Tehran Friday Prayer Leader Calls 'Long Live Reforms' Slogan a Sign of 'Enemy Infiltration'

The Friday Prayer leader of Tehran emphasized that universities and education in Iran are under the control of 'enemies', interpreting the 'Long Live Reforms' slogan on Student Day as evidence that the 'enemy has significantly infiltrated' inside Iran. According to the website Entekhab, Kazem Sedighi stated in a speech on Thursday, December 9, that 'enemies... are also active in our land, and Muslims have no authority over their own country.' He added, 'Our universities and education system are under their control, as the lesson of Wilayat has still not been taught in schools 30 years after the revolution.' The Tehran Friday Prayer leader stressed, 'Recently, we witnessed the slogan Long Live Reforms on Student Day, which means the enemy has significantly infiltrated.' The reformist period in Iranian media refers to the presidency of Mohammad Khatami, the former president of Iran. Mr. Khatami has been banned from appearing in media for several years, and some close to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic have repeatedly claimed that reformist groups in Iran are supported by the U.S. and Western countries, or as they say, the 'enemies' of the Islamic Republic. Meanwhile, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, has repeatedly warned about American 'infiltration' in Iran following the Vienna nuclear agreement. This year, several ceremonies were held in various universities in Iran to commemorate December 7, Student Day, where reformist figures spoke at some events and conservatives at others. In some of these ceremonies, students chanted slogans protesting the house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, leaders of the Green Movement, as well as the media ban on Mohammad Khatami. During these events, including a speech by Hassan Rouhani at Tehran University, representatives of student organizations criticized the securitization of university environments and the lack of permits for student organizations. 'We are seeking to change the world and conquer the White House,' the interim Friday Prayer leader of Tehran said in another part of his speech. Mr. Sedighi added, 'Those who approach enemies in a compromising manner are worth less than a bird, and it is also necessary for ambassadors going to foreign countries to be honorable so that they do not dissolve in the enemies' goals.' Previously, close associates of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic have criticized the foreign policy of Hassan Rouhani's government, especially the Vienna nuclear agreement. Associates of Ayatollah Khamenei and some conservatives describe the foreign policies of the governments of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Mohammad Khatami, and Hassan Rouhani as 'compromising' with Western countries.