Tehran’s Friday Prayers: Praising Basij, slamming Washington

In this week’s Friday prayers across Iran, praising Basij, Iran’s paramilitary mobilized forces, and criticism of US’ policies were the main subjects. On the occasion of Basij Week, starting from Saturday, November 26, 2016, sermonizers across the country praised the role of volunteer-based organization whose fields of activities span across not only military, but economic, cultural and educational fields, and called for appreciation of the organization’s role. Friday prayers’ leaders also slammed Washington for its non-delivery of promises made in the nuclear agreement, the JCPOA.

In Tehran, Hojjatoleslam Kazem Seddighi led this week’s prayers. Seddighi called the recent presidential elections in the United States’ “a manifestation of God’s wrath”, pointing to back-to-back accusations Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump laid out against each other. In Abadan, southwestern Iran, Friday prayers’ leader Ali Ebrahimipour also criticized pretension of democratic rule in some countries, pointing to claims of vote-rigging in three states during the recent US presidential election. “This is liberal democracy” he reminded his congregation.

In Tehran, Kazem Seddighi slammed Washington for not fulfilling the promises it made during the nuclear talks, pointing to a recent plan in the Congress to extend existing sanctions against Iran for another ten years. “This is against the JCPOA” he said. In Khorramabad, western Iran, Ali Miremadi criticized those “enchanted” by the United States, saying that the only salvation path for Iran is following “a Basiji mentality”. Meanwhile in Hamadan, also in western Iran, Seyyed Hashem Mousavi, this week’s ‘Friday imam’ asked for the government to take the United States to task for its frequent violation of the JCPOA. Mousavi reminded that Washington has never stopped its efforts to undermine the Islamic Republic during the past 38 years. In Abadan, Friday prayers’ leader Ali Ebrahimipour expressed sorrow over the ‘heavy loss’ incurred upon Iran with the nuclear agreement. “Unfortunately, some elite refuse to accept this [reality]” he complained.