Most of those who were born before 1979 revolution remembers the slogan “God, King, Country.”
God for Shah [of Iran] was the same traditional God. Shah had repeatedly told stories about himself being the favorite of Imams. As a matter of fact, in this trilogy [God, King, Country], God was not mentioned, but all officials in Pahlavi’s regime were only and only busy eulogizing his royal majesty [Shah] and serving him like servants and sycophants. A kind of Iranian nationalism was also constructed, resulting in a patriotism as its child. It is proper to make a comparison between Pahlavi regime and “Islamic Republic” regime in this regard.
Jurists’ God and Shah’s God
God of “Islamic jurists” is lawmaker God who plays favoritism. He considers discriminatory, “special rights” for the clerics. Shah’s God also favored him but was not a lawmaker God—in the sense that jurists have in mind.
From jurists’ point of view, the right to govern belongs to lawmaker God. God gave this right to the prophet, later to [Shia] Imams, and during the period of endless absence [of twelfth Imam], to the “Islamic jurists”. “Islamic jurists” will implement sharia or God’s laws. Moreover, they consider disagreeing with this idea as polytheism.
Khamenei considers governing as the right of lawmaker God that he gives to certain people and one group. On 11 July 1990, he said, “In Islam, guardianship of the society belongs to Almighty God.” Therefore, whoever becomes the guardian of the people; God’s guardianship will be realized through him. On 17 December 2003, he said, “In Islam, no guardianship or governance over human beings is accepted, unless it is determined by Almighty God.” Therefore, there is no guardianship, unless lawmaker God gives it. On 4 June 2006, he said, “What is considered as the origin of the legitimacy of this regime—meaning divine guardianship that is transferred to the jurist—depends on a commitment to divine commandments.”
Mesbah Yazdi, as fundamentalist’ ‘Allama’ and ideologue, has talked a lot in this regard, and I will only mention the following three cases:
On 7 April 2013, Mesbah Yazdi said, “We have not properly clarified the issue of Jurist Leadership, because, according to Infallible Ones’ sayings, disagreeing with Jurist Leadership is at the same level as polytheism.”
On 2 March 2015, Mesbah Yazdi said, “If the ruler over the society is not permitted by God, his governance is illegitimate, despite people accepting it… Based on the evidence, the ruling of deputy of Imam Zaman [Mahdi, final Imam of the Twelve Imams] is actually the ruling of Imam Zaman himself. And obeying him is the same as obeying Imam Zaman, and disagreeing with him is at the same level as polytheism.”
On 4 October 2015, Mesbah Yazdi said, “‘Tawhid’ without accepting the guardianship will be useless. In fact, Almighty God has a fortress, that fortress is Tawhid, and the issue of guardianship is one of the requirements of Tawhid… Accepting law from anybody other than God and without God’s permission is polytheism. Because if anyone is set beside God, it will be polytheism. But if obeying and accepting law from others is with God’s permission, it is not only not polytheism, but that obedience is necessary.”
Inventing Jurist Leadership and making believing in it as an essential part of believing in God and Tawhid is by itself polytheistic. Tawhid means negating anything other than God, not appointing a new partner for God called jurists. If lawmaker by human beings is polytheistic, then more than 95% of the laws in Iran that were enacted during past 38 years were fabricated laws, and there is no sign of them in “Islamic sharia”. Jurists respond that the very God who appoints “Islamic jurist” as deputy of Imam Zaman gives him the right to legislate. Nevertheless, God has not given the right to rule to a family (Ali Ibn Abi Taleb’s family) as a hereditary right, and not personally or through that family, has considered political ruling as “special right” of the Islamic jurists. Quran keeps silent in this regard, and only a part of Twelver Imam Shia has such a belief. “Islamic Jurists” have promoted themselves to the position of God, actually following Satan’s goals—in words of Quran.
» Khamenei and Shah
Servants and sycophants have done all they can to eulogize Shah and Ali Khamenei. Now look at a few cases of “Islamic jurists’” remarks about Ali Khamenei:
On 2 December 2014, Mesbah Yazdi said, “Honestly, among all the blessings that God has given us, I know of no bigger one than the blessing of Supreme Leader’s existence. His perfections are obvious to all, and every day a new manifestation of his perfection appears. In such a way that friends and foes have admitted his distinguished personality.” On 15 August 2016, he said, “Thank God after Imam [Khomeini], God replaced him with his counterpart, and this is certainly by divine approval.” On 31 December 2016, he said, “Today the most sublime blessing that God has given to Iranian society is the wise leader.”
Mohammad Yazdi has said, “Somebody like Supreme Leader who is in charge of Islamic community will be assisted by Imam Zaman. That is because, in some issues, the whole Islamic community and society are at risk, and the Supreme Leader is in charge of protecting this community. And if “Imam Zaman” leaves him alone and he makes a mistake, Islamic society will be harmed. Therefore, I see Imam Zaman’s grace and favor behind all Supreme Leader’s measures. That is why sometimes he comes to Qom and returns, without anyone noticing it. I believe that he has adopted the best measure in all events, and after late Imam [Khomeini], Khamenei (May God protect him) is one of the most precious resources that God has given to this community under these conditions. When we think about it, we see that if under sensitive conditions such as today’s, somebody else was in charge, then it was not clear what would happen to the country.”
Mohammadi Golpayegani, head of Khamenei’s office, said, “Again and again we have received messages from different people, saying that in their dreams and revelations, Imam Zaman has said: we will not leave Seyed Ali alone.”
