Masoud Alimohammadi

Masoud Alimohammadi
Masoud Alimohammadi

Born August 24, 1959(1959-08-24)
Tehran, Iran
Died January 12, 2010(2010-01-12) (aged 50)
Tehran, Iran
Nationality Iranian
Fields Particle physics

Masoud Alimohammadi (Persian: مسعود علی‌محمدی) (August 24, 1959 – 12 January 2010) was an Iranian quantum field theorist and elementary-particle physicist and a distinguished professor of elementary particle physics at Department of Physics of University of Tehran.[1] He was assassinated on the morning of 12 January 2010 (some minutes before 8 o'clock, local time) in front of his home in Tehran, while leaving for university.[2] His burial is arranged at Emamzādeh Ali-Akbar Chizar [3] in Tehran for Thursday 14 January 2010.[4][5]

Professor Alimohamadi was the first PhD graduate student in physics of the Sharif University of Technology. He published some 53 articles and letters in peer-reviewed academic journals[6] and wrote and translated several physics textbooks,[7] including Modern Quantum Mechanics, revised edition, by J. J. Sakurai, which he translated from English into Persian in collaboration with Hamidreza Moshfegh.

Contents

Education

He entered Shiraz University in 1978 where he obtained his BSc in 1985. He subsequently moved to the Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, to study for his MSc in Physics. In 1988 he began with his PhD studies at this University as one of its first PhD students in physics. He obtained his PhD there in 1992.

Research and achievements

He was a quantum field theorist with interests in such diverse fields as Condensed matter physics (Quantum Hall effect in curved geometries), cosmology (modified gravity, dark energy, etc.) and string theory.[8] Although field-theoretical methods have wide-ranging applications in many branches of theoretical physics (and applied mathematics), quantum field theory is a subject matter quite distinct from nuclear physics, nuclear engineering in general, and nuclear weapons and nuclear power in particular. Consequently, the reports in some media that Professor Alimohammadi was a nuclear physicist are unequivocally incorrect. Iran's Atomic Energy Agency has in an official statement rejected the governmental media reports that Professor Alimohammadi was associated with Iran's nuclear program.[9]

Professor Alimohammadi was a Council Member of International Centre for Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science Applications in the Middle East.[10] He was a professor at Tehran University's Physics faculty. Some sites claimed he was a professor at Imam Hossein University.[11][12] but Iranian analyst Muhammad Sahimi writes "He was not affiliated with the IRGC-controlled universities, namely Malek-e Ashtar and Emam Hossein universities."[13]

Political views

Dr Ahmad Shirzad (reformist member of the 6th Iranian Parliament, professor of physics in Isfahan and Masoud Alimohammadi's close friend) writes "In general his beliefs and actions were close to that of moderate Muslims... During the past couple of years he had ideologically become very close to the reformist movement. In the past few elections before the recent presidency election, he had voted for the reformist candidates and had been campaigning for them too." Shirzad adds that Alimohammadi told him how he and his students took part in 2009 Iranian election protests, June 16.[14]

The governmental media portrayed him as a "revolutionary and staunch supporter of Islamic Revolution".[15] It has been claimed by Tehran University’s Basij, or voluntary Islamist student militia, that his name was on a list of sanctioned individuals connected with Iranian nuclear program.[11] but, he was not on a compiled list [16] Mohammadi was among 240 university professors who signed a letter before the 2009 Presidential Election expressing support for the main opposition candidate, Mir Hussein Moussavi.[17]

On reporting his burial, Al-Jazeera's English web site reported on his lack of political involvement deepening the confusion over what motivation could have been behind the murder. They reported, "one of Ali Mohammadi's close friends (was quoted) as saying that the professor was never a political activist," and that, "... Mohammadi had very deep reformist tendencies but never mixed it up with his professional character." Ali Moghara, who heads the physics faculty at Tehran University, said Ali Mohammadi was just a "world famous" physicist who engaged in "no political activity".[18]

Personal life

He was married to Mansoureh Karami (منصوره كرمی)[citation needed].

