Rouhani seeks clergy’s support in Qom
Timing of visit seen as an effort to gain backing ahead of a nuclear agreement
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, as decision time looms for a nuclear deal with world powers, sought yesterday to win the support of the religious community at the “backbone” of the Islamic republic.
“For the government and the people of Iran, Qom is not a city, but the symbol of religious life,” Rouhani, who faces criticism on the home front, said in a speech in the Shiite holy city of Qom.
At the heart of the Shiite faith in Iran, Qom’s seminary hosts about 80,000 religious students, some from abroad.
“I want to make clear that the government needs Qom” with its clergy forming the “backbone” of Iran, he said, stressing the seminary’s independence would “never be compromised under the banner of a policy, a party or faction.”
Rouhani, himself a middleranking clergy, is often criticised by ultraconservatives over his cultural and political openness, as well as being accused of making too many concessions in nuclear talks with world powers.
Final stage
The timing of his Qom visit, as nuclear negotiations enter the final stage, “can be seen as an effort to gain the support of religious leaders for a possible agreement”, reformist daily Shargh said.
It said Rouhani, a reputed moderate, “knows that having the consent of religious leaders from Qom can help him push forward his policies and keep his election promises”.
The outcome of a potential nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers over Tehran’s nuclear issue should be the removal of “oppressive and illegal sanctions” against the country, Rouhani said.
“The other party in [ongoing] negotiations should know that the talks should end and the negotiations should result in the removal of all the oppressive and illegal sanctions against the country,” the Xinhua News Agency quoted Rouhani as telling a crowd in the religious city of Qom, south of capital Tehran.
“Sanctions go counter to human rights,” therefore, those who have imposed sanctions against Iran are more “isolated” today, he said.
Iran would never accept any “imposition and maintenance of sanctions” in the negotiation with the P5+1 group, namely Britain, China, France, Russia, the US plus Germany, Rouhani said.
“We will continue the talks based on reasoning and logic,” he said.
“The negotiating party should better know that Iran will never slacken over continuing its scientific progress.”
Hindering progress
Rouhani’s words were an allusion to his earlier remarks that the West aimed to hinder the scientific progress of Iran’s nuclear programme.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Tuesday that a deal between Tehran and world powers on Iran’s controversial nuclear programmewas “at hand”, ahead of a new round of talks scheduled in Geneva next week.
They have a March 31 deadline looms reaching a political framework for a deal.
The so-called P5+1 group of Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany are trying to strike an accord that would prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb.
In return, the West would ease punishing sanctions imposed on Tehran over its nuclear programme, which Iran insists is purely civilian.
Rouhani, himself a middle-ranking clergyman, is often criticised by ultraconservatives over his cultural and political openness, as well as being accused of making too many concessions in nuclear talks with world powers.