Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi
{{Short description|Iranian politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|image = Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi IMAGE634945642941982752.jpg
|name = Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi
|birth_date = {{birth year and age|1953}}
|death_date =
|death_place =
|nationality = Iranian
| office1= Head of Parliament of Iran's Commission on Education and Research
| term_start1 = 12 June 2012[http://www.icana.ir/Fa/News/198679 زاهدی رئیس کمیسیون آموزش و تحقیقات مجلس نهم شد] and 2019 for second time
| term_end1 = 28 June 2018
| predecessor1 = Ali Abbaspour
| successor1 = Mohammad Reza Aref
| office2= Member of the Parliament of Iran
| term_start2 = 28 May 2012
| term_end2 = 27 May 2024
| constituency2 = {{illm|Kerman and Ravar (electoral district)|fa|حوزه انتخابیه کرمان و راور|lt=Kerman and Ravar}}
| predecessor2 =
| majority2 = 150,825
| office3=Iranian Ambassador to Malaysia
| term_start3 = 22 November 2009[http://www.mehrnews.com/news/988380/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D9%85%D9%87%D8%AF%DB%8C-%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%AF%DB%8C-%D8%B3%D9%81%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D8%AF محمد مهدی زاهدی سفیر ایران در مالزی شد]
| term_end3 = 11 October 2011[http://donya-e-eqtesad.com/news/517821 انتصاب سفرای جدید ایران در 10 کشور]
|president3 = Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
| predecessor3 = Mehdi Khandabadi
| successor3 = Jalal Firouznia
|title4 = Minister of Science, Research and Technology
|term_start4 = 24 August 2005
|term_end4 = 3 September 2009
|president4 = Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
|predecessor4 = Jafar Towfighi
|successor4 = Kamran Daneshjoo
|party = {{plainlist|
- Front of Islamic Revolution Stability {{small|(2011–present)}}{{cite web|url=http://www7.irna.ir/fa/News/81710869/|title=تداوم سوال از وزرا/پاسخ های رحمانی فضلی و طیب نیا به دو عضو پایداری در مجلس|language=fa|date=7 August 2015|access-date=11 July 2016|publisher=Islamic Republic News Agency}}
- Islamic Society of Engineers {{small|(2012–present)}}{{cite web|url=http://www.khabaronline.ir/detail/225063/Politics/parties|title= ترکیب جدید جامعه اسلامی مهندسین مشخص شد/ خروج نبوی و غفوری‌فرد و ورود زاهدی به جمع مهندسان سیاسی+ مروری بر سوابق اعضای شورای مرکزی مهندسان سیاسی|language=fa|date=2 July 2012|access-date=11 July 2016|publisher=Khabaronline}}
- YEKTA Front {{small|(2015–present)}}{{cite web|url=http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13940326000657|title=زاهدی در گفت‌وگو با فارس خبر داد: حضور جبهه "یکتا" در انتخابات مجلس با توصیه آیت‌الله موحدی‌کرمانی|language=fa|date=16 June 2015|access-date=11 July 2016|publisher=Fars News Agency}}
}}
|alma_mater = Tarbiat Modares University
| children =
| signature = Signature of Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi.svg
}}
Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi (born 1953 in Kerman) is an Iranian politician and was the former minister of science and technology in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Zahedi was approved by Iran's parliament with the fewest supporting votes possible (supporters had only one vote more than opponents). He was elected as a Member of the Parliament in 2012 election. He was reelected in 2016. On 1 January 2017, he has announced that he would run for presidency in 2017 presidential election. His nomination was rejected by the Guardian Council.
Academia
Zahedi received his PhD in Mathematics from Kerman University where he is currently{{when?|date=May 2024}} a "full professor". He is the first graduate of a PhD in mathematics in Iran.{{cite web |date=2006-07-26 |first= Sara |last=Isfahani |url=http://roozonline.com/01newsstory/016771.shtml |access-date=July 21, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061021103408/http://roozonline.com/01newsstory/016771.shtml |archive-date=October 21, 2006 |title=اصرار وزير علوم بر 21 ساعت کار روزانه! |lang=fa |work=Rooz Online}} Zahedi has 15 scientific articles in ISI with very few citations (most of them self citations). He repeatedly called himself "one of the greatest mathematicians of the time".{{cite web |url=http://www.iran-daily.com/1384/2350/html/index.htm |title= Iran Daily - Front Page - 08/15/05|website=www.iran-daily.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060322141627/http://www.iran-daily.com/1384/2350/html/index.htm |archive-date=March 22, 2006}}{{Cite web |url=http://iranatom.ru/media/pers/iri/gov/zahee.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=2006-06-21 |archive-date=2007-10-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071007025526/http://iranatom.ru/media/pers/iri/gov/zahee.htm |url-status=dead }} With such a minor scientific achievement he was promoted to full professorship in 1999 (when he had only published 11 articles). Zahedi's profile claims he is a member of New York Academy of Sciences. An investigation by BBC Persian in July 2009 debunked this claim.{{cite web|author=کامبیز فتاحی بی بی سی، واشنگتن |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2009/07/090722_wkf-zaheid-nyas-membership.shtml |title=BBC فارسی - ايران - آکادمی علوم نیویورک: وزیر علوم ایران عضو ما نیست |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=1970-01-01 |access-date=2012-12-02}} His profile also claims that he was named among the most prominent Mathematicians of the century by American Mathematical Society for which there is no evidence found on American Mathematical Society website.
