Battle for Iran’s Soul: Iranian Election Thread

[Nakena]

You’re the first Iranian I’ve EVER heard of who actually doesn’t like Mossadegh. The pro-shah, pro-Ayatollah and anti-both ones all agree they wish he was back from my experience.
“Strict as he should have been”
I highly suspect there’s a reason why his policies towards religious Muslims are partially why the “Islamic” element was so successful.

I’ve met nominal Muslims, religious Muslims and atheists from Iran who all agree the Shah really suppressed Islam and persecuted religious people.

Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was quite tolerant and nice with the Mollahs. For example he exiled Khomeini to Iran and even declined an offer of Saddam Hussein to have him killed.

Unlike his father and dynastic founder Reza Shah who personally beat the shit out of some mullahs when they disrespected his wife.

Mossadegh is highly overrated, his cred comes mostly from certain "antiimperialist" narratives and what not. Also he was contrary to popular misconception not a socialist or communist or a progressive etc but a member of the rather centrist, liberal "National Front".

[Exalted Inquellian State]

You’re the first Iranian I’ve EVER heard of who actually doesn’t like Mossadegh. The pro-shah, pro-Ayatollah and anti-both ones all agree they wish he was back from my experience.
“Strict as he should have been”
I highly suspect there’s a reason why his policies towards religious Muslims are partially why the “Islamic” element was so successful.

I’ve met nominal Muslims, religious Muslims and atheists from Iran who all agree the Shah really suppressed Islam and persecuted religious people.

Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was quite tolerant and nice with the Mollahs. For example he exiled Khomeini to Iran and even declined an offer of Saddam Hussein to have him killed.

Unlike his father and dynastic founder Reza Shah who personally beat the shit out of some mullahs when they disrespected his wife.

Mossadegh is highly overrated, his cred comes mostly from certain "antiimperialist" narratives and what not. Also he was contrary to popular misconception not a socialist or communist or a progressive etc but a member of the rather centrist, liberal "National Front".

Also, from what I heard, Iran leased those oil fields he nationalized in a treaty.

[Exalted Inquellian State]

I am not familiar with Iran, so sorry if I get things wrong. How is Ahmadinejad eligible? He was president for two terms.

Regardless, I don't think this will be important. All candidates are approved and results counted by a council appointed by the Supreme Leader as far as I know, so the reformists will either loose, or be bound to the Supreme Leader anyway.

Regardless, I am leaning to Kavakebian, though Afshani doesn't seem too bad. While I have heard conflicting death figures for Iran's monarchy, is there a monarchist party anywhere, for either the Pahlavi's or Qajar's?

Iran does not have lifetime term limits for president.

I thought it said renewable once.

[San Lumen]

Iran does not have lifetime term limits for president.

I thought it said renewable once.

Yes but that doesn't mean a former president cannot run again. They can only to two consecutive terms but can run again after a break.

[Shrillland]

With just 17 days left before official registration begins and 26 before the Guardian Council sets the lists, there are four more candidates since my last update.

Masoud Pezeshkian, an Azerbaijani Reformist member of the ICA from East Azerbaijan(Iran, obviously) who served as Health Minister under Khatami in the 90s

Brig. Mohammas-Hassan Nami, a former Deputy Chairman of the Iranian Joint Chiefs and short-time Information and Communications Minister and Deputy Defence Minister in Ahmadinejad's second term

Mostafa Tajzadeh, another Khatami-era Reformist figure who leads in the Islamic Iran PArticipation Front and the Mojhadeen of the Islamic Republic of Iran Organisation

Brig. Rostam Ghasemi(Ret.), a former Revolutionary Guard officer and head of the Khatam-al Anbiya Construction Company(Revolutionary Guard Engineer Corps) who also served as Petroleum Minister under Ahmadinejad

[Exalted Inquellian State]

With just 17 days left before official registration begins and 26 before the Guardian Council sets the lists, there are four more candidates since my last update.

Masoud Pezeshkian, an Azerbaijani Reformist member of the ICA from East Azerbaijan(Iran, obviously) who served as Health Minister under Khatami in the 90s

Brig. Mohammas-Hassan Nami, a former Deputy Chairman of the Iranian Joint Chiefs and short-time Information and Communications Minister and Deputy Defence Minister in Ahmadinejad's second term

Mostafa Tajzadeh, another Khatami-era Reformist figure who leads in the Islamic Iran PArticipation Front and the Mojhadeen of the Islamic Republic of Iran Organisation

Brig. Rostam Ghasemi(Ret.), a former Revolutionary Guard officer and head of the Khatam-al Anbiya Construction Company(Revolutionary Guard Engineer Corps) who also served as Petroleum Minister under Ahmadinejad

I like none of these to change my choice in the poll, though the first one is the one I dislike least.

