Mehdi Karroubi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mehdi Karroubi
|
|
|---|---|
|
مهدی کروبی
|
|
Karroubi in 2005
|
|
| Member of Expediency Discernment Council | |
| In office 30 May 2004 – 19 June 2005 |
|
| Appointed by | Ali Khamenei |
| Chairman | Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani |
| Preceded by | Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel |
| 2nd Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly | |
| In office 28 May 2000 – 27 May 2004 |
|
| Deputy | Behzad Nabavi Mohammad-Reza Khatami |
| Preceded by | Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri |
| Succeeded by | Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel |
| In office 3 August 1989 – 3 May 1992 |
|
| Deputy | Hossein Hashemian |
| Preceded by | Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani |
| Succeeded by | Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri |
| First Deputy of the Parliament of Iran | |
| In office 28 June 1988 – 3 August 1989 |
|
| Preceded by | Mohammad Yazdi |
| Succeeded by | Hossein Hashemian |
| In office 15 June 1986 – 14 June 1987 |
|
| Preceded by | Mohammad Yazdi |
| Succeeded by | Mohammad Yazdi |
| Member of Parliament of Iran | |
| In office 28 May 2000 – 28 May 2004 |
|
| Constituency | Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr |
| Majority | 892,640 (30.45%) |
| In office 28 May 1984 – 28 May 1992 |
|
| Constituency | Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr |
| Majority | 965,484 (61.4%; 3rd term), 1,443,270 (62.5%; 2nd term) |
| In office 28 May 1980 – 28 May 1984 |
|
| Succeeded by | Mohammad-Reza Hashemi |
| Constituency | Aligudarz County |
| Majority | 49,097 (92.9%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 September 1937 Aligudarz, Lorestan Province, Imperial State of Iran |
| Political party |
|
| Spouse | Fatemeh Karroubi (m. 1962) |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | University of Tehran |
| Website | Official website: http://sahamnews.org/ |
Mehdi Karroubi (born 26 September 1937) is an Iranian religious leader and a politician who supports reforms. He leads a political group called the National Trust Party. Since February 2011, Mr. Karroubi has been under house arrest. This means he has been confined to his home.
He served as the speaker of the parliament (Iran's main law-making body) for two terms. These were from 1989 to 1992 and again from 2000 to 2004. He also ran for president in the 2005 and 2009 elections.
Many people see him as a "moderate" leader. He is also one of the main figures in the Iranian Green Movement. This movement supports changes and reforms in Iran.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Mehdi Karroubi was born on 26 September 1937. His family was religious, and they lived in Aligudarz, a city in western Lorestan province. He has a brother named Hassan.
Karroubi studied religious subjects and Islamic law in Qom and Tehran. He learned from important teachers like Hossein-Ali Montazeri and Ruhollah Khomeini. He also studied theology and law at Tehran University. In 1962, he became a lawyer. He worked with important business people in Iran.
During the 1970s, the government of the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, put Karroubi in prison several times. One time, he was held at the Qasr Prison in Tehran. His wife, Fatemeh, said she took their second son, Taghi, to see his father in prison when Taghi was only six months old.
In 1978, Karroubi stopped working as a lawyer to focus on politics. In 1979, he joined the Iranian Revolution. He became the head of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee. From 1980 to 1992, he also directed the Martyr's Foundation. He was the Parliament Speaker from 1989 to 1992.
Political Ideas and Beliefs
Domestic Policies
When Karroubi was speaker of Parliament for the first time, he was part of a group that disagreed with President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. While Rafsanjani wanted more foreign investment and market changes, Karroubi and his group wanted people to be more involved in politics. They also wanted the government to control the economy. In 1989, Karroubi became the head of a group called the Association of Combatant Clerics of Tehran. Later, in 2005, he left this group and started his own party, Etemad-e-Melli.
His wife, Fatemeh, was his advisor on social issues when he was the chairman of the Majlis of Iran from 2000 to 2004.
Mehdi Karroubi is from the Lur ethnic group. He believes that all people, no matter their gender, religion, or background, should feel included in the Iranian government. He has often spoken up for the rights of religious and ethnic minorities. When he was Parliament speaker, he visited churches, synagogues, and Zoroastrian temples.
Karroubi has also criticized the Guardian Council. This council checks laws and approves candidates for elections. He has written letters to them about his concerns. He questioned how the Guardian Council supervises elections.
Foreign Policies
Karroubi and his National Trust Party believe in talking with the United States. They hope this will help solve long-standing disagreements. After Barack Obama became US president, Karroubi said that the changes from the United States were positive.
