Mesbah Yazdi: We Do Not Recognize a Suitable Successor for the Leader

Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi, referred to in Iranian media as the 'spiritual father of the Steadfast Front,' commented on Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, saying: 'If God forbid, a single hair from him is lost, who can replace him?' According to a report on Sunday, March 13, by ISNA, he continued: 'Of course, God's treasury is not empty. When the Imam passed away, we were worried about who could take his place. Thank God, God bestowed his blessings from his treasury. We did not recognize it. God's treasury is not empty. However, what we recognize is that we do not know a suitable successor; therefore, we pray, O God, increase his lifespan and honor until the appearance of the Mahdi.' Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, speaking at the office of Saeed Jalili, referred to Ali Khamenei and stated: 'Shame on me if he orders me to do this and I disobey. If he says do not do this, how can I brazenly do the opposite? How low can a person become?' Regarding obedience to Ali Khamenei, he added: 'You and I must strive to recognize these duties well in every situation. We should act on what we can and are capable of. What does it have to do with me? Who are you? If you want to be something, he must elevate you. Therefore, you must do what he likes.' Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi made these remarks after he failed to be elected to the Assembly of Experts and was sidelined along with Mohammad Yazdi, the current head of the Assembly. According to the Iranian Constitution, the Assembly of Experts is the only body responsible for selecting or dismissing the leader of the Islamic Republic. The new term of the Assembly of Experts is set to begin on June 7, 2016. Ayatollah Khamenei, in his latest remarks, described the absence of Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi and Mohammad Yazdi in the fifth term of the Assembly as a 'loss' for this assembly. On January 9, the Supreme Leader referred to the Assembly of Experts as an 'important assembly,' stating: 'The Assembly of Experts is supposed to choose a leader when the current leader is no longer present or there is no leader, who will stand against the enemy's onslaught, show courage, and continue the path of the Imam.' However, on March 10, during a meeting with members of the Assembly of Experts, he advised that there should be no 'embarrassment and expediency' in choosing the future leader. On March 20, Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi accused the government of Hassan Rouhani of wanting to advance the country through 'serving America' and added that 'they claim that to achieve a better life, we must become like America.' According to ISNA, Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi continued his reactions on Sunday, saying: 'O you who try to get close to the enemies so that they may smile at you, these are the lowest of creatures. Serving them is not an honor, be ashamed.' The director of the Imam Khomeini Research Institute stated: 'One is willing to surrender the value of seventy or eighty million people of his own country to an enemy so that he can sit on this chair a few more days. What could be lower than this?' Mesbah Yazdi considered spending money 'in the way of God,' going to prison, and 'becoming a martyr' as 'divine blessings' and said: 'Who has given us these? Secondly, who granted us the opportunity to spend this trust in this way? Is it not the case that not everyone is granted such an opportunity?' He added: 'Many people have spent these divine blessings in the way of Satan and have become servants of Satan. We see examples of this in society; I do not want to name names. God has bestowed upon you the grace not to become lower than a cow or donkey.' Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi is strongly opposed to Rouhani's policies for lifting sanctions in exchange for limiting the nuclear program, while Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, emphasizes the financial damages of sanctions over the benefits of this policy.