Kayhan and IRNA Renew Attacks on Hassan Khomeini

Iran’s hardline Kayhan daily and IRNA news agency renewed their attacks on the Institute for the Publication and Propagation of the Imam’s Works as well as Seyed Hassan Khomeini, harshly blasting their stances on recent events.  Hassan Khomeini is the grandchild of the founder of the Islamic revolution and republic.

Renewing its attacks on the institute for publication of ayatollah Khomeini’s works, Kayhan noted that the institute has been transformed into a center for fighting against ayatollah Khomeini’s ideas, and called for a “serious purification” of the cultural institute. 

Kayhan also explicitly attacked the institute’s head and the revolutionary founder’s grandson, Hassan Khomeini, accusing him of being “suspiciously” silent against the clear manipulation of ayatollah Khomeini’s ideas by ayatollah Yousef Sanei, Mohammad Khatami, and Mehdi Karoubi.  Kayhan noted that Hassan Khomeini’s silence cannot mean anything but cooperation with the “manipulators.”

Kayhan’s editorial yesterday was published in response to the legal suit that the Institute had filed against Kayhan, which was publicized on Saturday.  The complaint accused Kayhan of publishing “shameful” insults against ayatollah Khomeini. 

Hassan Khomeini’s Ideas in Line with Overthrowers

Kayhan, however, was not the only conservative outlet to unleash an attack on ayatollah Khomeini’s grandson.  The state-owned IRNA news agency published an article yesterday – without its author’s name – accusing Hassan Khomeini, who has repeatedly indicated his unhappiness with the presidential election results and the selection of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, of cooperating with “behind-the-scenes” elements.

IRNA, which supports the Ahmadinejad administration, also attacked Khatami and Mousavi-Khoeiniha, who heads the Assembly of Combatant Clergy [Majma Rohaniyoon Mobarez], accusing them of falling in line with the “enemy’s plan to overthrow” the Islamic republic and attacked Hassan Khomeini’s “support” of these “elements” as unjustifiable. 

Noting its dissatisfaction with the revolutionary founder grandson’s support of opposition leaders, IRNA also attacked ayatollah Khomeini’s grandson’s decision to cancel the Qadr nights prayers at Imam Khomeini’s shrine, writing, “The least that was expected was for you not to cancel the religious gathering at the holy shrine of the Imam for the sake of something like Khatami.”  This statement is interesting because most political observers had speculated that the gathering was cancelled under pressure from the administration and its supporters. 

The unnamed author of IRNA’s article also advises the revolutionary founder’s grandson that “whatever respect and credibility he has, it is from the great Khomeini and the revered Khamenei.  Otherwise, we are not aware of other qualities, such as political background, knowledge, management skills and the like to explain his present privileged position.” 

On Sunday, in a show of support to Mir-Hossein Mousavi and his followers, Seyed Hassan Khomeini visited Mousavi’s recently released top advisor, Alireza Beheshti, who is the son of another leading founder of the Islamic revolution, ayatollah Beheshti.  Also, in a controversial move last month, Seyed Hassan Khomeini refused to attend Ahmadinejad’s inauguration and swearing-in ceremonies.