Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei

Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei
Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei
اسفندیار رحیم ‌مشایی
Chief of Staff of the President of Iran
Incumbent
Assumed office
30 July 2009
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Preceded by Gholam-Hossein Elham
Head of Presidential Center
In office
19 September 2009 – 9 April 2011
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Preceded by Reza Sheykholeslam
Succeeded by Hamid Baqai
First Vice President of Iran
In office
17 July 2009 – 25 July 2009
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Preceded by Parviz Davoodi
Succeeded by Mohammad-Reza Rahimi
Head of Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization
In office
4 August 2005 – 17 July 2009
Preceded by Hossein Mar'ashi
Succeeded by Hamid Baqai
Personal details
Born 16 November 1960 (1960-11-16) (age 51)
Ramsar, Iran
Political party Abadgaran
Spouse(s) Zabihian Langeroudi
Alma mater Isfahan University of Technology
Religion Shia Islam

Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei (Persian: اسفندیار رحیم‌مشایی; born 16 November 1960 in Ramsar) is a top adviser, and close confident[1] of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.[2] He is currently Ahmadinejad's Chief of Staff. He served as the head of the Presidential Center from 2009 to 2011[3], and was First Vice President of Iran for one week in 2009 before he was ordered removed from that post by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.[4][5] He has been widely criticized by Iranian conservatives for alleged "deviant" tendencies.[6][7][8][1]

Mashaei has been described as a "Religious-Nationalist" who actively promotes nationalistic themes and ideas, and puts emphasis on Iran's pre-Islamic past, much to the disdain of the Islamic Republic's conservative establishment.[9] He has also been called a pragmatic, moderate Conservative with "liberal views on cultural and social issues",[10]

Contents

Background

He was born on 16 November 1960 in Katalom, Ramsar, Mazandaran Province. His father, Rahim was a businessman in their city. Mashaei studied electrical engineering and holds a bachelor's degree from Isfahan University of Technology. In 1984, during the Iran-Iraq War, Mashaei joined the Intelligence Ministry in Kurdistan, where he met Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, then governor of the northwestern city of Khoy. The two men developed a close friendship[11] and Mashaei has been described as the President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's "comrade" during that time. After Ahmadinejad was elected president in 2005, Mashaei became an influential member of the cabinet.[11] He was appointed on 31 December 2007 to run the newly founded National Center for Research on Globalization.[12] He is a former head of the Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran, and previously served briefly as a deputy interior minister.

Mashaei's daughter married President Ahmadinejad's oldest son in 2008.[11]

Career and activities

According to Associated Press, Mashaei appears to be the "core" of the dispute between President Ahmadinejad and religious hard-liners in Iran. Mashaei's views, such as his statement that Iran’s ideology "should take precedent over promoting Islam on the world stage" have "outraged hard-liners" and brought a dispute between the president and parliament.[1]

Views and controversies

In 2007, Mashaei controversially attended a ceremony in Turkey where women performed a traditional dance. Conservative interpretations of Islam prohibit dancing by women.

In 2008, he hosted a ceremony in Tehran in which several women played tambourines while another carried the Koran to a podium to recite verses from the Muslim holy book. Hard-liners viewed the festive mood as disrespectful to the Koran.

Mashaei also made public statements which some considered pro-Israel,[13] when he said that Iranians are “friends of all people in the world - even Israelis,”[14] and that any conflict was with the Israeli Government only. In another occasion he said: "No nation in the world is our enemy, Iran is a friend of the nation in the United States and in Israel, and this is an honor."[15] He received criticisms from clerics, conservative members of the Iranian Parliament[16] and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who called the comments about Israelis "illogical".[17] However, his comments received some cautious backing from Mahmoud Ahmedinejad.[18]

On August 6, 2010, Mashaei again drew protests from Iran's conservative establishment after speaking at a meeting with Iranian expatriates. He said that the ideology of Iran, rather than Iran's state religion of Shia Islam, should be promoted to the world. He also asserted that the country only acknowledged the "pure Islam implemented in Iran and not how Islam is interpreted in and by other countries."[19] He claimed that without Iran, Islam would be lost and other Islamic countries feared Iran due to Iran having the only "truthful" version of Islam.[20] His remarks shocked many in the audience.

