Jannati: Hitting the Mouths of 'Fools' and Leaders Lacking 'Honor'

Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, Secretary of the Guardian Council, emphasized three important points during a nationwide conference of the Islamic Revolution's Fajr committees held on January 24, 2015, with the presence of political figures. First - Nuclear negotiations: He stated that all people are standing firm against the hardships caused by crippling economic sanctions. However, some 'influential managerial individuals' in the system are pursuing 'evil political objectives' and are suggesting that 'people cannot withstand economic problems and sanctions and must compromise with the enemy to lift sanctions, activate the economy, and resolve various issues in the country.' He added that this perspective is dangerous and solutions must be found for 'these evil thoughts.' They do not accept the resistance economy proposed by the Supreme Leader and claim that the enemy cannot be defeated this way. This group of managers constantly shows 'green lights' to the enemy, he says: 'Some, may God reduce their evil, believe that we must compromise with the enemy, we must compromise on the nuclear issue and in politics, while this is a confrontation with the people and a betrayal of the ideals of Imam, the Revolution, and the blood of martyrs.' Second - Charlie Hebdo cartoons: Jannati said that France's insult to the Prophet of Islam was executed in 25 other countries and translated into 10 languages. This 'tragedy for humanity' upset everyone, but our mission is to save these 'wild and uncouth humans.' How? He says: 'If Islamic countries had an ounce of honor, they should have taken repressive action and at least imposed sanctions on France to serve as a lesson so that no one dares to do such a thing again.' Third - Demand for lifting house arrest: The demand for the freedom of the Green Movement leaders has severely angered the principlists. They say that the goal of the Green Movement was to overthrow the system. However, some are seeking to lift the house arrest so that 'the seditionists can be freed to create sedition again.' They are 'four fools.' What is the solution to confront these fools? He says: 'We must hit the mouths of those who say the house arrest should be lifted.' Regarding these claims, what can be said? First - The first claim concerns Hassan Rouhani, Mohammad Javad Zarif, and all individuals in the Islamic Republic system who are pursuing a compromise with Western governments. In Ayatollah Jannati's view, they harbor evil political objectives and must be opposed. However, this prayer that 'may God reduce their evil' is not just a prayer. Because God does not interfere in these matters and does not intervene in political and minor affairs. Humans must resolve their problems with their own intellect. Jannati, as a jurist, is well aware of this. Thus, the radical principlists themselves must reduce the evil of these individuals, just as they have reduced the evil of many over the past 36 years. This is guidance to the most radical forces of the system to continue their work. Second - Regarding the Charlie Hebdo incident, Ayatollah Jannati consciously and unconsciously insults Ayatollah Khamenei. He says, 'If Islamic countries had an ounce of honor,' they would have reacted this way. We know that in the view of jurists, Iran is the most Islamic country in the world today. Ayatollah Khamenei also has the wise and prudent leadership of this system. Ayatollah Jannati has proposed two maximum and minimum reactions. a - Maximum reaction: Repressive action against France. b - Minimum action: Sanctioning France. His claim is that Islamic country leaders who do not show either of these two reactions have 'not an ounce of honor.' Ayatollah Khamenei did not show either of these reactions. He first spoke of 'strictness against the infidels' (refer to the article 'Ayatollah Khamenei; Strictness Against the 'Infidels' Instead of Condemning Terrorism'). In the second step, he even took a step back and wisely invited Western youth to study the Quran and Islamic studies directly and asked them not to be influenced by the 'Islamophobia' movement (refer to the article 'I Wish Khamenei Did Not Send Messages to European and American Youth'). It is clear that none of the leaders of Islamic countries have the courage - in fact, the recklessness stemming from foolishness - to carry out the minimum and maximum reactions requested by Ayatollah Jannati. However, Ayatollah Khamenei, who is different from the others, why does he lack this courage? Is it because he has 'not an ounce of honor'? Or do those reactions conflict with the rationality of the goal - means? Third - The demand for the freedom of the Green Movement leaders has angered the radical principlists so much that they have resorted to physical actions. In the Islamic Consultative Assembly, they attacked the podium, tore up Ali Motahari's pre-speech remarks, and forcibly pulled him down. Now Ayatollah Jannati proposes a comprehensive solution to this issue - that is, the demand for lifting the house arrest should not be raised. He says from now on, anyone who raises such a demand should be hit in the mouth. Thus, if from now on someone gets hurt, the direct responsibility for that lies with Ayatollah Jannati. Perhaps the attack with a dagger on Abdollah Momeni, after years in prison, was a display of this 'mouth-hitting' project? Fourth - Who did you learn manners from? From the jurists. The truth is that jurists have played an important role in our moral decline. When Ayatollah Jannati speaks this way at the age of 88, the situation of the rest of the clergy is clear. He calls Westerners 'wild and uncouth humans.' He calls the leaders of Islamic countries - including Ayatollah Khamenei - lacking honor. He counts the countless followers of the demand for lifting the house arrest as 'four fools.' If he had been a little angrier, perhaps instead of saying 'we must hit their mouths,' he would have said 'we must straighten their mouths.' Hassan Rouhani and Mohammad Javad Zarif and other officials who are seriously pursuing the nuclear issue and compromise with Western governments also have evil objectives that God must reduce their evil. All of these are insults from a speech by Ayatollah Jannati. If we gather his other speeches, it would make several volumes of 'insult literature.' Fifth - What does a 'repressive reaction' to France mean? Does he mean a military attack on France? It is unlikely that he pursues this impossible goal. Perhaps he means carrying out terrorist operations? Does such speech not publicly encourage state terrorism? The countless crimes of Muslim terrorist groups - Al-Qaeda, Taliban, ISIS, Al-Nusra Front, Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab, and other similar groups - have led Muslim scholars to condemn terrorist activities while stating that Islam is a religion of mercy, not violence. This (i.e., the de-violence of Islam) is an ethically justified action that must be complemented by radical religious reform. That is, all violent rulings must be archived in history. However, it seems that Ayatollah Jannati continues to pursue the same paths.