 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Jack Mahfar is an Iranian businessman, who was born in 1931 in Esfahan, Iran. He started his pharmaceutical business in Tehran and was working for the foundation of a pharmaceutical products factory for the state. He had to terminate the project due to the Revolution in Iran.
His first experience with the medical and pharmaceutical business started when Dr. Manzourollah, would visit patients on his “mobile clinic” (a bicycle) in the suburbs of Esfahan. Dr. Manzourollah invited Jack, through his father, to assist him during the summer vacation. He paid Jack with a small portion of chicken, eggs and other products that he would receive from the villagers in return for medical treatment. Later on, as a peddler, he started his own “business” on the streets, selling beauty supply products such as soap and hairbrushes. In 1948, Jack's father was affected by bone tuberculosis, an almost incurable disease at the time in Iran. After no response to treatment in Esfahan, he was transferred and hospitalized in Tehran. As a result, Jack had to put the 11th grade on hold so that he could start working to provide a living for the family and take care of his father's treatment.
In Tehran, he started working as a helper to Dr. Moussa Bral (Bar-El), at his private pharmacy. Although he was being paid only 3 Toumans (the Iranian unit of currency) per 16 hours of work a day, he gained experience in the pharmaceutical business. Jack started an independent business named Mahfar Co. and later became the representative of several pharmaceutical companies, including Astra of Sweden. The expansion of the company soon involved hiring doctors, marketing agents, and staff members. In the following stages, he started the production of some drugs with licenses from European companies.
At the peak of the business, Jack Mahfar started his philanthropic contribution to the community. To start with, he made the majority of his staff homeowners. Per the request of the Iranian government, he initiated the building. Soon after he presented the ten schools to the less fortunate villages in Iran. He was involved with the establishment of a nursing home for aging seniors in Tehran and assisted in building three Jewish schools.
In later years, he submitted his proposition for the establishment of a pharmaceutical factory inside Iran. The project was ordered by King Mohammad-Reza Shahm to Lieutenant-general Doctor Abdolkarim Ayadi, Shah's personal physician, and the Chief of the Army medical and pharmaceutical department. The goal was to initiate the production of the most needed drugs in the country. The goal was to compete with imported drugs, bringing down the price of prescription drugs for consumers inside the country, and savings in foreign currency. This would also result in the importing of advanced technology and subsequent future progress in techniques and production. Astra, the Swedish company, was the first foreign company in Iran that welcomed this project, followed by the endorsement of companies from Switzerland, the Netherlands and Italy. The Iranian Army Supplies Department, in charge of providing the Army with medical supplies, was to cooperate with the above project and export to neighboring countries as well. The preliminary sections of the project were taken care of, and a contract was signed with Astra, which was approved by the Shah. However, the plan was terminated due to the unstable conditions in Iran at the time, which led to the Islamic Revolution led by Khomeini in February 1979.
During his life in Iran, Jack Mahfar was acquainted with several Iranian high-rank officials, especially with those active in the medical and pharmaceutical fields, including Dr. Manuchehr Eghbal, who was the Prime Minister in 1957, General Dr. Ayadi in military medical care, and Dr. Jahanshah Saleh who was the Minister of Public Health.
Mahfar was a distinguished member of the Iranian Jewish community, and his contributions to the Jewish society were appreciated by Habib Elghanyan, the President of the Jewish Committee, and Chief Rabbi Yadidia Shofet, the ritual leader.
A short time after the Islamic Revolution, the new Iranian government took over all the manufacturing and commercial companies in the country, including the company of Mr. Mahfar. He was asked to give up his pharmaceutical business to the government along with all related rights. he had no other option but to yield. Jack Mahfar, along with the Iranian Islamic officials, left for Sweden, Switzerland, and other European countries, in order to arrange the transfer of all the business agencies to the Iranian Islamic authorities. Shortly thereafter, in July 1979, Jack Mahfar and his family left Iran, in distress, for exile. They first landed in Los Angeles, but after a short stay, they decided to move to another location. They finally chose Geneva as their permanent residence. Shortly after settling in his new place, Jack Mahfar was able to start his own pharmaceutical business, again from scratch, which turned out to be successful. He was acquainted with well-known Jewish personalities in Switzerland and started to cooperate with them in social activities. One of these well-known personalities was Moris Abrams, former US Ambassador to the European Section of the United Nations, and founder of a humanitarian group known as UN Watch.
