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Rafsanjani criticises "extremism and division" in Iran

January 3, 2015 at 2:25 pm

The chairman of Iran’s Expediency Council, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, has criticised “extremism and division” in the country, the official IRNA news agency reported on Friday. “Lying, oppression and detention without evidence are all reasons for division in Iran,” he said.

Speaking at a celebratory event, ex-president Rafsanjani reminded the audience about the state of unity during the Iranian revolution. He pointed out that Sunnis, Shia and Christians were all together during the Iraq-Iran war. “The climate of unity which we had 30 years ago has been lost,” he said.

According to Rafsanjani, the official Iranian TV and radio stations broadcast “false news”. He insisted that if the correct teachings of Prophet Muhammad were adopted, no division or difference would have appeared.

Controversy over issues related to freedom of speech and expression, and free association, has risen following the house arrest of Mir Hassan Mosawi, who has been held without trial since 2009. Iranian conservatives accuse the opposition figure of causing division and working to carry out a coup. The opposition deny these accusations which, they claim, are meant to divert attention from corruption in the country.