Masoud Pezeshkian - Wikipedia

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Iranian politician

Masoud Pezeshkian (Persian: مسعود پزشکیان ; born 29 September 1954) is an Iranian cardiac surgeon and reformist politician who is currently representing Tabriz, Osku and Azarshahr electoral district in the Parliament of Iran, and also served as its First Deputy Speaker from 2016 to 2020. He was Minister of Health and Medical Education between 2001 and 2005 in the Government of Mohammad Khatami.[2] He ran in the 2013 presidential election, but withdrew, and ran again in the 2021 election, but was rejected.[3] Pezeshkian qualified in 2024, and is currently running in the 2024 presidential election.

Early life and education [ edit ]

Pezeshkian was born in Mahabad[4][5] on 29 September 1954 to an Iranian Azerbaijani father who was born in Qasr-e Shirin,[6] and an Iranian Kurdish mother.[7][8] In 1973, he received his diploma and moved to Zabol to serve his conscription duty. It was during this time when he became interested in medicine. After completing his service, he returned to his home province, where he entered medical school and graduated with a degree in general medicine. During the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), Pezeshkian frequently visited the front lines, where he was responsible for sending medical teams and working as a fighter and doctor. Pezeshkian finished his General practitioner course in 1985, and started teaching Physiology at the medical college.

After the war, he continued his education, specializing in general surgery at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. In 1993, he received a subspecialty in cardiac surgery from Iran University of Medical Sciences. He later became a specialist in heart surgery, leading him to become president of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in 1994, a position he held for five years.[9]

He has completed management courses in the US, UK, Switzerland and Thailand.[10][11] Pezeshkian is a Quran teacher, and reciter of the Nahj al-balagha, a key text for Shia Muslims.[12]

Career [ edit ]

Pezeshkian’s political journey began when he joined Mohammad Khatami’s administration as Deputy Health Minister in 1997. He was appointed Health Minister four years later, serving from 2001 to 2005.[13] Since then, he has been elected to the Iranian parliament five times, representing Tabriz, and served as the First Deputy Speaker of the parliament from 2016 to 2020.

He is also a member of Iran-Turkey Friendship society.[14]

Views [ edit ]

IRGC [ edit ]

Pezeshkian is a supporter of the IRGC, and has called the current IRGC "different from the past".[15] He condemed the declaration of IRGC as a terrorist organization by United States in 2019.[16] After the 2019 Iranian shoot-down of American drone, Pezeshkian called the American government terrorist and described the IRGC's action to target the drone as "a strong punch to the mouths of the leaders of criminal America".[17] In a university meeting and in response to some criticisms, Pezeshkian put on the IRGC uniform, and said that he would wear it again.[18]

Pezeshkian during the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988)

Criticism of the system [ edit ]

Pezeshkian has criticized the system multiple times. During the protests after the presidential elections of 2009, Pezeshkian criticized the way the protesters were treated. In his speech, he mentioned the words of the first Shiite Imam [Ali] addressed to Malik Ashtar that "Do not treat people like a wild animal".[19]

Pezeshkian considered Iran's method of managing the 2018 protests as "scientifically and intellectually wrong". He blamed the country's system for all the events and said, "We should have done better."[20] After the 2022 protests, Pezeshkian demanded the creation of an assessment and clarification team regarding the incident. Although he considered the way of dealing with the protestors and their trial to be contrary to the constitution and demanded that the defendants should get lawyers, he later issued an statement, condemned the protests and did not consider it to be in the people's interest.[21]

Ethnic view [ edit ]

Pezeshkian demands the implementation of Article 15 of the Iranian Constitution for all ethnicities. This principle says: "The official and common language and script of the people of Iran is Persian. Documents, correspondence, official texts and textbooks must be in this language and script, but the use of local and ethnic languages in the press and mass media and the teaching of their literature in schools is free, along with the Persian language." He called the implementation of this principle an obstacle to giving excuses to separatists and dissidents.[22] Pezeshkian also supports teaching of Azerbaijani language in Iranian schools.[3]

Personal life [ edit ]

Pezeshkian and Mahmoud Sadeghi wearing IRGC uniforms.

Pezeshkian's wife was a gynecologist.[23] In 1993, Pezeshkian lost his wife and one of his sons in a car accident. After that, he raised his remaining two sons and daughter alone and has never remarried.[24] His daughter, Zahra Pezeshkian, has a master's degree in chemistry from Sharif University of Technology, and was working at Jam Petrochemical before the Rouhani government came to power.

