Rafsanjani “The Moderate Mullah” Triumphs
September 6, 2007 by pulkit
Iran has an extremist government at the helm and even the word “hardline” seems too dignified to define it. However, being a moderate in Iran doesn’t necessarily earn one a minority satus. In fact, there is no dearth of moderates in Iran, who have seen the Islamic Revolution go terribly wrong, from an intellectual awakening of Iranian masses guided by the light of religion to a revolution that has slowly extricated itself from its own ideals and eloquent promises.
There is a government that threatens to plummet even further in its abyss of cynical extremism without even sparing a thought for it’s helplessly innocent subjects.
However, the moderates are the faintest glimmer of hope to purge Iran of the incumbent bunch of fools that run the show, and, maybe, salvage Iran from the colossal disaster it seems to be heading for.
The moderates have received a voice at the center, with the appointment of former President Rafsanjani as the head of the most important religious body in Iran, the Assembly of Experts.
Though, if given a choice, the moderates would have not gone for Rafsanjani, but they would settle for his pragmatism and sporadic fits of lukewarm extremism for the moment. Rafsanjani basically is not an extremist but a moderate, less-illusioned hard liner. The moderates would be happy because they finally have a rumbling voice in the corridors of power, which is better than no voice at all. He is the Moderate Mullah, who can adroitly countervail the frenzied Ahmadinejad regime, though, ever so feebly.
Some analysts, however, suggest that Rafsanjani, seen as a clever political operative who understands the West, will have limited political latitude and remain answerable to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who in recent years has increased his power and his belligerence toward Washington.[source]