Mahfar also has a very close relationship with the Jewish organizations in France. With their help, led by the Chief Rabbi of France and the cooperation of the French President, he assisted in the release of the thirteen Iranian Jews who had been arrested in Shiraz by the Iranian Islamic government on baseless allegations of spying for Israel. Throughout these efforts, he also reached Kofi Annan, the United Nations Secretary-General at the time, for help. Jack Mahfar was nominated for and received the Legion of Honor Award from President Nicolas Sarkozy, the then President of France, in recognition of his quality philanthropic contributions. In Israel, he also initiated the building of two synagogues and provided financial support for several medical treatment centers, and established dental clinics in the less fortunate areas of the country. In the field of cultural and educational assistance, he helped with the publication of tens of books. As a member of the Board of Trustees of the Encyclopædia Iranica, headquartered in New York, Jack Mahfar made an outstanding contribution to the Iranian culture.
Following all these services, President Shimon Peres bestowed Jack Mahfar with the President's Award of Distinction on January 30, 2014, which is the nation's highest civilian award. Jack Mahfar was one of the six non-Israelis who received this distinguished award, along with Dr. Henry Kissinger, President Bill Clinton, President Barack Obama, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
Isfahan is a major city in the Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located 440 kilometres south of Tehran. The city has a population of approximately 2,220,000, making it the third-most populous city in Iran, after Tehran and Mashhad, and the second-largest metropolitan area.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf or Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf is an Iranian conservative politician, former military officer, and current Speaker of the Parliament of Iran since 2020. He held office as the Mayor of Tehran from 2005 to 2017. Ghalibaf was formerly Iran's Chief of police from 2000 to 2005 and commander of the Revolutionary Guards' Air Force from 1997 to 2000.
Mohammad Reza Rahimi is an Iranian politician who served as the fifth first vice president from 13 September 2009 until 3 August 2013. His previous posts included governor of the Kurdistan province and vice president for parliamentary affairs.
The Imam Sadiq University is an Islamic private university in Tehran, Iran. Established in 1982, the goal of the university is to bridge the gap between Islamic research and modern studies, especially humanities. The university was dedicated to training politicians and jurists preaching Islam. Reflecting its commitment to Islamic principles, the university separates educational environments for female and male students.
Radio Zamaneh is an Amsterdam-based Persian language exile news platform and former radio broadcaster with a leftist approach. "Zamaneh" is the Persian literary term for "time".
Siyamak More Sedgh is a Jewish Iranian politician and doctor who was the holder of the Iranian Parliament's reserved seat for the Jewish minority from 2008 to 2020, and is also the chairman of the Jewish charitable institution Dr. Sapir Hospital and Charity Center. He has been referred to as Iran's "No. 1 Jew."
Habibollah Hedayat (2013–1917), known as the father of modern nutrition sciences of Iran, is the founder of the National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute (NNFTRI) and Faculty of Nutrition and Food Science (FNFS) in Iran. His pioneering work in nutrition sciences over the past 50 years, inspired by humanistic values and views, has been recognized by the Iranian academic community, industry and governmental organizations, as well as international food and nutrition authorities.
Mahafarid Amir Khosravi, also known as Amir Mansour Aria, was an Iranian businessman who was executed for his part in the 2011 Iranian embezzlement scandal. At one time, he was considered the richest man in Iran. An assessment made in April 2012 suggested he would rank as 290th among Forbes' richest people in the world if included on the list.
The Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch is a private medical university located in Tehran, Iran. This university is a branch of the Islamic Azad University.