Pezeshkian is a fan of Tractor S.C.[25]

Public face [ edit ]

Sources consider his family to be far from the sidelines and himself to have a clear track record in economic matters. However, his political opponents such as Alireza Zakani have accused him of defending people involved in corruption.[26][27]

References [ edit ]

  1. ^ Ahangar, Ali. "مسعود پزشكيان؛ كسي كه مثل هيچ كس نيست". Etemaad Daily . Retrieved 29 June 2024 .
  2. ^ "در مورد مسعود پزشکیان در ویکی‌تابناک بیشتر بخوانید" [Who is Masoud Pezeshkian?]. www.tabnak.ir (in Persian) . Retrieved 10 June 2024 .
  3. ^ a b "افراد ردصلاحیت‌شده فقط توانستند یک نامه بنویسند". Iranian Labour News Agency. 1 March 2016 . Retrieved 2 March 2016 .
  4. ^ "Get to know presidential candidate Masoud Pezeshkian/2". Mehr News Agency. 16 June 2024 . Retrieved 29 June 2024 .
  5. ^ Dagres, Holly (19 June 2024). "Masoud Pezeshkian is a possible game changer in the upcoming Iranian presidential election" . Retrieved 29 June 2024 .
  6. ^ "چرا پزشکیان ؟ این سوال تعدادی از دوستان بنده ست". tdam.ir (in Persian). 11 June 2024 . Retrieved 29 June 2024 .
  7. ^ Editorial (14 June 2024). "The Guardian view on Iran's presidential election: more choice, but little real hope of change". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved 16 June 2024 .
  8. ^ "مسعود پزشکیان کیست؟" [Who is Masoud Pezeshkian?]. Entekhab (in Persian). 21 May 2024. Archived from the original on 18 June 2024 . Retrieved 28 June 2024 .
  9. ^ "در مورد مسعود پزشکیان در ویکی‌تابناک بیشتر بخوانید". www.tabnak.ir . Retrieved 13 June 2024 .
  10. ^ "پزشکیان و جلیلی چه گفتند؟". خبرگزاری مهر | اخبار ایران و جهان | Mehr News Agency (in Persian). 2 July 2024 . Retrieved 3 July 2024 .
  11. ^ "پزشکیان درمناظره:وقتی بنزین 25هزارتومانی راگفتم دردولت نبودم - تسنیم". خبرگزاری تسنیم | Tasnim (in Persian) . Retrieved 3 July 2024 .
  12. ^ "Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian shakes up Iran presidential election". www.ft.com . Retrieved 13 June 2024 .
  13. ^ "Persian Press Review". Tehran Times. 29 May 2010 . Retrieved 9 September 2010 .
  14. ^ "گروه‌های دوستی پارلمانی مجلس نهم". Islamic Consultative Assembly Website. Archived from the original on 24 July 2014 . Retrieved 14 August 2014 .
  15. ^ مسعود پزشکیان: من بازهم لباس سپاه می‌پوشم/ سپاه با چیزی که الآن می‌بینید متفاوت است (in Persian). 13 June 2024 . Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via www.rokna.net.
  16. ^ "ملت با قدرت از سپاه مقتدر دفاع می‌کند". www.alef.ir. 16 June 2024 . Retrieved 16 June 2024 .
  17. ^ "پزشکیان: سپاه مشت محکمی به دهان یاوه‌گویی‌های آمریکا زد/ طنین شعار «مرگ بر آمریکا» در مجلس". www.alef.ir. 16 June 2024 . Retrieved 16 June 2024 .
  18. ^ "پزشکیان: من بازهم لباس سپاه می‌پوشم؛ سپاه اگر نبود کشور تجزیه شده بود". اصلاحات نیوز (in Persian). 16 June 2024 . Retrieved 16 June 2024 .
  19. ^ Mehrabi, Ehsan (10 June 2024). "Who is Masoud Pezeshkian, the Only Pro-Reform Candidate?". Iran Wire.
  20. ^ "انتخابات ریاست‌جمهوری ایران؛ مهدی کروبی از نامزدی مسعود پزشکیان حمایت کرد". BBC News فارسی (in Persian). 19 June 2024 . Retrieved 21 June 2024 .
  21. ^ Dagres, Holly (19 June 2024). "Masoud Pezeshkian is a possible game changer in the upcoming Iranian presidential election". Atlantic Council . Retrieved 21 June 2024 .
  22. ^ رادیوفردا (25 April 2018). "پزشکیان: اصل ۱۵ قانون اساسی برای همه اجرا شود". رادیو فردا (in Persian) . Retrieved 16 June 2024 .
  23. ^ "مقام‌های جمهوری اسلامی و همسرانشان؛ مردان نام‌دار و زنان 'بی‌نام' ". BBC News فارسی (in Persian) . Retrieved 13 June 2024 .
  24. ^ "مسعود پزشکیان", ویکی‌پدیا، دانشنامهٔ آزاد (in Persian), 13 June 2024 , retrieved 13 June 2024
  25. ^ "پزشکیان: اکثر بازی‌های تراکتور را با نوه‌ام محمدحسین به استادیوم می‌رویم /با هم بحث می‌کنیم؛ نقدم می‌کند، اما هیچ‌وقت دعوا نمی‌کنیم - خبرآنلاین". www.khabaronline.ir . Retrieved 16 June 2024 .
  26. ^ "دفاع تأسف‌بار پزشکیان از 2 نماینده مجلس متهم به فساد مالی در بازار خودرو!". رکنا (in Persian). 16 June 2024 . Retrieved 16 June 2024 .
  27. ^ جهان, Fararu | فرارو | اخبار روز ایران و (16 June 2024). "حمله زاکانی به پزشکیان: از یک بی‌عدالتی محض دفاع می‌کرد". fa (in Persian) . Retrieved 16 June 2024 .

External links [ edit ]

Media related to Masoud Pezeshkian at Wikimedia Commons

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masoud_Pezeshkian