Akbar Hashemi Bahramani Rafsanjani[a] (25 August 1934 – 8 January 2017) was an Iranian politician and writer who served as the fourthpresident of Iran from 1989 to 1997. One of the founding fathers of theIslamic Republic, Rafsanjani was the head of theAssembly of Experts from 2007 until 2011 when he decided not to nominate himself for the post. He was also the chairman of theExpediency Discernment Council.
Rafsanjani becamepresident of Iran after winning the1989 election. He served another term by winning the election in1993. In the2005 election he ran for a third term in office, placing first in the first round of elections but ultimately losing to rivalMahmoud Ahmadinejad in the run-off. He and his family faced political isolation for their support of the oppositionin 2009. Rafsanjanientered the race for the2013 presidential election,[2] but he was disqualified by theGuardian Council. WithHassan Rouhani's election, in which Rafsanjani openly supported him, the Rafsanjani family gradually recovered their political reputation. Rafsanjani died in 2017, following a heart attack, in a hospital in Tehran at the age of 82. Although government officials attributed his death to cardiac arrest, his sudden death prompted speculation that he had been assassinated. His family strongly asserted that he had been murdered. Further investigation revealed that his body was highly radioactive.[3]
Rafsanjani has been described as a pragmaticIslamic conservative.The Economist called him a "veteran kingmaker".[4] He supported acapitalist free market position domestically, favoringprivatization of state-owned industries and a moderate position internationally, seeking to avoid conflict with the United States and the West.[5] He was also the founder of, and one of the Board of Trustees of,Azad University. In 2003,Forbes estimated his personal wealth to be in excess ofUS$1 billion.[6]
Rafsanjani was born on 25 August 1934 in the village ofBahraman near the city ofRafsanjan in Kerman Province, to a wealthy family ofpistachio farmers.[7][8] He had seven siblings.[9] His father, Mirza Ali Hashemi Behramani, was a pistachio merchant, one of Kerman's famous businessmen. His mother, Hajie Khanom Mahbibi Hashemi, died at the age of 90 on 21 December 1995.[10] One of his brothers,Mohammad Hashemi, is the former director ofIRIB.[11] From childhood onward Rafsanjani did not see himself as a peasant, according to family members.[12]
When he was studying atQom Seminary, he became interested in politics underRuhollah Khomeini. He was one of the opposers ofMohammad Reza Shah'sWhite Revolution and accompanied Khomeini. With Khomeini's exile, Hashemi's role in the fight against the Shah and representing Khomeini in the country was highlighted. This opposition eventually led to his arrest and imprisonment. He was arrested 7 times from 1960 until 1979 and was in jail for four years and 5 months in total due to his clandestine activities against thePahlavi regime. Khomeini made him the financial manager of the revolutionary struggle as well as the bridge with other revolutionary groups.[clarification needed][15]
Among the groups that had a deep bond with Hashemi, was theIslamic Coalition Party, which is known as responsible for the assassination of former Prime MinisterHassan Ali Mansur. This communication was another reason for his arrest. In prison, he found the opportunity to become familiar with other groups opposed to the Shah.[citation needed]
In the mid-1970s, Rafsanjani travelled to various countries to evaluate the position of anti-Shah resistance groups abroad, including the United States, where his brotherMohammad Hashemi Rafsanjani was studying.[16] Rafsanjani travelled across sixteen states during his two-week stay, where his brother showed him locations such as Hollywood, the Statue of Liberty, and Yosemite National Park. According to Rafsanjani's brother, a bear broke into their car at Yosemite after they ignored a sign warning visitors not to keep food in their car. Rafsanjani had previously been to the West, visiting several European countries with his wife and children. He made a habit of taking notes about these developed countries to study their living conditions, industry, and resources, in a desire to replicate the same prosperity in his home country.[17] Upon his return to Iran, Rafsanjani was arrested by SAVAK and remained in prison until the victory of the Iranian revolution.
After the victory ofIranian Revolution, Rafsanjani became one of the members ofCouncil of Islamic Revolution. He was one of the powerful members of the council from its establishment. He was also deputy interior minister at that time and later became the acting interior minister.
He was one of the 28 founders of Traditional right-wingCombatant Clergy Association and also one of the members of the central committee ofIslamic Republican Party at the first years of the revolution. Years later, it was he who requested IRP's dissolution. His political acumen and Khomeini's full trust helped Rafsanjani as one of the most powerful politicians in Iran at that time. At the time, he was the closest person to the Khomeini and ruled as his "eyes and ears". According to theGold,Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was established with the help of Rafsanjani.
