Ahmad Khatami: 'Supporters of the Sedition' Should Not Be Appointed to Key Positions

Ahmad Khatami, the Friday prayer leader of Tehran, emphasized that 'none of the religious individuals are in opposition to the government' and urged ministers not to appoint supporters of the protests against the results of the 2009 presidential election to 'key' positions. According to ISNA news agency, Khatami stated during the Friday prayers on August 18, 'Being in opposition to the government has no place in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and none of the religious individuals in our country are in opposition.' He addressed Hassan Rouhani's government, saying, 'Do not push away the religious individuals and do not label them as extremists and radicals; because in times of crisis, these individuals will be useful.' Khatami's remarks come at a time when Friday prayer leaders, media affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, and other close associates of the Supreme Leader have repeatedly attacked Rouhani's government. The Supreme Leader has also previously criticized the labeling of individuals he refers to as 'Hezbollahis' as extremists. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following the attack on Saudi diplomatic missions, strongly criticized the accusation of 'Hezbollahis' being labeled as extremists, stating, 'Just because an incident like the Saudi embassy and the British embassy occurs, which is very bad and harmful to the country and Islam, do not use this as an excuse to attack believing youth.' The Supreme Leader has also previously called for the government members to 'draw a line' with what he refers to as 'sedition.' Khamenei and his close associates refer to the protests against the 2009 presidential election as 'sedition.' In this context, the Friday prayer leader of Tehran has asked ministers not to utilize what he calls 'supporters of sedition' in 'key' positions. Previously, Ahmad Jannati, the Secretary of the Guardian Council, and other Friday prayer leaders have repeatedly emphasized that they will not allow supporters of the protests against the 2009 presidential election to hold managerial positions. In this regard, during the tenth parliamentary elections, hundreds of reformist figures were disqualified. The ninth parliament also did not vote for three proposed ministers of science and Mohammad Ali Najafi, the proposed minister of education in Rouhani's government, and 'supporting sedition' was among the reasons some representatives cited for not voting for these ministers.