Sadegh Larijani: There is no disagreement about the foundation of the revolution that we should seek national reconciliation

While Hassan Rouhani, in a subtle reaction to Mohammad Khatami's proposal for 'national reconciliation,' stated, 'We are seeking consensus, reconciliation, and national unity,' the head of the judiciary emphasized that 'the nation does not have disagreements about the foundation of the revolution that would require national reconciliation.' According to ILNA news agency, Sadegh Larijani, the head of the judiciary, announced on the sidelines of the February 22 rally that 'national reconciliation makes sense when we have fundamental disagreements, which we do not.' However, Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, in his speech at the February 22 rally in Tehran, said, 'Following the Supreme Leader, we are seeking consensus, reconciliation, and national unity.' Rouhani also emphasized that 'the ideals of the Islamic Revolution will remain alive,' but 'revolutionary zeal is not compatible with narrow-mindedness and self-centeredness.' The Iranian President also stated, 'In the coming months, we will demonstrate our power as we do today at the ballot box against the enemies, powers, and global arrogance, and the voice of the Iranian nation will be the ballot box.' Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, also stated on the sidelines of the ceremony that February 22 is 'a symbol of national reconciliation.' In this context, Ali Motahari, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, supported Khatami's proposal, emphasizing that 'national reconciliation is necessary for all periods, but it is more necessary for this era.' He added, 'When we have a common enemy, we must overlook some differences.' Mohammad Khatami, the former President of Iran, expressed hope on February 8 for the 'realization of national reconciliation and internal solidarity' in Iran, stating that 'now is the best opportunity to create solidarity among all forces in the path of national interests and to repel and eliminate threats and conspiracies.' Some conservative figures and media, including Kayhan newspaper, criticized Khatami's remarks, and some social media users interpreted Khatami's words as an apology to the Supreme Leader and forgetting the protests against the 2009 presidential election results. In contrast, some reformist figures, including Abdollah Ramazanzadeh and Mohammad-Reza Aref, supported the proposal. Mostafa Tajzadeh, a member of the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization, stated that 'national reconciliation' means 'accepting plurality from a position of equality and sameness, not that one apologizes to the other or writes a repentance letter.' He emphasized, 'If we were inclined to such actions, we would have resorted to such methods in the past years when we were in prison to save ourselves and be able to claim a share of the government.' Mohammad Khatami has been banned from appearing in Iranian media since the winter of 2014, and reports indicate that he has been prevented from attending some events. Meanwhile, the discussion of national reconciliation arises at a time when Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi, leaders of the protesters against the 2009 presidential election results, have been under house arrest without trial since February 2011. In this context, ILNA quoted Mohammad Ali Abadi, a figure close to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, stating that lifting the house arrest is part of this national reconciliation mechanism. This figure close to the former president emphasized that 'differences of opinion are natural, but national reconciliation is necessary.' On January 18, Khatami also expressed hope that the 'relative reconciliation' that emerged after the death of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the head of the Expediency Discernment Council, would continue and that the Supreme Leader would bring everyone 'into a new arena of life to serve the people and elevate the country.' On January 13, 43 former political prisoners, in a letter, called on the 'pillars of the Islamic Republic' and all political factions to turn the atmosphere created after Rafsanjani's death into 'an opportunity to achieve dialogue and national reconciliation and to establish greater rationality in management and to combat inefficiency, corruption, and immorality.' Among the signatories of this letter were Abdollah Ramazanzadeh, Mohsen Mir-Damadi, Mostafa Tajzadeh, Mohsen Safaei-Farahani, Mohsen Aminzadeh, Bahareh Hedayat, Hassan Asadi-Zidabadi, Abdollah Momeni, Masoud Bastani, and Reyhaneh Tabatabai.