Rafsanjany’s Demands are the Same as the Greens’

Two days after Hashemi Rafsanjani made public statements at a meeting of the Assembly of Experts for Leadership, there is now all kinds of talk of a possible behind-the-scenes compromise between him, who also heads the Expediency Council, and the perpetrators of the June 2009 coup that kept Ahmadinejad at the presidency.  In an interview with Rooz Hashemi Rafsanjany’s daughter Faezeh Hashemi, adamantly denies such claims and in an exclusive interview with Rooz, said that no compromise of any kind has been reached “under the current circumstances no compromise of any kind which does not take into account people’s rights and harms inflicted on them, can be suspected.”

In this interview, Faezeh Hashemi asks all to “be patient and allow Mr. Rafsanjany to purse the issues his own way.”  She also insists that “In light of the commonality between Mr. Rafsanjany’s demands and the green movement(s demands), one can regard him as a member of the Iranian people’s green movement.”

The interview with former Majlis lawmaker and chief editorof the banned Zan (“Woman”) daily appears below.

Rooz: Ms. Hashemi, why has Mr. Rafsanjany been absent as a speaker at the Friday prayers for such a long time now?  Some reports indicate that he is not being allowed to participate in the Friday prayer sermons.

Faezeh Hashemi (Hashemi): As far as I am aware, Mr. Hashemi’s participation at the Friday prayer sermons has not been restricted.  He has made a personal decision not to attend Friday prayers to avoid injuries to the public.  Unfortunately, a large number of people were beaten and harassed during his last Friday prayer sermon.

Rooz: Some accuse him of having reached a behind-the-scenes compromise.

Hashemi: It is not true that he has been accused of this.  His record and the history of the revolution, both before and after the revolution, reveal that Mr. Hashemi does not compromise over people’s rights.  If that were the case, he wouldn’t have been subjected to so many attacks.  Look at the media.  Right now perhaps the most extreme attacks are directed at Mr. Hashemi and his family by individuals and media outlets that did not act faithfully during the election.  The principle that Mr. Hashemi stands for is to stand firm for people’s rights, albeit his own way.  

Rooz: But society expects Mr. Hashemi to announce his views in a transparent way at the present moment.

Hashemi: Mr. Hashemi has announced his views during the famous Friday prayer sermon.  But we must be mindful that everyone has his own unique style and reasoning, and our expectations from any person must match their personality and position.  It is better if we are patient that he would act in his own wisdom, and allow him to act according to his own method.  

Rooz: I ask more directly about where Mr. Hashemi stands in the current political struggle in Iran.  Is he a member of the Iranian people’s green opposition movement?

Hashemi: Mr. Hashemi has announced his views during the famous Friday prayer sermon and other visits.  He wants the public to be convinced, for protesters’ demands to be responded to, for injuries inflicted to be remedied and for innocent prisoners to be released.  All of these are also the demands of the protesters and the green movement.  

Rooz: Does that mean that he regards himself as a member of the green movement?

Hashemi: I cannot say that, you have to ask himself.  But the demands that he has voiced are the same demands that have been voiced by the green movement.

Rooz: What is your personal opinion?  Can Mr. Hashemi be viewed as a green and a member of the Iranian people’s green opposition movement?

Hashemi: Since the green movement has certain demands that are common with Mr. Hashemi’s public views, he can be regarded as a green.  However, Mr. Hashemi has usually been placed and acted above and beyond such distinctions.