[Shrillland]

Another four candidates bringing the total up to 24 with just nine days before official registration and 19 before the Guardian Council's final list.

Gen. Moshen Rezaee(Ret.), first Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Guard, founding father of the Islamic Republic, Hardliner, and current Secretary(since '97) of the Expediency Discernment Council(primarily an advisory body that's meant to resolve differences between the ICA and the Guardian Council)

Alireza Afshar, former Deputy Interior Minister, Revolutionary Guard and Basij Commander

Mohammad Shariatmadari, Reformist and current Minister of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare

Mahmoud Sadeqi, former ICA member for Tehran(DQed by Guardian Council for 2020 elections)

[Exalted Inquellian State]

When does the final list actually get filed?

[Shrillland]

When does the final list actually get filed?

May 30 is when the Guardian Council finishes its vettings and publishes the final list.

[Exalted Inquellian State]

When does the final list actually get filed?

May 30 is when the Guardian Council finishes its vettings and publishes the final list.

That's literally 18 days before the election. You can't have debates and make an opinion in that amount of time. Then again, what did I expect.

[Shrillland]

May 30 is when the Guardian Council finishes its vettings and publishes the final list.

That's literally 18 days before the election. You can't have debates and make an opinion in that amount of time. Then again, what did I expect.

You can't have debates, no. Most people do make their opinion's before the list is published and adapt them accordingly...that is, if they decide to vote at all. Turnout's expected to be fairly low.

[San Lumen]

I guess Ahmadinejad isn;'t going to run and if he does I doubt the Guardian Council would approve his candidacy. Im sure they will reject the only woman running as well.

[Shrillland]

I guess Ahmadinejad isn;'t going to run and if he does I doubt the Guardian Council would approve his candidacy. Im sure they will reject the only woman running as well.

Tvertimod(that means "on the contrary" in Norwegian, and it's my favourite way of saying it), Lumen, he is running.

The registration process has begun with three officially registered candidates, all we can do now is wait for the official list.

[San Lumen]

I guess Ahmadinejad isn;'t going to run and if he does I doubt the Guardian Council would approve his candidacy. Im sure they will reject the only woman running as well.

Tvertimod(that means "on the contrary" in Norwegian, and it's my favourite way of saying it), Lumen, he is running.

The registration process has begun with three officially registered candidates, all we can do now is wait for the official list.

I doubt the Guardian Council approves his candidacy. They rejected it last time.

[Insaanistan]

The Iranian revolution taught us that we should not partner with political Islamists. I hope there will be a social democratic revolution in peace. After the revolution, I want to eat pork and drink beer in central Tehran.

(Image)

Okay, while I definitely think women should have the right to choose, why is it that the so many people who say Iran was better off before the Ayatollahs can only think of “women wore skirts” as a reason?

[Shrillland]

The Iranian revolution taught us that we should not partner with political Islamists. I hope there will be a social democratic revolution in peace. After the revolution, I want to eat pork and drink beer in central Tehran.

(Image)

Okay, while I definitely think women should have the right to choose, why is it that the so many people who say Iran was better off before the Ayatollahs can only think of “women wore skirts” as a reason?

To them, secularism was the main thing about Iran being better, conveniently disregarding just how awful the Shah actually was in regard to human and civil rights.

[The Imagination Animals]

To them, secularism was the main thing about Iran being better, conveniently disregarding just how awful the Shah actually was in regard to human and civil rights.

Ah, yes. That's something I agree with as well.

Let's not forget SAVAK and their horrible human rights abuses as well.

Just saying.

[The Restored Danelaw]

The Iranian revolution taught us that we should not partner with political Islamists. I hope there will be a social democratic revolution in peace. After the revolution, I want to eat pork and drink beer in central Tehran.

(Image)

Okay, while I definitely think women should have the right to choose, why is it that the so many people who say Iran was better off before the Ayatollahs can only think of “women wore skirts” as a reason?

