Response to Government Spokesman: Soon They Will Say Friday Prayer Leaders Should Not Engage in Political Analysis

In response to the statements made by the government spokesman, the Friday prayer leader of Tehran stated that while the decision regarding the acceptance of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards is made in the Supreme National Security Council, Friday prayers are a place for "enlightenment" and Friday prayer leaders must "critique and review" this agreement. According to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), Ahmad Khatami, during the Friday sermon on September 16, acknowledged that the decision regarding the acceptance of FATF standards is made in the Supreme National Security Council, not in Friday prayers. Nevertheless, he added: "Friday prayers are a place for enlightenment and these issues must be addressed, because if this does not happen, it will prevent Friday prayer leaders from engaging in political analyses, while Friday prayers are a political worship. The website Entekhab quoted Ayatollah Khatami as saying: "They say if something happens on the other side of the Islamic world, you can analyze it, but do not engage in an event of this importance. If this trend continues, soon they will say that Friday prayer leaders should not engage in political analysis at all." The Friday prayer leader of Tehran stated that before a final decision is made regarding the acceptance of FATF standards, there should be "permission for scholarly critique and review" of this agreement. He also stated that there should be a "avoidance of politicizing" this issue, as "a controversial entry into this matter will ruin things." Mr. Khatami also urged the Supreme National Security Council to "decisively" reject this agreement if it "harms the independence of the country." In recent weeks, Friday prayer leaders in Iran have strongly criticized the agreement between Iran and the FATF, and Ahmad Jannati, the Secretary of the Guardian Council, even went so far as to confidently predict on September 10 that there would be "obstruction" to the implementation of this agreement. Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, also referred to the "JCPOA", "oil contracts", and "money laundering" as a "sinister triangle" that causes the loss of the country's independence. In response to these criticisms, Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the government spokesman, on Tuesday, September 12, urged Friday prayer leaders to "respect the discussions raised in the Supreme National Security Council." In contrast, the Policy Council of Friday Prayer Leaders of Iran responded to these remarks by stating that Friday prayer leaders will not wait for the government's permission for their "beneficial reminders." However, the protests of Friday prayer leaders continue while Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, has stated that this council has reached a "positive conclusion" regarding cooperation with the FATF, and this conclusion will be implemented after the approval of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. After Iranian Central Bank officials reached an agreement with the FATF called the "Action Plan" in the field of combating money laundering and fighting terrorism, this international group, which operates with the aim of combating money laundering, announced in early July that the restrictions on this institution's monetary and financial system on Iran's banking system would be suspended for 12 months.