The Wrong Choice for the Ministry of Science

The newspapers Qanoon, Etimad, and Ebtekar have highlighted the supporters and opponents of "Mansour Gholami," the potential candidate for the Ministry of Science proposed by Hassan Rouhani, in their main headlines. The newspaper Etimad implicitly supports Mansour Gholami in its front page, noting that "the review of a list of approximately 20 university professors and former ministers ultimately led to the selection of Mansour Gholami, the president of Bu-Ali University (Hamadan), as the government's proposed candidate for the Islamic Consultative Assembly." He is quoted as saying, "I am a reformist and will continue the path of Faraji Dana" and "if legal discussions and the powers of the Ministry of Science require it, we will provide a safe space for students who engage in correct, logical activities in line with the interests of the country and the system." The potential minister responded to student criticisms by stating, "The criticisms have specific viewpoints and mostly started from Hamadan. We showed the evidence to friends, and they realized that there is a significant difference between what is said and what has actually happened." He added, "I am one of the founders of the Islamic Association of University Professors in 1987 and was responsible for the Islamic Association of Professors in the Hamadan area for over 16 years. I was the president of the university during the reformist government, and my performance is clear. I had no responsibilities in the ninth and tenth governments, and in the eleventh government, I accepted the presidency of Bu-Ali University (Hamadan) at the insistence of Mr. Reza Faraji Dana," and "I will definitely continue the path of Faraji Dana." Mansour Gholami also commented on the demands of student activists, saying, "Regarding expectations, we have a series of legal limitations, and on the other hand, we are facing existing environments. The current environments in society, organizations, and various institutions are not like those of 1997, 2001, and 2004. Young students read about that period and expect the same environments to be repeated. I am not saying that that environment was entirely good, but it had its vitality and enthusiasm. The space was open, and of course, it had its own consequences. Young friends expect that the new group coming under the banner of reformism will recreate that environment. Meanwhile, our necessities, needs, programs, and political and social activities must align with current conditions and a forward-looking perspective. We should not return to the past and must think about how student activities will help in the future. We must pay attention to how today's students become future managers." The newspaper Etimad also noted the meeting of Mahmoud Sadeghi, Fatemeh Saidi, and Jalal Mirzaei, three representatives from the "Hope" faction of the tenth parliament, with Mansour Gholami, stating that this meeting took place at the office of the Iranian Hope Foundation, which belongs to Mohammad Reza Aref. Jalal Mirzaei told the newspaper, "In my opinion, Gholami is a wise reformist political force who can act well without insulting or offending others, avoiding transactions and causing costs." This parliament member discussed the opposition to Mansour Gholami's ministry in the academic environment, saying, "We talked to him about this issue, and he explained all the cases in detail. It is important for us that the Minister of Science can pursue reformist concerns within the framework of the system," adding that "the university environment during Ahmadinejad's presidency became security-oriented, and exiting this situation and returning to a suitable academic environment requires a minister who can build trust through interaction. In this situation, the criticisms of one or two student organizations with idealistic views cannot be a good criterion." Mahmoud Sadeghi also mentioned the details of the meeting with the potential Minister of Science, stating, "I had a critical view of him before the meeting," and "we expressed all these criticisms clearly in the meeting, and he responded in detail. Our conclusion was that if Gholami is not the ideal candidate, he can be acceptable." Fatemeh Saidi, a representative from Tehran and a member of the Education and Research Commission of the tenth parliament, previously emphasized that "managing the Ministry of Science with an interim head is better than introducing a minister who is not approved by students," but after the meeting with Mansour Gholami, she told the newspaper, "We said that students have complaints about various issues such as freedom of expression, professional issues, and your lack of support and that of your deputies," but "Mr. Gholami provided explanations and even presented evidence that he had supported students in various cases through the university's lawyer." Fatemeh Saidi also mentioned the final opinion of the Hope faction regarding Mansour Gholami's ministry, stating, "After the government's introduction, the members of the Hope faction will definitely have a meeting with him and discuss. After raising questions and hearing his responses, we will announce the faction's opinion." However, the newspaper Qanoon explicitly opposed the introduction of Mansour Gholami as the proposed Minister of Science, referring to him as "the wrong choice for the Ministry of Science" and stating, "At the beginning of his tenure at Hamadan University, he appointed one of the conservative figures as his cultural deputy, which students criticized him for this type of appointment." This newspaper noted that students at Bu-Ali University have also expressed significant objections to this university president and potential Minister of Science, reporting that active student associations and publications in Hamadan issued a joint statement declaring that "the reasons for the decline in the scientific ranking and status of Bu-Ali Sina University are the result of Dr. Gholami's management, which is inconsistent with the high goals of the system and the government of hope and prudence, and it is concerning that this style of management will further diminish Iran's scientific standing in the world if he assumes the ministry." According to Qanoon, student activists wrote in a letter to Hassan Rouhani, "In 2013, after years of a heavy atmosphere at Bu-Ali Sina University, it was expected that with Dr. Gholami's coming to power, conditions would align with the slogans of the government of hope and prudence, but unfortunately, we witnessed the expulsion and widespread deprivation of reform-seeking students and supporters of the government, which lacked any legal legitimacy, resulting from the direct cooperation and complete submission of this respected manager (Mansour Gholami), which created an uneasy and tense atmosphere at Bu-Ali Sina University. Now, with his ministry, this atmosphere will also spread nationwide." Students further wrote in their statement to Hassan Rouhani, "You could not respond to students' requests with 18 million votes; will you not be able to do so with 24 million votes either? Just as we see, students who are closely acquainted with this individual speak about him in a way that undoubtedly, if there is any wisdom in the government, it should avoid this choice." Ahmad Mazani, a member of the "Hope" faction in the tenth