Battle for Iran’s Soul: Iranian Election Thread

[Shrillland]

Since this went quiet, there have been two more men going for the presidency:Ali Mohtari, a former MP who's considered a Moderate

And the hardliner Saeed Mohammed, a 2nd Brigadier in the Revolutionary Guard and former head of the Khatam Al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters, basically the Revolutionary Guard Corps of Engineers

[Insaanistan]

Since this went quiet, there have been two more men going for the presidency:Ali Mohtari, a former MP who's considered a Moderate

And the hardliner Saeed Mohammed, a 2nd Brigadier in the Revolutionary Guard and former head of the Khatam Al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters, basically the Revolutionary Guard Corps of Engineers

The only Iranian Mohammed I trust is Mossadegh

(Epic Rap Battles of History reference, btw.)

[Shrillland]

Since this went quiet, there have been two more men going for the presidency:Ali Mohtari, a former MP who's considered a Moderate

And the hardliner Saeed Mohammed, a 2nd Brigadier in the Revolutionary Guard and former head of the Khatam Al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters, basically the Revolutionary Guard Corps of Engineers

The only Iranian Mohammed I trust is Mossadegh

(Epic Rap Battles of History reference, btw.)

Don't worry about updating the poll yet, let's let the Guardian Council have their say and force their politics on the public see who's worthy.

[Insaanistan]

The only Iranian Mohammed I trust is Mossadegh

(Epic Rap Battles of History reference, btw.)

Don't worry about updating the poll yet, let's let the Guardian Council have their say and force their politics on the public see who's worthy.

I wait to hear the Ayatollah’s needless meddling to keep terrible leaders in power wisdom.

[Shrillland]

Two more candidates, both Reformists and one doomed already despite that candidate's heritage.

First, we have Moshen Mehralizadeh, former Governor of Esfahan and former head of the now-defunct Physical Education Organisation. He ran for President in 2005 and came up dead last.

Next, we have Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, who served a term in the ICA and is the daughter of former President and Founding Father Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. The Guardian Council invariably rejects women for the Presidency, however, even though there have been women VPs in past Reformist Adminisrations. She's technically further disqualified for being a convicted felon having been arrested after the '09 protests.

[Insaanistan]

Two more candidates, both Reformists and one doomed already despite that candidate's heritage.

First, we have Moshen Mehralizadeh, former Governor of Esfahan and former head of the now-defunct Physical Education Organisation. He ran for President in 2005 and came up dead last.

Next, we have Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, who served a term in the ICA and is the daughter of former President and Founding Father Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. The Guardian Council invariably rejects women for the Presidency, however, even though there have been women VPs in past Reformist Adminisrations. She's technically further disqualified for being a convicted felon having been arrested after the '09 protests.

Theory:
Iran’s Guardian Council fear strong women because they remind them of Muhammad (pbuh)’s wife Āisha (May God be pleased with her), who lead an army against Āli (May God be pleased with him) at the Battle of the Camel, so they refuse to allow them to be President.

[Great Brytain and Ireland]

I can’t say I necessarily trust any of the candidates given the IR seemingly approves of each of them in some capacity. If I hypothetically had a vote or say in this, I’d support whoever gives the best chance for a Shahist restoration or Pan-Iranist government.

[Insaanistan]

High Turnout expected in June

[San Lumen]

Two more candidates, both Reformists and one doomed already despite that candidate's heritage.

First, we have Moshen Mehralizadeh, former Governor of Esfahan and former head of the now-defunct Physical Education Organisation. He ran for President in 2005 and came up dead last.

Next, we have Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, who served a term in the ICA and is the daughter of former President and Founding Father Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. The Guardian Council invariably rejects women for the Presidency, however, even though there have been women VPs in past Reformist Adminisrations. She's technically further disqualified for being a convicted felon having been arrested after the '09 protests.

Theory:
Iran’s Guardian Council fear strong women because they remind them of Muhammad (pbuh)’s wife Āisha (May God be pleased with her), who lead an army against Āli (May God be pleased with him) at the Battle of the Camel, so they refuse to allow them to be President.

I doubt a woman will be allowed on the presidential ballot anytime soon.

[Shrillland]

There's another candidate running: Mohammed Abbasi, the nation's first Sports Minister from 2011-13 is joining the fray

This makes eleven declared candidates and there's still time to join. Registration is between May 21-25, the Guardian Council's final decisions will be on May 30 at the latest.

[Insaanistan]

COVID Response to Hurt Moderates in June

Only the Nuclear Deal can save them now.

[Shrillland]

COVID Response to Hurt Moderates in June

Only the Nuclear Deal can save them now.

And it's up to 16 candidates now...we're still 30 days away from official applications and 40 days from the Guardian Council's final list.

[Austreylia]

I'd say Afshani, but what do I know? I'm not plugged into Iranian politics.

My main view is that foreign nations shouldn't meddle.

[Shrillland]

I'd say Afshani, but what do I know? I'm not plugged into Iranian politics.

My main view is that foreign nations shouldn't meddle.

Most of them won't. Though the Ayatollah might if he doesn't like the results....though that's only happened once.

