FP:  Rafsanjani Makes His Move

Iran’s most watched man has finally made his move. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president and the country’s most skilled political operator, had been sending mixed signals since the contentious June election, one day appearing sympathetic with the opposition and the next declaring his loyalty to the regime. Throughout this long political dance, both Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the opposition “green movement” appreciated that securing the allegiance of Rafsanjani, a key player in Iranian politics since the Islamic Revolution, would represent a significant victory.

Now, Rafsanjani appears to have decided to place his bets with Khamenei. And it turns out that Rafsanjani’s cultivated reputation for independence might be exactly what the supreme leader needs right now.

Zamaneh:  Iranian reformist group issues government failing report card

Iranian reformist group, Mujahedin of the Islamic Revolution issued a statement at the threshold of the Iranian New Year describing the events of the passing year as tragic adding that Ahmadinejad government has deprived people both from freedom and economic prosperity.

Khordaad88:  Mousavi’s Speech to Members of the Islamic Participation Front

Our Constitution evidently stresses and concentrates on the right to organize social gatherings and form [social/political] parties and organizations. Some people mistakenly assume that such organizations are gifts awarded to the people by the government. We mistakenly believe that these organizations should be shaped by the government and delivered to the people while this, [in fact], is a social demand and its prevalence results in a healthy society. The government should not ban these activities. If the government did not place such severe pressure on people and allowed them to be politically active and form organizations—without fear of prosecution—then there would be no need to have demonstrations in the streets. Furthermore, if the government did not use such severe violence and trample on people’s rights, then everyone would remain calm and peaceful during those demonstrations. Unfortunately, over the past nine months, the authorities have been extremely violent towards the protesters and have ignored their rights—this has cost the people dearly. They have truly paid a great price in the violence that we have witnessed.

Rooz:  Democracy Is Not Extractable from Islam

Dr. Soroush. You said you are politically secular.  The main issue seems to be about the separation of church and state anyway.  So what is the disagreement among our intellectuals about?

Abdolkarim Soroush (Soroush):  In reality there is no disagreement.  Perhaps some want to create one.  I introduced the concept of “political and philosophical secularism” for this very reason, to resolve any apparent disagreement and to demonstrate in what sense we are secular, and in agreement with others, and in what sense we are not secular.  But the issue that has emerged, especially outside the country, is that a lot of people who claim to be seculars, are secular in belief too; meaning they have no belief in religion or faith.  Of course, they are free to have such beliefs, but when only those people become the defenders of secularism, secularism takes on a dangerous meaning for the Iranian society.  There is the impression that secularism means denouncing religion and faith.  This delusion and error must be corrected.

TB:  What’s next–the ‘Persian’ Gulf?

The collective denunciation of Chaharshanbeh Souri is clearly a measure taken to ensure that the authority of the Islamic Republic remains unchallenged. The regime can pretend to have the backing of “the people” for only so long. When every significant celebration or other public event in the country is turned into a protest during which ever greater numbers of Iranians are arrested, the legitimacy of the regime’s actions inevitably falls under question by even its staunchest supporters.

For now, the attack on Persian custom is limited to Chaharshanbeh Souri. There is, as yet, no sign that officials intend to impose a ban on all such traditions — they have had 31 years of opportunity if that was the primary goal. In the words of Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi, “The Chaharshanbeh Souri ceremony is a superstitious act and baseless, and pious and sensible Muslims will stay away from it. But many other Eid [Nowruz] festivities are reasonable, beneficial, and good.”

However, the rulers of the Islamic Republic will stop at nothing to remain in power, as the events of recent months have proved. Survival is the bottom line. If the survival of the regime means banning an ancient festival to prevent the opposition from raising its voice, so be it. If, in the future, maintaining their hold on power necessitates giving up the “Persian” in the Persian Gulf, it is not hard to imagine that they will readily find religious justification for informing us that the Persian Gulf was Arab all along. In the Islamic Republic, the ends always justify the means.

Rooz Online spoke with Dr. Abdolkarim Soroush about the issues facing the Iranian nation today, the 5-person statement and the mixing of religion and politics.  Emphasizing that if a referendum is to be held in the country, “The supreme leader’s position and responsibilities must be revisited,” he contends, adding, “In order to save religion and ensure piety out of choice, not compulsion, secularism is the appropriate solution in my opinion.”  Here are excerpts of the interview. Go to Rooz Online.

IND:  Ms. Robin Wright, one of our favorite Iran analysts, interviews Mr. Abdolkarim Soroush.

Journalist Robin Wright interviewed for Global Viewpoint one of the signatories, reform-movement founder and scholar Abdolkarim Soroush, about the manifesto, which also calls for the recognition of law-abiding political, student, non-governmental and women’s groups; labor unions; freedom for all means of mass communication; and an independent judiciary, including popular election of the judicial chief.

Robin Wright, a former diplomatic correspondent for the Washington Post and author of four books on Iran since 1973, is now a senior fellow at the US Institute for Peace in Washington.

Q: Why did you decide to issue a manifesto now?

…we have also individually been frequently asked by our friends: What are the real demands of the Green Movement, because the Green Movement was something that jumped on the scene? There was no planning for it. The election was the beginning, and it just evolved and evolved. As it evolved, some demands had emerged, but there was nothing that showed what was in the minds of the leaders of the movement.

The five of us thought that because we are close enough to the leaders of the movement – Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi and Mohammad Khatami – and know their demands, we should start drafting a manifesto or statement about the Green Movement. So we started drafting, and then Mousavi’s statement [that he would die for the movement if necessary] was issued [on Jan. 1]. Since we are living outside the country, don’t have to fear [the government] and know what is in the mind of the people, we decided to publish our own statement to make clear what Mousavi’s intentions and goals of the Green Movement are. Go to CS Monitor.