- Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf
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Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf
محمدباقر قالیباف
Speaking at Sharif University of Technology
April 2005Mayor of Tehran Incumbent Assumed office
September 17, 2005Preceded by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Personal details Born August 23, 1961
Torghabeh, Razavi Khorasan, IranNationality Iranian Political party Islamic Society of Engineers Spouse(s) Zahra Moshiri Alma mater Tarbiat Modares University Profession Politician and former soldier Religion Twelver Shi'a Islam Website Official mayoral website Military service Allegiance AGIR Years of service 1981–2005 Commands Nasr Troops
Deputy Commander of the Resistance Force and Basij Troops
Commander of AFAGIR
Chief of the Police Forces of the IRIBattles/wars Iran–Iraq War Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf (Persian: محمدباقر قالیباف, born August 23, 1961 in Torghabeh, near Mashhad[1]) is the current Mayor of Tehran, Iran.
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Early life and military career
Ghalibaf was born to a Khorasani Kurdish father and a Persian mother.[2] At the age of nineteen, he was one of the commanders of the defense forces during the Iran–Iraq War. Shortly afterwards he was named commander of the Rasulollah (the messenger of God) division (one of the most successful divisions in that war). By the time he was twenty-two, he was already commander of the Nasr Troops—a position that in the West would be led by a Major General at the least. After the war he was selected as Deputy Commander of the Resistance Force and Basij Troops under General Afshar. Ghalibaf received the degree of Major General in 1996 after he had successfully completed a masters degree in Geopolitics. In 1998, when Commanding General Rezaie (head of the AGIR/IRGC) retired and Commanding General Safavi took over, he was named Commander of AFAGIR (Air Force of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution). Ghalibaf is quoted as saying, "On that night I went home and told my family about my new position. My son laughed and said so they have named someone who can't even fly, as Commander of an Air Force. I told him don't worry, I'll soon fly Jumbo Jets, and now I am a co-pilot of Jumbos." In 2001, he received a PhD in Geopolitics from Tarbiat Modares University.
Police career
Ghalibaf was selected by the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, to succeed General Hedayat Lotfian as Chief of the Police Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran following the Iran student protests in July 1999.
After becoming Iran's chief of police, Ghalibaf initiated some reforms in the forces, including the Police 110 project whose goal was to make the police more accessible to the general public. He was also successful in handling the student protests in 2003 with his deputy Morteza Talaei, Chief of the Police Forces of Tehran, and helped end the protests without any fatalities or serious damages. In addition, he served as the special representative of President of Iran at the time, Mohammad Khatami, on the Anti-Traffic Committee.
On April 5, 2005, Ghalibaf submitted his resignation from the military positions (including the Police Forces) due to his intention to run for the presidency of Iran; his resignation was approved by the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
2005 Presidential campaign
Ghalibaf was a candidate in the Iranian presidential election of 2005, and was being considered to be supported by some factions of the conservative alliance because of his popularity with both wings. However, in the final days before the election, the major support went to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
It has also been reported that Ghalibaf has claimed in a private party that he has the support of Ali Khamenei for the presidential office. However, Khamenei has previously mentioned that nobody knows his vote.
Mayor of Tehran
On September, 2005, Ghalibaf was elected by the Tehran City Council to succeed Ahmadinejad as the 57th Mayor of Tehran with 8 out of 15 votes of the council. Along with Gholamhossein Karbaschi, he has been referred to as one of the most successful mayors of Tehran, although he is hardly supported by the administration of President Ahmadinejad.[citation needed] He was also longlisted for the 2008 World Mayor award.
On October 13, 2008, he announced his support for dialogue with the United States as suggested by President (then presidential candidate) Barack Obama. According to Ghalibaf, "I think the world community, the Iranian society and the US society would benefit" from such talks.[3]
References
- ^ (Persian) "Life (زندگی)". Official Website. Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071217035835/http://www.qalibaf.ir/main/index.php?Page=staticpage&UID=2631. Retrieved August 8, 2007.
- ^ City Mayors’ Middle East Correspondent (January 22, 2008). "Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf – Mayor of Tehran". City Mayors. http://www.citymayors.com/mayors/tehran-mayor.html. Retrieved December 17, 2008.
- ^ "Tehran mayor welcomes Obama's call for talks" (Daily Star). Agence France-Presse. October 18, 2008. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=96903. Retrieved December 17, 2008.
External links
- Official website
- "FT Interview: Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf". Financial Times. January 8, 2008. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/57d045fa-b9ff-11dc-abcb-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1.
- Siamdoust, Nahid (March 18, 2008). "A Rival for Iran's Ahmadinejad". TIME. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1723250,00.html.
- Stockman, Farah (December 22, 2008). "Iran election raises hope for change". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2008/12/22/iran_election_raises_hope_for_change/.
- Aspden, Rachel (January 8, 2009). "Conservative in a leather jacket". New Statesman (UK). http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2009/01/qalibaf-mayor-iran-ahmadinejad.
Categories:- 1961 births
- Living people
- People from Mashhad
- Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution officers
- Mayors of Tehran
- Iranian presidential candidates
- Iranian military personnel of the Iran–Iraq War
- Tarbiat Modares University alumni
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