Arash Aramesh

Mohammad Reza Naghdi, the commander of the Basij militia force, met with senior Ayatollahs in the holy city of Qom on November 18. In this visit, Naghdi met with Grand Ayatollahs Naser Makarem-Shirazi, Nuri-Hamedani, Javadi-Amoli, Saafi-Golpayegani,Jafar Sobhani, and the pro-reformist Moussavi-Ardebili. He did not meet with Ayatollahs Montazeri and Saanei, the most outspoken critics of the current government.

These meetings were held separately at the offices of the Grand Ayatollahs. In his meeting with Ayatollah Moussavi-Ardebili, the Grand Ayatollah told Naghdi, “I was one of the founding members of the Basij. Make sure that the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and Basij remain honorable and dignified.” Ardebili’s comments may have been related to the Basij’s role in recent crackdown in Iran in the aftermath of the disputed presidential election.

In the past two months, IRGC and Basij commanders have paid frequent visits to the holy city of Qom. This may be a sign that the IRGC is seeking Qom’s approval in light of what happened this past summer. Traditionally, Iran’s Grand Ayatollahs have enjoyed tremendous power among the Iranian people. In Shiite Islam, believers are obligated to choose what is called a “source of emulation” and follow his every religious decree. The government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came under harsh criticism by Iran’s Grand Ayatollahs over the events following the presidential election on June 12. With the exception of Nuri-Hamedani, no other Grand Ayatollah has congratulated Ahmadinejad for his victory.

This summer, the relationship between Qom and Ahmadinejad got even worse when he announced the names of three women as potential cabinet ministers. Ayatollahs Makarem-Shirazi and Saafi-Golpayegani wrote letters condemning his decision, because they did not believe women should serve in high government or military posts. In the end, only one female candidate managed to win a vote of confidence from the parliament. In order to have the backing of the clerical establishment and the people, the Ahmadinejad administration cannot risk losing the blessing of Qom’s most influential men.