Ali Mottahari regards the moderate line of Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani, the new chairman of Iran's Assembly of Experts as a follow up to the method adopted by the former chairman of the body, Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
In his view, Rafsanjani's withdrawal from the candidacy for the post is not seen a defeat for him since the former Iranian President is a prominent politician of the Islamic Republic enjoying popularity and social status. Mottahari says Hashemi Rafsanjani is still an influential figure in the social and political milieu of Iran.
Two weeks after various media propagated on the chairmanship election of the Assembly of Experts, Ayatollah Hashemi announced that if Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani or any other candidate runs for the post, he will withdraw and fulfilled his promise. Subsequently as the sole candidate, Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani was appointed the new chairman of the body and Rafsanjani congratulated him. Mr. Rafsanjani is still heading the Expediency Council.
The powerful Assembly of Experts with 86 clerics as members in the Islamic Republic of Iran is tasked with appointing the Supreme Leader Of the revolution and monitors his actions. The new chairman of the body heads both the Association of Combatant Clergy, a clerical organization and Imam Sadeq University whose many of its graduates hold key positions in the Islamic republic system.
As a critic of the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (the main political opponent of Ayatollah Rafsanjani), Mottahari does not deem the new developments as a blow to Rafsanjani and more tightened grip of the hardliners on political power.
What those hardliners you refer to were seeking? What result did they want from the election for appointing the new chairman of the Assembly of Experts?
The importance of the Assembly of Experts is due to its responsibility for electing the leader of the Islamic Republic, but it doesn't exert a considerable social influence and it doesn't make that much difference who would lead the body. Hardliners were making efforts to administer a blow to Mr. Hashemi presuming that if he is unseated from the assembly, they will score a victory. While the chairman of the assembly plays a minor role in the political and social development of the country and owing to his specific character, Mr. Hashemi is influential in the political and social climate of the country.
In his latest speech, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani stated "disunity among Iranian nation is turning to a serious problem and we should try to unite people". What do you think should be done to heal divisions?
The best way is to act based on fairness and justice. We must also pay attention to the wrongdoings of the insiders without being intolerant to the criticisms made against our faction. When people feel that justice is set as the criteria, the public consciousness will be satisfied, the hearts would get closer and the ground would be prepared for social unity.
Do you believe due to this moderate line, Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani will be able to play a role in creating temperance in the political scene of the country and avoidance from extremism?
I suppose so, some are aggressive to Mr. Hashemi, but in this term Mr. Mahdavi Kani has a better position and his ideas will be better approved by hardliners to make the political climate of the country more moderate.
To what extent the hard-line currents are ready to abandon their way through the mediation of Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani, will they be obedient to him?
Some extremist believe that except few people, the other figures should be removed from the scene of the Islamic Revolution, but their idea is not a role model. But there are some others who are sincere but and on the pretext of defending the rule of jurisprudent (Velayat-e Faqih) think that whoever make a criticism of the system should be eliminated from the scene. Their interpretation of Velayat-e Faqih is not correct, but they could be absorbed since they are well-intentioned.
But those who had made a plot at the time of the TV debates between the presidential candidates to oust Hashemi [Ahmadinejad and his backers by implication] are the main actors of the political scene and won't be satisfied until achieve their goals.
The role to be played by Mr. Mahdavi Kani as well as informing people can be very instrumental in foiling their plots.
Within a week, Mr. Hashemi withdrew from the candidacy of the Assembly of Experts election and unseated as chairman of the body. Moreover his son Mohsen resigned as head of the Tehran metro. Such retreats may be deemed by his critics as a step forward to their victory, is that true?
They can take it as a victory if only Mr. Hashemi loses his favor in the eyes of people. Despite massive negative propagations made and accusations leveled against him, he is still enjoying grass-roots popularity.
Having positions and posts is not a decisive factor in making someone influential. The character and abiding popularity of figures make them influential and Mr. Hashemi is a man of people.
نظر شما