petroleum income on people's tables", referring to Iran's oil profits being distributed among the poor.^[29]

Ahmadinejad was the only presidential candidate who spoke out against future relations with the United States. 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."^[30] 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." 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."^[31]

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."^[32] Since his election to the presidency he has taken a tough stand on a number of foreign policy matters, in line with his hard-line background.

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.^[33]

Election and Term

Main article: Iranian presidential election, 2005

Ahmadinejad became the 6th President of Iran on August 6, 2005, after winning 62% of the vote in the run-off poll, nearly twice that of ex-President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. He received the presidential authorization from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei on August 3, 2005.^[34] During the authorization ceremony he kissed Khamenei's hand in demonstration of his loyalty to him.^[35][36] Journalist Amir Taheri claims that Khamenei's eldest son Mujtaba acted as Ahmadinejad's campaign manager during the election.^[37] Ahmadinejad's current term will end in August 2009, but he will be eligible to run for one more term in office in 2009 presidential elections.

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. 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, with the other candidates becoming ministers.

The list of suggested ministers and their votes went:^[38]

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-Ejehei (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 those who are worse off.^[39]

Ahmadinejad is said to have devoted approximately 35 billion Rials (roughly US$3.5 million) to an NGO associated with Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, an increase of almost tenfold.^[40]

In June 2006, 50 Iranian economists wrote a letter to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, criticizing 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.^[41][42]

On January 25, 2007, The president called high petrol consumption as the main problem facing national economy.^[43]

“So far, this year (started March 21, 2006) the Oil Ministry has spent billions of dollars for importing petrol”, he noted. The government is trying to control the high petrol consumption, but it has no plan to sell the petrol at the market price, he stated. He also refused a gradual increase of petrol prices, saying after making necessary preparations such as a development of public transportation system the government will free up petrol prices after five years.^[44]

In July 2007, the Management and Planning Organisation of Iran was dissolved after a direct order of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The organization was a 60 years old, scientific planning body that had a supervisory role in addition to its responsibility to allocate the national budget. Although the MPO was a state body whose head was appointed by the president, it was relatively independent organisation.^[45] President Ahmadinejad, however, established a new budget planning body directly under his control, a move that may give him a freer hand to implement populist policies blamed for driving up prices.^[46] Economist Fariborz Raiis-Dana said that the decision dealt the coup de grace to the structure of the national management organization. Iranian MP Esmaeil Gramimoqaddam said that the president's directive is illegal and the parliament opposes his decision. "The president is not authorized to order an alteration or merger of an organization. This is the parliament's job," he added. ^[47]

Family planning and population policy

In October 2006, President 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.^[48] 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.<ref name = "Guard-Child" /> Critics reacted with alarm and said the president’s call was ill-judged at a time when Iran was struggling with surging inflation and rising unemployment, estimated at around 11%. Mr Ahmadinejad’s call for an increased birth rate is reminiscent of a demand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini 1979. The policy was effective in increasing population growth, but was eventually reversed in response to the resultant economic strain.<ref name = "Guard-Child" />

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"^[49] which was named after one of Shi'a Islam's Imams, 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. 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.^[50]

Women's rights and hijab

On 24 April 2006, Ahmadinejad announced that a ruling which prevented women from watching men playing sports in stadiums would soon be reversed.^[51] A state television announcer reported that Ahmadinejad "ordered the head of the sports organization 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.^[52] Soon after his remarks, several of the highest-ranking clerics and marjas including, Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi and Grand Ayatollahs Nouri Hamedani, Safi Golpaygani, Makarem Shirazi, Fazel Lankarani and Tabrizi announced their objection to his decision, urgently calling for cancellation of the order. In Qom, many clerics demonstrated against the president's letter.^[53] Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reversed the decision,^[54] and at least 60,000 mullahs in sharia courts, ranging from grassroots levels to the national level, expressed concerns. 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 government against a US-led conspiracy. According to these reports, Ahmadinejad's government believed that the attendance of women in stadiums was against Sharia and therefore had to be banned, contrary to the earlier letter.^[55]

