Nooshabeh Amiri

Ayatollah Montazeri is a senior Iranian cleric at one time chosen by ayatollah Khomeini to succeed him. Montazeri’s liberal views, however, led to his dismissal, turning him into a leading dissident cleric through the years.

“Unity is not something that materializes through the orders of officials”

“On issues that are of importance to national interest (such as the referendum on the nuclear issue), in addition to hearing the views of specialists – regardless of whether they are inside or outside the country – the public or their representative must be consulted.”

“Regardless of the goals regarding discrimination against women, I do not believe that the expression of views should be responded with prison, punishment or insults.”

Introduction

For the first time in many years, I am authoring an interview with a person who believes that: “You cannot treat others as ‘outsiders’, deprive some of their citizenship rights, take a narrow approach on major national decisions, use monopoly as a decision-making standard, and distrust people.”

These are the words of ayatollah Montazeri whose words explain why I am in exile, like many others, and why I am deprived of my profession, which are tied to the destiny of my other fellow-Iranians.

Rooz conducted the following interview through email with the ayatollah in Qom, but we look forward to the day when all Iranians can speak and converse freely and without fear in their homeland.

Rooz:

Question 1” Many ask whether Ayatollah Montazeri is free or is kept in “confinement.” Some say in response that you are not under house arrest. Is this an accurate response? What is your situation?

Question 2: Are you still holding your classes? Under what conditions? Do your students have the same kind of access they had to you prior to your “house arrest”?

Question 3: What do you subjects do you discuss in your classes?

Ayatollah Montazeri: I was released in January of 2003 after enduring five years of house arrest. Currently, those who wish to speak with me, whether students or ordinary people, can meet me without constraints. My daily academic activities include answering questions on various topics such as Islamic law, the Quran, politics, social and cultural issues. I receive these questions through mail, in person, or email. My weekly academic activities also include lessons on the late Narraghi’s “Jame-al-Sadar,” which deals with ethics and other lessons in philosophy or jurisprudence. I am also directly in charge of publishing some of my unpublished works, as well as revising some older writings.

Question 4: Apart from questions that are clearly religious, what are the other most important questions that your students or followers pose to you? Is there a difference in the type of questions you receive now? Can you share some examples?

Ayatollah Montazeri: Other than questions dealing with issues on religious jurisprudence, I receive many questions on contemporary political and cultural issues (especially problems that have come up in the course of people’s lives). You can refer to my website to gain more information about the various kinds of issues that are brought up.

Question 5: What characteristics do you see in your students’ religious and political beliefs today that are different than the past, and which catch your attention?

Ayatollah Montezeri: Depending on their individual interests, aims and level of perseverance, my students have different viewpoints. It is appropriate that, after learning methodology from their teachers, these students become independent experts in various academic, political, social and cultural fields, and defend the beliefs that they have gained in the process. In view of mankind’s rapid intellectual transformations and progress, some of my students have carried out precious and remarkable studies on issues pertaining to the natural rights of human beings, and the conformity of contemporary issues with religious decrees. I hope that wherever they are, they do not forget about learning, as the most valuable human endeavor, and continue to carry out their research and studies, and preserve their independence of mind.

Question 6: Many believe that this year (1386 on the Iranian calendar) is going to be a difficult year for Iran. How do you see this year?

Ayatollah Montazeri: Like many Iranians, I too can foresee the problems, given the domestic and international climate, as well as problems in the country’s economics and politics. I hope that the foreseeable domestic and international crises are prevented through competence and diplomacy.

Question 7: Officials of the Islamic Republic have called this year the Year of National Unity and Islamic Solidarity”. What do you think is the meaning of this and what are its prospects?

Question 8: Officials regularly talk of “divisions and the weakening of Iranian national unity”, and condemn these. In your view which groups are the source of such “divisions and weakening of Iranian national unity”? In what way?

Ayatollah Montazeri: If these goals of creating unity and solidarity – regardless of whether at the national or Islami level – are confined to words and media publicity, then like the past they will not lead to any real consequences. Unity is not something that is created through dictates from the above. You cannot view others as ‘outsiders’, deprive some of their citizenship rights, take a narrow view in management and decisions of major national issues, and treat people with distrust, while at the same time talk about national unity. This is one sided. If the leaders of the country end their narrow views, tolerate their critics, and do not eliminate their critics from future elections and open up the political climate, then unity and real solidarity among the nation may be possible. I hope that people are not deprived of their citizen rights on the pretext of national unity.