Assassination

At 07:58 am, a booby-trapped motorbike parked near his car exploded while he was leaving home in Gheytariyeh neighbourhood of northern Tehran, for university.[19][20] The windows of residences around the scientist's home were shattered by the force of remote controlled explosion, and it has been reported that two other people had also been injured in the blast.[19][21][22]

Initial reports of who has been behind the bombing were disputed. Iranian state media accused Israel and the US of responsibility, while the US State Department called the allegation "absurd".[23] Ynetnews noted, that for the major Israeli news outlet, there is no known connection between his participation in the SESAME, an international synchrotron-radiation facility located in Jordan, and the assassination.[24] According to US intelligence sources Israel is running a secret war against Iran, among techniques used are the killing of important persons in the Iranian atomic energy program.[25]

Another source found the assassination of "a 50-year-old researcher with no prominent political voice, no published work with military relevance and no declared links to Iran's nuclear program", as puzzling, although there were comparisons with the disappearance of Shahram Amiri in 2009 and the death of Ardeshir Hosseinpour in 2007.[26]

Iran's English-language Press TV reported that a U.S. based pro-monarchist group, the Kingdom Assembly of Iran (called the Iran Royal Association by PressTV[27]) has claimed responsibility for the bombing[28] a claim which other sources say the Association has denied having made.[29]

On 25th Jan 2010, Iran summoned the Swiss ambassador to Iran, who is representing the interests of United States in Iran, demanding the extradition of individuals associated with U.S. based Tondar group, whom Iran believes are behind the bombing.[30]

Funeral

On January 14, Alimohammadi was buried. Timesonline described it as "Supporters of Iran’s regime hijacked the funeral" As his body was carried from his home in northern Tehran hundreds of government loyalists surrounded it and were shown on Iranian television waving Iranian flags and chanting anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans.[31]

State investigation

The Iranian government has initiated an investigation and termed the blast a "terror attack with the aim of stalling Iranian scientific progress".[32][33] Iran's Press TV quoted the ministry spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast, "Primary investigations into the assassination revealed signs of the involvement of the Zionist regime of Israel, the US and their allies in Iran". In the same article a professor at Tehran University is quoted as having said, "It is widely believed among colleagues that he was assassinated by terrorist organizations probably supported by the United States and with connections with the Americans and the Israelis under different names".[34] On January 13, 2010 Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said, "We had received information a few days before the incident that intelligence services of the Zionist regime of Israel intend to carry out terrorist acts in Tehran in cooperation with the CIA".[35]

In January 2011, Iranian television broadcast a confession by Majid Jamali Fashi to murdering Mohammadi on behalf of Mossad. In August 2011, he was convicted and sentenced to death.[36]

Media speculation

According to the state-owned television network Press TV, The Iran Royal Association, an "obscure" group seeking the restoration of the monarchy, claimed that its "Tondar Commandos" are behind the assassination.[37] The BBC's Tehran correspondent Jon Leyne reported: "Iranian media were unusually quick off the mark to report the killing, to show television pictures, and to give the sort of details that usually only emerge after hours, days, or weeks in this secretive state".[38]

A former senior official expressed doubt about the official account of Alimohammadi's assassination, and expressed concern that the assassination could be used as an excuse for violence against opposition protesters: “This is an old trick,” he said. “They did it themselves but blame it on opposition groups so that they can easily begin issuing death sentences for protesters. I think this means there could be more violence against the opposition.”[17] (See False Flag)

Opposition groups who monitor Hezbollah, the militant Lebanese movement, in Tehran, claim that a member of Hezbollah, known by his pseudonym “Abu Nasser”, was photographed at the scene of the explosion in Tehran’s affluent Gheytarih suburb.[39]