Iran’s armed forces joint chief of staff, General Hassan Firouzabadi, said Mashaei's comments were a “crime against national security” and were divisive against the rest of the Muslim world.[20] Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami said that "equating the school of Iran and the school of Islam amounts to pagan nationalism, which the people of Iran have never accepted." Hardline cleric Ayatollah Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi, condemned Mashaei for having "once again made erroneous and inappropriate statements."[21]

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who also spoke at the meeting, defended Mashaei by saying "the atmosphere of criticism is a necessity and nobody should be condemned for voicing his viewpoints and not every difference of opinion should lead to a fight... what Mashaei wanted to say was that Iran is a country with culture and civilization and accordingly chose Islam as its ideology."[19] Despite the amount of protest and criticism, Mashaei has never retracted any of his statements.

He has been "associated" with the "deviant current"[22], or "perverted group"[23] (described by the Tehran Times as Iranians "obsessed with the imminent return of the Shiite messiah" and giving insufficient defference to Shia clerics[24]; and by the Tehran Bureau as "Mashaei and his inner circle"[23]). According to Karim Sadjadpour, intelligence forces loyal to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei using listening devices to listen in on “private” meetings of Mashaei and his supporters, have heard Mashaei talk of "designs to supplant the clergy".[25] According to a report in the New York Review of Books, Mashaei is believed by his followers to be in contact with the "Imam of the Era" or the 12th Imam, and this is the source of his dispute with Iran's clerics and reason for Ahmadinejad's refusal to part ways with him.[26][27]

Promotion to First Vice President

On 17 July 2009, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced Mashaei would become the new First Vice President of Iran.[14][28] Iran has twelve vice presidents, but the First Vice President is the most important, as he leads Cabinet meetings if the president is absent.[17]

The announcement triggered criticism from conservatives, including the Basij militia. Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami said the “completely unbelievable” appointment “ridicule[d] the highest religious authorities.” The Kayhan newspaper said it was a “mistake” that would “no doubt provoke strong opposition.”[14] The Union of Islamic Students stated "The news of your appointment by the legal president has plunged into deep surprise a large number of idealistic students who endured the widespread wave of defamation launched by opposition against Mr. Ahmadinejad and backed his candidacy," ... "While reaffirming our support for Mr. Ahmadinejad, the best choice for president, we believe that your immediate resignation from the post of first vice president would be the only way to serve fundamentalism," ... "You will be on the receiving end of the dire consequences of this appointment." Reformist lawmaker Dariush Ghanbari described the appointment as a "declaration of war" on parliament, because Ahmadinejad had earlier been asked to consult with the deputies before naming his Cabinet. Conservative Parliament speaker Ali Larijani said he was "shocked" to hear of the appointment.[29]

The Pupils Assn. News Agency, an offshoot of the official Islamic Republic News Agency, reported on 19 July 2009 that Mashaei had resigned the post, but the government-controlled Al-Alam News Network later contradicted that report.[29]

Dismissal by Khamenei

On 18 July 2009, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ordered Mashaei to resign from the cabinet.[4] Second Deputy Speaker Mohammad Hassan Aboutorabi-Fard was on 21 July quoted as saying "Eliminating Mashaei from key positions and the first deputy position is a strategic decision by the regime. The Supreme Leader’s opinion about the removal of Mr. Rahim Mashaei from the position of president’s first deputy has been submitted to the President in writing. Without any delay, the dismissal order or Mashaei’s resignation must be announced by the President."

