Head of Basij Expresses Disgust Towards Those Who 'Pose Against the Revolution'

The head of the Basij Organization criticized a mindset that, under the guise of 'interaction' with the world, 'poses against the revolution.' He expressed disgust towards individuals who, according to him, are not pleased to hear that the Islamic Republic has 'enemies.' According to a report on Tuesday (April 23) from the local website 'Daneshju Salam,' Gholamhossein Ghaibparvar made these remarks in front of a group of students in Golestan province at the Islamic Azad University of Gorgan. He stated that 'we must be vigilant in recognizing the enemy' and identified the U.S. and its supporters as the 'main enemies' of the Islamic Republic. Ghaibparvar also lamented that 'some factions inside, who do not understand national interests, act in line with the goals of the U.S. and its allies.' He added that 'some are not interested in acknowledging that the country has enemies and are upset by it, to which the response should be: to hell with your denial and discomfort.' The local website 'Pasro' also reported that the head of the Basij, in another part of his remarks, criticized a mindset that, without mentioning the foreign policy of Hassan Rouhani's government, stated, 'Damn the thinking that poses against the revolution in the name of interaction and communication with the world and preventing backwardness.' He questioned, 'Why should some adopt a pseudo-intellectual posture against a revolution that was formed with the blood of martyrs?' Ghaibparvar considered the 'victory of the Islamic Revolution outside the borders to be greater than inside the country' and said, 'Unfortunately, the enmity of some lines inside has caused the revolution to be victimized.' He added that being revolutionary and revolutionary spirit is incompatible with 'elitism and complacency,' and that 'enemy recognition and enmity,' 'timely presence and engagement in the fight against the enemy,' and 'adherence to principles and values' are other characteristics of being revolutionary. Conservative critics of Hassan Rouhani's government have always criticized its foreign policy, especially after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated that signing the JCPOA has not yielded tangible results, explicitly blaming him for this agreement and efforts to establish relations with the U.S. They believe that the eleventh government is indifferent to the Supreme Leader's 'resistance economy' plan and promotes elitism, liberal economics, and Western values. In another part of his speech, the head of the Basij criticized what he called 'anomalies,' saying, 'It is unclear where these anomalies seen in the streets have come from.' He also described pre-Islamic Iranians as 'honor-loving.' According to this report, Ghaibparvar, who previously referred to Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi as 'political filth,' reiterated that his stance towards them has not changed and added that 'this disgust towards them will continue until the Day of Judgment.' Another report indicates that the representative of the Supreme Leader in the Kerman province's 'Tharallah' Corps described the nomination of candidates by the Popular Front of Islamic Revolutionary Forces (Jemna) for the presidential election as a 'religious obligation' and made explicit criticisms against Hassan Rouhani's government. According to the local website 'Anarpress,' Mohammad Ali Mohsenzadeh made these remarks on Sunday (April 22) in front of the Revolutionary Guards forces in Anar County, Kerman province. He stated that Jemna 'currently has two options among six individuals, and whoever they introduce is a religious obligation for us.' Mohsenzadeh added that anyone who is an 'output' of the Popular Front of Islamic Revolutionary Forces is 'trustworthy for us.' Although the representative of Ali Khamenei in the Kerman Revolutionary Guards made such explicit remarks, he added that 'it is not our place in the Revolutionary Guards and Basij to tell you who to vote for.' Among the six approved candidates for the twelfth presidential election in Iran, Ebrahim Raisi and Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf are supported by the Popular Front of Islamic Revolutionary Forces. The representative of the Supreme Leader in the Kerman province's 'Tharallah' Corps further accused Hassan Rouhani's government of acting 'against' the Islamic Revolution and lying. He said, 'The old folks have cursed, and I partially accept it; they said, 'Curse be upon the father of the liar.' I say, 'Not the father; he is not to blame. Curse be upon the liar himself.' Mohsenzadeh introduced the current Iranian president as incapable of solving the country's economic problems and added, 'So why have you registered again to do what? ... This is where one begins to doubt what mission they have.' He also deemed the disqualification of Hassan Rouhani by the Guardian Council impossible because 'this government wants to hold elections ... If they say the president is not qualified, it raises issues about his minister of the interior, and the elections will be questioned.' This is one of the clearest statements from representatives of Ali Khamenei regarding the upcoming presidential elections in Iran. Mohsenzadeh considered Rouhani's government, along with 'the reformist group centered around Mohammad Khatami, the anti-revolutionary clerics (the Combatant Clergy Association and the Society of Researchers and Teachers of Qom Seminary), and the Construction Workers Party,' as part of a 'secular front against the religious governance.'