parliament, also told Qanoon, "Mr. Rouhani is not accustomed to consulting with the parliament, and when he makes his decisions, representatives find out later," and "there has been no consultation with the parliament regarding the proposed Minister of Science." The newspaper Qanoon also quoted Ali Mazaheri, the deputy speaker of the parliament, stating, "The reason for the delay in introducing the Minister of Science goes back to Mr. Rouhani's method. He wants to gain the satisfaction of all institutions, which is impossible. In fact, the parliament's rights are being violated." This newspaper criticized Hassan Rouhani's indifference to the demands of supportive students and academics, stating, "It seems that Rouhani, whether with 18 million or 24 million votes, will still allow events to occur that contradict the ideals of the social base supporting the government. People remember these days to make decisions and respond to some actions at the appropriate time." The newspaper Ebtekar also reported on the introduction of the potential Minister of Science, titled "Ministry of Science Without an Ideal Candidate," discussing the "new challenge for the government with protesting students," but simultaneously quoted Jalal Mirzaei, stating, "In some Western systems, influential parties and groups are involved in selecting ministers; in Iran, in addition to gaining the Supreme Leader's opinion, there are influential centers in power that must also be coordinated with." This newspaper also discussed how Mansour Gholami was chosen as a potential Minister of Science, quoting Jalal Mirzaei, who said, "I wanted to know whether this introduction was from the professors' Basij or the representative office of the Supreme Leader at universities. I investigated and found that he was selected from among reformist candidates and university presidents." The newspaper Hamdeli, while publishing news of a meeting between a member of the National Trust Party and Mehdi Karroubi under house arrest, raised the question of whether the house arrest is gradually being lifted. This newspaper reported that last Thursday, Hossein Karroubi announced the meeting of "Ismail Doosti," a member of the central council of the National Trust Party, with his father, Mehdi Karroubi, and said that "some time ago, Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, informed the members of parliament who are part of the house arrest removal committee that we want to take some friends to Mr. Karroubi and Mousavi." Hamdeli noted that "this meeting, as the first meeting of a political activist with the house-arrested individuals after six years, indicates a transformation in the house arrest situation that has lasted nearly seven years," stating, "Hossein Karroubi believes this transformation is the result of a new resolution by the Supreme National Security Council." The newspaper Etimad also described the three-hour meeting of Ismail Doosti, a member of the central council of the National Trust Party, with Mehdi Karroubi as a sign of the possibility of "facilitating the house arrest," stating that a few months ago, "due to Mr. Karroubi's specific medical condition and his need for surgery, he was hospitalized. Speculations suggested that this would be an opportunity to facilitate meetings, but during his hospitalization, apart from his family and doctors, no political activists managed to meet with him; however, now "reports indicate some openings in the situation of the house-arrested individuals, especially Mehdi Karroubi, the secretary-general of the National Trust Party." Ismail Doosti discussed how he met with Mehdi Karroubi, stating, "I had requested to meet him for years, and based on a resolution from the Supreme National Security Council, I was granted permission to meet with him for about three hours." This member of the National Trust Party advised political activists in the country not to act too emotionally regarding the house arrest issue, saying, "God willing, based on the openings that have occurred, this issue can be resolved, and the system is gradually taking measures in this regard." The newspaper Etimad also noted that "although news only surrounds the condition of Mehdi Karroubi, and there is still no specific news about the house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi and his wife Zahra Rahnavard, it seems that one can be hopeful that small but significant steps, such as those taken for Mehdi Karroubi, will also be taken for the other two under house arrest." The newspaper Hamdeli, in its Sunday issue, published an interview with "Atousa Abbasi," featuring a photo of this Iranian women's cycling champion showing her as a "street vendor," stating, "There is no denial; this is Atousa herself." This newspaper, while narrating the life and problems of "Iran's women's cycling record holder from championship to street vending," quoted Atousa Abbasi as saying, "In 2014, my husband, "Rouhollah Ahmadi," received a two-year ban from activity, along with a fine of $900. At that time, this amounted to five million tomans. It was a tough two years, but we patiently endured until it was over, hoping for a new chapter in our lives. Two months after my husband's ban, the municipality rented a bicycle container to help us, but it seemed that the federation's ban story continued, as the municipality was asked to take back the container due to a call from the federation. During that time, our financial situation completely collapsed." Atousa Abbasi explained her continuous problems and her husband's, both of whom are active in cycling, regarding how she turned to "street vending," saying, "Financial problems were putting pressure on my husband, and it was hard to endure this situation, so I secretly sold my mother-in-law's gold bracelet to use as my initial capital. I bought some children's clothes and set up a stall to create a source of income for our lives. On the first day I set up my stall, the municipality of Region 22 came to collect it, and I begged them not to take my goods, and they finally had mercy and did not take them. I also set up a stall at the Parand market for a day." According to this newspaper, "Atousa's medal story began in Kazakhstan, a competition where Atousa performed best. In 2012, she also won a medal individually in the adult 500-meter category as the first woman. Atousa is a woman who until 2014 held the speed records for 200 meters and 500 meters. These records have not been repeated to this day, while during these years other individuals were active, and Atousa was merely a spectator, dealing with her life's problems." Fatemeh Zolghadr, a member of the Board of Directors of the Cultural Commission of the tenth parliament, in an interview with the newspaper Arman, discussed "consultations with religious authorities regarding raising the marriage age" and stated, "To approve this plan, we need the agreement and fatwa of the grand religious authorities, including Shiite and Sunni scholars." This parliament member stated, "The plan to increase the minimum marriage age for children does not contradict the need to encourage single girls to marry. Single girls often do not marry due to issues such as increased education, financial problems, family issues, etc., while young girls are often forced to marry men with significant age differences due to severe financial problems in their families."