Rafsanjani served as one of theTehran's Friday Prayer Imams (for next thirty years), Representative of Khomeini at Defense High Council (after death ofMostafa Chamran) and Second-in-Command of Iran's Joint Chiefs of Staff in the last year ofIran–Iraq War. He forced Khomeini to accept to end the war. Only three months after his appointment as Iran's deputy commander-in-chief, Iran acceptedUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 598 and eight-year war was ended.[18]
He had a determining role in the dismissal ofAbulhassan Banisadr as commander-in-chief of Iranian military and then his impeachment in the parliament as Iran's first president in June 1981. In the summer of 1981, he protested to the veto of the parliament's plan by theGuardian Council and informed it to Ruhollah Khomeini. This led to the establishment ofExpediency Discernment Council, which later he chaired the council.
Rafsanjani as the chairman of the parliament with future PresidentMohammad Khatami
Rafsanjani had a prominent role in theIran–Contra affair, as some participants in the affair in the US government claimed that Rafsanjani headed a "moderate" faction within Iran's government that they hoped to negotiate with. Exactly what role Rafsanjani himself played in this affair remains unclear.[19]
Rafsanjani's presidency reportedly began on 16 August 1989.[20] adopted an "economy-first" policy, supporting aprivatization policy against more state-owned economic tendencies in the Islamic Republic.[21] Another source describes his administration as "economically liberal, politically authoritarian, and philosophically traditional" which put him in confrontation with more radical deputies in the majority in theMajles of Iran.[22]
As president, Rafsanjani was credited with spurring Iran's reconstruction following the 1980–88war with Iraq.[23] His reforms, despite attempting to curb the powers of theultra-conservatives, failed to do so, and theIranian Revolutionary Guards received increasing power fromKhamenei during his presidency. He was also accused of corruption by both conservatives[24] and reformists,[25] and was known for tough crackdowns on dissent.[26]
Rafsanjani advocated afree-market economy. With the state's coffers full, Rafsanjani pursued aneconomic liberalization policy.[27] Rafsanjani's support for a deal with the United States over Iran's nuclear program and hisfree-market economic policies contrasted with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his allies, who advocate maintaining a hard line against Western intervention in the Middle East while pursuing a policy of economic redistribution to Iran's poor.[28] By espousing World Bank inspired structural adjustment policies, Rafsanjani desired a modern industrial-based economy integrated into the global economy.[29]
Rafsanjani urged universities to cooperate with industries. Turning to the quick pace of developments in today's world, he said that with "the world constantly changing, we should adjust ourselves to the conditions of our lifetime and make decisions according to present circumstances".[30] Among the projects he initiated areIslamic Azad University.[31][32]
Rafsanjani with some Iranian commanders ofIran–Iraq War
During his presidency, a period in which Rafsanjani is described by western media sources as having been the most powerful figure in Iran,[additional citation(s) needed] people ordered executed by thejudicial system of Iran included political dissidents, drug offenders, Communists, Kurds, followers of theBaháʼí Faith, and even Islamic clerics.[33]
God's law prescribes four punishments for them (the Mojahedin). 1-Kill them. 2-Hang them, 3-Cut off their hands and feet 4-Banish them. If we had killed two hundred of them right after the Revolution, their numbers would not have mounted this way. I repeat that according to the Quran, we are determined to destroy all [Mojahedin] who display enmity against Islam.
