While some Iranian officials have occasionally called for dialogue between the government and demonstrators, many observers inside and outside Iran believe such dialogue is highly unlikely.
On Saturday night, Iranian state television placed “reform” journalist Mohammad Guchani in front of ultra-conservative cleric Qassem Ravanbakhsh to confront millions of angry Iranians. Impossible situations were made very clear when we had a dialogue about the situation. A heavily armed hardline government.
Monday’s reformist daily Etemad wrote in the show’s commentary Ravanbakhsh has apparently “cursed those who refuse to accept the violent actions of the ruling clergy!” concluded.
Ultra-conservative cleric Qasem Labanbakhsh
In an attempt to persuade a cleric to sympathize with young Iranian protesters, Ghoochani asked Ravanbakhsh if he was grieving the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who was killed in police custody in mid-September. The ultra-conservative clergyman, who happens to have four daughters, said, “No. I don’t feel any grief. Many girls die every day, and Masa was one of them.” ’ he replied. Etemad denounced Ravanbakhsh’s annoying rhetoric as “behavior contrary to religious principles”.
Laban Bakhsh, editor of Qom’s hardline weekly Pult, which has been leveling all sorts of accusations against Iran’s reform-minded politicians and activists for two decades, said this calmly, staring deeply into the television cameras. ‘s attitude at least went against the idea of bringing key members of Iran’s rival political factions closer together.
Reform journalist Mohammad Guchani
Ghoochani, who has been editor of several reformist newspapers and magazines for the past two decades, said Iran’s reformist political parties acted like a safety valve to release explosive pressures in society. but I was at a loss for words in front of this man. Iranian hardliners have banned nearly all publications published by Ghoochani. He is now a member of the Politburo for a centrist cadre of the Construction Party and editor of the reformist-leaning magazine Agahieno.
In another sign that Tehran is unprepared to interact with relatively unbiased activists, a debate last week between a reform-minded sociologist and another ultra-conservative figure saw the former kicked out of the studio. It was sometimes turned into a soliloquy by the latter. Shortly after he walked off camera at the beginning of the debate.
Many, including Etemad commentators, believe it is too late to start a dialogue with angry protesters on the streets, and that dialogue will begin long before Iranian society becomes extremely polarized. should have
MP Mohammad Hassan Asafa
Some Iranian politicians, including MP Mohammad Hassan Asafa, They have already “received” the protesters However, given the lack of convincing evidence and the deep distrust between the public and government officials, it is doubtful whether they really held such meetings.
On the other hand, as Etemad’s article points out, some Iranian officials who talk about the need for dialogue with protesters have made funny comments, such as “Those who participated in the dialogue should not be influenced by foreign media.” This is apparently based on the assumption that “even protests by workers demanding unpaid wages are planned by foreigners”.
