Violent Extremists are Fermenting Animosity

Concurrent with the publication of news indicating that traditional conservatists in Iran are increasing their efforts regarding the national unity idea, a member close to former president Mohammad Khatami called these measures “serious efforts” and welcomed it. At the same time a leader of the Motalefe party (a coalition of traditional conservative activists in Iran) implicitly called president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s supporters to be “violent supporters.”

Reports from Iran indicate that Jame Rohaniyat Mobarez (Combatant Clergy Association, a conservative group) led by Mahdavi Kani, has set up a seven-man committee to investigate the achievement of the “national unity” idea. Ahmad Salek, the spokesperson for this key conservative clerical group refused to name the members of the committee in his talk with ILNA labor news agency and did not provide any further details. “Experts are to do their job and report to the Association,” he said.

This idea of national unity was first raised by ayatollah Mahdavi Kani as a solution to the current problem that the Islamic regime in Tehran faces which erupted after the June 12 presidential elections. Prior to him, Hashemi Rafsanjani, the current head of the powerful Experts Assembly on leadership (which in theory monitors the work of the leader of the Islamic republic) also had mentioned it in a Friday prayer sermon.

Observers believe that these efforts by traditional conservative political groups in Iran, i.e. Combatant Clergy Association and Islamic Coalition party (Motalefe party) both of which are not supportive of the extremist policies of the supporters of Ahmadinejad administration, are indications that they are trying to contain Ahmadinejad.

On Wednesday, a senior member of Baran Foundation affiliated with former president Mohammad Khatami called the efforts of the team formed by Mahdavi Kani to look into a government of national unity to be indicative of serious problems in the political terrain of Iran. And even Hossein Rasooli, a former government of Khorasan province, who did not provide any details of the plan did not challenge the existence of serious problems in the country.

These remarks by Rasooli come after the principal challenger to the June 12 elections Mir-Hossein Mousavi said in an interview with Kalama website that nobody had discussed the issue with him, adding, “No plan will succeed unless it considers the views of the people.” Observes have interpreted these remarks to mean that the plan would not succeed.

Violent Extremist are Creating Animosity
Habibollah Asqar Owladi, a leader of the right-wing coalition who is also mentioned as a brain-child of the national unity idea, criticized both parties in the current national crises, which indicates his middle-of-the-road position. IN his meeting with the supporters of the Motalefe, Owladi called those who wanted to try Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi to be “violent extremists” and accused them of creating animosity.

He also had some harsh words for Mousavi and Karoubi. He said they were both “outside the revolution”, adding, “We must take measures so these individuals return to the revolution and not engage in violent measures.”

Observers have said that Owladi’s words are the response to Hossein Shariatmadari’s harsh criticism of Owladi in recent weeks. Just last week, Shariatmadari who is the editor in chief of the pro-administration Kayhan newspaper attacked Owladi’s national unity plan. The editor, who is directly appointed by the leader of Iran ayatollah Khamenei, has called for the arrest of the leaders of dissidents and critics of Ahmadinejad’s administration on several occasions since the massive protests over the June 12 presidential elections.

In addition to attacks on the national unity plan by such right-wing individuals as Shariatmadari, former Majlis member Ruhollah Hosseinian too has joined the critics of the plan. This MP who has a record of security and judicial involvement in the eight Majlis called the national unity idea a “new plot” and verbally attacked former Pasdaran Revolutionary Guards commander Mohsen Rezai and former 2-time president Hashemi Rafsanjani, adding, “Those who have launched these ideas are criminals whose crimes must be investigated.”