By
Rooz Online
Following Hashemi Rafsanjani's absence from the
Friday prayer sermons, news sources have reported four conditions set by him to
resume Friday prayer sermons.
|
Rafsanjani speaking at the Friday Prayers on July 17 |
Since July 17, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who
heads the Expediency Council and the Assembly of Experts, and serves as one of
Tehran's Friday prayer leaders, has refused to attend the sermons. His absence
as Tehran's Friday prayer leader has been riddled with speculation in political
circles.
Rafsanjani's Remarks at a Meeting with Former Lawmakers
In his meeting last week with several former
lawmakers, the head of the Expediency Council revealed his "conditions" for
resuming Tehran's Friday prayers.
The Tehran Emrooz daily, close to Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, quoted
a former Majlis lawmaker as having revealed four conditions set by Hashemi
Rafsanjani for resuming Tehran's Friday prayers during their meeting. This
former lawmaker in the fourth Majlis said that Hashemi Rafsanjani's conditions
were the same as those proposed by him to the "regime leadership" in his July 17
Friday prayer sermon.
During his last Friday prayer sermon on July 17, which was accompanied by
supporting slogans from green movement supporters, this veteran politician
called for the release of political prisoners, supporting those injured in
recent events, rebuilding relations with grand ayatollahs and clerics who were
insulted and enticing the state radio and television to allow for various
viewpoints to be discussed. None of these conditions were taken seriously by
power circles in Iran. Instead, Hashemi Rafsanjani was harshly attacked by
supporters of the administration.
Following these remarks, in a meeting with the regime's senior leader to
celebrate the end of Ramadan, from which Hashemi Rafsanjani was conspicuously
absent, ayatollah Khamenei chastised "certain elite who are silent in face of
the enemy's conspiracy." That statement was used repeatedly by media outlets
close to the coup government to address Hashemi Rafsanjani.
One person who was present at the meeting with Hashemi Rafsanjani told Rooz,
"Without naming any specific individual, Hashemi warned against the growth of a
movement that seeks to ignore the regime's achievements and implicate everyone
who cares about the regime."
... Payvand News - 11/19/09 ... --