Rafsanjani also worked with Khamenei to maintain the stability of government after the death of Khomeini.[34]
Following years of deterioration in foreign relations under Khomeini during the Iran–Iraq War, Rafsanjani sought to rebuild ties with Arab states[35] as well as with countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus, includingAzerbaijan,Turkmenistan andKazakhstan.[36] However, relations with European countries and the United States remained poor, even though Rafsanjani had a track record of handling difficult situations and defusing crises.[37]
Rafsanjani said that Iran is ready to assist Iraq, "expecting nothing in return", he also said that "peace and stability" is a function of the "evacuation of the occupiers."[39]
Iran gave humanitarian help to the victims of the conflict. Iran sent truckloads of food and medicine to Iraq, and thousands of Kuwaiti refugees were given shelter in Iran.[40][page needed]
Rafsanjani voiced support to Prince Abdullah's peace initiative and to "everything the Palestinians agree to". He also stated that what he called "Iran's international interests" must take precedence over those of Iranian allies in Syria and Lebanon.[37]
Ayatollah Rafsanjani was a supporter of Iran's nuclear program. In 2007 Rafsanjani reiterated that the use of weapons of mass destruction was not part of the Islamic Republic culture. Rafsanjani said: "You [US and allies] are saying that you cannot trust Iran would not use its nuclear achievements in the military industries, but we are ready to give you full assurances in this respect."[41] According toThe Economist, he is regarded by many Iranians "as the only person with the guile and clout to strike a deal with the West to end economic sanctions" imposed upon the country due to its nuclear program.[42]
After the end of theIran-Iraq war, the need for a road map for the future was felt in order to end the historical gap between the country Iran development programs in the first government of Rafsanjani. The fifth government soon managed to recover the economy and moved the arrowhead of the indicators in a different direction. The first action of the fifth government was devoted to designing the first development plan of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The men that Rafsanjani had chosen to run the country took over the task of drafting the plan, and the first development plan was approved by the parliament at the end of 1990. The general goals of this program are rebuilding and equipping the defense base, rebuilding and modernizing production and infrastructure capacities and population centers damaged during the imposed war, quantitative expansion and qualitative improvement of public culture, creating economic growth, providing the minimum basic needs of the people, determining and modifying the pattern Consumption, organization reform and executive and judicial management of the country were considered. The most important characteristics of the two periods of Rafsanjani's government were the developmental and building approach, the establishment of a free economy in the country, and the use ofExtraterritorial jurisdiction managers andtechnocrats. Characteristic of the construction government was that it paid much attention to the development of industrial and transportation infrastructure.[43][44][45]
Post-presidency, Rafsanjani delivered a sermon atTehran University in the summer of 1999 praising government use of force to suppress student demonstrations.[33]
In 2000, in the first election after the end of his presidency, Rafsanjani ran again for Parliament. In theTehran contest, Rafsanjani came in 30th, or last, place. At first, he was not among the 30 representatives of Tehran elected, as announced by theIranian Ministry of the Interior, but theCouncil of Guardians then ruled numerous ballots void, leading to accusations of ballot fraud in Rafsanjani's favor.[33]
In December 2006, Rafsanjani was elected to theAssembly of Experts representing Tehran with more than 1.5 million votes, which was more than any other candidate. Ahmadinejad's opponents won the majority of local election seats. On 4 September 2007 he was elected Chairman of theAssembly of Experts, the body that selects Iran'ssupreme leader, in what was considered a blow to the supporters ofMahmoud Ahmadinejad. He won the chairmanship with 41 votes of the 76 cast. His ultraconservative opponent, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, received 31 votes.[46] Rafsanjani was re-elected to the position on 10 March 2009, running againstMohammad Yazdi. He received 51 votes compared to Yazdi's 26.[47][48] On 8 March 2011, he withdrew from the election and AyatollahMohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani was elected as his replacement.[49][50][51]
Following his presidency, Rafsanjani also became an advocate of greaterfreedom of expression andtolerance in Iranian society. In a speech on 17 July 2009, Rafsanjani criticized restriction of media and suppression of activists, and put emphasis on the role and vote of people in the Islamic Republic constitution.[52][53][54] The event has been considered by analysts as the most important and most turbulent Friday prayer in the history of contemporary Iran.[55] Nearly 1.5 to 2.5 million people attended the speech in Tehran.[56]
Rafsanjani with one of the protest leaders,Mehdi Karroubi
During the2009 presidential election, Rafsanjani's former rival and incumbent president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, won a disputed landslide victory over challengerMir-Hossein Mousavi. His daughter was arrested on 21 June by plain clothesBasij during the subsequent protest[57] and later sentenced to six months in jail on charges of spreading propaganda against the Islamic Republic.[citation needed]
Ayatollah Akbar Rafsanjani was chairman of theAssembly of Experts, which is responsible for appointing or removing the Supreme Leader, who has been rumored to not be in the best of health.[58] After the disputed results of the election were certified by the Supreme Leader, Rafsanjani was reported to have called a meeting of the Assembly of Experts, but it is unknown what the outcome or disposition of this meeting actually was.[59] During this time Rafsanjani relocated from Tehran toQom, where the country's religious leaders sit. However, for the most part, Rafsanjani was silent about the controversial 12 June election and its aftermath.[60]
On 17 July 2009, Rafsanjani publicly addressed the election crisis, mass arrests and the issue of freedom of expression duringFriday prayers. The prayers witnessed an extremely large crowd that resembled the Friday prayers early after the revolution. Supporters of both reformist and conservative parties took part in the event. During prayers, Rafsanjani argued the following:[61]
All of us the establishment, the security forces, police, parliament and even protestors should move within the framework of law... We should open the doors to debates. We should not keep so many people in prison. We should free them to take care of their families. ... It is impossible to restore public confidence overnight, but we have to let everyone speak out. ... We should have logical and brotherly discussions and our people will make their judgments. ... We should let our media write within the framework of the law and we should not impose restrictions on them. ... We should let our media even criticize us. Our security forces, our police and other organs have to guarantee such a climate for criticism.[62]
His support for theGreen Movement reinvigorated his image among the urban middle-class segments of Iranian society who made up the bulk of the movement and solidified Rafsanjani's role as a backer of factions within Iran that advocated the reform of the system to ensure its survival.
