Severe Criticism from Ansari of Mansour Arzi's Comments on 'Cursing Imam Hussein'

The legal deputy of the Iranian president, during an official ceremony on the evening of Ashura, strongly criticized Mansour Arzi's remarks regarding cursing, stating that he does so because Imam Hussein, the third Shiite Imam, did the same. Mansour Arzi, a well-known eulogist, recently responded to criticisms of his foul language during his recitations by saying, 'Why do you criticize me? You should criticize Imam Hussein.' According to ISNA news agency, Majid Ansari responded to these comments by stating that this is 'a very serious accusation and sin.' He questioned the eulogist, 'Why don't you apologize to the people for your mistake?' This government official of Hassan Rouhani stated that the Prophet of Islam not only rejected cursing people but also asked not to curse 'the wind, mountains, time, and moments.' Ansari noted that attributing cursing to the infallible Imam is a grave sin with legal and jurisprudential consequences. His remarks were made during the 'Sham-e-Ghariban' ceremony at Ayatollah Khomeini's mausoleum in front of several members of Hassan Rouhani's government; Mr. Arzi himself has recently been present for eulogizing at the ceremonies of the Supreme Leader's household. In another part of his speech, Majid Ansari addressed those who make 'unfair' criticisms of the government, saying they are using 'public funds' and 'the claim of being Hussein' to destroy the 'spirit of hope' in society. According to the state-run IRNA news agency, he defended Iran's diplomatic apparatus, stating that the Foreign Ministry has 'made every effort sincerely to improve the country's international interactions.' Ansari asserted that it is not right for some to call them cowards and to undermine them. The Rouhani administration, which is in the final months of its first term, came to power with slogans about improving international relations, resolving the nuclear issue, economic growth, and opening up the political and cultural space within Iran. Tehran succeeded in reaching an agreement with six world powers regarding its nuclear issue and lifting related sanctions. However, some principlist figures have continuously criticized, claiming that there has been no improvement in the economic situation of society following the nuclear agreement. Government officials have firmly stated that the economic situation left over from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's era and extensive sanctions is improving, but the effects will not be widely seen in the short term. Organizations and institutions directly under the supervision of the Islamic Republic's leadership, including the judiciary and security forces, have continued to crack down on political activists over the past three years. The house arrest of prominent opposition figures from the 2009 protests, Zahra Rahnavard, Mir Hossein Mousavi, and Mehdi Karroubi, has not been lifted, and criticisms from international and non-governmental organizations regarding human rights violations or executions in Iran continue. Despite the lifting of nuclear sanctions, Iran still faces other Western sanctions related to issues such as human rights violations or ballistic missile programs, support for Bashar al-Assad's regime, or groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon.