Iranian media threatened over new minister’s disputed qualifications
Washington, 10 August (IranVNC)—The Interior Ministry of the Islamic Republic of Iran has confirmed that Ali Kordan, the new interior minister of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government, does possess evidence proving that he has an honourary doctorate, and the ministry has threatened to prosecute any Iranian media expressing doubts about this issue.
By: IranVNC
Published: Sunday, August 10, 2008
13:45GMT—9:45AM/EST
MINISTER – EDUCATION – DISPUTE
Washington, 10 August (IranVNC)—The Interior Ministry of the Islamic Republic of Iran has confirmed that Ali Kordan, the new interior minister of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government, does possess evidence proving that he has an honourary doctorate, and the ministry has threatened to prosecute any Iranian media expressing doubts about this issue.
According to Tabnak News Agency, the public relations office of the Interior Ministry, announced this morning that “Ali Kordan’s honourary doctorate documents were issued by Stephen Pringle, head of the Middle East section of Oxford University [name and position as given] and three other well known lecturers of Oxford University [names not given],” and dismissed any doubts or second thoughts harboured over this issue.
The Interior Ministry is coming up with these explanations in the midst of criticisms levelled at Ali Kordan, the recently appointed interior minister, saying that his last educational qualification was a “post diploma” [equivalent to a US associate degree] and not a bachelor’s degree, a post-graduate degree or a doctorate, let alone from the Oxford University.
The Interior Ministry issued its statement today after the news website Alef, belonging to Ahmad Tavakkoli, a Tehran Majlis [parliament] deputy and head of the Majlis Research Centre, quoted Oxford University as denying to “having any record of anyone named Ali Kordan at this university” and as adding: “We have not granted a D.Phil to any person named Ali Kordan.”
The critics of the new Interior minister, have been protesting at “the lack of honesty displayed about his [Kordan’s] educational qualifications when he was introduced to the Majlis” as a nominee. They objected, furthermore, to the fact that he was employed at the highest levels of the country’s management for years as someone possessing a doctorate and getting the equivalent pay for it, Asr-e Iran News Agency reports.
The Interior Ministry of Iran’s ninth government, while announcing that “one of the news outlets has embarked on spreading doubts and writing destructive and insulting information about the educational qualifications” of the interior minister, has further said that the issue “merits prosecution”.
Also this morning, Mohammadreza Rahimi, the legal and parliamentary deputy of the president, said on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting that “unfortunately, a group of people who opposed the appointment of Mr Kordan as interior minister, first advised him not to take up this position, but later, in order to achieve their objective, threatened him,”Asr-e Iran news agency reports.
In concluding its statement, the Interior Ministry has called on the media to refrain from publishing information which is false and which spreads doubts, in view of the “sensitive situation of the country and the need for all strata to maintain unity and cohesiveness.”
Ali Kordan, today, at the end of a cabinet meeting, announced that he will place at the disposal of the media the original texts of his educational qualifications.
The Alef website, referring to a letter of 6 August [16 Mordad] from the university of Oxford, writes that Oxford University’s Law Faculty and the university’s Registrar have “denied” that Ali Kordan received a doctorate from that university.
Kordan, along with Seyyed Shamsoddin Hoseyni and Hamid Behbahani, obtained votes of confidence from the eighth Majlis last week, for the posts of interior, economics and transport ministers respectively. Many principle-ist Majlis deputies were reportedly opposed to Kordan’s appointment despite the fact that he gained 169 votes in favour of his appointment.
Sources: Asr-e Iran, Alef, Tabnak news agencies in Persian
© IranVNC 2008. All rights reserved.
(Original article written in Persian.)