However, Ahmadinejad’s senior assistant was quoted as saying "I have not seen a clear and convincing reason given by anyone to make [Mashaei's] appointment to the first deputy position impossible. Some say he has made mistakes in some of his statements. Well, everyone makes mistakes." He said "The decision to appoint Mashaei will not be revisited," although he later retracted that position.[30][31][32]

Ministers including Intelligence Minister Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i and Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-Hossein Saffar Harandi stormed out of a Cabinet meeting during an argument with Ahmedinejad over Mashaei's appointment.[33]

On 22 July, Ahmedinejad spoke affirmatively at a farewell function for Mashaei as he resigned from his position as tourism vice president to take up his new post. "I like Rahim Mashaei for 1,000 reasons. One of the biggest honours of my life and one of the biggest favours from God to me is knowing Rahim Mashaei." ... "He is like a pure source of water. One of the reasons to like him is that when you sit with him and talk, there is no distance with him. He is like a transparent mirror. Unfortunately not many people know him."[34]

By 24 July this position had become politically unsustainable. Mashaei resigned from the office of vice president, in compliance with the orders of Supreme Leader Khamenei.[4][5]

Some analysts have said hard-liners opposed Mashaei because of his comments about Israel. Others suggest he is a member of a secretive sect, the Hojjatieh, which the Islamic Republic's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, outlawed, and to which Ahmedinejad has also been linked.[33] It is unclear whether there is any factual basis to these suggestions. Dubious rumors of unusual religious affiliations have been known to surface in Iran concerning people with whom the regime is disaffected.[35]

It has been suggested that by demanding Mashaei's removal, Khamenei effectively appropriated a new power, since normally the Supreme Leader does not intervene openly to oust a government official.[36] However, Article 131 of the Constitution provides that First Vice President takes over as acting President in cases where the President is incapacitated only if permitted by the Supreme Leader.

Appointment as chief of staff

Following Mashaei's resignation, Ahmedinejad appointed him as his chief of staff and head of presidential center, abruptly dismissed from the cabinet Intelligence Minister Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i who had opposed the vice-presidential appointment, and threatened to dismiss Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-Hossein Saffar Harandi. Harandi resigned before he could be dismissed.[33][37] Mashaei was dismissed as Head of Presidential Center less than two years later in April 2011, but retained his "other posts". He was replaced by Hamid Baqai, another Ahmadinejad "ally".

2013 Iranian presidential election

Ahmadinejad is constitutionally prohibited from seeking a third consecutive term, so he cannot participate in the 2013 Presidential Election. A "confidential US diplomatic cable" revealed by WikiLeaks in 2011 reported that Mashaei was "being groomed as a possible successor" to president Ahmedinejad.[2][38]

Threat to destroy Israel

On May 20, 2010 Mashaei said that if Israel attacked Iran, Iran could destroy it within a week, the exact words being "Zionists will have no longer than a week to live"[39].

Quotes

  • "No nation in the world is our enemy, Iran is a friend of the nation in the United States and in Israel, and this is an honor. We view the American nation as one with the greatest nations of the world."[15]
  • "Today, Iran is friends with the American and Israeli people. No nation in the world is our enemy."[40]
  • "The position that I have always taken is that Palestinians must continue to fight for their rights and the return of their land."[41]
  • "There are different interpretations of Islam, but our understanding of the real nature of Iran and of Islam is the Iranian school. From now on, we must present to the world the school of Iran."[21]
  • "Without Iran, Islam would be lost... if we want to present the truth of Islam to the world, we should erect the Iranian flag[20]...the Islam of the Iranians is different and enlightening, and will shape the future."
  • "The era of Islamism has come to an end. We had an Islamic revolution in 1979. But the era of Islamism is finished." [42]