Some conservatives in Iran have been angered by a perceived deterioration in obedience to the republic's female Islamic dress code. Conservative MP Rafat Bayat has blamed Ahmadinejad for this, saying that observance of the required hijab has declined because Ahmadinejad is "not that strict on this issue".^[56] Ahmadinejad has been also accused of indecency by people close to Rafsanjani,^[57] after he publicly kissed the hand of a woman who used to be his school teacher.^[58]

In April 2007, the Tehran police which is under supervision of Khamenei, began a crackdown on women with "improper hijab". This resulted in harsh criticism from associates of President Ahmadinejad, who have noted the injudiciousness of this action and the negative impact the issue will have on the youth.^[59] It was further reported that the idea was proposed by Combatant Clergy Association, in which Akbar Rafsanjani -the main opponent of President Ahmadinejad- is a leading member. President Ahmadinejad has summoned the head of the police and has asked him to clarify the reasons for the act.^[60]

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" after the Islamic Cultural Revolution earlier.^[61][62] The policy has been said to replace old professors with younger ones.^[63] Some university professors received letters indicating their early retirement unexpectedly.^[64] In November 2006, 53 university professors had to retire from Iran University of Science and Technology.^[65]

In 2006, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government applied a 50% quota for male students and 50% 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."^[66]

Nuclear program

See also:

Ahmadinejad has been a vocal supporter of Iran's civilian nuclear program. On January 11, 2006, Ahmadinejad announced that Iran would have peaceful nuclear technology very soon. 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."^[67][68]

He also added at a January 2006 conference in Tehran that a nation with "culture, logic and civilisation" would not need nuclear weapons, and that countries which seek nuclear weapons are those which want to solve all problems by the use of force.^[69]

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.^[70]

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."^[71]

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 two 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 issued a fatwa against nuclear weapons in 2005.^[72]

On November 15, 2006 the Iranian President announced that "Today the Iranian nation possesses the full nuclear fuel cycle."^[73]

In an interview with 60 Minutes on September 23, 2007, he stated that Iran has no need for nuclear weapons:^[74]

In his address to Columbia University on September 24, 2007, Ahmadinejad remarked:

In the following question and answer session, he said:

Domestic criticism of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Some critics have alleged that President Ahmadinejad is becoming increasingly unpopular at home for spending too much time criticizing the United States and not enough time reforming the nation's stagnant economy.^[75]

At one point in 2006, vegetables prices tripled and housing prices doubled within a matter of months, leading to calls by Iranians for Ahmadinejad to focus on the economy rather than disputes with the West. His critics include some of the conservatives who helped him win the 2005 presidential elections. For instance, Mohammad Khoshchehreh, a member of Iranian parliament who campaigned for Ahmadinejad, said that his government "has been strong on populist slogans but weak on achievement."^[76]

It is claimed that Iran's increasing economic and diplomatic isolation, have pushed conservatives inside Iran to distance themselves from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. More than 50 parliamentary members signed a letter in January 2007, calling on Ahmadinejad to appear before parliament to explain himself.^[77] Some sources^[78] say that Ahmadinejad may be vulnerable as Khamenei is said to have voiced his displeasure with him and due to the fact that the latter has the authority to dismiss the president. Khamenei himself usually refrains from speaking in public but in what some claimed was his privately owned newspaper, he supposedly criticized the president's "personalization" of the nuclear issue.^[78][79] However, sources close to the President have said the article comes from Rafsanjani.^[80] 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.^[81] Later, a source denied any rift between the nation's top politician and Ahmadinejad.^[82]

While the campaign to summon Ahmadinejad to appear in the Majlis is gathering momentum, some Majlis deputies have threatened to impeach the ministers of interior and education. According to reports published by various news agencies, the bills to impeach Mostafa Pourmohammadi (Minister of the Interior) and Mahmoud Farshidi (Minister of Education) will be introduced in Majlis on 24 Jan 2006.^[83]

