18JUL2024 ... or prevent the Paydari group and Mirbagheri from getting more power.
22JUL2024 The shadowy Iran ayatollah who is being ‘vilified’
Ayatollah Mohammad-Mehdi Mirbagheri who endorsed ultra-hardliner Saeed Jalili in Iran’s recent snap elections has come under attack for his extreme views. Such attacks may relate to his alleged leadership ambitions.
Mirbagheri is largely seen as the successor of the late Ayatollah Mohammad-Taghi Mesbah-Yazdi, the spiritual father of Iran’s ultraconservatives, whom Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei held in very high esteem.
As a member of the Assembly, Mirbagheri contends that the Assembly’s role must be “supporting” the Supreme Leader, not “supervising” him as the Constitution dictates. He has always strongly supported Khamenei as the absolute authority and the Supreme Islamic Jurist (Vali-ye Faghih).
Mirbagheri teaches that fighting “infidels” and overcoming them is a prerequisite for the “emergence” of the hidden Imam, Mahdi, who the Shiittes believe has been in occultation by divine for centuries.
Mirbagheri’s views about the “world order” are similar to those of Alexander Dugin, the Russian ultranationalist philosopher, who has regularly been invited to visit Iran in recent years and met with Mirbagheri and other hardliners in Qom, the bastion of ultra-hardliners.
Opponents highlight Mirbagheri’s extreme views about women’s education “in the Western style”, hijab, social freedoms, his refutation of “Western sciences” as well as his advocacy of the “clash of civilizations”.
An article Wednesday by Mehrdad Khadir, deputy editor of the reformist Ham Mihan newspaper, suggested that Jalili’ defeat has saved Iranians from the danger of domination of Mirbagheri’s extreme views.
Some hardliners who now present Mirbagheri as a danger to the foundations of the Islamic Republic’s political and religious establishment allege that his supporters have plans to pitch him as the country’s future Supreme Leader. They also warn that under his leadership religious fundamentalism and extreme anti-Western views will prevail in the Islamic Republic.
Some others allege that Mirbagheri’s vilification is another “Khamenei gambit” meant to make him and his son Mojtaba look “moderate” in comparison and to eliminate him as a leadership contender and rival to Mojtaba.
Supporters of Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf blamed Jalili and his political sponsors, the ultra-hardliner Paydari (Steadfastness) Party and the recently established Jebhe-ye Sobh-e Iran (MASAF), for the defeat of the ‘revolutionary front’ in the elections. They were among the first to condemn Mirbagheri and his views on social media post elections.
Paydari and MASAF members often reiterate Mirbagheri’s apocalyptic, anti-western political, and anti-modernity views in their speeches and propaganda. Members of both groups have taken over many top and sensitive positions in the government in the past few years and formed a very influential minority in the parliament.
full article + links https://www.iranintl.com/en/202407187944
Dugin believes that Ayatollah Khamenei is the “best solution” for confronting the West. “If he helps to defeat the West I am sure we will emerge from this arena victorious and proud,” he said, because “in the center of the Guardianship of [the Islamic] Jurist, God's will is at work.” But while he wants Ali Khamenei’s help in defeating the West, Dugin concedes that he has not been successful in bringing Iran and Russia closer. “Young Iranians are not very interested in getting to know Russia. Perhaps we should search for a key to open this door between the two countries,” he said.
Call by radical cleric for war sparks sharp debate in Iran
Bellicose comments about relentless war against Israel and the United States by a radical ayatollah in Iran has led to strong reactions by more moderate clerics, as Iran faces a likely Israeli attack.
A moderate seminarian as well as other critics have lashed out at the hardliner clergyman known to be the spiritual leader of ultraconservative Paydari Party for his comment on resistance against US and Israel at any cost.
Viral videos on social media show hardline cleric Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri stating that Muslims “from Israel to Yemen and from Iran to Palestine” must continue their resistance against Israel, even if it leads to the deaths of half the world’s population in the conflict.
According to the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA), seminarian Mohammad Taghi Fazel Maybodi criticized hardline cleric Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri, stating: “Mr. Mirbagheri suggests that four billion people should die for him to achieve his goal. His destination aligns with the same agenda pushed by the Paydari Party.” Fazel Maybodi further remarked, “It seems Mirbagheri considers himself part of the half meant to survive, otherwise, he’d be in Gaza right now! It’s unfortunate that he makes such statements in the name of Islam.”
more https://www.iranintl.com/en/202410204568
https://x.com/mirbaqeri_ir/status/1847180540773826574
Background
https://freerepublic.com/focus/chat/4099233/posts?page=963#963
https://freerepublic.com/focus/chat/4099233/posts?page=981#981