Ghalibaf Accuses Rouhani of 'Lying and Stealing Ideas'; Raisi Calls for Islamization of Universities

In the ongoing debates and criticisms among candidates for the Iranian presidential election, Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, the conservative candidate, accused Hassan Rouhani of 'lying' and 'stealing' his ideas. Ebrahim Raisi also emphasized the need for the Islamization of universities in a radio interview. Rouhani, the current president of Iran, indirectly referred to Ghalibaf and his political allies, stating that they had decided in a meeting to segregate sidewalks in Tehran by gender, to which Ghalibaf responded by calling this a 'lie' and asserting that 'we need a jihad against lies today.' According to ISNA news agency, Ghalibaf stated in front of his supporters on Wednesday, May 20, 'Is a sidewalk a women’s or men’s bath that we should build walls? Speak in ways that you do not laugh at yourselves in private and do not insult the understanding and intelligence of this nation.' Ghalibaf also referred to the filtering of the 'Karaneh' website, which was part of his electoral campaign ideas, addressing Rouhani: 'If you were a defender of freedom, you would not have issued the order to filter the website related to the work system. Unfortunately, you are creating another site for yourself as an internship, which is theft.' Conservative candidates in this election have focused their criticisms on Rouhani's economic programs, promising to address unemployment and increase subsidies. However, reformists have labeled these promises as 'populist' and an attempt to 'deceive the people.' ISNA reports that Ghalibaf's supporters chanted slogans against Rouhani's government before his arrival, including 'Rouhani, have some shame, leave the country,' 'We do not want ignorant managers,' and 'We do not want a four percent government,' referring to Ghalibaf's claim that Rouhani's government serves only four percent of the affluent population, leaving the other 96 percent behind. Other slogans in support of Ghalibaf included: 'Both beautiful and blonde, definitely president,' 'We do not want a midnight drive in Las Vegas,' 'We do not want to empty the treasury to buy Airbus,' 'I would sacrifice myself for Imam Reza, we do not want a president who is not from Mashhad,' 'We do not want our minister kneeling before the Emir of Kuwait,' and 'We do not want a cabinet that is on the edge of the grave.' Mustafa Moien, a prominent reformist figure and former Minister of Science, warned on Wednesday at Ferdowsi University in Mashhad, 'If we are not careful, some will deceive the people with populist and insulting slogans.' Moien, who supports Rouhani in this election, continued to express concern about Rouhani's potential loss, stating, 'We must feel danger... for the first time since the revolution, swords have been drawn against a government that has controlled inflation, neutralized sanctions, and defended our dignity through a year and a half of negotiations with six powers, to have a single-party president.' One of the most significant events during Rouhani's administration was the negotiations with global powers, including the U.S., which led to the nuclear agreement and the lifting of sanctions against Iran. Rouhani claims that his conservative rivals have worked to undermine this agreement. On the same day, the family of Mehdi Karroubi, a leader of the Green Movement who is under house arrest, issued a statement supporting Rouhani in the presidential election. The statement, published by Saham News, a media outlet close to Karroubi, also referred to the unfulfilled promises of Rouhani's government, attributing them to 'the inefficiency of part of Rouhani's cabinet.' The statement warns that a faction that 'does not recognize the vote and will of the people' has recently emerged 'with the effective presence of some military personnel, Friday prayer leaders, and unaccountable institutions to bring the country back to the brink of disaster.' Most conservative groups and figures in this election cycle have supported Ebrahim Raisi, the custodian of the Astan Quds Razavi and a member of the committee responsible for the mass executions of political prisoners in 1988, including groups like the Steadfast Front and the Society of Clergy Combatants, branches of Ansar Hezbollah, and some Friday prayer leaders. Another conservative figure running in this election is Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, the former police chief and mayor of Tehran, against whom reformists have warned of military dominance over the government if he wins the election. Meanwhile, the family of Mehdi Karroubi, while supporting Rouhani against his rivals, also criticizes the current government, stating to the people: 'We know that in the past four years, part of your rightful economic, political, and cultural demands has not been adequately addressed by the moderate government, which is undoubtedly due to various factors, including sabotage and the lack of a coherent strategy to fulfill promises and the inefficiency of part of the cabinet. We regret this. The government, especially the president, is expected to speak frankly and transparently with the people, acknowledging weaknesses and shortcomings, and to declare its practical commitment to pursuing the people's demands.' Rouhani had promised to lift the house arrest of Green Movement leaders in the last election, but this has never been realized, as Karroubi's children recently emphasized that Rouhani's government 'has not taken any steps to lift the house arrest.' Less than ten days before the Iranian presidential election, the Ansar Hezbollah group in Mashhad also announced its support for Ebrahim Raisi, following the Steadfast Front and the Society of Clergy Combatants. Hamid Ostad, the head of Ansar Hezbollah in Mashhad, told ISNA that 'Ansar Hezbollah has focused its main efforts on the presidential election, and our supported candidate is Hojjatoleslam Raisi.' Raisi emphasized the need for the Islamization of universities in a radio interview broadcasted on Tuesday night. According to Tasnim News Agency, Raisi stated in part of the program, 'The Islamization of universities was the primary concern of Imam Khomeini and many of the revolution's elders. A document has also been prepared for the Islamization of universities, but since we have no problem with documents and programs, all these issues return to execution.' He added, 'The time for words has ended, and it is time for action; therefore, the government must act by implementing documents and programs in this regard. The universities themselves also have a great motivation for this, and student organizations and professors can greatly help in the Islamization of universities.' Conservative groups and figures have supported the discussion of the Islamization of universities and plans such as gender segregation in universities. The gender segregation plan in universities was implemented during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's second term, although Ahmadinejad expressed his opposition to it.