Interview with a local reformist

The reformist in question is a certain Mori Toosi, “international affairs director” of Jebhe Melli (the self-styled “Iranian National Front”), interviewed by the Illinois-based Journal Gazette & Times Courier.

Excerpt from “Local reformist: New Iranian president a puppet” by Nathaniel West
June 29, 2005

“‘It's definitely a setback (by) at least 20 years,’ he said. ‘Now we have parliament that consists of fundamentalists, the president is a fundamentalist, the supreme (religious) leader is definitely fundamentalist (and he) is elected by fundamentalist clerics.’”

I’d like to ask Toosi, “international affairs director” of Jebhe Melli, how he would describe the state of affairs prior to the appointment of Ahmadinejad as the republic’s president. Furthermore, was not Iran controlled by Islamists when the JM supported and urged others to participate in the Islamic “parliamentary” (explicitly, up to and including the sixth Majless) and presidential elections (up to and including Mullah Khatami’s second term)?

As to the author of this article, he appears to have little knowledge of the organization to which Toosi belongs, describing it here just sufficiently vague (“one of several MODERNIST political factions ousted under Khomeini”) as to render an explanation appear extraneous. Not convinced? In his previous interview with Toosi, which may still be available here, it was explained:

“[Toosi’s] group was one of the political factions that supported the ‘Red Revolution’ in 1979, which toppled the totalitarian regime of Shah Mohammad Reza. Unfortunately, the revolutionaries got more than they bargained for, as the vacuum of power was filled instead by religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini…the late Khomeini instituted a form of government that was democratic in name only. Contrary to the wishes of groups like the Iranian National Front, according to Toosi, Khomeini's Islamic Republic blended politics and religion seamlessly.”

You read correctly; “contrary” to the wishes of the National Front! The National Front had no role in Khomeini (“The Imam”)’s filling the power vacuum! Karim Sanjabi and the National Front did not join Khomeini in calling Dr. Bakhtiar’s government “illegitimate” and “illegal”! The National Front “intellectuals” joined an ultra-reactionary Shiite Mullah and accepted him as leader NOT knowing that Mullahs would or ever did “blend” politics and Islam!

And of course, the “regime” under the Shah was “totalitarian” while the “government” instituted by Jebhe Melli’s Imam was “democratic in name only;” what else!