Mohammad-Ali Rajai

Mohammad-Ali Rajai
2nd President of Iran
In office 2 August 1981 – 30 August 1981
Supreme Leader	Ruhollah Khomeini
Prime Minister	Mohammad-Javad Bahonar
Preceded by	Abolhassan Banisadr
Succeeded by	Ali Khamenei
Prime Minister of Iran
In office 12 August 1980 – 4 August 1981
President	Abolhassan Banisadr
Preceded by	Mehdi Bazargan
Succeeded by	Mohammad Javad Bahonar
Minister of Foreign Affairs Acting
In office 11 March 1981 – 15 August 1981
President	Abolhassan Banisadr
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Karim Khodapanahi (Acting)
Succeeded by	Mir-Hossein Mousavi
Minister of Education
In office November 1979 – 12 August 1980
Prime Minister	Mehdi Bazargan
Preceded by	Gholam Hossein Shokohi
Succeeded by	Mohammad Javad Bahonar
Member of the Parliament of Iran
In office 28 May 1980 – 1 August 1981
Constituency	Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr
Majority	1,209,012 (56.6%)
Personal details
Born	15 June 1933 Qazvin, Persia
Died	30 August 1981 (aged 48) Tehran, Iran
Political party	Islamic Republic Party
Other political affiliations	Freedom Movement (Until 1979) People's Mujahedin (Until 1975)
Spouse(s)	Ateghe Sediqi (1958–1981)
Children	3
Alma mater	Tarbiat Moallem University
Religion	Islam
Signature

Mohammad-Ali Rajai (Persian: محمدعلی رجائی‎‎; 15 June 1933 – 30 August 1981) was the president of Iran from 2 to 30 August 1981 after serving as prime minister under Abolhassan Banisadr. He was also minister of foreign affairs from 11 March 1981 to 15 August 1981, while he was prime minister. He was assassinated in a bombing on 30 August 1981 along with prime minister Mohammad-Javad Bahonar.

Early life and education

Mohammad-Ali Rajai house in Baharestan street, Tehran

Mohammad-Ali Rajai was born on 15 June 1933 in Qazvin, Iran.^[1] His father, Abdulsamad, died when he was 4 years old after which he lived with his mother and brother. Rajai grew up in Qazvin, and moved to Tehran in 1946. After moving to Tehran, he had a close relationship with the anti-Shah groups and parties. He known with Ayatollah Mahmoud Taleghani. In 1958, He moved to Bijar for a short period, but after a year, he moved back to Tehran and graduated with a degree in education from Tarbiat Moallem University in 1959. He became a member of the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MKO).^[2] In 1960, he also joined Freedom Movement of Iran.^[1][3] He was arrested by the Shah's forces for three times for his opposition activities.^[3] He was lastly detained in May 1974, but was set free after four years.

He was actively involved in the Iranian Revolution and was a leader in the movement to purge Iranian universities of American and European influences, which was later called the Cultural Revolution.

Political career

Before the Islamic revolution

Muhammad Ali Rajaei lived very simply and without luxury. At the same time he had a commitment to Islam. He spent his preliminary studies in Qazvin City. His father passed away when he was four years old. He travelled to Tehran in 1327 solar and one year later he was employed by the air force. He resigned from the air force while he could obtain his diplomat degree. During these years he became familiar with Ayatollah Taleghani and the Fadaeian group. He became a teacher in Bijar in 1334 solar and after that, he entered a higher education institute in Tehran. He completed his education in mathematics in 1338 solar and through this period he could become familiar with Mehdi bazargan and Sahabi. He was teacher in Khansar in 1338 solar but after that he continued his education in the field of statistics at the master's level and also taught in the school of Kamal in Tehran. He became member of Azadi party during 1340 solar. He married in that time. He was arrested in 1342 solar for fifty days and after release, along with Muhammad javad Bahonar and jalal Al Din Farsi, became concerned with political and cultural affairs. He was again arrested in 1352 solar because of co-operation with Mujahedin group and imprisoned for 4 years. He was finally released from prison in 1357 when the Islamic revolution if Iran was reached to last days.^[4]

After the Islamic revolution

Rajaei appointed to important occupations after the victory of Islamic revolution. The occupations were as follow:

• As the minister of Ministry of Education (Iran)
• As the candidate of Islamic Consultative Assembly
• As the prime minister
• As the president^[5]

