Reactions to the Approval of Iraj Maleki's Candidacy; From 'How They Didn't Get You' to Comparisons with Khamenei's 'Recitations'

Iraj Maleki, whose amateur videos and jokes have become a source of humor on social media, is one of the candidates for the Islamic Consultative Assembly elections. Some users have interpreted his approval as a sign of the Islamic Republic's efforts to attract citizens who are disillusioned with elections. The newspaper 'Entekhab' reported that the Guardian Council has approved his candidacy for the Islamic Consultative Assembly, referencing Maleki's famous video 'How They Didn't Get You.' Previously, some of Maleki's videos had been the subject of jokes and laughter among social media users, and now his candidacy has become a topic of discussion. One user on the social media platform X sarcastically remarked about the Islamic Republic's use of famous figures to promote its policies, saying, 'The day that Tataloo sang about nuclear energy on a warship, I knew a day would come when Professor Iraj Maleki would become our representative.' Siamak Ghasemi, an economic expert, commented on Maleki's candidacy, stating, 'Everything must come to everything. The transition from Malek al-Shoara Bahar as a representative to Iraj Maleki carries a clear message for those who still have the capacity to think.' However, journalist Ehsan Badaghi noted that 'Maleki's candidacy is not a negative point,' but rather the average level of most candidates in this election, including some current officials, is not better than his. Some users reacted to the Guardian Council's approval of Maleki by recalling his famous video 'How They Didn't Get You.' Lawyer Mohammad Sharifzadeh Kermani mentioned on social media that while Maleki's presence might be a source of jokes and humor, among other candidates, 'at least he says what he has in his heart and is not a master of wordplay and sophistry.' Some users have also reshared videos of his humor as his name comes up again as a candidate. Political analyst Mohammad Ali Janatkhah sarcastically referred to the statements and theories of some political groups within the Islamic Republic, saying, 'Hassan Rouhani can vote for protest votes and Mohammad Fazeli for opening a window of opportunity.' Kasra Moghadam, an artist, also did not find it strange for a figure like Iraj Maleki to run for parliament, emphasizing that the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic 'was a reciter,' and in comparison, Maleki is a 'genius.' Previously, the polling institute Goman predicted that 77% of Iranian citizens would not participate in the upcoming elections. Ammar Maleki, the director of this institute, told VOA that the reformist or principlist tendencies have not gained more acceptance among the government, and compared to the previous poll, eight percent more said they would not participate in this election.