Abolhassan Banisadr

A man named Banisadr was a leader.

He was the first president of Iran. Many people voted for him.

He studied law and many other things. He also lived in France to learn more. He wrote a book there.

Later, things became very hard in his country.

He had to leave his home. He moved to France to stay safe.

He lived in France for a long time. He wrote many books about his life. He also spoke about his country.

Banisadr died when he was 88 years old. He lived a very busy life. Do you like to learn about leaders?

Abolhassan Banisadr was a leader in Iran. He was born in a small village in 1933.

He studied law and many other things at a university. Later, he moved to France to study money and economics. He even wrote a book there about finance.

Banisadr returned to Iran during a big change called a revolution. He helped the new government. In 1980, he won a big election. He became the first president of Iran.

He was also a leader of the military.

Soon, things became very hard. Banisadr had many fights with other leaders. The government decided to remove him from his job. It was not safe for him to stay. He had to flee his home. He went to France to find safety.

Banisadr lived in France for many years. He wrote books about his life and his ideas. He also spoke out against the government in Iran. He died in Paris in 2021 at age 88.

He lived a very busy and important life.

Abolhassan Banisadr was a very important leader in Iran. He was a politician, a writer, and someone who spoke out against his government.

He lived through a time of huge changes in his country. Banisadr was born on March 22, 1933, in a small village called Baghcheh. His father, Nasrollah, was a religious leader from Kurdistan. Banisadr studied many subjects like law and sociology at the University of Tehran. He was very active in student groups during the 1960s. This work led to him being sent to prison twice.

Banisadr eventually moved to France to continue his studies. There, he learned about finance and economics at the Sorbonne. He even wrote a book called "The Economics of Monotheism."

In 1972, his father died during a trip to Iraq. At the funeral, Banisadr met a leader named Ruhollah Khomeini. After that meeting, he joined Khomeini's group and became an advisor. He returned to Iran on February 1, 1979. This was right as the Iranian Revolution was finishing. He quickly took on many important jobs in the new government.

In 1979, Banisadr became the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He also served as the Minister of Finance.

In January 1980, he ran for president. He won the election with 75.6 percent of the vote. He became the very first president of Iran after the monarchy ended. His first ceremony was held on February 4, 1980. During his time in office, he survived two helicopter crashes. He was also named the commander-in-chief of the military. However, his time as president was very short.

By 1981, there were many arguments between Banisadr and other leaders. These leaders were part of a religious group called the Islamic Republican Party. Banisadr wanted more democratic ways to rule the country. Because of these disagreements, the government decided to remove him from his job.

On June 17, 1981, leaders debated his removal in parliament. He was officially removed from office in late June. It was no longer safe for him to stay in Iran. He had to go into hiding in the city of Tehran. Finally, he was smuggled out of the country on a Boeing 707 airplane.

Banisadr lived in France for the rest of his life. He found safety there and started a group called the National Council of Resistance of Iran.

He wrote books about his life and his ideas. One book was called "My Turn to Speak." In his later years, he spoke out against the Iranian government again. He was a critic of the leader Ali Khamenei. Banisadr died in a hospital in Paris on October 9, 2021. He was 88 years old when he passed away. He is remembered by some as a man of strong principles.

Abolhassan Banisadr was a central figure in modern Iranian history. He was a politician, a writer, and a political dissident.

Banisadr served as the first president of Iran following the 1979 Iranian Revolution. This revolution ended the country's monarchy and established a new system. His presidency lasted from February 1980 until June 1981. During this time, he navigated intense political shifts and social upheaval. His life reflects the complex struggle between different visions for Iran's future.

Banisadr's journey began in the village of Baghcheh, north of Hamedan. He was born on March 22, 1933. His father, Nasrollah, was a Shia cleric from Kurdistan. Banisadr studied law, theology, and sociology at the University of Tehran. In the early 1960s, he joined student movements against the Shah. This activism led to two prison terms and a wound in 1963. He eventually fled to France to study finance and economics at the Sorbonne. There, he wrote a book titled "Eghtesad Tohidi," or "The Economics of Monotheism."

A major turning point occurred in 1972 during his father's funeral in Iraq. At this event, Banisadr met the leader Ruhollah Khomeini. He became an advisor to Khomeini's Islamic resistance group. Banisadr also worked with the pro-Mossadeq National Front. He led the Islamic Association of Students while living in Paris. On February 1, 1979, he returned to Iran with Khomeini. This was a critical moment as the revolution reached its conclusion.

After the revolution, Banisadr held several high-level positions. He first served as the Deputy Minister of Finance. He also joined the Council of the Islamic Revolution. In November 1979, he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Shortly after, he was promoted to Minister of Finance.

Banisadr was a vocal critic of the Iran hostage crisis. He argued that the crisis isolated Iran from the Third World. He believed it created a "state within a state."

In January 1980, Banisadr ran for the new presidency. Although he lacked religious credentials, Khomeini protected his candidacy. This was because Khomeini had stated that clergy should not run for office. Banisadr won the election on January 25, 1980. He received 75.6 percent of the vote. His four-year term began with an inauguration on February 4, 1980. During his presidency, he survived two helicopter crashes near the Iran-Iraq border. Khomeini also named him commander-in-chief of the military.

By 1981, Banisadr entered a power struggle with religious hardliners. He clashed with the Islamic Republican Party, or IRP. Banisadr argued for democratic governance through a new referendum. He noted that he won 10 million votes, while the IRP won less than 4 million.

This opposition led to his impeachment. On June 10, 1981, Khomeini removed his title as commander-in-chief. The parliament debated his removal on June 17. Only one legislator, Salaheddin Bayani, spoke in his favor. Banisadr was officially impeached on June 22.

As the political climate worsened, Banisadr went into hiding in Tehran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) began seizing presidential buildings. Violence broke out during a pro-Banisadr rally. This event resulted in 50 deaths and 300 injuries. Banisadr refused to apologize to the government to keep his office. Instead, he called for public resistance. On July 29, 1981, he was smuggled out of Iran. He and Massoud Rajavi fled to Paris on a Boeing 707. They found political asylum in France.

In Paris, Banisadr co-founded the National Council of Resistance of Iran. He later focused on political writing and critiques of the government. In 1991, he released an English translation of his book, "My Turn to Speak." The book contained many allegations regarding U.S. and Iranian politics.

In 2009, he denounced the Iranian government's handling of elections. He accused the leadership of using violence to stay in power. Banisadr died in Paris on October 9, 2021, at age 88. He is buried in the cemetery of Gonards in Versailles.