Ministry of Education

Rajai, Ruhollah, and Ahmad Khomeini

At first Gholam hosein shokouhi was the minister of education and Rajaei considered as one of his chancellors. After resigning of Shokohi because of being sick, Muhammad Ali Rajaei appointed as the supervisor of the ministry of education.He introduced by Muhammad javad Bahonar. Therefore he became the supervisoe of education ministry from 18th shahrivar month to 7th mehr at 1357 solar. Finally Mehdi Bazargan presented him as the minister of education in his cabinet. At first he announced his programs in ministry of education. These programs were to fairly distribution of facilities, putting way financial affairs amongst staffs, reforming of centers of educating teachers, trying to create a suitable pedagogical system for Muslim society, developing of Islamic ethics among teachers and pupils, creating a good relation between parents and teachers and respecting to dignity of teachers according to Islam. These schedules were very important for Rajaei and he try to realize them. He was the charge of ministry during nine months. The most important achievements were the consistency of all schools and also try to putting a way the discrimination and differentiations, changing of educating system. He also tries to change the contents of books and also Islamization of contents. He created a movement that we could call it the religious current in education.^[6]

Appointment as Prime Minister

Rajai and Prime Minister Mohammad-Javad Bahonar

In 1979, Rajai left the Freedom Movement.^[1] Following the Iranian Revolution, he was appointed minister of education in the government of Mehdi Bazargan, and although Bazargan's cabinet resigned on 6 November 1979, he did not resign and remained in the post until 12 August 1980 when he became prime minister. Following the presidency of Bani Sadr, after 5 months, he nominated Rajai for the position, and parliament voted him in. He appointed Khodapanahi as foreign minister, Mohammad-Reza Mahdavi Kani as interior minister and Javad Fakori as defence minister. During his prime ministership, the Iran–Iraq War started and his government's first policy became the "victory and defence". He was in office until 2 August 1981 when he became the second president of Iran.

Presidency

Bani Sadr was impeached on 22 June 1981 by parliament, and Khomeini held a Provisional Presidential Council by 6 people headed by Mohammad Beheshti and later Abdul-Karim Mousavi Ardebili. Rajai was one of the members of that Council. He nominated himself for the presidential election in 1981. He was the first president from the Islamic Republican Party after winning 91% of the votes. He officially became the president after the Oath of Office in 2 August 1981.^[7] He named Mohammad-Javad Bahonar to the Parliament to become the next prime minister. Parliament voted in to Bahonar and he formed a new government.

Assassination

On 30 August 1981, President Rajai held a meeting of Iran's Supreme Defence Council, along with the Prime Minister Mohammad Javad Bahonar. Witnesses later stated that a trusted aide brought a briefcase into the conference room, set it between the two leaders, and then left. Another person opened the case, triggering a bomb that set the room ablaze and killed Rajai, Bahonar, and three others.^[8] This attack occurred two days after the Hafte Tir bombing. The assassin was identified as Massoud Keshmiri, an operative of the People's Mujahedin of Iran (also known as the MKO, MEK and PMOI), who had infiltrated the Prime Minister's office in the guise of a state security official. Rajai was buried in Behesht-e Zahra.

Legacy

His political programs were on the basis of constitution law. The dominance was at disposal of those who are believers. He insisted on being Muslim of those who are going to control Islamic revolution. He also emphasized on the Velayate Faghih. He believes that the Islamic government have to cooperates with revolutionary institutions like Islamic revolutionary guard, Islamic courts and etc. he respected to the freedom of all peoples as far as those freedoms don’t deny the Islamic rules. He also tries to create a consistent government in his period.^[9]

References

1. Houchang E. Chehabi (1990). Iranian Politics and Religious Modernism: The Liberation Movement of Iran Under the Shah and Khomeini. I.B.Tauris. p. 87. ISBN 978-1-85043-198-5. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
2. Ostovar, Afshon P. (2009). "Guardians of the Islamic Revolution Ideology, Politics, and the Development of Military Power in Iran (1979–2009)" (PhD Thesis). University of Michigan. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
3. "Mohammad Ali Raja'i". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
4. Amin Moarref (1361 solar). "the biography of martyrdom teachers: Shahid rajaei". Roshde Moallem. p. 9. Check date values in: |date= (help)
5. http://www.ensani.ir/fa/content/10825/default.aspx
6. http://www.irdc.ir/FA/content/10690/default.aspx
7. "Rajai Sworn In; Bani-Sadr Predicts Revolt", Pittsburgh Press, 2 August 1981, p. A-8
8. Facts on File Yearbook 1981
9. Ali Ahmadi (1384 solar). "How created a consistent government". Gozaresh. p. 14-18. Check date values in: |date= (help)