On 8 March 2011 Rafsanjani lost his post as chairman of the powerfulAssembly of Experts, replaced by AyatollahMohammad-Reza Mahdavi Kani. Rafsanjani stated that he withdrew from the election for chairman to "avoid division." The loss was said to be the result of intensive lobbying "in recent weeks" by "hardliners and supporters" of PresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad, and part of Rafsanjani's gradual loss of power over the years.[63]
Rafsanjani announcing his candidacy with his daughter, Fatemeh accompanied him.
On 11 May 2013, Rafsanjani registered for the 14 June presidential election with just minutes to spare.[64] Former reformist presidentMohammad Khatami endorsed him.[65] However, on 21 May 2013, Iran's electoral center,Guardian Council disqualified him from standing in the presidential election.[66] On 11 June 2013, Rafsanjani endorsed moderateHassan Rouhani in the elections for Iran's presidency saying the candidate was "more suitable" than others for presidency.[67]
Reformers had enjoyed his support in recent years, helping to tilt the balance of power towards more moderate forces who managed to win the presidential poll in 2013 with the victory ofHassan Rouhani and parliamentary elections in2016.
Rafsanjani was viewed as having enough influence over Khamenei to bring moderate views into consideration. His death was therefore regarded as an event that strengthened the power of hardliners and weakened the influence of moderates.[68]
He also kept his traditional connections with the clergy in the holy city ofQom and with conservative forces within the political establishment, which made it difficult for hardliners to form a strong front against moderate forces.[69]
After winning reelection to his seat atAssembly of Experts as Tehran district's first person, Rafsanjani announced that it was the last time that he joined an election as a candidate and will be retired from politics at the end of the current term. He also said "Now I can die with peace of mind" after seeing election of a moderate parliament in the2016 legislative election.[70]
Rafsanjani died on 8 January 2017, at 19:30 (UTC+03:30) due to a heart attack in a pool. He was brought immediately toTajrish'sShohada-ye Tajrish Hospital in north Tehran, as reported by Iranian state-run media.[71][72][73] He was 82 years old at the time of his death.[74][75][76] The government announced three days ofnational mourning and a public holiday on his funeral day. Black banners were raised in Tehran and other cities and some posters showed the Supreme Leader and Rafsanjani together smiling. Five days of mourning also observed in the southern province ofKerman, where Ayatollah Rafsanjani's hometown ofRafsanjan is located.
Two months after his death, a highway in NorthernTehran was renamed in his honour. Many streets in other cities also named Rafsanjani. The central building ofAzad University also named as Building and a statue of him was installed outside of the building. Kerman International Airport was also renamed toAyatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani Airport.