Expulsion of university scientists
In 2006, the Ahmadinejad government systematically forced numerous Iranian scientists and University professors to resign or to retire. It has been referred to as a second cultural revolution.{{cite web |url=http://roozonline.com/01newsstory/016196.shtml |title= Roozonline : Online UAE Shopping Promo Code, Coupons, August 2022 100% Cashback Promo Code, Deals, Vouchers|website=roozonline.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061021111440/http://roozonline.com/01newsstory/016196.shtml |archive-date=October 21, 2006}} The policy has been said to replace current professors with younger ones.{{cite web|url=http://www.webneveshteha.com/ |title=Mohammad Ali Abtahi |publisher=Webneveshteha.com |access-date=2014-05-28}}{{cite web |author=Behnegarsoft.com |url=http://www.aftabnews.ir/vdcco4q2boqe0.html |title=آفتاب - انتقاد خوش چهره از خانه نشين كردن اساتيد |publisher=Aftabnews.ir |access-date=2012-12-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060531182529/http://www.aftabnews.ir/vdcco4q2boqe0.html |archive-date=2006-05-31 }} Many University professors received letters indicating their early retirement unexpectedly.{{cite web |author=Behnegarsoft.com |url=http://www.aftabnews.ir/vdcdnf0yt509o.html |title=آفتاب - ابعاد خانه نشین شدن استادان دانشگاه |publisher=Aftabnews.ir |access-date=2012-12-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060824140835/http://www.aftabnews.ir/vdcdnf0yt509o.html |archive-date=2006-08-24 }}
However many believe that the government's main goal is to replace Iranian scientists with fundamentalists and finally convert the universities into Hawza (traditional religious schools).
Despite huge demonstrations and protests of Iranian students, Zahedi appointed several mullahs with no academic degrees as chancellors of several Universities (the most prominent example being that of Tehran University).
Expelling the politically active students
Zahedi has expelled dozens of politically active students and those who were working in internal newspaper of university by refusing to enroll them for the new academic year (Fall 2006).{{cite web|last=Esfandiari |first=Golnaz |url=http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/09/56e4c029-6911-4629-9daf-4c811280bf64.html |title=Iran: Government Pressures Student Activists |publisher=Rferl.org |date=2006-09-29 |access-date=2012-12-02}} He first denied the existence of such students but recently he said that those students had criminal cases such as robbery and sexual harassment. This made the students very angry and they asked the MPs for his impeachment.
Ignoring scientific merit in appointments
Zahedi's appointments and dismissals at the Science, Research and Technology Ministry were not based on merit. University chancellors had been formerly appointed after consulting university professors. However, the situation changed as Zahedi become Iran's minister of science and the criterion of meritocracy has been ignored.{{cite web |url=http://www.iran-daily.com/1384/2471/html/national.htm |title= Iran Daily - National - 01/08/06|website=www.iran-daily.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930201655/http://www.iran-daily.com/1384/2471/html/national.htm |archive-date=September 30, 2007}}
Zahedi appointed Abbasali Amid Zanjani, a cleric with no academic degree, as the chancellor of Tehran University.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20061021093546/http://roozonline.com/english/016235.shtml Cleansing in the Name of Retirement]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20061021103408/http://roozonline.com/01newsstory/016771.shtml Zahedi praises himself!] (in Persian)
- [http://roozonline.com/01newsstory/012948.shtml Threatening human sciences in Iranian Universities] (in Persian)
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930201655/http://www.iran-daily.com/1384/2471/html/national.htm Commission to Grill Science Minister]
{{Ahmadinejad cabinet}}
{{Mathematics in Iran}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zahedi, Mohammad Mehdi}}
Category:Government ministers of Iran
Category:20th-century Iranian mathematicians
Category:Members of the 10th Islamic Consultative Assembly
Category:YEKTA Front politicians
Category:Islamic Society of Engineers politicians
Category:Front of Islamic Revolution Stability politicians
Category:Popular Front of Islamic Revolution Forces politicians