60 Conservative Student Organizations Call for Ebrahim Raisi to Run for President

As requests from conservatives for Ebrahim Raisi, the custodian of the Astan Quds, to run in the 12th presidential election increase, 60 Islamic Student Associations invited him to be a candidate in this election in a letter. According to Tasnim News Agency, these organizations on Tuesday, April 14, urged Raisi to participate in the elections 'as a faithful and revolutionary individual' and to 'take strong steps in line with the ideals of the Islamic Revolution.' Ebrahim Raisi has not yet responded to the nomination requests; however, the Entekhab website, citing 'close sources' to the custodian of Astan Quds Razavi, announced that he will announce his decision on April 18. Despite Raisi's silence, his campaign activity has been more vigorous than other conservative candidates, and a campaign titled 'Raisi Come' has been launched on social media to persuade him to participate in the elections. Raisi has also traveled to some regions, including Khuzestan province, where 'hundreds of tons of flour' were distributed following his visit. Mehr News Agency reported on April 10 that in the second phase of the large operation 'Nasim Karamat' by the Imam Reza Charity Foundation in Khuzestan, over hundreds of tons of 'blessed flour' were distributed among the needy in various parts of the province. The Barakat Foundation, managed by Raisi, was responsible for this action, which drew significant reactions, with some political activists interpreting it as an electoral maneuver. Mahmoud Sadqi, a Tehran representative, sarcastically tweeted: 'The start of a large public operation distributing hundreds of tons of 'blessed flour' among the people of Khuzestan; is flour more nutritious than potatoes?!' Sadqi's remark referred to the free distribution of potatoes before the elections by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Additionally, some social media users reported that Astan Quds Razavi was hosting travelers during the Nowruz holidays. The 'Popular Front of Islamic Revolutionary Forces,' known as 'Jemna,' has listed Ebrahim Raisi as one of the 14 initial candidates for the presidential election. In the second national assembly of this front on April 17, five candidates will be selected from these 14 to face Hassan Rouhani in the electoral debates. Although the Stability Front has not supported Jemna's electoral list, MP Hossein Ali Haji Deligani reported that Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi advised members of this front to work for Ebrahim Raisi's participation in the presidential election. Some political activists say that Ebrahim Raisi is the only conservative figure to compete with Hassan Rouhani in the upcoming presidential election. Raisi was appointed as the custodian of Astan Quds Razavi by the Supreme Leader after the death of Mr. Vaez Tabasi in March 2016. Astan Quds Razavi is one of the major financial institutions under the Supreme Leader's supervision. Previously, Ebrahim Raisi was a member of the decision-making committee for the executions of the 1980s as the former deputy prosecutor. Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri referred to his role in this matter in an audio file published last year by his son Ahmad Montazeri, but Raisi has not responded to this issue so far. The presidential election will be held simultaneously with the city and village council elections on May 29.