In 2018 Hassan Rouhani ordered the Iranian supreme national security council to reopen an investigation into Rafsanjani's death.[77]
The names of the victims appear in the commemorative plaque in front of Mykonos restaurant inBerlin
Rafsanjani was sought by the Argentinian government for ordering the1994 AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires.[78] It was based on the allegation that senior Iranian officials planned the attack in an August 1993 meeting, including Khamenei, the Supreme Leader,Mohammad Hejazi, Khamenei's intelligence and security advisor, Rafsanjani, then president,Ali Fallahian, then intelligence minister, andAli Akbar Velayati, then foreign minister.[79]
After his loss at the presidential elections in 2005, a growing tension between him and President Ahmadinejad arose. Rafsanjani had criticized Ahmadinejad's administration several times for conducting a purge of government officials,[80] slow move towardsprivatization[81] and recently hostile foreign policy in particular the atomic energy policy.[82] In return Ahmadinejad fought back that Rafsanjani failed to differentiate privatization with the corrupt takeover of government-owned companies and of foreign policies which led tosanctions against Iran in 1995 and 1996.[83][84] He also implicitly denounced Rafsanjani and his followers by calling those who criticize his nuclear program as "traitors".[85]
During a debate withMir-Hossein Moussavi in2009 presidential election, Ahmadinejad accused Rafsanjani of corruption. Rafsanjani released an open letter in which he complained about what he called the president's "insults, lies and false allegations" and asked the country's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, to intervene.[86]
In his latter years, Rafsanjani had disagreements withAli Khamenei who has the last say in everything in Iran. Khamenei even indirectly called Rafsanjani a traitor.[87] Following his death, Khamanei said of Rafsanjani, "I don't know any other figure with whom I have had so many shared experiences and long history in ups and downs of this era which made history."[88][89][90]
He was regarded as flip-flopping between conservative and reformist camps since the election ofMohammad Khatami, supporting reformers in that election, but going back to the conservative camp in the2000 parliamentary elections as a result of the reformist party severely criticizing and refusing to accept him as their candidate.[citation needed] Reformists, includingAkbar Ganji, accused him of involvement in murdering dissidents and writers during his presidency. In the end, the major differences between the Kargozaran and the reformists party weakened both and eventually resulted in their loss atthe presidential elections in 2005. However, Rafsanjani regained close ties with the reformers since he lost the 2005 presidential elections toMahmoud Ahmadinejad.[27]
From his marriage toEffat Marashi in 1958,[96] Rafsanjani had three sons:Mohsen,Mehdi, andYasser, as well as two daughters, Fatemeh andFaezeh.[10] Only Faezeh Hashemi chose a political life, which led to her becoming aMajlis representative and then the publisher of the weekly newspaperZan (meaningWoman in English), which was closed in February 1999.[97] In 2016, his daughter, Faezeh Hashemi, sparked a debate on religious persecution in Iran by visiting the female leader of thepersecuted Baháʼí religious minority.[98] The two women had met in prison, when Faezeh was serving a six-month sentence for "spreading propaganda against the system". Rafsanjani's daughter, Fatemeh is President of Charity Foundation for Special Diseases and Mohsen was chairman ofTehran Metro Organization[99] and now is vice president ofAzad University. His wife, Effat is the granddaughter ofMohammed Kazem Yazdi.
The Rafsanjani family took their name from his great grandfather, whose last name was Hashem. When Akbar Hashemi was born, his father was a rich businessman with a valuable pistachio business.[102]
Rafsanjani speaking with the media after the first assassination attempt
Months after the revolution, Rafsanjani was shot once in the stomach[106] by one of the groups vying for power amid the political turmoil. He was not seriously wounded, and neither was his wife who jumped in front to shield him from the attack. "Great men of history do not die",Khomeini said in announcing that Rafsanjani had survived.
In addition, the full text of hisFriday Prayer sermons and his congress keynote speeches are also published separately.[111] Based on his diary, viewpoints, speeches and interviews, several independent books have been published so far.
Encyclopedia of Quran (Farhang-e-Quran)
The book in fact considered as a key to the subjects and concepts of Quran. The book has been written by Rafsanjani and several other scholars.[112] Reception and legacy
Although he was a close follower of Ayatollah Khomeini and considered as a central elite during Islamic revolution, at the same time he was fan of reconstruction of shattered country after war and according to this fact, he selected his cabinets from western-educated technocrats and social reformers. His cabinet largely was a reformist one. Rafsanjani acquired both the support of Imam Khomeini in one hand and Majlis in other hand. In fact, he tried to transfer the economy towards the free-market system. There was a gap among Rafsanjani and Khatami and reform agenda because of his partnership with those who were conservative. The first face of reformist movements began by Rafsanjani.[113] His powerful role and control over Iranian politics earned him the name "Akbar Shah".[114][115]
^"It is a quirk of history that Mr. Rafsanjani, the ultimate insider, finds himself aligned with a reform movement that once vilified him as deeply corrupt."Slackman, Michael (21 June 2009)."Former President at Center of Fight Within Political Elite".The New York Times.
^Barsky, Yehudit (May 2003)."Hizballah"(PDF).The American Jewish Committee. Archived fromthe original(Terrorism Briefing) on 29 October 2013. Retrieved5 August 2013.
^Buchta, Wilfried (2000),Who rules Iran?: the structure of power in the Islamic Republic, Washington DC: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, The Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, p. 15,ISBN0-944029-39-6
^Leonard, Thomas M. (2006).Encyclopedia of the Developing World. Taylor & Francis. p. 1343.ISBN0-415-97663-4.
^Anoushiravan Enteshami & Mahjoob Zweiri (2007).Iran and the rise of Neoconservatives, the politics of Tehran's silent Revolution. I. B. Tauris. pp. 4–5.
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