Source: Radio Zamaneh
Hashemi Rafsanjani
Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, former Iranian
president and current chairman of Iran's Expediency Council and Assembly of
Experts is once more under attack by the Ahmadinejad government for siding with
election protesters.
Iran's Minster of Intelligence, Heidar Moslehi condemned the "shocking" ideas of
Ayatollah Rafsanjani which he maintained "are similar to the ideas proposed by
the heads of the riots."
The Iranian government has tirelessly tried to portray the people's protests to
the alleged vote-rigging in the June presidential elections as a foreign-backed
conspiracy and a riot to topple the Islamic Republic. The disputing candidates,
MirHosein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi have been dubbed as the head of the riots
along with former president, Mohammad Khatami.
The Islamic Republic, however, has been hesitant about moving against the
so-called "heads" because they are prominent personalities of the system.
The Minister of Intelligence who was speaking in a meeting at Qom seminary added
that the government is preparing a lawsuit against the son of Ayatollah
Rafsanjani.
Ayatollah Rafsanjani, who has moved cautiously in his support of the opposition,
recently spoke out against the recent government policies against the opposition
claiming the political atmosphere has become overtly restrictive and there is no
tolerance for constructive criticism. He also pronounced the political disputes
within the Islamic Republic establishment "very grave" while the government has
repeatedly denied the existence of any crisis in the country.
The Minister of Intelligence expressed outrage that "Mr. Hashemi in one of his
statements claims that three million educated students are against the system
and also claims that Velayat-e Faghih (leadership of an expert cleric, now
represented by Ayatollah Khamenei) should only be there as long as people want
it. And if people don't want it, it would have to go."
Criticism of Velayat-e Faghih has been a strict taboo in the Islamic Republic
which was broken in the post-election events because Ayatollah Khamenei rushed
to Ahmadinejad's support even though there were nationwide doubts against the
legitimacy of the elections and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory in them.
The post-election protests have created very deep divisions within the Islamic
Republic establishment so the current government has found itself posited
against its own and unable to justify direct action against this opposition.
Accordingly the Minister of Intelligence claimed: "The integrity of the system
has been challenged from within."
He added that the dimensions of the so-called conspiracy against the system go
beyond the recent election and are yet to be identified.
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