Karroubi has also criticized President Ahmadinejad's foreign policy. He disagreed with Ahmadinejad's comments about the Holocaust. Karroubi stated that "The Holocaust is an event which did take place." He believes that the president's remarks caused problems for Iran.
Presidential Campaigns
2005 Presidential Election
Karroubi was one of the candidates who supported reforms in the 2005 Iranian presidential election. He came in third place. The top two candidates were former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Tehran mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Since no one won more than half the votes, a second round of voting was held. Ahmadinejad won this run-off election.
After the results were announced, Karroubi claimed that some groups, like the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, had unfairly helped Ahmadinejad. He even suggested that Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, was involved. Ayatollah Khamenei wrote to Karroubi, saying his claims were not appropriate. He warned that these claims could cause problems in Iran. Karroubi then wrote an open letter, saying he would resign from all his political jobs. These included being an advisor to the Supreme Leader.
2009 Presidential Election
After the 2005 election, Karroubi started his own party, the Etemad-e Melli Party. He also started a newspaper with the same name. In the 2009 election, he ran as the leader of his party. Many people who were not part of his party also supported him.
Karroubi was seen as one of the most organized candidates. He had his own party and newspaper. He also had clear political views.
He was the first candidate to announce he would run for president. He refused to step aside to support other reformist candidates. Both Karroubi and another candidate, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, believed that having more candidates would help reformists win. They thought it would encourage more people to vote.
Karroubi shared his plans by publishing four election statements. Here are some of his main ideas:
- Returning to a planned system of government.
- Using experts to make decisions.
- Improving financial policies and the national budget.
- Protecting human rights and people's privacy.
- Improving women's social standing.
- Sharing oil profits with the public.
- Supporting non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
- Supporting the rights of religious or tribal minorities.
- Supporting the rule of law and criticizing illegal actions.
- Supporting a free press and access to information and the internet.
In an interview in 2009, Karroubi also promised to expand women's rights if he became president. He planned to remove Iran's morality police street patrols. These patrols enforce a specific Islamic dress code on Iranian women. He questioned the mandatory dress code and suggested that the Hijab should be optional.
His main economic plan was to let the public own parts of the national oil and gas companies. He believed this would add money to every Iranian's income each month. His campaign slogan was "Change for Iran."
Former Tehran mayor Gholamhossein Karbaschi supported Karroubi early on. He was Karroubi's campaign manager. Karroubi promised to make him vice president if he won.
Karroubi also received support from other notable figures. These included journalist Abbas Abdi and former parliament member Jamileh Kadivar.
Mehdi Karroubi often campaigned with his wife, Fatemeh Karroubi. This was not common for politicians in Iran at the time. Fatemeh Karroubi also led her husband's campaign in Tehran province. She gave speeches to support his candidacy. Karroubi's son, Taghi Karroubi, was one of his campaign managers.
After the Election
On 9 August 2009, Karroubi wrote a letter to the Chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran. He asked for an investigation into Iranian prisons. He raised concerns about the 2009 Iranian presidential election, saying the results had been unfair.
Challenges Faced
On 8 January 2010, Karroubi's son, Hussein Karroubi, reported that shots were fired at his father's armored car. This happened in Qazvin during a protest. Protesters also threw objects at the building where he was staying.
On 2 September 2010, a group of people broke into Karroubi's apartment building. They caused damage and tried to cut off utilities. This was not the first time his home had been attacked. Karroubi's son, Mohammad Taghi Karroubi, said he heard some attackers say they wanted to harm his father. Several of Karroubi's security team were hurt trying to protect him.
House Arrest
After protests in other countries in 2011, leaders of the Green movement in Iran called for demonstrations. The government responded by placing movement leaders under house arrest. On 14 February 2011, Iranian state TV showed members of parliament chanting against Karroubi and another leader, Mir-Hossein Mousavi. Reports said that Karroubi, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, and their wives were taken from their homes by security forces.
Hunger Strike
On 16 August 2017, Karroubi started a hunger strike. He was protesting his house arrest. He wanted a public trial and for security agents to leave his home. He was 79 years old and had recently had heart surgery. He was taken to the hospital after less than 24 hours. He started eating again after the government agreed to remove intelligence agents from his home. However, his request for a trial has not been granted.
Personal Life
Karroubi is married to Fatemeh Karroubi. She is the daughter of a merchant family from Aligoudarz. They have four children.
See also
In Spanish: Mehdí Karrubí para niños
