Shayan Ghajar

Former Iranian President Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani gave a speech to the Moderation and Development Party on January 23, in which he defended his silence regarding post-election unrest in Iran. Rafsanjani is the only major politician, opposed to the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has refrained from major political statements in recent months.

In his statement, Rafsanjani defended his silence as necessary in the unstable political climate, saying that it was in the nation’s interest for him to refrain from interfering. Rafsanjani’s statement is likely a response to a speech given last week by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei calling for “political elites” to make their positions known and, in effect, choose a side, according to the online news agency Radio Zamaneh.

Rafsanjani emphasized that he believes the “most advisable” person able to resolve the post-election crisis is Khamenei. Warning against radical or extremist acts on both sides of the political divide, he went on to say that in his view, the Supreme Leader would not endorse any extremist acts because they destabilize the nation. Moderates from both sides of the political divide could advise Khamenei on the best path to reconciliation, Rafsanjani suggested.

Regarding the solution to the nation’s crisis, Rafsanjani stood by his July 16, 2009 speech in which he called for the release of political prisoners, an opening of the political atmosphere to discourse between the opposition and the government, and redress for families of those killed in the unrest.

Rafsanjani’s statement has already been criticized by Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, a staunch supporter of Ahmadinejad. Yazdi has criticized Rafsanjani in the past for his silence, saying it was tacit support for the opposition and that Rafsanjani was trying to play to both sides. Rafsanjani’s latest comments, however, are even worse in Yazdi’s view: Fars News Agency quotes Yazdi as saying that Rafsanjani is “worse than two-faced,” the latest statement establishing him, in Yazdi’s eyes, as “three-faced.”

Ayatollah Yazdi pointed to Rafsanjani’s statements regarding the election as evidence that he disrespects the Supreme Leader: if Rafsanjani said that the elections were illegitimate, and the Supreme Leader says they were fair and genuine, Rafsanjani cannot claim to believe in the position of the Supreme Leader, Yazdi asserts. Yazdi continued, saying that the opposition had no moderates whatsoever, as they had separated themselves from the system.

Yazdi also dismissed Rafsanjani’s suggestion to free political prisoners, saying that the judiciary would deal with them and that he should not interfere.

This latest war of words highlights the ways in which Rafsanjani, formerly one of Iran’s most powerful figures, is increasingly finding himself marginalized in the current political climate. His self-proclaimed moderate stance has not earned him any favor with either the government, which he has criticized, or the Green Movement, who feel he hasn’t done enough for their cause. Rafsanjani’s pragmatism and moderate political stances garnered him support in the past, but in a highly polarized political atmosphere, even highly influential moderates must struggle to be heard.