[Insaanistan]

Imagine your political ideas being so sociopathic that you think that it's a total necessity to make an entire country of nearly a hundred million people suffer just to fuck with their government. You don't actually care about whether people or individuals suffer, just about whether they fit your goals. You're less pro-democracy and more just want people who live under dictatorships to suffer in order to punish them for not overthrowing governments you don't like.

It takes a bitter pill to root out a toxin. I will stop at nothing to see the CCP dismantled at all costs, including calling for crippling economic sanctions or backing controversial leaders such as Donald Trump should and if our interests coincide. What works on Iran may ultimately work on China. The CCP is beyond redemption at this point.

I'm not calling for an all-out military conflict with Iran that would be guaranteed to kill upwards of a million people and piss off everyone on both sides. I'm calling for sanctions. This is a significantly more humane strategy going forward. We should be playing the long game and starving the Ayatollahs of resources and political capital like Israel has been doing to Hamas. What the U.S. is doing to Iran and what Israel is doing to Gaza can be replicated against the PRC to good effect. Communism, fascism, and radical Islam (both Shia and Sunni) must be defeated at all costs.

There is footage of Iranian students walking around a graffiti drawing of the U.S. flag and shaming those who walk on it. Iranians want change more than ever. Protests have been growing ever larger, louder, more sustained, and more frequent with each passing year prior to the pandemic. Anger and resentment continue to build against the regime as people demand real democracy, real elections, and an end to the rule of the Ayatollahs, proving that sanctions work. The pandemic is merely a temporary setback for liberal democrats and genuine reformists in Iran. Once the pandemic has died down, it's only a matter of time before Khamenei goes.

I have personally met young Iranians in New Zealand who are nothing like the conservative, chador-wearing stereotype of submissive muslimah and violent, wife-beating, bearded men. The Iranians in question served pork and alcohol and the food was absolutely delightful. The Iranian regime does not represent them in any way, shape, or form. In Iran, these Iranians (a man and a woman) would be savagely whipped and incarcerated for their "transgressions". It's possible they could be refugees. My heart goes out to them and I hope their business succeeds. I believe my college classmates from Iran are also staunchly opposed to the Ayatollahs and yearn for freedom. I sympathize with them as much as I do with Hong Kongers who feel the whole world is closing in on them and they can't breathe.

Ali Khamenei has got to go. Make Iran Great Again.

And many of these Iranians who drink and eat pork in turn allow their hatred of the regime to turn into hatred of Islam and shaming of all Iranians who continue to practice, and make fun of them for wearing hijab or fasting in Ramadhaan.

Not all of them, of course.
I know an Iranian who drinks but doesn’t eat pork. His grandma is the most religious in his family: she doesn’t drink and eat pepperoni but no other pork (I dunno why). Meanwhile, his (devout) grandfather basically predicted the Revolution and warned protested, warning the Shah his repression of Islam would only come back to bite him.


Meanwhile, I know some Iranian Muslims who support the regime, which upsets me greatly.

The Iranian diaspora is neither a hardline IR loving mob nor a bunch of people “free from the ebil Muzzies to what they want”.
Like Iran itself, it’s diverse in its opinions.

[Hakinda Herseyi Duymak istiyorum]

Is there a secular social liberal democratic party in Iran ?

[Shrillland]

Anyway, here are the five newercomers since the last time I checked in:

Ramin Mehmanparast, who served as ambassador to Poland, Lithuania, Thailand, and Kashakstan in the past and as Spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Ministry during Ahmedinejad's Presidency

Mohammed Ardakani, a known hardliner and former Governor of Qom, Deputy Interior Minister, and Cooperatives Minister

Abbas Nabavi, a university professor from Qom Seminary who's also director of the Institute of Islamic Civilisation and Development, a think tank

Amir-Hossein Gazizadeh, Hardliner First Deputy Speaker of the ICA

Shahin Mohammed Sadeghi, former ICA member from 2012-16

[Shrillland]

Is there a secular social liberal democratic party in Iran ?

Alas, no. All we can hope for is the reformists to do well, and that's up to whether the Guardian Council will allow them on the ballot. They can be odd when it comes to screening candidates, not all of the rejections are for religious or even immediately obvious reasons. They play their own game, but the voters are usually left to make their own choices.

[Caribbean Confederation]

Is there a secular social liberal democratic party in Iran ?

Alas, no. All we can hope for is the reformists to do well, and that's up to whether the Guardian Council will allow them on the ballot. They can be odd when it comes to screening candidates, not all of the rejections are for religious or even immediately obvious reasons. They play their own game, but the voters are usually left to make their own choices.

They're objectively not going to. The last election, held last year, had only 1% of Tehran voting for the Reformists -and Tehran is their greatest voter base, in particular the population north of Vanak. Most of the people who'd normally vote reformist have said they'll boycott the elections -including people like Zibakalam-, and frankly going by trends, it's unlikely they'll do better this year. This is more than probably going to be a landslide victory for the principalists, and it might actually be relatively accurate to how people voter.

[Aspistan]

which one doesnt wanna kill gay people and also wants to build nukes?

[San Lumen]

Only one woman is running Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani a former member of parliament and daughter of former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. It’s almost certain her candidacy will be rejected by the Guardian council.

They have never allowed a woman on the ballot for president.

[The Imagination Animals]

As an ally for Iran, especially during Ahmadinejad's presidency, I would vote for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the 8th President.