Ahmadinejad's demands for Holocaust investigation juxtaposed with denial of an election probe

Mohammad Ali Ansari

The crisis that has gripped Iranian politics since the disputed June presidential elections and the controversial victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad persists as the rifts in the upper echelons of power deepens and prominent political figures protest each others actions in public statements.

Today, Mohammad Ali Ansari, director of Ayatollah Khomeini’s Publications, denounced Iranian supporters of an investigation into the veracity of the Holocaust, asking “How come you do not allow a simple investigation into the presidential elections?”

After Iran’s June elections, the three defeated candidates of the elections made allegations of fraud in the ballot but their demands for investigations into the ballot were turned down by the supreme leader. Two candidates, MirHosein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi challenged the legitimacy of the resulting government and vowed to continue their legal battle against it. Despite government crackdown on the immediate nationwide demonstrations, election protests have continued on through such mass protests on Qods Day and student protests in universities.

Mr. Ansari asks: how can we criticize a ban on holocaust investigations calling it an undemocratic act, and then adamantly deny a simple demand for a probe into a recent election in Iran?

Mr. Ansari directed his statement today to Mohammad Javad Larijani who has been criticizing the actions of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeni’s grandson, Hassan Khomeni, who has come out in support of the opponents of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the post-election events.

Hassan Khomeini boycotted Ahmadinejad’s inauguration and visited MirHosein Mousavi’s aide, Mr. Beheshti, upon his release from prison.

Mr. Ansari writes that as always the Khomeini family will “bravely and freely defend Islam and justice in all its purity.”

Mohammad Javad Larijani has called for the prosecution of opposition leaders in the recent events and directly accused MirHosein Mousavi of orchestrating a coup against the Supreme Leader.

In reference to Mr. Larijani’s comments, Mr. Ansari expressed his dismay in how the concerned and public-spirited actions of prominent figures of the country are being misconstrued.