Reading a Poem 'Against the JCPOA' at Eid al-Fitr Prayer Ceremony in Tehran Sparks Controversy

The head of the Tehran Friday Prayer organization stated, "We were unaware of the content of the poems recited during the Eid al-Fitr ceremony." This comes as reactions continue to the recitation of a poem against the JCPOA at the Eid al-Fitr prayer ceremony in Tehran. Mohammad Baqer Pishnamazi, the head of the Tehran Friday Prayer organization, said on Tuesday, July 4, in response to the poems recited from the podium at the Eid al-Fitr prayer in Tehran that "we had no prior knowledge of the content of these poems before their recitation" and added: "Just as we do not request students who speak before the Friday prayer sermons to provide their texts, we did not make such a request from the poet at the Eid al-Fitr prayer." Pishnamazi also mentioned that Meysam Motiei had attended the ceremony last year as a poet and was invited again this year due to the "reception of his poems." According to Eghtesad Online, Meysam Motiei recited the following verses at the Eid al-Fitr prayer held at Tehran's Mosalla: "O you sitting in the front row, do not lose yourself / These people are still waiting for your action / A flood from the poor will consume the rich / And the land-grabber will eventually be brought down / A new sanction has gone to the Senate, it has gone / The body of the JCPOA has perished just like its soul / Whatever could be taken from our pockets was taken / Yes, this was a win-win, everything was taken / It is time for you to sit in your rightful place / Do not play with the lion's tail, for you will see badly / Enjoy the blow of our six missiles / May its impact reach Riyadh and Haifa." According to ILNA news agency, some reformist political and media activists reacted to the recitation of these poems on Twitter and Instagram. Mohammad Reza Aref, a representative from Tehran in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, tweeted: "Entrusting the official and valuable podiums of the system, which should foster unity, to divisive individuals is the height of bad taste." Azar Mansouri, a member of the central council of the Union of Iranian Parties, also tweeted: "This is no longer a matter of self-will; from a sacred podium, eye to eye with the people, it is a direct confrontation with 24 million votes and the republic of the system. They want to tire and anger Rouhani." Mostafa Tajzadeh also tweeted regarding the poems recited at the Eid al-Fitr prayer ceremony: "Who are the attackers on the president affiliated with? Why do Jalili, Raisi, and Qalibaf not explicitly and decisively condemn the shameful insults?" Mostafa Moein, the Minister of Science in the reformist government, also wrote on his Instagram: "The poets of power and politics are a party and political group - widespread and organized - without legal permission - under the guise of promoters of religion and lovers of the Ahl al-Bayt - but in practice: poets of power and world-worriers and those who insult officials and servants of the people!?" In addition to reformist figures, media outlets have also reacted to such actions. Iran Online wrote in an article introducing Meysam Motiei: "Contrary to what some media have said, he is not a poet, and the texts and his sharp political poems are written by others." According to Iran Online, Motiei emphasizes at the end of all his sharp and biting poems that his work is criticism and claimed on Tuesday that his poem expressed "fair criticisms!" In response to the criticisms raised, some principlist media activists have come out in support of Motiei. Vahid Yamini-Pour tweeted: "Meysam Motiei's poem had a significant difference from the slogans of Quds Day, and that is that it was clean; 'fire at will' means clean work, even if the empty-minded claimants are always demanding." Yamini-Pour's reference is to the remarks of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, who said shortly after the broadcast of this poem from the official podium during the Eid al-Fitr prayer sermon, "Fire at will means spontaneous and clean cultural work." Ayatollah Khamenei added: "Fire at will does not mean lawlessness and making empty-minded claimants demanding and indebted to the revolutionary movement of the country," and "Revolutionary forces must above all be vigilant about the order and tranquility of the country, preventing enemies from exploiting the situation and maintaining laws." The term 'enemy' is frequently used by the Supreme Leader, especially in reference to countries like the United States. According to Iran Online, Meysam Motiei was a constant presence in the campaign programs of Ebrahim Raisi during the election period and was among the first individuals to recite poems and destructive content against Rouhani and reformists in various gatherings. The hardline site 'Rajanews' however published an article in its Telegram channel that viewed these poems from another perspective, calling Dr. Meysam Motiei the "most prominent" example of "clean fire at will in the poetic realm." Iran Online identified 'Mohammad Mahdi Siyar' as the poet of these verses, stating: "Mohammad Mahdi Siyar, like Meysam Motiei (the news-making poet today), is a graduate of Imam Sadiq University. Born in '62, his sharp poems against the reformist movement are featured on the front pages of Kayhan and Vatan-e-Emruz under the title of opposition to the sedition." According to this report, Siyar claimed on Tuesday that he composed this text "based on the statements of the nuclear team." He stated that this poem is a "simple" translation of the letter from Mohammad Javad Zarif to Ms. Mogherini in protest against the "new Senate sanctions."