Iran Live News | Iranian student dares to criticise Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to his face

Iran Live News | Iranian student dares to criticise Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to his face

BBC Persian TV report

He may be the bravest student in Iran or an unwitting stooge of the Islamic regime or both. Either way, Mahmoud Vahidnia has gained instant fame after breaking a taboo by criticising the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to his face.

The 25-year-old maths student has been lauded by opposition websites after reportedly telling Khamenei that he had been turned into a "grand idol" who was above criticism. But in a twist demonstrating the inscrutable nature of Iranian politics, the incident has been used by Khamenei's supporters to show how he embraces criticism. Vahidnia has remained unmolested since his 10-minute critique, which condemned the recent brutal post-election crackdown and denounced the state broadcaster, IRIB, for biased coverage. But his most remarkable comments were reserved for Khamenei himself.

"I don't know why in this country it's not allowed to make any kind of criticism of you," he told Iran's most powerful cleric, who has the final say in all state matters. "In the past three to five years that I have been reading newspapers, I have seen no criticism of you, not even by the assembly of experts [a clerical body with the theoretical power to sack the leader]. I feel that if this doesn't happen this situation will lead to discord and grudge."

Vahidnia, who achieved nationwide recognition two years ago by winning Iran's annual mathematics Olympiad, made his remarks at a meeting between Khamenei and the country's scientific elite. They came after the supreme leader asked at the end of a question-and-answer session if anyone else wanted to speak. He chose Vahidnia after seeing him being pushed down by officials when he stood to ask a question.

Referring to the post-election crackdown sanctioned by Khamenei, he asked: "Wouldn't our system have a better chance of preserving itself if we were using more satisfactory methods and limited the use of violence only to essential circumstances?"

Although state TV cameras were present, the criticisms only came to light when they were highlighted on Khamenei's own website and by Alef, a fundamentalist site. Both carried accounts showing Khamenei responding calmly.

"Don't think that I'll be unhappy to hear such statements. No, I would be unhappy if such statements are not made," he said. "About lack of criticism of the leader, you go and tell them to criticise. We have not said that no one should criticise us I welcome criticism. There is criticism and there is a lot of it. And I receive it and I understand the criticism."

The exchange has been seized on by pro-regime media as a demonstration of the leader's tolerance. The hardline Keyhan newspaper, whose editor-in-chief is appointed by Khamenei, reported it under a headline reading, The Revolutionary Leader's Fatherly Response to Critical Youth.

Some opposition websites suggested that Vahidnia had been arrested by intelligence agents while other reports asked whether he had been a plant set up by regime officials. Vahidnia scotched both suggestions in an interview with Alef, in which he asked "society and elites not to spread rumours"

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Iran Live News
• Tehran Iran demonstration
• student movement
• 13 Aban Tehran
• Ahmadinejad
• Iran security forces
• Tehran protest
• Iran protest
• 4 November 2009
• green movement
• Iran uprising
• Ali Khameneyee

[MrSammy1776]

Warning: Israel about to attack Iran- US gives green light today!

search for infowars story

[AmericanOppression]

@jxxn442 Khameini is a great man who understands that with American fascists running around the planet like a bunch of black African monkeys, we are all doomed unless someone stood-up and luckily Iran is on the right side of this anti fascist-American fight...

[AmericanOppression]

@TheGreenfrog140 I second that because we need to consider what would happen if Iran wasn't there to combat American Fascism and their evil....

[TheGreenfrog140]

Only constructive criticism is tolerated and has been welcomed. but destructive evil slanders cannot be tolerated and is unacceptable.. 

[Quiltinguk]

@jxxn442

Hello,

Thank you for your reply I will send you information on the sources in a separate mail directly to you. I only commented on the lifestyle of the person pertaining to this clip. If I was looking at a clip about about China I would have commented on Hu Jintao. If I was looking at a clip about the USA I would have commented to Obama.

[Quiltinguk]

he lives lavishly in several of the Shah's former palaces. An avid horseman, Khamenei also owns a multi-million dollar horse farm, with his prize horses flown to various locations whenever desired. His estimated personal wealth is over $30 billion, with an estimated additional $6 billion held by his family.

[Quiltinguk]

Billions of dollars in cash have been deposited into personal international accounts of Iran's leading religious leaders. And that does not include billions more held in resources such as real estate, oil, state trading companies, etc. Apparently the title "Ayatollah" gives one a license to steal. Supreme Leader Ayatolloah Ali Khamenei has several foreign accounts -- with $100 million alone in a Geneva bank -- representing just the tip of the iceberg.

[Quiltinguk]

Last August, employees of an Iranian bank, apparently disturbed by the wealth many of their religious leaders have acquired and transferred to international banks, went public with information about their accounts. Iran's mullahs, while stripping the people of their human rights and dignity in the name of Allah, use their positions of power to strip the country of its wealth.

[Quiltinguk]

Coupled with details released recently by Iranian filmmaker and opposition spokesman Mohsen Makhmalbaf about the lavish lifestyle of the country's Supreme Leader, we see piety is a characteristic in short supply among its "rich and famous" clerics.

[CharliSaun]

@tomyy0101 HaHA. iN iRAN.. yOU may have just been killed.:0