June 20-2014
Former President Ali-Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani says that simple reason decrees that political figures in the Islamic Republic should try to avoid political strife.
Addressing a meeting of university students and political activists Saturday, Rafsanjani said, “Morality and ethics necessitate moderation in both word and action.”
His theme echoed that of President Rohani who has often spoken of the need for moderation. It also reflects the conduct of President Khatami during his eight years in office—a time when many Reformists complained that Khatami was too moderate and didn’t do battle with those who tripped up his policies one after another.
Rafsanjani defended a role for woman in public policy-making. He pointed to the high enrollment of female students in universities as an indication that women sought knowledge and that their votes matter.
“Women cannot be confined to the home through a reactionary interpretation of the law, since they have before them the example provided by Lady Fatima al-Zahra,” Rafsanjani said, speaking of the daughter of the Prophet Mohammad.
Rafsanjani criticized what he called the systematic spread of anger among political groups and argued that aggressive behavior is the characteristic of a mob “that would not tolerate any politics other than its own language of threat and hatred.”
