President Ahmadinejad's nomination of a Vice President on Friday provoked severe criticism by the conservative clergy . He seems to be seeking to solidify the support of his base among the agrarian population , the urban poor, pensioners and many others who disapprove of the corruption of the clerical regime. They helped give him his upset victory over former President Rafsanjani in 2005. In nominating as his first vice president Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, Ahmadinejad affirms his image as a populist, independent of the wealthy and corrupt clerics.
The NYTimes reports:
"That [reform] movement received a powerful boost on Friday when ....former president, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, [at the Friday Prayer gathering in] Tehran that the government had lost the trust of many Iranians, and ...called for the release of the protesters arrested since the election....
Although some Iranian conservatives have criticized Mr. Rafsanjani for his speech on Friday, more have made stinging criticisms of Mr. Ahmadinejad over a controversial cabinet appointment made public on the same day. The president named as his first vice president Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, who angered hard-liners by saying in 2008 that Iranians are 'friends of all people in the world — even Israelis.'...
On Saturday, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a prominent conservative, called the appointment of Mr. Mashaei 'completely unbelievable' and said to promote him was to 'ridicule the highest religious authorities.' Other conservatives made similar comments, including figures in the Basij militia. Kayhan, a newspaper close to Ayatollah Khamenei, called the appointment a 'mistake' that would 'no doubt provoke strong opposition.'...
Iran’s reformist former president Mohammad Khatami called Sunday for a referendum on the legitimacy of the government in the wake of last month’s disputed presidential election...
Mr. Khatami’s comments amounted to a bold challenge to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has dismissed the opposition’s claims that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s landslide victory on June 12 was rigged, and has ordered protesters to accept it...
[O]n Sunday, Iran’s Jahan News reported that Iranian security forces had foiled an effort to assassinate both Mir Hussein Moussavi, the main challenger to Mr. Ahmadinejad, and Mehdi Karroubi, another candidate in the presidential election, both of whom have called the June 12 vote fraudulent. The report attributed the information to unnamed sources and claimed the would-be assassins were from the Mujahedin-e Khalq, a militant group [a terrorist group which is funded by members in London and Paris, and has a community in Iraq which was established under Saddam and is now protected by the US ] that seeks to overthrow the Iranian government."
source: Ex-President in Iran Seeks Referendum
By Robect F. Worth
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/20/world/middleeast/20iran.html?_r=1&th=&emc=th&pagewanted=print
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Comments: 11
Very interesting. Thanks!
The turn toward 'populism' in IRAN may signal a move toward the further education of the PEOPLE and just possibly a turn toward an in-depth look at the most significant aspect of JIHAD; SELF EXAMINATION and thus HUMAN RIGHTS for Muslim IRANIANS. The future seems to be gaining in potential for WORLD consciousness progress, as I see the writings on the walls.
Here's a squibb (below) from Wikipedia that I'm certain you know about -- definitional aspects of JIHAD which has so seriously been 'overlooked(?)' by many interpreters of what has been going on with respect to IRANIAN internationalist interactivist postures.
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JIHAD
".....
According to scholar John Esposito, Jihad requires Muslims to "struggle in the way of God" or "to struggle to improve one's self and/or society."[3][4] Jihad is directed against Satan's inducements, aspects of one's own self, or against a visible enemy.[1][5] The four major categories of jihad that are recognized are Jihad against one's self (Jihad al-Nafs), Jihad of the tongue (Jihad al-lisan), Jihad of the hand (Jihad al-yad), and Jihad of the sword (Jihad as-sayf).[5]
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Do we have a comparable concept for citizens of the WEST as we confront issues like (1) WARS, in general, (2) Educational Policies, and especially -- these days -- UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE? Does learning about the deep implications of 'feelings of EMPATHY' get our West's languages on the road toward SELF ANALYSES? along with the slow development of a NEW ETHIC for living well and productively on this otherwise glorious PLANET of ours?
It is true that we have no influence in Iran. We never have.
I think Ahmadinejad is dangerous.
I am only suggesting that Ahmadinejad has a limited perspective. He doesn't see how his rhetoric is offensive. Chavez has done good work for his country. His rhetoric has been excessive at times.
Inside the ruling oligarchy, the conservatives who are radically hostile to Western values and modernity are the dominating force. This faction, led by the Sepah and the Basij , is represented by Ahmadinejad and is symbolized by the supreme leader, Khamenei. The moderates - Rafsanjani being the most notable figure - are not leading the opposition faction of society. Instead, they are pragmatically capitalizing on the current dissident movement by attaching themselves to it in hope of survival. Rafsanjani's era came to an end after his rival Ahmadinejad crushed him in the presidential elections of 2005.