Khamenei Warns Against 'Distortion' of Khomeini and His Portrayal as a Liberal

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, described the 'distortion' of the behavior and words of Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, as a 'great danger' and a means of 'diverting the straight path of the Iranian nation' in a speech on Thursday. According to Tasnim News Agency, Khamenei emphasized during the ceremony marking the 26th anniversary of Khomeini's death that this issue should serve as a 'warning' to the officials of the Islamic Republic and the old students and admirers of Khomeini. He stated, 'If we lose the path of the Imam, forget it, or God forbid, intentionally set it aside, the Iranian nation will suffer.' Khamenei also referred to some attempts to 'distort' Khomeini during his lifetime and mentioned that after Khomeini's death, he is portrayed in 'some words and statements' as a 'liberal' who has 'no conditions in behavior or even in intellectual and cultural matters.' These remarks come amid criticism from close associates of Khamenei and some principlist figures regarding the memoirs of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the head of the Expediency Discernment Council, about Khomeini. For instance, in 2013, a post on Rafsanjani's official website about Khomeini's agreement to remove the slogan 'Death to America' led to criticism from the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other appointees of Khamenei. Rafsanjani had also stated that in a private letter to Khomeini, he emphasized the necessity of negotiating with the United States. This statement also attracted criticism, but Hamid Ansari, the deputy head of the Institute for the Compilation and Publication of Khomeini's Works, confirmed the existence of this letter while noting that Khomeini did not respond to it. He also confirmed Khomeini's agreement to remove the 'Death to America and Death to the Soviet Union' slogans from state media, stating that the intent of this directive was not to negate or prohibit these slogans. Recently, Rafsanjani mentioned that he has not yet expressed Khomeini's views and opinions regarding the resolution that ended the war with Iraq. In recent years, some principlists have called for a response from the Institute for the Compilation and Publication of Khomeini's Works to the quotes attributed to him. However, according to IRIB News Agency, Mohammad Ali Ansari, the head of the Institute for the Compilation and Publication of Khomeini's Works, described the institute's involvement in these matters as 'irrational' and added, 'If the institute were to intervene, we would either need to have knowledge of the unseen or have placed listening devices in the Imam's residence to confirm or deny every opinion expressed.' Khamenei continued his speech by referring to Khomeini's 'principles and foundations,' including 'rejection of American Islam,' 'distrust of global bullying powers,' 'independence and rejection of subjugation,' 'belief in the will of the people and opposition to government centralization,' and 'support for the oppressed and downtrodden.' Khamenei emphasized, 'The Daesh Islam and the Islam that looks to America and the great powers all share the same trough and converge at one point.' He warned about what he termed 'divisive conspiracies,' stating, 'The Americans have reached a point where they now mention the names of Shiites and Sunnis. They support one and attack another.' He stressed, 'The fact that second-rate American lackeys come and raise the issue of the Shiite crescent indicates divisive policies.' Following unrest in countries such as Bahrain and Yemen, some Gulf countries have expressed deep concern over Iran's growing influence in the Middle East, considering Tehran's goal to be the establishment of a 'Shiite crescent.' Some analysts have previously described the battles in Yemen as a kind of sectarian proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia. In this context, former U.S. President Barack Obama stated that 'the Shiite-Sunni war will end when governments resolve their differences through dialogue, not through proxy wars.' Obama did not name these countries, but AFP reported that Saudi Arabia and Iran have been accused of trying to increase their influence in the region by supporting rival groups in Middle Eastern countries. Khamenei had also warned in a strongly worded speech on April 19 about the existing unrest in the region, stating that if 'enemies' bring proxy wars 'to the borders of Iran,' Tehran's response will be 'very harsh.'