Iranian Newspapers Bid Farewell to Rafsanjani

Pro-reform and government-affiliated newspapers in their Tuesday editions published special pages and full-page photos of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, covering the news of the Chairman of the Expediency Council's passing with laudatory headlines. On the front page of most newspapers close to the principlist faction, however, there is no full-page photo of Rafsanjani, and the headline regarding his death is mostly derived from a part of the Supreme Leader's condolence message. The newspaper 'Shahrvand' features a full-length photo from behind showing Rafsanjani walking away, with the headline 'Revolutionary Reformer,' stating: 'The news was sudden and very unexpected; it took more than an hour from the time the news of Mr. Hashemi's illness and hospitalization was published until the news of his death was confirmed. Although Mr. Hashemi was 82 years old, it was still considered an unexpected and shocking event.' The newspaper 'Arman' has the headline 'Iran in Mourning for the Amir Kabir of Our Time,' while 'Qanoon' states: 'Hashemi is alive because the movement is alive.' 'Arman' published the news of Rafsanjani's death with the headline 'The Departure of the Builder General,' and 'Ebtekar' with 'Farewell, Amir Kabir.' 'Shargh' featured a full-page photo of Rafsanjani with the headline 'Goodbye, Man of Expediency,' describing the passing of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani as a 'politician' who 'moved from the right to the left of Iranian politics, a figure called the man for all seasons of Iranian politics, a man of crisis.' 'Shargh' noted that after Rouhani's election, he had said: 'Now that the country has reached this point and the people have reached this level of awareness, thank God, I can comfortably lay my head on the pillow of death.' The newspaper also mentioned that in Esfand 93, during the election of the Assembly of Experts' leadership, a crucial question was whether Hashemi would become the head of the Assembly. At that time, he told 'Shargh': 'That sensitive moment is important. For that sensitive moment, I do not necessarily need to be the president; it is enough to be a member of the Assembly. One can speak and express their opinion in the Assembly, and if I want, I can also be influential.' The 'sensitive moment' referred to was the moment of the current Supreme Leader's passing and the mentioned session of the Assembly of Experts to determine the future leader, but 'Shargh' wrote: 'Hashemi did not remain to see that sensitive moment.' The newspaper 'Etemad' dedicated its full-page photo to the passing of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, stating on its front page: 'The companion of Rouhollah has joined God.' This newspaper noted that 'at 7:36 PM on Sunday, January 19, with the news of Ayatollah Hashemi's passing, the people fell into shock and sorrow,' stating that within half an hour, the news of Hashemi's death was confirmed, and 'the streets leading to Shahid Tajrish Hospital were filled with people worried that they could not believe the sudden death of the Ayatollah.' However, with the transfer of his body to Jamaran Hosseiniyeh, the crowd of people, personalities, and political figures left the streets towards Jamaran Hosseiniyeh, and within an hour, 'the crowd of people and political figures blocked the streets leading to Jamaran Hosseiniyeh.' The newspaper 'Etemad' also wrote in a note titled 'Hashemi and the Revolution, War, Construction, and Reforms': 'The name Hashemi Rafsanjani is intertwined with the peaks of contemporary history, especially the last half-century of Iran; a name that has played a central role in the most important events of the last 50 years, a role that has been unique and historic.' Elias Hazrati, a member of parliament and the director of 'Etemad,' emphasized that 'Hashemi Rafsanjani's role in the pre-revolution struggle and the establishment of the system is not limited. He was crucial in stabilizing the system during the most critical period, namely the eight years of war, in the position of war commander and head of the legislative branch,' and 'he considered the end of the war as the beginning of construction,' and at the end of his presidency, 'the seed of reforms was planted.' However, afterward, during Ahmadinejad's presidency, 'the pains of the eight years that broke his heart and bent his back did not discourage him, and he continued to place his hand on the knee of effort, bringing the off-rail development train back to the rail of hope, prosperity, and freedom by gifting the government of prudence and hope to history and the nation.' The newspaper 'Arman' with the headline 'Iran in Mourning for the Amir Kabir of Our Time' and a full-length photo of Hashemi Rafsanjani covered the news of the Chairman of the Expediency Council's passing. Ahmad Shirzad, a reformist figure, wrote in a note in 'Arman': 'Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was a great personality by any measure, a great politician, a great cleric, a great speaker, and a great social activist, both when he was in power and