A group of handpicked students participated in a show in which they visit the Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They are given the opportunity to voice their opinions and ask questions from him who is according to the Reporters Without Borders a Predator of Press Freedom and is ruling a regime with holds one of the worst records in violations of Human Rights in the world according to U.N. and Amnesty International.
The “students” apparently did not sugar-coat their criticisms of the leadership of the country and they spoke about the concerns that they, and many other people in the country, have with regards to the country’s flailing economy and the consequences of the United States pulling out of the 2015 nuclear deal.
Iran’s state media reported about the meeting that took place earlier this week. The Supreme Leader usually holds such meetings every year during Ramadan period. Normally the state-controlled media does not report on anything that shows the Supreme Leader in a negative light.
Sahar Mehrabi, a university student, spoke about the various different crises that are going on in the country at the moment. Once such crisis, she said, is the inequality in social classes that is getting worse, and the “decline in public trust”. During her speech she also mentioned the environmental situation that is on the decline and the issues with growing numbers of shantytowns.
he prejudice shown to minorities in all areas of life is unacceptable and the high unemployment rate is very discouraging, she added.
With regards to peaceful activists exercising the right to voice their concerns, Ms. Mehrabi said that the hardliners within the regime and its security and judiciary system are brutal, especially in their practice of fabricating charges against individuals.
When she had finished listing the issues and concerns that are shared by many across the country, she asked the Supreme Leader what his response is to all of this and the protests that have been held across the country in recent days, weeks and months.
Supreme Leader Khamenei hypocritically recognised that some of the issues she brought up are indeed problems that require attention, but he said that it is easier said than done to resolve them. He said that a potential solution would be to integrate more revolutionary, motivated and committed young people into governmental agencies.
The Supreme Leader also acknowledged that if society is to grow and progress, freedom of expression is a must! His Twitter account also mentioned Mehrabi’s criticisms.
Mehrabi said that she would like to see the concept of democracy deepened in Iran. Democracy is a concept that does not currently exist in Iran. The theocracy ruling the country does not allow for it!
While the nationwide protests are escalating every day and people are chanting: Death to Dictator and Death to Khamenei and want Regime Change, the above mentioned show only adds to the hatred and fury of the Iranian people.
The leadership in Iran is far from united and the different factions cannot hide the internal disputes that are causing major rifts. The only display of unity that we can see in Iran is among the people who are battling together for regime change.
