Friday Prayers in Iran: Elections and Hezbollah
Friday prayers across Iran remained focused on elections and its aftermath on March 4th.
In Tehran, leader of the prayers Ahmad Khatami, who has been elected from Kerman Province as a representative to the Assembly of Experts, called for dispelling grudges now that the elections are over. Khatami added that the true victorious sides of this election were the Islamic Republic and the Iranian citizens, not any particular political party. In Ghazvin, northwest of Tehran, Friday prayers’ imam Abdulkarim Abedini called for the elected candidates to focus on citizens’ economic needs and monitor the government’s conduct. “We will have problems if MPs become occupied with political struggles,” he added.
Friday prayers’ leader of Shahr-e Kord, in southwestern Iran, also voiced similar concerns. Mohammad-Ali Nekounam called for the elected to serve the public and pass laws, and avoid engagement in politicking. Nekounam expressed happiness with the composition of the new parliament which represents the entire political spectrum.
In Kerman, in southern Iran, Mohammad Ghasemizadeh called the relatively high turnout a proof to the high level of democracy in Iran. “Sweden and Switzerland view themselves as epitomes of democracy, but they have had 50-percent participation in the elections. This shows that our political system is much more democratic,” he said. “Citizens have paid their due to the establishment, now it is time for the authorities to realize their promises,” said Mohammad Shahcheraghi, Friday prayers’ leader in Semnan, in northeastern Iran. He also called for effective, serious action to solve the problem of unemployment and economic hardships.
Friday prayers’ sermonizers across the country also denounced the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council’s designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist group, calling it an order from the Zionist regime of Israel. “GCC members are acting like pathetic servants of the US and the Zionist regime,” he added. In Qom, Ayatollah A’rafi praised Hezbollah for pushing out Israel from Lebanese territories. He called GCC countries ‘accomplice’ to Israel and called their decision to designate Hezbollah a terrorist group futile. In Khomein, birthplace of Ayatollah Khomeini, leader of the Friday prayers Seyyed Ali Hosseini also denounced the GCC decision. “This would only elevate the status of Hezbollah among Muslim nations,” he said.