The "Other" Rafsanjani: Faezeh Hashemi Criticises Supreme Leader, Government, Khatami

The Latest from Iran (16 July): Waiting for Rafsanjani’s Prayers
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Yesterday a video emerged of Faezeh Hashemi, the daughter of the former Presdent Hashemi Rafsanjani, answering questions from an informal audience. A reader passed us the footage, which is from about two weeks ago, but before featuring it, we wanted to get a reliable translation of Hashemi's answers. A correspondent, to whom we are very grateful has evaluated the two-part video (second part follows on the jump page, with the rest of the analysis of Hashemi's answers:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSWuqRd_sGE[/youtube]

1) FH states the irregularities and fraud during the election:

a) there was a shortage of observers;
b) there were irregularities in providing adequate documentation for observers;
c) SMS system was disconnected so observers couldn't coordinate;
d) irregularities in the closing time of polls;
e) the ballot boxes were stuffed;

She concludes that the the foundation of this election is very shaky. She then comments about Khamenei and makes the following points:

1) Khamenei wants Ahmadinajad to be in office. He has never been the uncontested Supreme Leader until Ahmadinejad came to office.
2) Khamenei is supported by the Basiji, the Revolutionary Guard, Ansar Hezbollah, etc., and the interests of these groups are aligned with Ahmadinejad. Khamenei must maintain the interests of these groups or he will be replaced. Therefore Khamenei's behavior is self-preservation.

She concludes this section, "We have a weak democracy that is being crippled. we should not repeat our historical mistakes. Generally speaking we iranians make heros out of individuals but we kill legendary actions."

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0o41dXrQ8c[/youtube]

FH continued, "I consider that the main cause of all these dictatorships is Mr Khatami After [the election] he moved too fast and by doing so he exposed the game plan of the reformists and Khamenei became alert to the fact that if he does not react swiftly, things will get our of hand".

FH stated, "These protests must continue so that they [the Ahmadinejad and Khamenei factions] understand that the people will not countenance such horrific fraudulent behavior."

FH continued to attack Khatami for his incompetence in dealing with the hardliners allowing them to hijack the previous elections and criticized the reformers for not gathering behind the Rafsanjani Banner, "If all reformists had supported Hashemi things would have been different".

FH concluded the interview by defending her family against Iranian state media allegations, asserting that "they have no evidence against us", and informing the interviewers that the Rafsanjani family is suing Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting for defamation of character.

Comments

[MikVerbrugge]

http://onlymehdi.tumblr.com/post/132292113 The audio was leaked 2 weeks ago but nobody picked it up. If your translators want "annotation" access to the Youtube version to add subtitles, hit me up on twitter.

[whereismyvote]

The timing of this audio is more important than the actual content per say. What she states here is all well documented facts right now. However she made all these claims 3 weeks ago, right after her arrest and subsequent immediate release. It was at a time when the guardian council was still deliberating on the results of the election, and well before when they had suggested to recount 10% of the ballots on national TV. Her claim of ballot stuffing was subsequently proven true when we all saw the fresh unfolded ballots with the same ink being counted. You have also failed to translate her discourse with the populous for not consistently supporting her and her father at the polls.... It seems she missed the point that the people love her, only as a necessary evil.

[nima]

There is so much detail in this conversation that you have not translated. She blames everyone and everything but her father: If her father was elected 4 years ago ... Khatami betrayed the people and her father ...

She fails to mention that her father was president for 8 dark years where there were far fewer freedoms for Iranians and the press than under Ahmadinejad. During her father's reign, the infamous chain assassinations of many intellectuals happened. They were not arrested or tried, they were simply assassinated. And that her father even today is the only unelected senior official of the Islamic Republic. And that 4 years ago her father accused Ahmadinejad of election fraud, however did nothing to change Iran's election laws to avoid a repeat.

Weather or not Ahmadinejad cheated, the Rafsanjani faction was geared up to claim foul from weeks before the election and had planned the riots and the unrest that followed. In an internal discussion of the security chiefs, they discuss in detail how targets were chosen prior to the riots and and Molotov cocktails had been stashed before hand. here it is: http://tinyurl.com/ngzp3k

[Translator]

This translation is more a summary of the main statements that FH made then a precise translation of the interview. As you may have noticed I have not even translated the questions. I purposely edited her self-serving (and self-promoting) comments she makes at the expense of the other reformers. Generally speaking pot shots are not particularly informative anyway and in addition I was afraid that their inclusion may mislead some readers. I apologize if my well intentioned efforts have caused concerns in some readers.

[nima]

No apologies needed. You did well in summarizing her points. I felt that some context could be useful. Potshots inform the reader of the character of the person speaking. And once her character is questioned, her claims, and her motives are also questioned.

[Thursday July 16 – the d]

[...]   “If all reformists had supported Hashemi things would have been different,” she said. Enduring America Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Car break [...]

[kia]

Nima,

While your comments on Rafsanjani's dark past are right on, it's shameful of you to just simply attribute the recent uprising of people of Iran over election result to Rafsanjani. Your ignorant comment is not any different that Ahmadinejad calling the protesters dust. This is the same cheap propaganda that Ahmadinejad supporters are using to discredit protesters on street. If you pull your head out of the sand and look at some of abundant evidence out there, you'll see that the protests were not started as riots but rather were turned into riots by security forces and Basiji actions. As far as the link you have provided on internal discussion of the security chiefs, first of all, the consensus is that, that discussion pertains to 1999 Student uprising when the security forces were put on spot and scolded, hence the need for that discussion evaluating their actions. Secondly, regardless of when that is done, and if authentic, how do you even consider taking their evaluation as fact over the the true nature events on the ground. You are talking about a discussion sanctioned by an organization (and a system for that purpose) with an awful track record when it comes to telling the truth and admitting it's past mistakes.

In any case from your contradictory comments, it is very hard for me to tell where you stand on the subject and if you even are authentic (or just a pawn).

[nima]

Kia,

Thank you for your very kind words. Can you please provide links to the "abundant evidence proving that the protests were not started as riots but rather were turned into riots by security forces and Basiji actions." And please provide a link showing that "the consensus is that the security discussion pertains to 1999". My purpose is not to put you on the spot, but to ask you to educate me. There are many things I do not know and it appears to me that I can learn a lot from you. Please also note that nowhere in my comment, I attacked the protesters. I also never said that Rafsanjani was the sole instigator of the protests. However, he and his family have had a leading role. Here is the tape of Rafsanjani's wife predicting fraud and recommending people to go to the streets in case of fraud on election day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYwiTcho7fE.