In January 2007, Hossein Ali Montazeri harshly criticized Ahmadinejad and accused him of harming the country. Montazeri, 85, is a senior theologian of the Shia Muslim faith. Also Mohammad Moussavian, a former nuclear negotiator who is currently in prison for espionage, has accused Ahmadinejad of lying to the people about the grave consequences of the penalties voted for by the Security Council. "Our advice to the president is to speak about the nuclear issue only during important national occasions, stop provoking aggressive powers like the United States and concentrate more on the daily needs of the people, those who voted for you on your promises," wrote the Islamic Republic.^[84]

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who is a capitalist, has invoked the supreme leader, suggesting the leader was pained by the very slow pace of privatisation under Mr Ahmadinejad's government.^[85]

In 2005 Khamenei responded to President Ahmadinejad's alleged remark that Israel should be "wiped off the map" by saying that "the Islamic Republic has never threatened and will never threaten any country."^[86] Moreover Khamenei`s main advisor in foreign policy, Ali Akbar Velayati, refused to take part in Holocaust conference. In contrast to Ahmadinejad`s remarks, Velayati said that Holocaust was a genocide and a historical reality. ^[87]

In June 2007, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was criticized by some Iranian parliament members over his remark about Christianity and Judaism. According to Aftab News Agency, President 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 save mankind." Some members of Iranian parliament criticized these remarks as being fuels to religious war. ^[88][89]

December 2006 student protest

On December 11, 2006, some students disrupted a speech by Ahmadinejad at the Amirkabir University of Technology 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, they announced that they had been protesting the growing political pressure under Ahmadinejad, also accusing him of corruption, mismanagement, and discrimination. "The students showed that despite vast propaganda, the president has not been able to deceive academia", the statement added. It was also reported that some students were angry about the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust.^[90]

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".^[91] It was reported that even though the protesters broke the TV cameras, and threw hand-made bombs at Ahmadinejad,^[92] the president asked the officials not to question or disturb the protesters.^[93] 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.^[94]

1,000 students also protested the day before to denounce the increasing pressure on the reformist groups at the university, newspapers reported. In the week prior, more than 2,000 students protested at Tehran University on the country's annual student day,^[95] with speakers saying there had been a crackdown on dissent at universities since Ahmadinejad was elected.^[96][96]

An organization numbering 12,000 students led by student leader Abbas Fakhr-Avar, living in exile in the United States, opposes Ahmadinejad and hopes to topple his government.^[97]

2006 Councils and Assembly of Experts election

Main article: Iranian councils election, 2006

Main article: Iranian Assembly of Experts election, 2006

In the first nationwide election since Ahmadinejad took office in 2005, allies of the Iranian President failed to dominate election returns for the Assembly of Experts and local councils. Turnout of about 60 percent was reported, with the results suggesting a voter shift toward more moderate policies. "The results show that voters have learned from the past and concluded that we need to support . . . moderate figures", the independent daily newspaper Kargozaran said in an editorial. "This is a blow for Ahmadinejad and Mesbah-Yazdi's list", an Iranian political analyst was quoted as saying.^[98]

Parliamentary Opposition and vetoes by the Supreme Leader

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has had a number of struggles first of all on winning the Presidential election to get his nominations for official positions through parliament and to pass his legislation.