Question 9: It is said that “The enemy is active to destroy the national unity of Iranians through the use of such issues as ethnicity, religion and professional interests. They also wish to create discord in the Muslim world, and create differences among Islamic societies and Iran through Shiite-Sunni war.” Do you accept this logic? What is the source of these issues?

Ayatollah Montazeri: Creation of differences among nations, religions and religious tendencies is a long-existing policy of colonialism, and unfortunately some of these religious groups or nations have fallen prey to enemy plans because of their differences and without consideration of their common features. But regarding the recent professionals’ issues, I would like to say that they have come about because of the unfulfilled economic promises. Teachers and workers that deserve respect and support, but unfortunately some of them suffer from daily sustenance problems. It is clear that they are in the limelight because of their economic problems, just as the current administration came to power because of its economic promises. Some of them have been arrested in towns and dealt with harshly. One cannot accuse protestors of being foreign tools and view them as sources of national disunity without the presentation of documents and evidence. And since there is a wide gap between the rulers and the public, and among religious and ethnic groups is essentially divisive, foreigners will certainly use these issues.

Question 10: President Ahmadinejad called last year the year of “Efforts, unity, honor, public crusades, and respect for the Iranian nation” and has said that “Great and valuable scientific and technological progress was achieved by the Iranian nation, while great strides were also made in economics, which includes domestic and foreign investments, so that the demand for domestic investment has doubled and foreign investment has multiplied many fold. In the cultural domain, hope, effort, faith, love, human kindness, and divine values defined Iran last year.” Are these words reflective?

Ayatollah Montazeri: The greatest current successes belong to the efforts of the previous administration. I hope that the numbers and figures that are presented to show progress in the various fields really make a difference in the lives of people, and especially the lives of the weaker sections of society, the daily wage earners, and workers. As a matter of fact, it these people who must speak about the success or failure of these claims.

Question 11: If you were to describe last year, what words would you use?

Ayatollah Montazeri: Last year had its ups and downs. It was also a year full of promises, economic pressure, creation of international tension, non-utility of sincere and revolutionary resources, the silence of the elite, more censorship, etc.

Question 12: What is your hope for this year?

Ayatollah Montazeri: My heartfelt hope is the wellbeing and happiness of the Iranian nation, welfare and resolution of economic problems, spiritual growth of the nation, and immunity from domestic and international problems. And these cannot be accomplished without the consent and participation of the public, and end of discrimination in all spheres of life by the rulers.

Question 13: The women of Iran have launched a campaign titled “One Million Signatures to End Discrimination against Women.” Are you aware of this campaign? What is your opinion about the arrest of the activists of this movement?

Ayatollah Montazeri: Regardless of the purpose in the discrimination against women, or whether every discrimination amounts to cruelty, I believe that free expression should not be barred and that the expression of views should not be responded with imprisonment, punishment or humiliation.

Question 14: Shirin Ebadi has proposed that the Islamic Republic government stage a referendum to learn of public opinion about the nuclear program. Do you think that this is a solution? Do you see the ground work for such a referendum? What is the solution to this problem, in view of all its aspects?

Ayatollah Montazeri: On issues that relate to the interests of the state, such as the one you mention, the views of the public, directly or through their representatives must be obtained in addition to the views of specialists who are inside our outside the country. But some aspects of the issue which are purely technical must be reserved for specialists. At the same time, since world powers have become sensitive to this issue, we should not be making useless statements that provoke them, thus increasing their sensitivities, which only unite them against us. Sometimes even on important issues, it may be a survival necessity to forego the issue, and if nuclear energy is our right, even though we have other rights too that need to be addressed, what is clear is that we cannot attain our right through empty and confrontational slogans. The Iranian nation is a great resource and should be used to solve this access can be helpful in resolving this issue.

Question 15: Do you have all your rights as a citizen of this country?

Ayatollah Montazeri: Even though my apparent situation appears to be normal, there are some security and judiciary measures against my students, followers and facilities belonging to me, especially those relating to publishing scientific and political opinions. Some of those interested in my work, some students and even relatives continue to be free on bail, even though years have passed by since their imprisonment, and their criminal files are still open. Last year, more of them were summoned, prosecuted. The media is banned from publishing my views and in some rare occasions the writings are even censored. Some media seem to have the freedom to write things that are not true and make accusations, which we cannot respond to. We are thus prevented from defending ourselves. The Shohada Center (Hosseini-e), the Isfahan office, and the Mashhad office have still not been returned to us by the security forces and the special cleric’s court. Under the circumstances I cannot say that all citizenship rights can be exercised.