References

  1. ^ a b c Iranian lawmakers warn Ahmadinejad to accept intelligence chief as political feud deepens, Associated Press, April 20, 2011
  2. ^ a b Ahmadinejad grooms chief-of-staff to take over as Iran's president, Saeed Kamali Dehghan 21 April 2011
  3. ^ "Iran's Ahmadinejad demotes top advisor". Los Angeles Times. 2011-04-09. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/09/world/la-fg-iran-demotion-20110410. Retrieved 2011-04-11. 
  4. ^ a b c "Revolutionary Leader's letter to the President about Mr. Mashaei" (in Persian). Khamenei web site. 2009-07-18. http://farsi.khamenei.ir/message-content?id=7495. Retrieved 2009-07-25. 
  5. ^ a b "Iranian vice-president 'sacked'". BBC News. 2007-12-25. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8168202.stm. Retrieved 2009-07-25. 
  6. ^ Iran president defies opponents and sacks ministers By Monavar Khalaj in Tehran| ft.com| May 15 2011]
  7. ^ Clash Over Mashaei Reveals Fissure Within the Iranian Regime Coauthored by Geneive Abdo and Arash Aramesh| The Huffington Post| 26 April 2011
  8. ^ Embattled Ahmadinejad stands his corner By Mahan Abedin| atimes.com| 29 September 2011
  9. ^ [1]
  10. ^ http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iczn98Y5or5EtxCbtL3OC0xavwTg?docId=CNG.311ff618d7ac4d442e5627247e763672.5e1
  11. ^ a b c Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei: Iran's Next President? by KOUROSH RAHIMKHANI pbs.org 31 Mar 2011
  12. ^ "Iran launches globalization center". Iranian Embassy, Jakarta. 2007-12-31. http://www.iranembassy.or.id/news_detail.php?idne=1344&idn=1&idsn=. Retrieved 2009-07-19. 
  13. ^ Deutsche Press Agentur (2008-08-13). "Iranian lawmakers demand vice president resign over Israel comments". Monsters and Critics blog. http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1423687.php/Iranian_lawmakers_demand_vice_president_resign_over_Israel_comments. Retrieved 2009-07-19. 
  14. ^ a b c Robert F. Worth (2009-07-19). "Ex-President in Iran Seeks Referendum". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/20/world/middleeast/20iran.html?_r=1&hp. Retrieved 2009-07-19. 
  15. ^ a b Dudi Cohen (2008-07-19). "Iranian VP: We are friends of the nation in Israel". YnetNews. http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/ArticleLayout/CdaArticlePrintPreview/1,2506,L-3570266,00.html. Retrieved 2009-07-20. 
  16. ^ Deutsche Press Agentur (2008-08-12). "Iran vice-president summoned by parliament over pro-Israeli comments". Monsters and Critics blog. http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1423687.php/Iranian_lawmakers_demand_vice_president_resign_over_Israel_comments. Retrieved 2009-07-19. 
  17. ^ a b Nasser Karimi (2009-07-19). "Ahmadinejad Criticized By Hard-Liners Over Vice President Choice". Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/19/ahmadinejad-criticized-by_n_240252.html. Retrieved 2009-07-19. 
  18. ^ Najmeh Bozorgmehr (2008-09-18). "Ahmadi-Nejad backs aide over Israel". Financial Times. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f2f0ffb2-85b9-11dd-a1ac-0000779fd18c.html?nclick_check=1. Retrieved 2009-07-19. 
  19. ^ a b Deutsche Press Agentur (2010-08-11). "Iranian president defends chief of staff in dispute with clergy". Earth Times. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/338947,chief-staff-dispute-clergy.html. Retrieved 2010-08-11. 
  20. ^ a b c Ali Sheikholeslami (2010-08-10). "Iran Forces' Chief of Staff Criticizes Ahmadinejad Aide Over Islam Remarks". Bloomberg. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-10/iran-forces-chief-of-staff-criticizes-ahmadinejad-aide-over-islam-remarks.html. Retrieved 2010-08-11. 
  21. ^ a b AFP (2010-08-07). "Ahmadinejad aide 'in new row with Iran conservatives'". Yahoo. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100807/wl_mideast_afp/iranpoliticsreligionahmadinejad. Retrieved 2010-08-11. [dead link]
  22. ^ Two years after Iran's marred election, hard-liners anything but triumphant by Scott Peterson| csmonitor.com| 2011 June 12
  23. ^ a b Ahmadinejad Absent Again; Mass Poison-Pen Text Targets Mashaei 27 Apr 2011
