Mesbah Yazdi: I See a Deviant State in Ahmadinejad

In response to the recent positions of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi, referred to as the 'spiritual father' of the Steadfast Front, stated in an interview on Friday, December 1st, that he sees a 'deviant state' in the former president. Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi was once a staunch supporter of Ahmadinejad, going so far as to equate obedience to this former president with 'obedience to God.' However, now this conservative cleric has expressed to the Khabar Online website that he no longer 'endorses the actions and behavior' of Mr. Ahmadinejad. This stance is a reaction to Ahmadinejad's recent statements, in which he, along with his close associates Hamid Bakai and Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, has harshly criticized the judiciary under the supervision of Sadegh Amoli Larijani. Last week, Ahmadinejad stated in an interview that there was no intention to have a 'judiciary dictatorship,' and on the previous Tuesday, he published a letter addressed to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic criticizing the 'performance of the three branches of government.' So far, at least two high-ranking officials in the judiciary have reacted to Ahmadinejad's positions. Among them, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesman for the judiciary, described Ahmadinejad's remarks about the judiciary last week as containing 'dozens of lies, insults, and bluster.' The spokesman also likened Ahmadinejad to 'a thug' who had 'fallen out of favor' and resorts to 'cursing' to attract attention. Now, in response to Khabar Online's questions, Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, a former supporter of Ahmadinejad, has been compelled to take a stance and has accused him of deviation. Mesbah Yazdi stated, 'I now see a deviant state in him.' He also noted, 'We support anyone as long as they work in the path of Islam; whenever they deviate, we will separate from them.' This conservative cleric had previously stated in August 2009, amidst protests over the presidential election results, that once the president's decree is endorsed by the Supreme Leader, 'obedience to him is like obedience to God.' Mohammad Nabi Habibi, the secretary-general of the Motalefeh Party, also announced on Friday in response to Ahmadinejad's positions that the silence of this party does not mean endorsing these positions. According to Habibi, 'At times, some conservatives like the Islamic Motalefeh Party do not find it necessary to comment extensively, but this does not mean they endorse Ahmadinejad's positions.' He further pointed out that Ahmadinejad has 'proven that whatever he thinks is the absolute truth and that reminders and comments are not very effective in his mind.'