He was vetoed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei when he attempted to change the law to permit women to attend sporting events,^[99] and has been considered by some to be "not strict" on the issue of enforcement of Islamic dress codes.^[100]

His criticism of the West has been controversial among some members of Iranian Parliament, leading to attempts to compel him to go to the parliament to answer some questions, although impeachment is unlikely.^[101]

Foreign policy

Iran-United States relations strained with a possibility of war

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

See also: :See also:

While the U.S has linked its support for a Palistinian state to acceptance of Israel's right to exist, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinjad has retorted that Israel be moved to Europe instead.^[102] The U.S. has sent clear signals to Iran that its posturing against Israel's right to exist is unacceptable leading to increased speculation of a U.S. led attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, with U.S. Presidential candidate Rudy Guilani declaring that, "Palistinian statehood will have to be earned through sustained good governance, a clear commitment to fighting terrorism, and a willingness to live in peace with Israel."^[103] Even though Iran has denied involvement in Iraq, President Bush has warned of "consequences," sending a clear message to Iran that the U.S may take military action against.^[104] U.S Presidential candidate Mitt Romney added a subsequent warning signal to Iran, saying that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad should not be allowed to speak at the U.N. and should instead be greeted "with an indictment under the genocide convention." ^[105] In spite of the signals, Iran appears to continue to misunderstand or ignore U.S policy regarding recognizing Israel's right to exist, which has a been a key component to the U.S support for a Palistinian state since the Ronald Reagan administration, creating serious doubt in the George W. Bush administration whether Iran's stated desire for relations with the U.S is genuine.

On May 8, 2006, Ahmadinejad sent a personal letter ^[106] to United States President George Bush to propose "new ways" to end Iran's nuclear dispute.^[107] 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.^[108] 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."^[109]

On August 8, 2006, he gave a television interview to Mike Wallace, a correspondent for 60 Minutes.^[12]

In mid 2006, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad invited President George W. Bush to a debate at the United Nation General Assembly which was to take place on September 19 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."^[111]

On November 29, 2006, Ahmadinejad wrote an open letter to the American people,^[112] 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 their concealing the truth about current realities. The letter criticized many policies of the US administration, and stated that the American people "showed their discontent in the recent elections."^[113] In the letter, he also states that Iran condemns all terrorism. The current U.S. administration considers Iran to be the world's leading state supporter of terrorism and Iran has been on the United States' state sponsors of terrorism list since 1984.^{[114][115][116]}

During his presidency, Iran and US had the most high-profile contact in almost 30 years. Iran and US froze diplomatic relations in 1980 and had no direct diplomatic contact until May 2007.^[117]

Prelude to possible war

On July 12, 2007 the United States Senate passed a resolution warning Iran about attacks in Iraq 97-0. On September 26, 2007, the United States Senate passed a resolution 76-22 and labeled an arm of the Iranian military as a terrorist organization, which according to Senator Jim Webb gives the Bush administration a defacto authorization to use military force against Iran. During the Democratic debate on September 26, 2007, Democratic presidential candidates indicated that U.S troops may be in Iraq until 2013.^[118] On September 27, 2007, a leading French newspaper, Le Canard Enchaine, reported that an attack against Iran may be imminent.^[119]

U.S. visit and speech at Columbia University

On September 24, 2007, Columbia University and its School of International and Public Affairs invited Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak on campus as part of Columbia University's World Leaders Forum.^[120] The invitation was criticized by some, applauded by others.^[121]

In his introductory speech, University President Lee Bollinger criticized President Ahmadinejad, calling him a "petty and cruel dictator" and asked him questions about previous remarks concerning the Holocaust, his record on civil rights.^[122] Ahmadinejad responded to Bollinger's remarks by saying:

During his speech, Ahmadinejad criticized Israel's policies towards the Palestinians, called for research on the historical accuracy of Holocaust, expressed his sympathy for the families of the victims of 9/11 attacks, raised questions as to who initiated the attacks, expressed the self-determination of Iran's nuclear energy program, criticizing the United Nation's policy of sanctions on his country, and criticized U.S. policy in the Middle East. In response to a question about Iran's treatment of women and homosexuals, he asserted that women are respected in Iran, and stated "In Iran, we don't have homosexuals, like in your country. We don't have that in our country. In Iran, we do not have this phenomenon. I don't know who's told you that we have it."^[123] (See LGBT rights in Iran)