According to Iranian-Israeli analyst Meir Javedanfar, It is "possible that Mohammadi was assassinated by a foreign intelligence agency" with the aim of stopping the Iranian nuclear program and also causing embarrassment for the government of Ahmadinejad.[40][41] Flynt Leverett, director of New America Foundation, said that while it is "highly unlikely that the United States was directly involved" in the assassination, it is "possible that a group or an individual" who has received financial support as part of the $400 million dollar US covert activities program initiated under Bush administration against Iran, might have carried out the assassination.[42]

However, Iranian analyst Muhammad Sahimi thinks it unlikely that the murder was directed against Iran's nuclear progam as it is engineers, not nuclear physicists, who are "leading" that program, and in any case Alimohammadi's research was in the general area of particle physics, "which is of a fundamental, rather than practical nature". Ali-Mohammadi was also not under contract with Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, according to its spokesman Ali Shirzadian, nor was he affiliated with the universities under the control of the Revolutionary Guard (Malek-Ashtar University of Technology and Imam Hossein University).[13] On the other hand "a source in Tehran" told Sahimi that Alimohammadi had worked with the Islamic Revolution Guards "on several projects in the past," and this knowledge combined with the Guard's penchant for exacting vengeance against "anyone who deserts them and joins the opposition" adds to "the suspicion that the hardliners may have had something to do with" his murder.[13]

Aljazeera reported that authorities on condition of anonymity have confirmed his involvement with Iranian nuclear program.[43] The Economist also quoted anonymous Western sources describing him as "one of the most important people involved in the [nuclear] programme".[44] It has also been reported that he was a professor at Tehran University's Physics faculty as well as a professor at the IRGC run, Imam Hossein University which houses a physics research center apparently under control of IRGC.[11] There has also been reports of a decapitation program as part of a covert war against Iran, with the aim of assassinating people that are or have been involved with Iranian nuclear program,[25][45][46] much like a similar successful program conducted in Iraq, resulting in assassination of hundreds of Iraqi scientists.[47][48][49][50][51] There are also reports of Israel's involvement in these covert actions,[52] while other reports suggest the creation of a joint assassination team put together by western democracies to neutralize Iranian scientists and engineers.[53][54]

