Hassan Khomeini calls for end to extremism

Seyed Hassan Khomeini

Seyed Hassan Khomeini, grandson of the late Ayatollah Khomeini, says “extremism” must be abandoned and “extremists” must be churned away in the Islamic Republic.

Speaking to families of the seventh of Tir bomb attack victims, the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic stressed that Iran is not realizing its potentials despite all the “revenues from oil and the vast human force” it possesses.

Hassan Khomeini insisted on the importance of resolving the economic problems of the society since unemployment amongst the young, closure of factories, import of foreign goods and high inflation has only “disheartened” people.

Jamaran website reports that Hassan Khomeini emphasized that Iran is struggling with great difficulties in providing for its people.

Hojatoleslam Khomeini went on to say that the poor strata of Iranian society want to see the effectiveness of the regime. He added that the people want their officials to get over “personal vendettas” and “childish grudges” and instead try to resolve the country’s problems.

The grandson of the late leader of Iran’s 1979 Revolution remarked: “We are ashamed of our inability to resolve the people’s problems.”

Hassan Khomeini is one of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s staunch critics and has repeatedly announced that the current policies of the government contradict the ideals of his grandfather.

In the post election turmoil which led to the arrest of scores of reformists, he visited newly released detainees showing support for the reformist camp of the Islamic Republic.

In the ceremony marking the anniversary of the death of his grandfather, his speech was drowned by a pro-Ahmadinejad crowd who shouted slogans against him and other reform leaders.

Several political and religious figures condemned the act regarding it as a mark of how widely the Islamic Republic has deviated from its original path.