Rafsanjani: Those Who Elevated Ahmadinejad to the Level of Sanctity Should Answer

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani referred to the statements of the former commander of Iran's police force, considering Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's decision to arrest Mohammad Khatami as a 'conspiracy' to 'reduce the role of the clergy' in the country, a conspiracy that he claimed had previously been 'exposed in parts'. According to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), the head of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran added in a gathering of clerics on Tuesday afternoon, September 2, that 'once, when the dissatisfaction of the clergy regarding the presence of women in stadiums was broadcast in some media, close associates of this faction said that Imam Mahdi should come and cut off the heads of many of these clerics.' Ismail Ahmadi Moghaddam, the former police commander, stated on August 31 that Ahmadinejad had called for the arrest of Mohammad Khatami, the former president of Iran, in response to the protests on June 25, 2009. However, Ahmadinejad's office dismissed Moghaddam's claims as 'baseless' and 'completely false and incorrect'. Rafsanjani's reference to Ahmadinejad's associates' reaction to the clerics' opposition to women's presence in stadiums may relate to statements made by Javad Shamghadri, an advisor to Ahmadinejad, who reportedly said on several websites, 'When Imam Mahdi appears, he will first cut off the heads of these clerics.' Rafsanjani also expressed 'regret' over the 'ill-considered' remarks that, according to him, were broadcast from official platforms during the previous government due to 'political support for a faction', adding: 'Regarding subsidies... it was suddenly announced that it is the money of Imam Mahdi and people should not spend it with their other money for blessings.' During his presidency, Ahmadinejad referred to cash subsidies as 'the money of Imam Mahdi' and urged people to keep it separate from their other funds. The head of the Expediency Discernment Council also emphasized that those who elevated Ahmadinejad 'to the level of sanctity should answer how they allowed such a deviation to occur in the Islamic Revolution'. Rafsanjani had previously stated in June that the clergy were 'to blame' for introducing and supporting Ahmadinejad and that many of them still have not stopped supporting him. This statement comes as some conservatives and close associates of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, continue to defend Ahmadinejad's government. For instance, Reza Taqavi, the head of the Policy Council of Friday Prayer Leaders, has repeatedly emphasized that there should be no exaggeration regarding Ahmadinejad's government, which he calls 'the eight years of conservatism'. The Supreme Leader also stated on September 5, 2014, during a meeting with members of Hassan Rouhani's government that criticism of past governments 'should not take on an exaggerated and destructive tone', as it negatively affects people's morale and makes them uncertain about the future.