  24. ^ Salehi avoids impeachment through Malekzadeh resignation Tehran Times Political Desk, 22 June 2011
  25. ^ The Rise and Fall of Iran’s Ahmadinejad| Karim Sadjadpour| Washington Post| 13 July 2011
  26. ^ The Man Who Is Upsetting Iran 10 November 2011 (complete text not available online)
  27. ^ see also: Iran News Round Up September 12, 2011 quoting Hojjat al-Eslam Saqqa-ye Bi-Ria: "Mashaei says: 'I was in a spiritual state and was convinced that the Imam of the Era wants Ahmadinejad to name the individuals. In reality this is the meaning and words of the Bab [Bahai] movement which is being expressed in the face of the Guardian Jurist."
  28. ^ Reuters (2009-07-18). "Iran names new head of atomic energy body". Yahoo News. http://asia.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20090717/twl-oukwd-uk-iran-nuclear-organisation-13abf6c.html. Retrieved 2009-07-19. 
  29. ^ a b Borzou Daragahi (2009-07-20). "Iran's moderate vice president under pressure to resign". Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran-resign20-2009jul20,0,6965373.story. Retrieved 2009-07-20. 
  30. ^ "Khamenei Fires Ahmadinejad’s Deputy; Ahmadinejad Aid Fights Back". NIAC Blog. 2009-07-21. http://niacblog.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/khamenei-to-ahmadinejad-remove-mashaei/. Retrieved 2009-07-21. 
  31. ^ "Contradictory news about the dismissal of R. Mashaei" (in Persian). BBC Persian Service. 2009-07-21. http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2009/07/090721_op_mashai_contradictions.shtml. Retrieved 2009-07-21. 
  32. ^ "Written comment regarding Mashaei for Islamic leader has been sent to the President" (in Persian). ParlemanNews.com. 2009-07-21. http://parlemannews.com/?n=2078. Retrieved 2009-07-21. 
  33. ^ a b c "Iranian president fires two top officials; 2 more protesters reportedly killed". Los Angeles Times. 2009-07-26. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran27-2009jul27,0,6911282.story. Retrieved 2009-07-26. 
  34. ^ Jay Deshmukh, AFP (2009-07-22). "Defiant Ahmadinejad defends controversial VP pick". Yahoo.com. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090722/wl_mideast_afp/iranpolitics. Retrieved 2009-07-22. [dead link]
  35. ^ Shirin Ebadi (2009-07-06). "Open Letter by Shirin Ebadi to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad : humanrights-ir.org". Defenders of Human Rights Center. http://www.humanrights-ir.org/php/view_en.php?objnr=284. Retrieved 2009-07-10. 
  36. ^ Ali Akbar Dareini, Associated Press (2009-07-25). "Iran VP pick is forced out". Philadelphia Inquirer. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/world_us/20090725_Iran_VP_pick_is_forced_out.html. Retrieved 2009-07-25. [dead link]
  37. ^ Robert F. Worth and Nazila Fathi (2009-07-26). "Ahmadinejad Seen as Increasingly Vulnerable Since Re-election". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/27/world/middleeast/27iran.html?_r=1&hpw. Retrieved 2009-07-27. 
  38. ^ US Embassy Cables. The Documents
  39. ^ Ynet News 05/20/2010
  40. ^ Jon Leyne, BBC News, Tehran (2008-09-22). "Iranian row on Zionism breaks out". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7628316.stm. Retrieved 2011-04-27. 
  41. ^ "Iran's VP: Leader right about Israel". Press TV. 2008-09-20. http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=70013&sectionid=351020101. Retrieved 2009-07-20. 
  42. ^ http://alef.ir/1388/content/view/49665/

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Hossein Mar'ashi		 Head of Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization
2005–2009		 Succeeded by
Hamid Baqai
Preceded by
Parviz Davoodi		 First Vice President of Iran
2009		 Succeeded by
Mohammad Reza Rahimi
Preceded by
Reza Sheykholeslam		 Head of Presidential Center of Iran
2009-2011		 Succeeded by
Hamid Baqai
Preceded by
Gholam-Hossein Elham		 Chief of Staff of the President of Iran
2009-Present		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
Hossein Saffar Harandi		 Deputy leader of Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran
2007-2011		 Succeeded by
Nasrin Soltankhah

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