Hasan Khomeini: Banning Individuals from Media Today is Ridiculing Ourselves

Hasan Khomeini, the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, implicitly criticized the media ban on former President Mohammad Khatami during a live television program on Wednesday night, June 12, just before the anniversary of Ruhollah Khomeini's death. He described the media ban as ineffective and 'ridiculing ourselves.' In the live discussion, Khomeini spoke about the vastness of communications in today's world, emphasizing that 'today is the world of communication, and nothing can be hidden; banning someone from media cannot cut off their communications so that their voice does not reach others. Today, these actions are ridiculing ourselves.' According to Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the first deputy of the judiciary and its spokesperson, Khatami has been banned from media by judicial authorities since 1997 to 2005. It was previously reported that this decision was made by the Supreme National Security Council, which was denied by Hassan Rouhani, the then President of Iran, and Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the council. Hasan Khomeini also expressed surprise that the Iranian state television had sought him out, stating, 'Finally, after a long time, the television has dared to show us.' This was his first media appearance since he registered to participate in the Assembly of Experts elections last Esfand, where the Guardian Council disqualified him from running. Despite being invited to the opening ceremony of the fifth term of the Assembly of Experts last week, he did not attend and even preferred to be absent from the ceremony at the grave of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Hasan Khomeini's appearance on live television and the discussions raised received a warm welcome from social media users, with his statements being immediately shared on Telegram channels and Twitter. Particularly, parts of his speech that recalled memories of Mir Hossein Mousavi, the Prime Minister during the Iran-Iraq war, were well-received. Mousavi has been under house arrest since the protests following the disputed 2009 presidential election. Mehdi Karroubi, another candidate from that election, has faced similar conditions. The grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, who was approached by state television on the occasion of the 27th anniversary of his grandfather's death, emphasized, 'The revolution's table is for everyone. Everyone should sit down but not make it cramped for others.' He continued, 'Some were not in the movement before the revolution and came when there was rice.' According to him, 'Religion is not just hijab, prayer, and fasting; it is respecting the rights of others, eliminating poverty in society, and allowing individuals to speak freely.' In another part of his speech, he criticized the distortion of his grandfather's views and the events of the 1979 revolution, asserting, 'A government cannot survive without the people's vote.' Traditionally, Hasan Khomeini is one of the speakers at the memorial ceremony for Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which will be held on Friday, June 14. His speech in 2010 was interrupted by slogans from attendees supporting Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic. Since then, every year, a group referred to as 'hardliners' attempts to disrupt his speeches with such slogans. Hasan Khomeini's positions and his personal connections with political figures known as reformists have led to criticism from hardline conservatives.