Stance of Marjas on the 2009 Presidential Election in Iran

Following the 2009 presidential election in Iran, various Marjas (a religious authority for which the title Grand Ayatollah is given) have made statements concerning the controversies surrounding the election.

Table of Marjas and their published stance

This table was taken directly from the List of marjas, with some columns removed and a new one added.

The names are ordered alphabetically.

S. No.NameResidenceWebsiteStance
1Abdolkarim Mousavi Ardebili IranOfficial Websiterejects election as invalid[1]
2Ali Hosseini Khamenei IranOfficial Websiteposition changed twice; currently blesses results.
3Ali Husaini Sistani IraqOfficial Website-
4Bashir Hussain Najafi Pakistan & IraqOfficial Website-
5Asadollah Bayat Zanjani IranOfficial Websiteissued a fatwaa stating that if the president was fraudulently elected, then the blessing of the Supreme Leader at the inauguration ceremony would be insufficient for conferring legitimacy[2]
6Hossein Mazaheri IranOfficial Website-
7Hossein Noori Hamedani IranOfficial Website-
8Hossein Vahid Khorasani IranOfficial Website-
9Hossein-Ali Montazeri IranOfficial Websitesupports peaceful protests, condemns violence
10Javad Gharavi Aliari IranOfficial Website-
11Kazem Haeri IranOfficial Website-
12Mohammad Asif Mohseni AfghanistanOfficial Website-
13Mohammad Baqir al-Mohri IranOfficial Website-
14Mohammad Ebrahim Jannaati IranOfficial Website-
15Mohammad Hussain Najafi PakistanOfficial website-
16Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah LebanonOfficial Website-
17Mohammad Ishaq Al-Fayyad IraqOfficial Website-
18Mohammad Said Al-Hakim IraqOfficial Website-
19Mohammad Shahroudi IranOfficial Website-
20Mohammad Taqi Modaressi IraqOfficial Website-
21Moslem Malakouti IranOfficial Website-
22Mousa Shubairi Zanjani IranBiography-
23Nasir Makarem Shirazi IranOfficial Website- Calls on Guardian Council to examine the votes "carefully and impartially", warns against national divisions[3][4]
24Qorban Ali Kaboli AfghanistanOfficial Website-
25Sadeq Rohani IranOfficial Website-
26Sadiq Hussaini Shirazi IranOfficial Website --
27Safi Golpaygani IranOfficial Websiteconcerned for election integrity
Guardian council should be above politics, exercise its role as a neutral arbiter and not lean toward one party at the expense of the other [5]
28Yousef Sanei IranOfficial Website -declared it haraam (impermissible by religious law) to work for the administration of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Changes in position

Ali Hosseini Khamenei initially confirmed the election, but later ordered a probe.[6]

Official statements

Several Marjas have made official statements about the controversies surrounding the 2009 Iranian presidential election. In addition to the statements made by the Marjas

Grand Ayatullah Husayn Hossein Ali Montazeri

(Translated,[7] from his official website)

In the name of God

People of Iran

These last days, we have witnessed the lively efforts of you brothers and sisters, old and young alike, from any social category, for the 10th presidential elections.

Our youth, hoping to see their rightful will fulfilled, came on the scene and waited patiently. This was the greatest occasion for the government’s officials to bond with their people.

But unfortunately, they used it in the worst way possible. Declaring results that no one in their right mind can believe, and despite all the evidence of crafted results, and to counter people protestations, in front of the eyes of the same nation who carried the weight of a revolution and 8 years of war, in front of the eyes of local and foreign reporters, attacked the children of the people with astonishing violence. And now they are attempting a purge, arresting intellectuals, political opponents and Scientifics.

Now, based on my religious duties, I will remind you:

1- A legitimate state must respect all points of view. It may not oppress all critical views. I fear that this leads to the loss of people’s faith in Islam.

2- Given the current circumstances, I expect the government to take all measures to restore people’s confidence. Otherwise, as I have already said, a government not respecting people’s vote has no religious or political legitimacy.

3- I invite everyone, specially the youth, to continue reclaiming their dues in calm, and not let those who want to associate this movement with chaos succeed.

4- I ask the police and army personals not to “sell their religion”, and beware that receiving orders will not excuse them before god. Recognize the protesting youth as your children. Today censor and cutting telecommunication lines can not hide the truth.

I pray for the greatness of the Iranian people.

Statements from other Ayatollahs

While not Marjas themselves, several influential Ayatollahs have made statements regarding the 2009 Iranian elections.

Grand Ayatollah Yousef Sanei and Grand Ayatollah Asadollah Bayat Zanjani wrote letters to the Iranian news web site Emrooz in support of the protestors, with Ayatollah Zanjani referring to the election as a “gross injustice,”[8][9]

References

  1. RTE News: "Mousavi refuses to concede Iran election 2009 June 17.
  2. ="http://yoldash.ir/post-1651.aspx">Yoldash Archived 2009-07-25 at the Wayback Machine News Agency, 2009 July 22.
  3. ="http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=196903">Tehran Times: "No Winner in Divisions: Makarem Shirazi," 2009 June 17.
  4. ="http://www.makaremshirazi.org/persian/news/?nid=578">Nasir Makarem Shirazi, Official Letter (in Persian)," 16 June 2009.
  5. Iran: Qom's Senior Clerics Pushing for Compromise, Asharq al-Awsat, 2009-06-24
  6. Erdbrink, Thomas (16 June 2009). "Hundreds of Thousands March in Tehran to Protest Iranian Election". The Washington Post.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-06-25. Retrieved 2009-06-16.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. MacFarquhar, Neil. "Clerics May Be Key to Outcome of Unrest".
  9. Branigin, Thomas Erdbrink and William (30 June 2009). "Iran's Guardian Council Affirms Vote Result". The Washington Post.
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