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Nader Karami

Abdollah Nouri, who at a recent gathering with journalists proposed “effectiveness” as a ‎condition for his candidacy in the upcoming presidential election, was threatened to ‎physical assassination earlier in the week by a famous singer of religious hymns, who is ‎closely affiliated with the Islamist militia group “Ansar-e Hezbollah.” ‎

Advar News, the website affiliated with the Iranian Student Alumni Organization, which ‎supports Abdollah Nouri’s candidacy in next year’s presidential election, quoted one ‎participant at a religious gathering at Ark Mosque, the meeting place of religious ‎extremists located near Tehran’s bazaar, that Hajj Mansour Arazi, a well known member ‎of the Ansar-e Hezbollah militia has threatened Abdollah Nouri to death. ‎

According to this report, commenting on the news of Abdollah Nouri’s candidacy in the ‎upcoming presidential election, Hajj Mansour said, “Tell him on my behalf that if he ‎should not enter these arenas if likes his life.”‎

Hajj Mansour Arazi, who is famed among groups beholden to the regime, has been one ‎of the main and most prominent singers of religious hymns, including sessions held at the ‎house of ayatollah Khamenei, the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader. ‎

It is commonly believed that during the the height of the reform movement, Hajj ‎Mansour was a key leaders in the religious militia Ansar-e Hezbollah group which played ‎a dominant role in disrupting student protests, especially those in July 1999. The ‎assassination of Saeed Hajjarian, the senior advisor to former president Khatami and the ‎reform movement’s chief ideologue, was also traced to one of the group’s members. ‎

While serving as the country’s Interior Minister in 1998, Abdollah Nouri was once ‎physically attacked by members of Ansar-e Hezbollah while attending Tehran’s Friday ‎prayers. ‎

Following his impeachment by the conservative fifth Majlis, Nouri was removed as ‎Interior Minister and appointed by Khatami as his “deputy in development affairs,” but ‎was later tried and sentenced to prison for publishing articles in his newspaper, Khordad. ‎After spending three years behind bars and remaining silent because of his pessimism ‎regarding the necessary political reforms in Iran, Abdollah Nouri has recently held ‎several meetings regarding the presidential elections in June 2009. Fueled by rumors that ‎he may be a candidate next year, he emphasized the necessity of addressing “structural ‎reforms” in the country at a recent meeting with central committee members of the Office ‎for Consolidation of Student Unity [Daftar-e Tahkim-e Vahdat]. ‎

In his latest remarks, which were published this week, Nouri told several reporters: ‎‎“Whenever I judge that my presence would be effective I would make the necessary ‎decision.” ‎

In separate remarks, noting that he is “not afraid of threats,” Nouri added, “I consider ‎conformity to democratic principles as my red line. I believe that one should stay true to ‎promises he makes to people, stand by his principles, and, if necessary, pay for them.” ‎Responding to a question about whether he is facing threats, Nouri said, “I am not afraid ‎of anyone to stop or continue my activities because of it. The only obstacle that has no ‎significance to me is the other side’s threats. My political career shows that.” ‎