See also

References

  1. ^ Official Website of Professor Masoud Alimohammadi at Department of Physics of University of Tehran.
  2. ^ "Bomb kills Iran nuclear physicist tied to Mousavi". Associated Press. 2010-01-12. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100112/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran. 
  3. ^ Emamzādeh Ali-Akbar Chizar, in Persian, Ketāb-e Awwal.
    - Chizar, Persian Wikipedia.
  4. ^ The body of martyr Masoud Alimohammadi was laid to rest in Tehran's Ali-Akbar Shrine, in Persian, Bornā News Agency, Thursday 14 January 2010.
  5. ^ Photographs: The funeral procession of Professor Masoud Alimohammadi, Tābnāk, Thursday 14 January 2010.
  6. ^ List of publications of Professor Masoud Alimohammadi as presented on the website of Department of Physics of University of Tehran: [1].
  7. ^ "His books on Quantum Mechanics and Electromagnetism, in Persian.". http://www.adinebook.com/gp/search?search-alias=books&author=%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF+%D8%B9%D9%84%DB%8C+%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF%DB%8C&select-author=author-exact. 
  8. ^ "List of publications.". http://physics.ut.ac.ir/~alimohmd/publics.htm. 
  9. ^ Alimohammadi was not employed by us, in Persian, Tābnāk, 12 January 2010.
  10. ^ "The list of SESAME council members.". http://www.sesame.org.jo/Council/CouncilMembers.aspx. 
  11. ^ a b c DAWN.COM[dead link]
  12. ^ ThreatsWatch.Org: PrincipalAnalysis: IAEA Schweizer Käse
  13. ^ a b c Who murdered Prof. Ali-Mohammadi? by MUHAMMAD SAHIMI in Los Angeles, 13 Jan 2010
  14. ^ (in Persian)
  15. ^ "Tehran blast kills nuclear physics scientist". PressTV. Jan 12, 2010. http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/115934.html. 
  16. ^ Iran Policy: Sanctioned Individuals & Entities | IranTracker
  17. ^ a b Cowell, Alan (2010-01-13). "Blast Kills Physics Professor in Tehran". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/world/middleeast/13iran.html. Retrieved 2010-05-12. 
  18. ^ Iranian bombing victim buried - Middle East - Al Jazeera English
  19. ^ a b "Tehran nuclear scientist Massoud Ali-Mohammadi killed by bomb; Iran blames U.S., Israel for attack". Daily News (New York). 2010-01-12. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/01/12/2010-01-12_iranian_nuclear_scientists_killed_in_bombing_tehran_blames_us_israel_for_attack.html. 
  20. ^ No Operation
  21. ^ [2][dead link]
  22. ^ homylafayette Iran News in English: Tehran University professor Massoud Alimohammadi assassinated: fact and fiction
  23. ^ Israel and US behind Tehran blast – Iranian state media, BBC, 2010/01/13
  24. ^ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3833674,00.html
  25. ^ a b Sherwell, Philip (2009-02-16). "Israel launches covert war against Iran". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/4640052/Israel-launches-covert-war-against-Iran.html. Retrieved 2010-05-12. 
  26. ^ Iran Nuclear Physicist, Massoud Ali Mohammadi, Killed By Bomb 12-1-2010
  27. ^ Iran Blames ‘US-Israeli Mercenaries’ in Assassination of Nuke Scientist | Danger Room | Wired.com
  28. ^ No Operation
  29. ^ Farda News - © 2011تمام حقوق این وب‌سایت بر اساس قانون کپی‌رایت برای رادیو فردا محفوظ است
  30. ^ No Operation
  31. ^ Funeral of Iran scientist Masoud Ali-Mohammadi hijacked by regime loyalists January 15, 2010
  32. ^ No Operation
  33. ^ No Operation
  34. ^ No Operation
  35. ^ No Operation
  36. ^ Jonathan Manthorpe (August 31, 2011). "Few answers in murders of Iranian nuclear scientists". Vancouver Sun. http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/answers+murders+Iranian+nuclear+scientists/5332336/story.html. 
  37. ^ No Operation
  38. ^ "Iran scientist killing: More questions than answers". BBC News. 2010-01-13. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8456076.stm. Retrieved 2010-05-12. 
  39. ^ Mahnaimi, Uzi (2010-01-17). "Iranian dissident Masoud Ali Mohammadi killed by Arab hitman". The Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6991081.ece. Retrieved 2010-05-12. 
  40. ^ Javedanfar, Meir (2010-01-12). "Is Iran losing the intelligence war?". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/12/iran-nuclear-scientist-mohammadi. Retrieved 2010-05-12. 
  41. ^ http://trueslant.com/nealungerleider/2010/01/12/who-killed-the-iranian-physicist/
  42. ^ Flynt Leverett on World Focus Discusses the Assassination of Masoud Ali Mohammadi « The Race for Iran
  43. ^ Bomb blast kills Iranian professor - Middle East - Al Jazeera English
  44. ^ "Covert action against Iran: Who killed the professor?". The Economist. 2010-02-11. http://www.economist.com/world/middleeast-africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15502383. Retrieved 2010-02-11. 
  45. ^ http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/02/17/66633.html[dead link]
  46. ^ Bellum » Covert Action and Iran’s Nuclear Program
  47. ^ :: www.uruknet.info :: informazione dal medio oriente :: information from middle east :: [vs-1]
  48. ^ AAAS - Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law
  49. ^ http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/gccinsight.asp?id=36[dead link]
  50. ^ (12/23/2003) U.S. Sets Up Institute To Employ Iraqi Scientists
  51. ^ Mathaba.Net News
  52. ^ Israel Launches Covert War Against Iran
  53. ^ Iranian nuclear scientist goes missing in Saudi Arabia | McClatchy
  54. ^ Dead Scientist List, Masoud Ali Mohammadi « Ahrcanum

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