Alireza Zakani is an Iranian conservative politician, current mayor of Tehran since 2021 and Aide to the president of Iran in affairs of management of social damages in Tehran city since 2023.
AmirHossein Maghsoudloo, known professionally as Amir Tataloo, is an Iranian singer, rapper, songwriter. He is one of Iran’s most famous and controversial artists for his full body tattoo and his frequent open dialogue toward politics and social aspects of Iranian young generations. He is part of the first generation of the Iranian underground hip hop scene and also one of the first R&B singers in Persian. He is currently in Iran and under arrest for criticizing the Iranian government's human rights record in his songs and on social media.
Albert Koochooei is an Iranian writer, journalist, translator and radio broadcaster.
Commerce has always been central to the growth of Isfahan, to the extent that the Safavid Shah Abbas I (1588–1629) effectively re-routed the Silk Road through Isfahan. As of 2019, economic transparency is lacking in Isfahan. The Association of Mass Builders of Housing and Construction is an institution to encourage professionalism and create a suitable platform for investment. The Isfahan 1405 (2026) strategic plan is the sixth five-year plan of the city that has been uploaded on the municipal transparency site, and citizens can view it.
Mostafa Faghihi is an Iranian reformist journalist. He has also been the former editor-in-chief and current owner of Entekhab daily newspaper and media consultant to Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. He has been summoned to Iranian courts several times on charges of insulting the Supreme Leader and President of Iran, criticizing Iranian military and security officials, and spreading lies by the prosecutor, the Ministry of Intelligence, and the Revolutionary Guards. Due to some of his revelations, Faqihi has been covered by the Iranian and international media.
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization is a R&D unit institution established in 1993. According to IRGC, it was attacked in 2021. It has buildings based in Isfahan and Tehran.
Correspondence between Barack Obama and Ali Khamenei started with direct and confidential letters sent by US President Barack Obama to Iranian leader Ali Khamenei aimed at persuading him to negotiate. Ali Shamkhani, Representative of the Supreme Leader and Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, confirmed that his country had responded to some of Barack Obama's letters to the Iranian leader, which focused mainly on the issue of Iran's nuclear program. This was the first time that Iran had confirmed such correspondence with the President of the United States. Earlier, domestic and foreign media reported on Barack Obama's letters to Khamenei, which in one case were confirmed by Hassan Firouzabadi, Chief-of-Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, as a sign of the US government's realism.
Hamidreza Moghaddamfar is an Iranian university professor, expert on strategic issues, cultural and media adviser to the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran, deputy of the Office of Preservation and Publication of Seyyed Ali Khamenei's Works, secretary of the People's Headquarters of Commemoration of Qassem Soleimani and cultural adviser of the Islamic Azad University. He is in charge of publishing and advertising the works of Seyyed Ali Khamenei to the youth of Europe and North America. He was the CEO of Fars News Agency from 2007 to 2011. Then, he became the cultural and social deputy of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and was in this position until September 2014. In 2015, Moghadamfar received the official Iran honorary badge of The Striving in the Field of Culture and Art. He is also a member of the board of trustees of the shrine of Sultan Ali ibn Muhammad Baqir.
Aida Rostami was a 36-year-old Iranian physician who was allegedly kidnapped, fatally beaten, and killed by security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran for treating protesters who were injured during the Mahsa Amini protests. In light of rising demands and threats on Iranian hospitals and medics to assist security forces in the middle of the protests, Aida Rostami has emerged as an inspirational figure among medics associated with the Mahsa Amini protests.
Taaghche was a popular Iranian book electronic online distribution platform. It was one of the most used apps before it was taken down on 31 July 2023 by Ministry of Islamic Culture and Guidance for one of its employee not wearing a hijab. University of Payam noor, the University of Tehran, the Islamic advertisement organization publishers, Beh Nashr Astan Quds Razavi publishing, and AmirKabir Publishing removed their books from the store.
