This is a best example of
simplicity. Can we expect our politicians to be like the Iranian President? God
loves those who are humble in their personal life too!
The Fox News TV (US) asked the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; " When you
look into the mirror in the morning what do you say to yourself"? He answered: I
see the person in the mirror and tells him " Remember, you are no more than a
small servant, ahead of you today is the heavy responsibility, and that is to
serve the Iranian nation". And this was how the broadcaster introduced him.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian President who astonished many when he first
reached to the office of the Presidency by donating all the high valued Iranian
carpets to one of the mosques in Tehran by replacing them with the low cost
ordinary carpets. He observed that there was a huge extravagant langue for
receiving and welcoming the VIPs and he ordered it to be closed and asked the
protocol office to arrange for an ordinary room instead with the wooden chairs,
though more impressive in fact! On many instances he joins the cleaning staff of
the municipality for cleaning the streets in the area where his home and the
Presidency office locates.
Under his authority whenever he appoints any minister to his post he gets a
signed document from him with many points, particularly highlighting that he
shall remain poor and that his personal and his relatives accounts will be
watched and the day he leaves the ministry shall be with dignity, and therefore
it is not lawful for him or his relatives to take any advantage of his office.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was born on October 28, 1956. He is the 6th and current
president of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He became president on 6 August 2005
after winning the 2005 presidential election. Ahmadinejad's current term will
end in August, 2009, but he will be eligible to run for one more term in office
in 2009 presidential elections. Before becoming president, he was the Mayor of
Tehran. First of all he declared himself all the "Big" wealth and property he
owned was a Peugeot 504 car, model 1977, an old small house inherited from his
father forty years ago in one of the poorest zones in Tehran. His accounts with
a zero balance and the only money comes in to his a/c was from his salary from
the university as a lecturer with an amount of US $250 only.
For your information the President still lives in that same house. This is all
what he owns; the president of one of the world's important countries;
strategically, economically, politically and with regard to its oil and defense.
He even doesn't take his personal salary with the argument that all the wealth
belongs to the nation and he is the safeguard over it. One of the things that
impressed the staff at the presidency is the bag the president brings with him
every day, which contains his breakfast; some sandwiches or bread with olive oil
and cheese prepared by his wife and eats and enjoys it with all happiness, While
he stopped all the deliveries of the special food used to come for the
president.
One of the other things he changed was his personal carrier "The President's
Aircraft" to a cargo aircraft in order to save the spending from the public
treasury and he ordered that he will be flying with the ordinary airline in the
economic class.
He organizes meetings every now and then with all the ministers to know their
activities and efficiency and he closed down the office of the manager of the
president and any minister can enter to his office without any permission. He
also stopped the welcome ceremonies like the red carpet, the photo session or
any personal advertisement or respect of any kind while visiting any place in
the country.
Whenever he has to stay in any of the hotels he asks them to make sure not to
give him a room with any big bed because he doesn't like to sleep on beds but
rather likes to sleep on the ground on a simple mattress with a blanket. Does
any of such manners and practices shows any disrespect for the high post of the
president? Refer to some of the photographs which also confirm the above.
The Iranian president is sleeping in the guest room of his house after getting
away from his special guards who follow him wherever he goes and photo is taken
by his small brother according to the Wifaq Newspaper which published this photo
and the next day the photo was published in most of the world's newspapers and
magazines and particularly the Americans.
During the prayer you can see that he is not sitting in the first row and the
final photo is of his dining room where the president is busy eating his meal.