Debate Between Supporters and Opponents of Granting 'Privileges' to Women and Minorities for Participation in the Cabinet of Masoud Beigian

The statements of the head of the Cabinet Selection Advisory Council regarding the privileges for women and minorities to participate in the government of Masoud Beigian have faced widespread reactions. Mohammad Javad Zarif, on the evening of July 18, stated on Islamic Republic television regarding the process of selecting ministers and proposing them to the new president: 'If the proposed minister is male, he does not receive any privileges; female candidates receive 10 points; if they are from the majority (Shia), they do not receive privileges, but if they are from recognized religions and sects, they do receive privileges, as we are trying to utilize groups that have had less presence, including youth and women.' These remarks have provoked strong reactions from opponents of the elected president, primarily from the conservative faction and supporters of Saeed Jalili, the defeated candidate in the elections. These opponents have criticized Zarif and Beigian for basing 'privileges' on gender and religion, and some opposing users have published humorous tweets on the subject. Some users have introduced Mohammad Javad Zarif as the 'real president' and Beigian as the 'cover president.' Supporters of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose candidate was disqualified in this year's presidential election, have also criticized Zarif from the perspective that he was deemed 'unqualified' for expert work by Ahmadinejad's government but is now responsible for 'forming the cabinet.' Zarif is in charge of the Cabinet Selection Advisory Council, which he stated is 'an advisory arm' for the elected president, and 'we propose several options, but the final selection of ministers is up to him.' A user named 'RoshanOnline,' who introduced himself as the editor-in-chief of Sanaye News, referred to Zarif's statement that 'being Shia' does not carry privilege, calling it a game in 'the field of British politics,' writing on X (formerly Twitter): 'For years, Shia and Sunni, Assyrian, Christian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian have lived together in Iran, and the non-Shia's devotion to Imam Hussein is also noteworthy.' The head of the advisory council specifically reacted to this tweet, stating: 'What was mentioned on television was the fourteenth government's effort for a broader presence of women and ethnicities and religions in the government.' According to the head of the advisory council, it has '450 members,' and in reviewing the backgrounds of candidates for Beigian's government, 'adherence to the discourse of the elected president, which is justice, integrity, honesty, and adherence to higher laws, having a national perspective, and avoiding ethnic and regional tendencies' will be considered. In his interview on the evening of July 18, Zarif stated, 'We also pay attention to experience, but in the process of selecting ministers, previous experience is a negative privilege so that new blood and perspective enter the government. We aim for 60% of the ministers to be under 50 years old and also 60% of the ministers to have no previous ministerial experience.' No candidates have been confirmed yet, and reports indicate that the list of proposed individuals will be submitted to the new president by August 3, and after a few days of review, the final list will be presented to the parliament by August 15 for a vote of confidence. A user named Zahra Sadat Mousavi, referring to Beigian reading passages from the book 'Nahj al-Balagha' during the election debates, wrote, 'I am a man of Nahj al-Balagha, but in my cabinet, I will put those minorities in charge who have consumed the rights of the owner of Nahj al-Balagha for 25 years!' This user seems to refer to the dominant narrative in Shia Islam, which states that the succession of the Prophet of Islam was the 'right' of Ali ibn Abi Talib, but the first three caliphs of Muslims 'usurped' this right, and the first Imam of the Shia was sidelined for 25 years. Another user named Asid Pouyan called the talk of privileges and quotas for ethnic groups and Sunnis in the new government 'marginal' and claimed that the goal is to distract 'the critics of the government' from the 'hidden (and dangerous) layers of the cabinet.' However, he did not provide an explanation in this regard. Sara Karimi, another user on X, claimed that 'being male and being Shia in the land of Imam Zaman carries no privilege; if you are non-Shia, you will be given privileges for participation in Beigian's government!' One of the criticisms of the advisory council from supporters of Masoud Beigian was the absence of a Sunni member, which Abdullah Ramazanzadeh, spokesperson for Mohammad Khatami's government, raised on Wednesday. Jala Jalali Zadeh, a former member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, announced on Thursday, July 28, that a Kurd has been added to this council and that a Baloch is also set to join. Hossein Dehbashi, a media activist, criticized the entire structure of the Cabinet Selection Advisory Council, stating that 'decisions resulting from meetings with more than five people are not participatory and convincing—in the end—they are directive and communicated, and in meetings with more than fifteen people, they are merely performative!' Meysam Sharifi, a user supportive of reformists, defended the advisory council on X, stating about the head's remarks: 'The essence of Zarif's statement was that positive discrimination for minorities in order to achieve equal political and social opportunities with the majority is simple, right? Some people are going to pretend not to understand, so don’t try too hard.' Mostafa Pour Mohammadi, a candidate in the fourteenth presidential election, also reacted to the issue of cabinet selection by the elected president, stating: 'If the government and the elected president make an effort and choose strong, courageous, and competent allies who are familiar with the country's issues and decision-making managers, there will certainly soon be an upward trend in participation in the country.' In the early presidential election held on July 15 following the death of Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage, Masoud Beigian was introduced as the new president of Iran with over 16 million votes.