UPDATED ON:
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
21:52 Mecca time, 18:52 GMT
 
News Middle East
Iran minister fired over fake PhD
Ahmadinejad, Iran's president, had defended Kordan throughout the controversy [AFP]

Iran's parliament has voted to dismiss Ali Kordan, the country's interior minister, for allegedly lying about his credentials and presenting a fake degree from Britain's Oxford University.

The scandal has been a major embarrassment to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's president, who has defended Kordan.

Ali Larijani, the parliament's speaker, said 188 politicians among the 247 members present voted on Tuesday to impeach Kordan while 45 were against the motion and 14 abstained.

In a speech carried live on state radio, Larijani said: "The impeachment was approved by parliament and he cannot be interior minister from now on."

Smear campaign

It is the 10th change in the 21-member strong cabinet of Ahmadinejad, who had described Kordan as a "victim" and insisted he be allowed to remain in the job.

Under Iran's constitution the entire cabinet would have to be submitted to a new vote of confidence if half the ministers change.

Kordan had been under pressure to quit the cabinet post he took up just three months ago after the university denied awarding him any qualification, as he had claimed.

 Ali Larijani, the Iranian parliament's speaker, announced the decision on state radio [EPA]
Ebrahim Nekunam, a member of Iran's parliament, said: "A person who has to be entrusted with the country's security has mocked parliament's trust."

Nekunam said that not only does Kordan, who worked as a university law professor, not possess a Phd in law from Oxford, but also that he "does not have a master's or bachelor's degree".

Kordan accused the media of launching a smear campaign against him by portraying him as a "terrorist" and "violence-seeking person", naming Israeli radio and unnamed Persian-speaking media based outside Iran.

He had shown the purported degree to members of parliament on August 5 but he told the assembly on Tuesday that he would not have presented the degree if he had doubted its validity.

But Bijan Nobaveh, another member of parliament, accused him of "still lying".

He said politicians had sought to "restore the reputation" of the Islamic system by the impeachment as Kordan "had reduced public faith and confidence in the system".

Kordan replaced Mostafa Pour Mohammadi, a critic of Ahmadinejad, in the key post in one of the many cabinet reshuffles since the president took office in 2005.

'Utter disbelief'

The interior ministry is charged with maintaining domestic security as well as holding elections, appointing provincial governors and issuing permits for political parties and non-governmental organisations.

Kordan served for years as the administrative and financial vice-president of Iran state television when it was headed by Larijani. 

He has also served in Iran's oil ministry.

Kordan had asserted that the degree was issued for his "managerial and executive experience and for submitting a thesis to Oxford University via a person who had opened an affiliate office in Tehran in English-language affairs".

He later said he had approached the university after politicians cast doubt on his degree, but "to my utter disbelief, the university did not confirm [the degree] when my representative went there."

Kordan said he had pressed charges against the person who claimed to be the university's representative in Tehran as soon as he realised his degree was fake.

 Source: Agencies
Feedback Number of comments : 6
 
sam mindanao
Qatar
05/11/2008
Iran minister fired over fake PhD
I do not blame Ali Kordan for presenting what he truly believe what was accredited to him I do blame the Muslim Media for playing up to the Critic claims. First of all, why should we look up to a person emphasizing on his Academic qualification - worst still basing on the Western Acamedemies. Australia Parliament for one does not demand MP to be even a Graduate - winning the confidence of his electrolates is what count. Shame for relying on a person ability on western credetials.

Mary
Iran
05/11/2008
alleged fake phd
sometimes universities change records too. It depends on who is controlling the computers. Also I think he should be given credit for an honest mistake and allowed to tell his story.

Shah Husain
Canada
04/11/2008
Fake Phd, big deal!
Iranian minister with fake Phd is not the first. Pakistani Minister of Religious Affairs under Musharraf (I forget the name of the clown) had an internet Phd degree from a degree mill in Canada & Spain. His degree was in religion. After the fall 0f Musharraf he is back to his job as TV religious show host, where he occasionally sings Naats. Some people are shameless.

masood
Australia
05/11/2008
fake degree
this is good. sometimes boring political leaders should do things outside the box. heheheheeheheheheh

Happy Harry
United States
06/11/2008
Iran minister fired over fake PhD
The people of Iran want leaders they can trust. I hope they choose leaders who will chose to bring together not only the people of Iran but also the people of the world. Maybe Americans will quit the inappropriate support of Israel now that Mr. Obama is allowed to communicate with the general public.

Hossain Mesbahi
United Kingdom
06/11/2008
Fake Phd
It is time for molems to wake up and be ethical. Religion without ethics is what has caused the downfall of the moslem societids. Look at a country like Sweden. People are almost 100% atheist but have moral ethics and that's why they are progressive. If we ignore education we will never get anywhere and we will stay colonized forever. Look at 500 years of blacks living in America and could not get anywhere. Now the son of a Kenyan immigrant who graduated from Harvard is the next president of USA

 
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