Abdulrahman al-Rashed: Hatred! Who wants to face it/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh: The fallacy, hype and oversimplification of Iran elections

Hatred! Who wants to face it?
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/February 26/16

Facing the growing hatred against Arabs and Muslims around the world is a very difficult task, especially for those already powerless. No government or party considers tackling this issue directly despite the damage that is being inflicted on Arabs and Muslims, including governments and groups.

They do not take up the challenge because they follow multiple governments or are in a situation that may not allow them to do so. So is the case with the non-governmental organizations that do not engage in tasks of awareness projects and confront racism. The problem is similar to those who are of African origin and are Latinos and Hispanics are facing in the United States. Some NGOs might be striving to defend their cases and rights and encourage greater attention to the legal political work to serve their communities, and express their needs. However, these organizations’ efforts were in vain. As for Jews in the West, and specifically in the United States, they are not in large numbers, and at the same time, their awareness regarding the importance of teamwork is really advanced.

Israel considers itself a partner that is responsible for defending their rights, and vice-versa, some of them are indeed defending Israel’s needs.
Despite the growing campaign against Arabs and Muslims, only few individuals work with limited and provisional legal support to confront the media and aren’t in a position to deal with it on a bigger scale. The situation may become more difficult due to the presence of associations and centers, especially Islamic ones that are engaged in such efforts. Organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood are not only seen with suspicion in the West but are also rejected by a number of Islamic governments.

The feeling of hatred against Arabs and Muslims arises from the acts of terrorist organizations, such as al-Qaeda and ISIS. It is the outcome of a long series of acts attributed to Arabs and Muslims who believe in extremist ideology and express their positions through the media and social networking websites. On the other hand, there are hardly institutions that react to organizations and individuals who promote hate speech against Arabs and Muslims.

Who are the victims?
Due to the lack of political and general awareness, it is common for verbal confrontation and intellectual debate to widen between extremists from both sides. The victim of this divide are peaceful Arabs and Muslims who believe in coexistence and respect. The resulting damage is not just distortion of image or mere public insults; the greater damage inflicts the governments and individuals, which impact tourism, hampers exports and harm relations.

We can see how violence is increasing in Europe and the United States. I do not know much about the size of the damage done to the Arab and Muslim image and reputation in countries such as South Korea, China, Japan, and South America. But I can imagine that the situation is similar because the problem is still prevalent and the wide reach of social networking means it can reach almost each and every household. This is the problem and solving it wouldn’t be easy unless specific initiatives are taken by governments and institutions to work on improving the Arab and Muslim reputation abroad.

This also includes Arabs and Muslims in Western countries who can play a positive role in enhancing bilateral and multilateral relations on mutual issues and grounds. Work can be focused first on the Arabs and Muslims living in Europe, then on those living in the United States and the rest of the countries. Efforts will have to be made to raise their awareness regarding the importance of co-existence and respect for different cultures and to cooperate with them in order to end extremism. Then, the focus can shift toward spreading the true image of Islam that gave birth to a wonderful ancient civilization known for its tolerant ideology, diverse cultures, architecture, arts and sciences.

The fallacy, hype and oversimplification of Iran elections
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya/February 26/16

The media, primarily the Western mainstream outlets, have been carried away with their characterization of Iran’s elections. Vital, crucial, the most significant, dynamic, critical, and decisive are some example of words being used to characterize Iran’s elections for the parliament (Majlis) and the Assembly of Experts. Depicting the outcome of the current Iranian elections as the dominant and controlling factor in shaping and determining Iran’s leadership, domestic and foreign policies, not only fails to grasp the complexities and nuances of Iran’s social, political, and economic establishments, but also point to the predominant misconceptions, oversimplifications, hype and lack of knowledge about Iran.

The Assembly of Experts
The Assembly of Experts consists of 86 clerics who are elected by the people. Nevertheless, before anyone is permitted to run, they are vetted by the hardline organization; the Council of Guardians. The 12 members of Guardian Council, are appointed directly (six members) and indirectly (nominated by the head of Judiciary) which, in return, is appointed by the supreme leader. Without a doubt, the 12 members of the Guardian Council owe their position to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, represent the agenda of Khamenei, and disqualify any one whose viewpoints are not in alignment with Khamenei.

For example, the Guardian Council even banned the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Hossein Khomeini, from running for a seat in the Assembly of Experts. Furthermore, the responsibility of the Assembly of Experts is to appoint Iran’s supreme leader. In other words, for the last 28 years this political body has been sitting idly by waiting for the time that Khamenei dies. But the question is, do they really appoint the next supreme leader? In the last 35 years, Iran’s parliament have always been looking for the supreme leader’s approval or disapproval in order to pass or reject significant bills.

When Khamenei came to power, he sidelined the powerful clerics who had a high level of religious authority. The Guardian Council, Khamenei’s political tool, allows low level hard line clergy who have shown their loyalty to Khamenei, and the senior cadre of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps to run for the Assembly of Experts. The 86 members, which owe their position and salary to Khamenei, have never questioned him.

The only time that the Assembly of Experts had to appoint a Supreme Leader was in 1989 when Khomeini died. According to Rafsanjani’s writings, it took the 86 members only couple of hours to appoint Khamenei. But Khamenei was being prepared by IRGC leaders and Khomeinei to become the next supreme leader long before this, after they removed Ayatollah Hoosein Ali Montazeri, the designated successor, because he had a falling-out with Khomenei and because he criticized the Islamic Republic for marrying religion with politics. Since Khamenei was not a “marja”, the IRGC even removed an article in the constitution which requires the Supreme Leader to be”marja”. The Assembly of Experts approved Khamenei because he was already picked by IRGC and Khomenei. When Khamenei dies, the next supreme leader will also be the one who is chosen by the leaders of Revolutionary Guards.

Elections for the Majlis
In the last 35 years, Iran’s parliament have always been looking for the supreme leader’s approval or disapproval in order to pass or reject significant bills, linked to the nuclear deal, assisting Syria financially, the military budget, etc. For instance, although the current parliament is controlled by the hardliners, they did not create a problem for Iran’s President, Rowhani (the moderate) regarding the nuclear deal. They passed it because that’s what the Supreme Leader and IRGC leaders wanted in order to get economic relief.

In fact, even before Rowhani became president, Khamenei and IRGC leaders were preparing the political establishment to make a deal with the West for removal of economic sanctions. In addition, candidates for parliament also have to be approved by the Guardian Council beforehand. But even when the Guardian Council made a mistake in Khatami’s era and allowed the reformists to run and control the parliament, the reformists were immediately constrained by the IRGC forces; their newspapers were shut, and many of the members were imprisoned when they indicated that they might not align with the IRGC and supreme leader’s agenda.

In closing, analysis of Iran’s elections for the parliament (Majlis) and the Assembly of Experts have been subject to political polemics, misconceptions, oversimplifications, hype, lack of knowledge, and less than scholarly work. It is crucial to look beyond the surface and realize that when it comes to major decisions such as choosing the next leaders, or the nuclear deal, etc, the IRGC- the military empire, and Khamenei, have control over political and economic life of Iran, and make the decisions. The IRGC which was created by Khomeini and empowered by Khamenei, have indeed evolved to be the father and major decision maker of the Islamic Republic.