Infusing Fear of Change Among the Clergy

As the next presidential election in Iran approaches and as differences among the various ruling circles have been deepening, appointees and close associates of the country’s supreme leader have been visiting various clerics and clerical students and, while criticizing their “apathy” and stressing that the fate of the Islamic regime was tied to the clergy, have launched a program to create “fear of change” of the government and regime among clerics and urging them to be obedient to ayatollah Khamenei.

In this light, cleric Ahmad Khatami, the supreme leader appointed Friday prayer leader told a group Friday prayer leaders of Qom province, “Clerics cannot be indifferent to the elections and must most categorically get involved in the elections very carefully and with clear positions. Saying coming to work is a choice is a very dangerous position because it is in a sense taking a position against the regime.”

In his talk, he implicitly complained about a lack of trust in ayatollah Khamenei and his leadership. He specifically said that to verbally accept the supreme leader required that one engage in such actions. “To be a true follower requires that one takes actions in that regard.”

Khatami who is a member of the influential Jame Modaresin Hoze Elmie Qom (Faculty of the Qom Theological Seminary) said, “Some mistakenly believe that to be moderate means to be indifferent to social and regime issues.” He then urged the Friday prayer leaders and clerics not to be indifferent to the conditions prevalent in the country and called on them to enter politics to “support” the regime.

“Do not be influenced by close associates or family members,” he stressed adding, “the conditions of sedition are difficult and not easy to distinguish and only those with wisdom and patience can correctly recognize righteousness and guide others.”

Echoing what other regime supporters assert, he said, “Enemies today are busy poisoning to disfavor the clerics in the eyes of people” and urged his audience to not be discouraged adding that clerics should strive to maintain their humble spirit.

“If the Islamic republic is eliminated, people who come to power will fight with the foundations of religion,” he said and warned his audience, “if the Islamic revolution is harmed, the enemies would fulfill their wishes on the faith and the revolution.”

Khatami then turned to the upcoming June presidential election and said, “The upcoming election is a turning point. If the number two person in the country is in line with the honor of the Islamic regime, it will result in progress whereas if he does not believe in the ideals and values then there will be problems.”

These remarks follow similar statements by individuals close to the supreme leader who have asserted that the enemies are planning to strike at the clergy.  Cleric Mohammad Mohammadi Golpaygani, the supreme leader’s chief of staff for example, recently publicly said, “People trust the clerics and this is a great capital. And it is because of this that the enemy wants to dishonor the image of the clerics.” He made these remarks while speaking to clerics and religious students in the province of Khuzestan. He then warned that anything that may inflict the smallest harm to the clerics should be avoided. “We must all support the leader,” he emphasized.

“Today all our arms and weapons are domestically produced and the enemy knows that if he over reaches he will be targeted. The supreme commander of the armed forces today is a cleric and a recognized religious leader (marjae taghlid). This is a great honor for the regime,” he said.

He too echoed the words of Khatami and said, “Today, the fate of this country and this divine regime is tied to the clerics. The victory of this regime and revolution is linked to clerics.”

While spreading fear of a change among the clerics is not exactly a new notion, it has picked up momentum after the supreme leader’s trip in 2010 and his express remarks on this. Speaking to a group of clerics and religious students in Qom, ayatollah Khamenei then had said, “All should know that today the fate of clerics and the fate of Islam in this country is tied to the fate of the Islamic regime. If the Islamic regime is harmed in the slightest way, the damage to the clerics will be greater than those inflicted on the people.” He made these remarks after the popular unrest that followed the official announcement of the 2009 president which ayatollah Khamenei sanctioned.

As social discontent has also risen recently in Iran even hardline clerics such as Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi have also adopted Khamenei’s reasoning to instill fear of change. In a speech last April, Yazdi criticized the lack of trust in the supreme leader. He specifically rejected those who argue that Islam did not advocate a government but only presented rules to be followed.