Ahmad Janati said, “Had it not been for Supreme Leader’s wise measures [in 2009 sedition], enemies’ demands would have come true.” He addressed a member of Experts Council, saying, “Jurist Leadership is the same as guardianship of the prophet. And we believe that Jurist Leadership is the same as Imam Ali’s guardianship, and if this is not accepted, the regime cannot fulfill its mission. Therefore, please keep that very well in mind during the period you are here. And God willing, under the Supreme Leader, we will be able to do something to keep God, Supreme Leader and people pleased.”
On 26 December 2012, Sadegh Larijani said about Khamenei’s role in suppressing Green Movement: “In 2009 sedition, enemies of Islamic regime were after creating a riot, and some inside the country were after serving the enemies’ interests… The Supreme Leader’s role in confronting 2009 sedition was incomparable. The Supreme Leader was very patient in confronting this sedition. And when he reached the conclusion that seditionists were not after their legal rights, and wanted to confront the regime, he started guiding and awakening people, which ended up in a revolutionary confrontation with seditionists and creation of an epic day of December 30.” [When supporters of the regime took to the streets]
Major-General Firoozabadi had said about Khamenei’s kaffiyeh: “The Supreme Leader is the sun from whose light; revolution’s caravan can distinguish the right and wrong paths. Every now and then, he caresses someone’s head. Sometimes he gives away his own ring. And sometimes he gives his kaffiyeh to the person who asks for it. His kaffiyeh is like an appealing mystery, which no one has been able to understand. Anyone who is smarter can become present in a meeting with him and take his kaffiyeh for consecration. And then to the end of his life, he will put it around his neck, and will proudly say to others that he [Khamenei] has given this kaffiyeh to me. Those who have been in his [Khamenei’s] presence have seen that whenever someone has asked for his kaffiyeh, he has told one of his entourage with complete consent, ‘Take this kaffiyeh from my shoulder and give to him.’”
Everybody remembers that Saeedi, Qom’s Friday Mass Prayer’s leader, announced that Ali Khamenei, at the time of birth, had said “Ya Ali” and was then born. And everybody remembers that in March 2012, Sadighi in a ceremony in supreme leader’s house and in the presence of Ali Khamenei, all heads of state and people said: “This year the Supreme Leader could see Imam Zaman.”
“Islamic jurists” have changed Ali Khamenei to Ash’arites’ God who has the absolute power and is not accountable to anyone.
» IRGC and the country
At the time of Shah, army and the royal guard had a special position. Nevertheless, the slogan of Pahlavi’s regime was “God, King, Country.” But slogan of “Islamic Republic” is “God, Khamenei, IRGC.” Shah never allowed the army to take part in political affairs. Army’s duty was to defend the country and Shah’s regime. Apart from a few army commanders, most of them did not have a hand in economic corruption.
Khamenei has made IRGC and Basij the most important economic and political powers in the country. And everybody knows this. In any elections, the military forces enter the election systematically on behalf of fundamentalists.
In 2005, they made Ahmadinejad Iran’s president, and then Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, deputy commander of IRGC, said that with “proper and layered planning,” they could make Ahmadinejad who is the “symbol of fundamentalism, religiosity, revolutionary, and justice,” the president (Iran Newspaper, 9 July 2005). As for 2009 elections, it is obvious that IRGC played the main role not only in the elections but also in the ensuing suppression.
Now it has been for 12 years that Brigadier General Ghalibaf is the Mayor of Tehran. He has run for the presidency several times and is one of the candidates for this election. Whatever corruptions and crimes he commits, IRGC and fundamentalists support him.
Mohsen Rezaee has also become nominated several times but has never been elected. Nevertheless, right now he is active in IRGC and “Popular Front for Islamic Revolution” that is going to introduce the main rival for Hassan Rouhani on behalf of fundamentalists.
Brigadier General Esmaeel Kosari, after several terms of being representative in the parliament and cooperation with “Resistance Front,” has now returned to Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarter, after not being elected in the previous election.
In other words, members of IRGC are assigned to have partisan political activities in fundamentalist groups, and when necessary, they return to IRGC so that they can continue their political and economic activities. IRGC’s role in smuggling goods is so significant that even Mahmoud Ahmadinejad used to talk of “our smuggling brothers.”
» Final words
In the article called “Shah and Khamenei: Corruption and Collapse of Regime,” corruption in the two regimes was compared, and its consequences were discussed. However, structural corruption in Iran is so extensive that it looks incurable. “Islamic Republic” has replaced the slogan of Pahlavi’s regime “God, King, Country” with “God, Khamenei, IRGC.” Here God has only and only one role and that is giving his own power to “Islamic jurist”. The main power belongs to Khamenei and IRGC.
But, society, intellectuals, critics, and even opponents go their own ways. From the perspective of society, achievements of “Islamic jurists” have been so bad that when Ali Khamenei had received a report in this regard, he had bitterly wept. Ethical judgment about society’s orientation is one thing, and the fact that this orientation makes Khamenei weep is another. Different voices and the voice of the “other” are heard more that the voice of Khamenei and his regime’s member. Where? In the social media. Everybody has created his own network, making Iranian society like a peninsula over which no single discourse is dominant.
Translated Article: Radio Farda
Opinions in this article reflect the writer’s point of view, not necessarily the view of The Arabain GCIS
