Iranian hardliner claims Rafsanjani insulted the Supreme Leader

BFnews.ir - Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi

The internal disputes within the Islamic Republic continues as today Iranian Hardliner, Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, head of the Society of Qom Seminary Teachers, attacked the moderate Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani for his statements yesterday.

Ayatollah Yazdi maintained that in his interpretation, when Ayatollah Rafsanjani states that Ayatollah Khamenei is the “most advisable” person to resolve the current problems, he is in fact “insulting” the Supreme Leader. In a meeting with the National Broadcasting Organization officials, Ayatollah Yazdi claimed Ayatollah Rafsanjani’s statements far from being “respectful” of the Supreme Leadership, were downright “insulting and presumptuous.”

Ayatollah Yazdi added that “in my opinion these words, threw a shadow of doubt over the significance of leadership and this is the highest insult to his worship, Ayatollah Khamenei.”

Yesterday the Chairman of the Expediency Council, Ayatollah Rafsanjani told a meeting of Moderation and Development Party members that Ayatollah Khamenei was the “most advisable” person to take the country out of its “critical” situation.

He also added that because of the current “unfavourable conditions,” he has chosen to remain “silent” but maintained that his proposals for leading the country out of this “crisis” are still those he had listed in his July16 speech at Tehran Friday Mass prayers.

In the July 16 speech, the moderate cleric had called for the release of all political prisoners, consideration of the families of post-election victims and creation of an open atmosphere for the opposition to express its point of view.

While none of these proposals have been taken into consideration by the government, the Chairman of the Expediency Council maintained that he still believes in the totality of his proposed course of action.

Ayatollah Yazdi once more accused Ayatollah Rafsanjnai of vague and “triple-sided” statements and claimed he should be “condemning the desecration of the Imam Khomeni’s photo and the insults of Ashura Day” rather that insisting on his earlier stances.

Mohammad Yazdi is a hardline cleric and a staunch supporter of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Earlier he had also condemned, what he called, the “meaningful silence” of Ayatollah Rafsanjani which he claimed was in “support of the opposition and the street events.”

In the past seven months, Iranians have been protesting the alleged fraud that brought back Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for another term at presidency. The protests have created a deep division in the Islamic Republic establishment.

The government has violently confronted protesters during peaceful street demonstrations and arrested thousands of protesters.

A large faction of the establishment, including Ayatollah Rafsanjani, have condemned the crackdown on protesters and urged the authorities to take heed of the people’s demands.