A Daily Briefing on Iran: Sycophants and Religious Instructions

Maryam Kashani, Rooz Online:

As ayatollah Makarem Shirazi, a senior cleric was giving a talk to his students about sycophants and their characteristics, there were others who were writing about how president Ahmadinejad’s political genius had astounded everyone on a website connected to the president.

Makarem Shirazi went on explaining how sycophants and flatterers turned things around and presented failures as victories, in their efforts to prevent the public from learning the truth. The writer on the website began writing about the president’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia and how King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia refrained from distancing himself from Ahmadinejad because of the strength he brought on to the king! The writer continued his story in which he narrated an incident in which Ahmadinejad arrived late to board a bus to Masjid al-Haram. Finding not vacant seats on board, the Saudi King who himself had occupied two seats, move himself to one and offered the vacant seat to the president. “The king was holding the seat for the president,” wrote the writer of the blog, adding that the king needs Ahmadinejad because, “it reduces the pressures of the West on me [the king],” according to writings of the website, as narrated by the president himself. The writer wrote in another paragraph how the king desired that Ahmadinejad walk next to him throughout the ceremony. READ MORE

When Shirazi’s words and lecture ended, another event took up the subject. This time, the new Minister of Science, Doctor Zahedi, told a group of Baseej militia volunteers of the president’s trip to Saudi Arabia. “We really have to be proud that God is behind us,” he said. He then narrated how during the opening ceremony of the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, it so happened that the Saudi King inadvertedly got up at the same time as him [the minister] and they both thus happened to walk out together, giving the impression as if the opening ceremony were conducted by both of them. This he attributed to God. He then quoted president Ahmadinejad who had said, “We really felt that some other force and power was guiding us at that moment.” The minister then recounted a story in which the Saudi King insisted on sitting next to Ahmadinejad and talking with him before the official dinner. Soon, every other official in the hall wanted to talk to us for 10 minutes. “And their message was that we had saved the honor of Muslims,” said the minister quoting Ahmadinejad. The minister then narrated how when Ahmadinejad got up to give a speech, every guest shouted “down with the US and salute to you.”

One wonders how the king of Saudi Arabia will react once he hears Ahmadinejad's story in eloquent Arabic and how much of the story will be confirmed. But even if he entirely rejects it, Iran's masses are still astounded by his political genius and praise his bravery. Some senior officials have even called him an important factor to bring the Arab world from its 60- year old isolation.

Zahedi has stressed that such blessings will prepare the grounds for the glorification of the 12th hidden Imam. Needless to say that Ahmadinejad is a hardworking and well-read president. In fact his supporters call him Tsunami and his public and international speeches are results of hours of study and contemplation through which millions of Iranians are blessed by his performance.

Yes, such is the standing of president Ahmadinejad in Iran, as viewed by those around him.