when he stepped down from power. In fact, he was tall both on horseback and on foot. Even when he got off the horse of power, he was taller than many of his political rivals. This stature was such that his face was always seen amid the dust of social and political turmoil and crises.' The editorial writer of 'Arman' noted that 'Hashemi, as a political theorist and a political expert, had a special courage,' writing: 'He lived with the necessities of the day and the interests of society and the people.' For example, 'after eight years of war and its powerful management, when Iran's national interests required distancing from the war, he stood firmly behind this idea,' and 'when after two presidential terms he had to give way to the next successor, he defended the freedom of elections in 1996 with utmost political wisdom and authority and firmly stood by this position.' Ahmad Shirzad emphasized that 'the closeness of Ayatollah Hashemi to the reformist movement in recent years cannot be denied, and this position may have upset many,' writing: this factor made him 'a target of attacks, but in any case, we saw that in the last months of 1391, despite his old age, when he felt his presence could be influential, he stepped into the presidential election, which unfortunately he was disqualified from, but this stature of his had an impact and created an intellectual mobilization among the people so that the Rouhani government was formed as a result of this position.' The writer of 'Arman' noted that 'in recent years, we have also witnessed the unparalleled frankness and candor of Ayatollah Hashemi,' writing: this frankness showed that 'Hashemi is not afraid of any danger in defending the values he believes in. It was sometimes imagined that due to his great affection for his children, this would be used as a political weakness. For this reason, there were many attempts to change his position by pressuring his children. Although two of Ayatollah Hashemi's children faced political and legal problems, it did not affect his positioning, and Hashemi's stature remained unbent.' The editorial writer of 'Arman' emphasized that 'the absence of Ayatollah Hashemi will have a profound impact on the country's political scene and will create a very high wave. Naturally, a significant blow will be dealt to the reformist and moderate movement,' and 'the void left by Hashemi's presence in the political scene will not be easily filled, but the social wave of support for the moderate and true Islamic Revolution movement will be seen in the coming days.' The newspaper 'Iran,' close to the government, with a full-page photo and the headline 'Iran in Mourning,' quoted President Hassan Rouhani as saying: 'Hashemi was beloved by the Imam and a servant of the people; wherever he held responsibility, he was a source of comfort for the Imam, the leadership, and the people.' Reza Salehi Amiri, in the editorial of 'Iran,' praised Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, writing: 'His firm belief in popular sovereignty and the authenticity of the people's vote is an eternal lesson for all those who are devoted to the ideals of the revolution, independence, and progress of the country. Throughout all these years, he placed himself at the mercy of the people's vote and sincerely accepted its requirements, and the grateful and loyal people always supported this treasure of the revolution and this pillar of the system as their supporter and refuge.' The newspaper 'Noavaran' in its editorial titled 'Iran Without Ayatollah' wrote: 'Imagining Iran without Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani and that sweet, childlike smile of his is bitter, unpleasant, and, of course, vague and unknown for my generation.' Firooz Naim Mahboubi, the editor-in-chief of 'Noavaran,' emphasized that 'the most important point that both supporters and critics of Ayatollah must seriously pay attention to and always keep in mind is that after the Supreme Leader, the most influential, benevolent, and patient figure in the country is no longer present in the arena of confrontations and political maneuvers, and any reckless behavior contrary to the national interests of the country and the creation of tension can come at a high cost and perhaps irreparable consequences for Islamic Iran.' The editorial writer of this newspaper, referring to what he described as 'reckless and shameless attacks against Ayatollah' in recent years, wrote: 'The great figures of the country, at the forefront of which is the Supreme Leader, had faith in the weight and precious value of the ancient gem of the revolution, and in any case, actions were taken in such a way that the dignity and respect of Ayatollah were preserved, and thus many political tensions were at least alleviated and gradually resolved or forgotten through the correct, expert, and compassionate approach of Ayatollah. This unique and precious presence is no longer among us, and two main issues ahead of us are the presidential elections in the spring of 1396 and the governance of America by Donald Trump, which creates a future for our country where any reckless move can darken