Senior Iranian Official Reveals Truth Of Regime’s Elections – OpEd
The effects of the mass boycott of the Iranian regime’s recent elections are becoming increasingly evident. One example is the remarks of the Friday Prayer leader Ahmad Alamolhoda, the representative of Iranian regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei in Mashhad. Recently Alamolhoda tried to downplay and alleviate the psychologically debilitating effects of the nationwide boycott on the regime forces.
On March 19, the state-run Entekhab news website quoted him as saying, “In Islam, the majority is not automatically accepted… Among them, the accepted majority is the religious and devout majority, not the sinful and rebellious majority. Therefore, there is no place for the majority who did not act according to the orders and commands of the leadership regarding participation in the elections.”
Based on the nature of this regime and its history, Alamolhoda has not made any unusual or outside-the-norm statements. The theoretical basis of the Guardianship of the Jurist system is founded on the principle that the people are immature, and the Supreme Leader is their qualified guardian. He makes decisions on their behalf, and the people are obliged to implement them.
The theorists of the regime, the clerics Ahmad Azari Qomi and Mesbah Yazdi, have clearly and thoroughly explained and elucidated this meaning. Mesbah Yazdi used to say, “What right do the people have to grant rights to anyone?! The people themselves have no right to want to grant rights to anyone. If the elected president is not appointed by the Supreme Leader, he is a tyrant.”
Azari Qomi also used to say that whatever the Supreme Leader commands is obligatory to be obeyed, just like the command of God and the command of the Prophet. Disobeying is considered rebellion and apostasy, and the person who disobeys has no right to life. The main slogan of the regime, “Death to the enemies of the Guardianship of the Jurist,” clearly expresses this viewpoint.
In addition to the clergy and ideological theorists of the regime, other lower-level actors have also repeatedly expressed this meaning.
On November 5, 2023, the state-run Khabar Online news website quoted Mansoureh Masoumi, a member of the Central Council of the Strategic Network of Islamic Revolutionary Supporters, as saying, “The country belongs to the Hezbollahis [party of God], and anyone who doesn’t want it can leave the country.”
These are not merely theoretical or verbal discussions confined to articles or books or limited to specific speeches. It is indeed a policy and approach that the regime has consistently implemented over the past 45 years, and its consequences have resulted not only in the usurpation of the people’s sovereignty but also in depriving them of fundamental human rights. This includes the right to freedom of thought and expression, the right to choose one’s attire and way of life, and even the right to life itself.
However, regardless of the ideological perspective and the regime’s 45-year performance concerning society, what has become prominent beneath the surface in the comments of Alamolhoda and, instead of reassurance, has caused fear and concern among regime forces, is his admission regarding societal reactions. Alamolhoda, with frustration and anger, states that most people do not comply with the real demands of Khamenei and have taken the path of rebellion and defiance.
It is interesting that following Alamolhoda’s comments, some individuals within the regime and the dominant faction have reacted and attempted to discredit his statements.
On March 22, 2023, Rouydad 24 news website quoted Sakineh Sadat Pad, an advisor to regime president Ebrahim Raisi, posted on X, “Any official or group that speaks or acts against the solidarity of the people is either a traitor or ignorant.”
Ezzatollah Zarghami, the minister of Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism, sought refuge behind the recent statements of Khamenei regarding the necessity of unity.
Rouydad 24 news website quoted him as saying, “60 percent and 40 percent are all Iranians. Rebellion and disobedience do not befit anyone, even if they did not participate in the recent elections.”
These statements are an attempt to cover up the scandal and outrage caused by Alamolhoda. However, these efforts once again highlight how the election boycott has disrupted the regime’s balance and exposed its corrupt core.
