Mahmoud Vahidnia ( fa, محمود وحیدنیا) (born 1989 in Tehran) is an Iranian philosopher and PhD candidate of philosophy at

Shahid Beheshti University Shahid Behesti University ( fa, دانشگاه شهید بهشتی , Dāneshgāh-e Shahid Beheshti) (formerly known as the National University of Iran) is a public research university in Tehran, Iran. The university offers many programs at Bache ...

Life

Vahidnia received his BSc in mathematics from

Sharif University of Technology Sharif University of Technology (SUT; fa, دانشگاه صنعتی شریف) is a public research university in Tehran, Iran. It is widely considered as the nation's most prestigious and leading institution for science, technology, engineering, ...

and his MA in philosophy from Shahid Beheshti University. He won a gold medal at the Iranian Mathematical Olympiad in 2007. He is also a winner of the silver medal in national computer Olympiad in Iran. Although some media reported he was the "international mathematics Olympiad winner", he didn't compete at any international mathematics Olympiads.

Criticism of Iranian Supreme Leader

Vahidnia got significant media attention when he was a student in the Department of Mathematics at

for his face-to-face criticism of Iran's supreme leader on October 28, 2009, during a meeting between

Ali Khamenei Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei ( fa, سید علی حسینی خامنه‌ای, ; born 19 April 1939) is a Twelver Shia ''marja and the second and current Supreme Leader of Iran, in office since 1989. He was previously the third president o ...

and students. During this meeting, Khamenei was challenged by Vahidnia in what was called "an unusual encounter". The event was being broadcast by Iranian state-run TV. That made the authorities stop airing the programme.

Citations

On October 28, 2009, during the annual meeting of Tehran intellectual elites with the Supreme Leader, in

Tehran University The University of Tehran (Tehran University or UT, fa, دانشگاه تهران) is the most prominent university located in Tehran, Iran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as its research and teaching pro ...

, Vahidinia spoke for 20 minutes without interruptions, critiquing the status of ignorant idol in a golden cage of the Supreme Ayatollah Khamenei. Some time before, Khamenei had announced that "Contestation of the 12 June vote is the worst crime possible". The Iranian state-run TV stopped the broadcasting, but the audience's cellphones managed to record the full speech. Mahmoud asked: "I want to ask you something: why does nobody in this country dare to criticize you? Do you think that you never make mistakes? Isn't this ignorance? You have been changed into a kind of inaccessible idol that nobody can criticize. I don't understand why everybody is forbidden to criticize your choices.".

Structure of the speech

Vahidnia classified his criticism in four parts: # State-run TV: IRIB (

Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB; fa, صدا و سيمای جمهوری اسلامی ايران, ''Sedā va Sīmā-ye Jomhūri-ye Eslāmi-ye Īrān'', , formerly called National Iranian Radio and Television until the Iranian rev ...

) for trying to show a reverse image of what is happening in Iran after June 12, 2009, election and destroying the figures that people trust. He brought up that since the head of IRIB is selected by the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, Khamenei is either unaware of what is happening in an organization under his control or he has direct control and is responsible for their programs. # Freedom of speech: intelligence-based atmosphere ruling the media and press and brought up the issues that critical newspapers have been facing. He asked for an end to closure of press offices and demanded freedom of the press even when they criticize the supreme leader. # Supreme leader is criticize-able: Lack of openness in society so that people and intellectuals could freely criticize the supreme leader since the supreme leader, like anyone else, is prone to making mistakes. In his speech, Vahidnia mentioned that the ones around the supreme leader are making an idol. # Organization of power: Cycle of power in the Islamic Republic and the structure of

Guardian Council The Guardian Council, (also called Council of Guardians or Constitutional Council, fa, شورای نگهبان, Shourā-ye Negahbān) is an appointed and constitutionally mandated 12-member council that wields considerable power and influence i ...

and

Assembly of Experts The Assembly of Experts ( fa, مجلس خبرگان رهبری, majles-e khobregân-e rahbari), also translated as the Assembly of Experts of the Leadership or as the Council of Experts, is the deliberative body empowered to appoint the Supreme ...

References

External links