all the peace and security of our country.' The newspaper 'Sobhe No,' close to the supporters of Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, is one of the few principlist newspapers that, alongside a full-page photo and the headline 'Hashemi is Alive,' wrote: 'Hashemi Rafsanjani left the political scene of the country when, after a period of sidelining, he returned to the center of political discourse and marked a pleasant farewell for himself.' This newspaper, in its editorial, noted that Hashemi Rafsanjani's 'political actions' during much of this period were aligned with the dominant political discourse of the country, and at limited times when he was in the defeated discourse, the political system of the country provided the necessary capacity for his role. It wrote: 'At a time when critical approaches dominated his political positions, some, out of a delusion of goodwill for the Islamic Revolution and others out of spite, tried to push Hashemi Rafsanjani outside the framework of the political system; however, Hashemi was smarter than to squander the capital he had accumulated in his revolutionary history, and the system was also wiser than to turn his critical stance into a threat of opposition and enmity.' 'Sobhe No' emphasized regarding the relationship between 'the system' and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, writing: 'Perhaps this was the first experience of the Iranian political system that tolerated the critical position of one of the main companions of the regime and did not push it towards opposition and elimination.' The newspaper 'Javan,' close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, printed a half-page photo of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and wrote: 'The man of hard days of struggle and the companion of the Imam and the leadership has gone to meet God.' The newspaper 'Kayhan' dedicated its front page to the meeting of a group of people from Qom with the Supreme Leader and Ali Khamenei's statements that 'the people should not suffer from unemployment and recession, and officials should not just talk,' and in the second headline reported Rafsanjani's death, quoting Ayatollah Khamenei as saying: 'His great intelligence and unparalleled sincerity were a reliable support for everyone, especially for me.' Among the newspapers close to the principlist faction, the newspaper 'Hemat,' affiliated with the prison organization of the judiciary, showed the least attention to the passing of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, only writing in one of the columns of its front page: 'Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani bid farewell to the mortal world.' The newspaper 'Siasat Rooz' also reported his death with the headline 'The Heart of the Imam's Companion and Leader of the Revolution Stopped Beating,' but refrained from using a black ribbon or any sign and symbol of mourning that other newspapers typically use on such occasions. The newspaper 'Vatan-e-Emruz,' close to the Front of Steadfastness, which is among the newspapers critical of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, dedicated its entire front page to the headline 'The Sudden Death of Ayatollah,' stating: 'Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani was one of the most experienced figures of the Islamic Republic and one of the main factors in the people's Islamic Revolution of 1979. Hashemi was arrested multiple times by the SAVAK during the struggle and spent several years under the torture of the Pahlavi regime's agents in prison. According to SAVAK documents, he was one of Imam Khomeini's most trusted individuals and played a pivotal role in organizing revolutionary forces.' This newspaper also wrote that after the revolution, 'he took on multiple responsibilities, from being in the provisional cabinet of the Revolutionary Council to commanding the war, presiding over the Islamic Consultative Assembly, the presidency, the leadership of the Assembly of Experts, and the chairmanship of the Expediency Council, which made Hashemi Rafsanjani one of the most experienced politicians in the political developments of the country. A politician who had serious supporters and opponents due to his political behaviors, yet despite all the support and opposition, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani's unparalleled role in the history of the Iranian people's struggles against the Pahlavi regime is undeniable.' 'Vatan-e-Emruz' emphasized that 'Ayatollah Rafsanjani's revolutionary sermons in the 60s and 70s in Tehran's Friday prayers will always be remembered,' writing: 'Alongside Ayatollah Rafsanjani's role in the victory of the Islamic Revolution and his role in managing the revolution during the turbulent days of the 60s, his changes in political behavior over the past two decades have created a different political figure compared to the struggle and the first two decades after the revolution,' but 'despite the criticisms and opposition, Ayatollah Rafsanjani remained a figure in the eyes of revolutionaries and loyalists to the revolution and friends of the Imam and leadership.'