Khatami’s farewell to politics was postponed
Ahmad Zeidabadi, a political activist, noted that the strong wind yesterday had made Tehran’s air clean and pleasant. Together with my child, we headed to Darabad, not for a stroll in the northeastern slopes of Tehran, but to meet Seyyed Mohammad Khatami.
Mr. Khatami was concerned about my announcement of withdrawing from politics and wanted to know the reason. We chatted about it for a couple of hours.
I have always held deep respect for Mr. Khatami as a thoughtful, cultural, and tolerant cleric, although my pen has often been sharp against some aspects of his political views and actions.
Interestingly, Mr. Khatami mentioned that a few months ago, he was also considering doing what I did, which is to announce a withdrawal from everyday politics and focus on theoretical, intellectual, and cultural work. However, recent developments have prevented him from doing so.