It's less about "wore skirts" and more about "might get acid thrown at their face by state authorities if they don't wear literal trashbags now; will get arrested and potentially beaten by state authorities if they don't wear literal trashbags now; need their husband/father's permission to do virtually anything, going from getting a job or buying a house to traveling abroad; marital rape isn't just allowed, it's a legal right of the husband; they're so segregated they have to sit in the back of the bus"

[Shrillland]

Well, registration's ending, the Guardian Council will soon have their say. Altogether, 46 candidates formally registered, and a clear favourite is starting to appear among the populace and the 3 candidates that have pulled out: They and a large number of voters seem to be backing Ebrahim Raisi, current Chief Justice of Iran and a hardline principalist

[Kowani]

Iran names the seven candidates approved for June 18 presidential election

Iran named seven candidates Tuesday for its June 18 presidential election, approving the candidacy of the hard-line cleric running the country’s judiciary while barring a former parliament speaker allied to the country’s current president.

The decision by Iran’s Guardian Council puts judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi, who ran against President Hassan Rouhani in 2017, in a dominant position for the upcoming vote. He’s the most-known candidate of the seven hopefuls, with opinion polling previously showing his anti-corruption campaign drew Iranian support.

The announcement on state television didn’t discuss the fact that former parliament speaker Ali Larijani, a conservative who allied with Rouhani in recent years, had been barred. Larijani had been positioning himself as a pragmatic candidate who would back Rouhani’s signature 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. That accord is now in tatters as diplomats in Vienna try to negotiate a return of both Iran and the U.S. to the agreement.

Also barred was former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Rouhani’s senior Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, a reformist. Ahmadinejad ignored a warning from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 2017 and registered, only to be rejected then as well by the Guardian Council. [...]State TV earlier quoted Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, the spokesman of the Guardian Council, as saying “only seven” had been approved out of some 590 who registered by the panel of clerics and jurists overseen by Khamenei.

[The Restored Danelaw]

Iran names the seven candidates approved for June 18 presidential election

Iran named seven candidates Tuesday for its June 18 presidential election, approving the candidacy of the hard-line cleric running the country’s judiciary while barring a former parliament speaker allied to the country’s current president.

The decision by Iran’s Guardian Council puts judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi, who ran against President Hassan Rouhani in 2017, in a dominant position for the upcoming vote. He’s the most-known candidate of the seven hopefuls, with opinion polling previously showing his anti-corruption campaign drew Iranian support.

The announcement on state television didn’t discuss the fact that former parliament speaker Ali Larijani, a conservative who allied with Rouhani in recent years, had been barred. Larijani had been positioning himself as a pragmatic candidate who would back Rouhani’s signature 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. That accord is now in tatters as diplomats in Vienna try to negotiate a return of both Iran and the U.S. to the agreement.

Also barred was former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Rouhani’s senior Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, a reformist. Ahmadinejad ignored a warning from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 2017 and registered, only to be rejected then as well by the Guardian Council. [...]State TV earlier quoted Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, the spokesman of the Guardian Council, as saying “only seven” had been approved out of some 590 who registered by the panel of clerics and jurists overseen by Khamenei.

You know I expected Ahmadinejad and Larijani, but the fact neither Jahangiri or Tajzade were approved is just extremely hilarious to me. Not because the clear winner now is Ra'isi (who the Westerners are apparently more worried about the appointment of than we Iranians) but because now I can tell every Reformist who kept telling me that voting was my civil right and by not exercising it I was 'just playing into 'their' hand" (this was the most polite version) that they can go vote as much as they want to and if they don't they are playing into 'their' hand now. Also had a sensible chuckle at Reza'i being approved again.

[NationStates Puppet]

I don't want to be rude to you, but the Shah was a dictator. He implemented secret police and did some horrible things to his own people.

Just saying.

Islamic soldiers do the same, imagine free Iran with a parliamentary system for a real order.

The lion is a symbol of Shia Islam, though.

[The Restored Danelaw]

Islamic soldiers do the same, imagine free Iran with a parliamentary system for a real order.

The lion is a symbol of Shia Islam, though.

It is a bigger symbol of Iranian nationalism (which, to my shame, is also somewhat tied in with the concept of Shia-hood) than it is a symbol of Islam. Especially since modern Shia Islam explicitly tries to deiranize its own mythos.

[NationStates Puppet]

The lion is a symbol of Shia Islam, though.

It is a bigger symbol of Iranian nationalism (which, to my shame, is also somewhat tied in with the concept of Shia-hood) than it is a symbol of Islam. Especially since modern Shia Islam explicitly tries to deiranize its own mythos.

'To your shame'?

[The Restored Danelaw]

It is a bigger symbol of Iranian nationalism (which, to my shame, is also somewhat tied in with the concept of Shia-hood) than it is a symbol of Islam. Especially since modern Shia Islam explicitly tries to deiranize its own mythos.

'To your shame'?

To most modern Iranian nationalists' shame actually, but yeah.