The Iranian presidency has proven to be an ultimately powerless position, and I wouldn’t read too much into it anyway, but I thought this tweet in the name of Iran’s new president was interesting:
As the sun is about to set here in #Tehran I wish all Jews, especially Iranian Jews, a blessed Rosh Hashanah. pic.twitter.com/tmaf84x7UR
— Hassan Rouhani (@HassanRouhani) September 4, 2013
At least he didn’t say “all anti-Zionist Jews.”
And there was something almost wistful about this tweet:
Our goal is to bring back a smile to your faces; my main responsibility is to protect this #love, #trust and #hope. pic.twitter.com/CTYqVPVc6y
— Hassan Rouhani (@HassanRouhani) September 2, 2013
Of course to bring smiles back to the faces of Iranians, Rouhani would have to:
1. Understand that the regime he serves is responsible for the current lack of smiles; and
2. Be willing to rally the Iranian people to challenge the real powers of that regime– the Supreme Leader, the mullahs, the Revolutionary Guard– head on.
So far no Iranian president has done this. But it’s noteworthy that former president Rafsanjani has broken ranks with the regime’s line that the Syrian government had nothing to do with the August 21 chemical attacks:
Over the past two years, the Syrian people have suffered greatly. Over 100,000 people have been killed, and there are eight million refugees, within and outside Syria. The prisons are crammed full and there is no more room, so they have seized a few stadiums to fill them up too.
The Syrian people are experiencing harsh conditions. On the one hand, they are bombed with chemicals by their own government, and on the other hand, they can expect American bombs.
Strangely I can find nothing about Rafsanjani’s claim at the regime’s Press TV website.
