Reformism: A Tragic Tale
Reformism: A Tragic Tale According to Iran Gate, a media activist recently posed a question on Twitter asking what exactly Khatami should do these days. This question arose because, nowadays, whether reformists support public protests, remain silent, or take any action, they are at best ignored by the public and, in most cases, face insults and criticism.
The essence of the matter is what Mohsen Mirdamadi stated: a significant portion of the Iranian people, including the majority who did not vote or submitted blank votes in the 2020 elections, have moved beyond not just reformists but everything. The current state of reformism is like being caught between a rock and a hard place. Radicals criticize the head of the judiciary for associating with reformists, while protesters accuse reformists of pursuing their own interests or trying to suppress public demands and protests.
This second suspicion arose after the weekly ‘Sobh-e Sadegh’ welcomed a part of Khatami’s speech from a month ago. However, the real answer was given by Abtahi to these suspicions: nothing has happened, it’s just an article meant to sow discord, and Khatami’s usual reformist views have not been accepted by the government. Despite Khatami’s correspondence with the leadership and meetings between reformists and high-ranking officials to prevent violence and reform matters, there is no sign that the government’s attention has been drawn to these demands, which is regrettable.
The futility of reformist actions, in any form, is evident enough. As Abtahi puts it, Mr. Khatami wrote three letters to the leadership, suggesting we abandon the third step and address issues from the first step. These letters have yet to receive a response.
Renewed Attacks by Kayhan and Karimi Ghodoosi on Khatami
Kayhan and Karimi Ghodoosi, despite being aware of the decline in popularity of reformists and Khatami and the erosion of reformism’s function among the people, still seem worried. Thus, no matter what Khatami says, even if he tries to remain neutral, it makes no difference. From the perspective of some factions within principalism, he must be insulted under any circumstances, to the extent that even the current issues are blamed on him.
Karimi Ghodoosi, who has a long history of making accusations against others and has been repeatedly sued for his allegations but to no avail, this time claimed, quoting Firouzabadi, that in 2009, during a session of the National Security Commission, it was said that Khatami met with the NATO commander during the 2009 unrest and asked them to intervene once their efforts inside advanced.
Khatami’s recent statement, which became the headline for most reformist media, has once again sparked Kayhan’s anger. This newspaper, which has attacked Khatami multiple times in recent months for every word he has spoken, this time claimed that Khatami, in his statement, openly supported chaos and the rioters and the slogans dictated by the British embassy to them.
In another claim, it was said that Mrs. Molaverdi, Rouhani’s deputy, had a plan to insure prostitutes.
A month ago, they also attacked Khatami, claiming that in 2009 he was among the leaders of the coup against the people’s vote, and then accused him of preferring political opportunism over political rationality and the people’s welfare. Now, in the 2021 events, Khatami has shown that he lacks political responsibility.
We Have Not Gained Power
The suspicion towards reformists due to their recent meetings and actions to open dialogue with power is so significant from both the people and principalists that Ali Shakouri Rad, former secretary-general, and Azar Mansouri, the current secretary-general of the Union of the Nation of Iran Party, swore that they do not seek anything for themselves.
Mansouri, referring to her meeting with Shamkhani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and after proposing demands such as freeing prisoners, halting death sentences, implementing the constitution, lifting social media filtering, and recognizing the right to protest, stated that they have no plans for elections and are not seeking a share in power. What they desire is the realization of good governance in the country, which would bring benefits to both the state and the nation.
Ali Shakouri Rad also stated that in their meeting with Ejei, no election discussions took place, nor did they have any personal demands. Even Tajzadeh was not discussed. However, all of this does not seem to change the situation of reformists, neither among the people nor within the government.