On September 26 the Jewish community in Iran released a statement criticising the disrespect shown to the Iranian President. Signed by the heads of the Iranian Jewish communities it said in part, "The constant disrespect and disturbance demonstrated during Ahmadinejad's speech at Columbia prove once more that those claiming to be peace loving people have no real grasp of the concept", and called the treatment "outrageous".^[124]

Iran-Russia relations

See also:

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.^[125] However, Western intelligence officials recently accused Ahmadinejad of sanctioning the training and funding of Chechen rebels, who are fighting against Russia, inside Iran.^[126]

Anti-Israel statements

Main article: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel

See also:

On October 26, 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 map."<ref name = "WIPED" />

Ahmadinejad's comments were condemned by major Western governments, the European Union, Russia, the United Nations Security Council and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.^[127] Egyptian, Turkish and Palestinian leaders also expressed displeasure over Ahmadinejad's remark.^[128] 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.”^[129]

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."^[130] 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".^[131] 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".^[132]

Ahmadinejad has compared Israel's actions in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict to Adolf Hitler's actions during World War II saying that "Just like Hitler, the Zionist regime is just looking for a pretext for launching military attacks" and "is now acting just like him."^[133]

On August 8, 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.<ref name = "MA 60 Minutes" />

On December 2, 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.^[134]

On December 12, 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." He continued, "Everyone must know that just as the U.S.S.R. disappeared, this will also be the fate of the Zionist regime, and humanity will be free."^[135]

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."^[136]

Holocaust denial and accusations of antisemitism

Main article: Controversies surrounding Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

See also:

In December 2005 Ahmadinejad made several controversial statements about the Holocaust, calling it "a myth", and criticizing European laws against Holocaust denial.^[137] In a May 30 2006 interview with Der Spiegel Ahmadinejad again questioned the Holocaust several times, insisting there were "two opinions" on it. When asked if the Holocaust was a myth, he responded "I will only accept something as truth if I am actually convinced of it".^[138] In an appearance at Columbia University September 25, 2007, he stated that the Holocaust should be left open to debate and research like any other historical event. ^[139]

In response to these statements and actions, a variety of sources, including the U.S. Senate,^[140] have accused Ahmadinejad of antisemitism. On December 11, 2006 the "International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust" opened, with widespread world condemnation of this conference.^[141] The conference, called for by and held at the behest of Ahmadinejad,^[142] was widely described as a "Holocaust denial conference" or a "meeting of Holocaust deniers",^[143] though Iran maintained that it was not a Holocaust denial conference.^[144]

Human rights

Main article: Human rights in Islamic Republic of Iran

Some human rights organizations and many Western governments say the current human rights situation in Iran under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is poor; for example, the Canadian government listed Iran as one of the thirteen worst abusers of human rights in 2006.^[145] According to Amnesty International, dissidents who oppose the government non-violently face harassment, torture and execution and the election of Ahmadinejad signaled the defeat of "pro-reform" supporters^[146]. According to Human Rights Watch, "[r]espect 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 on the one hand the Judiciary, accountable to Ali Khamenei, and on the other to members directly appointed by Ahmadinejad. Again according to Human Rights Watch, "[s]ince 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."^[147]

Tolerance of public protest varies under Ahmadinejad. Human Rights Watch writes that "[t]he Ahmadinejad government, in a pronounced shift from the policy under former president Mohammed Khatami, has shown no tolerance for peaceful protests and gatherings."

Responses to dissent vary. In December 2006, Ahmadinejad advised officials not to disturb students who engaged in a rowdy protest during a speech of his at the Amirkabir University of Technology in Tehran,^[148] although speakers at other protests have included among their complaints that there had been a crackdown on dissent at universities since Ahmadinejad was elected.^[149][150]

See also

• Politics of Iran
• Haghani Circle
• Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi
• 2006 Iranian sumptuary law controversy
• Holocaust denial

References