According to the state-run ISNA on Saturday, Ahmad Khatami, member of the mullahs’ Assembly of Experts, has reacted to the speech by saying: Mr. Rafsanjani was supposed to give a calm sermon. … However, he addressed inflammatory issues during the sermon such as criticizing the Guardian Council in these circumstances, questioning the honest approach of the [state-run] TV and radio during the election and not at other times, and requesting the complete release of those involved in riots and unrest. And he himself could feel during the sermon what kind of reaction some people, who incidentally came to the Friday prayers for the first time, would have had after such remarks.
He added: As someone who is watching the scene and hearing remarks and rumors during the election and after the Supreme Leader’s strong backing of Mr. Rafsanjani, I expected that after such praises he would at least thank the Supreme Leader in the media. But he did not do so in the media or in a written note and while it was expected that he would at least [react to Khamenei’s praises] by thanking him in the sermon, unfortunately this never happened either.
According to the state-run ILNA news agency on Saturday, Morteza Tamaddon, the regime’s governor of Tehran, also reacted by saying: Mr. Rafsanjani’s request [regarding release of prisoners] violates the law.”
He added: “When we say Mir Hossein Moussavi is at fault, it is not because he has directly committed some offense, but because he paved the way for the offenses to take place. This is because some exploited such a situation and created riots. And we have announced that people who pave the way for committing offenses and riots must be held accountable."
The state-run Fars news agency reported on Saturday that Hossein Farhangi, a member of the regime’s Majlis (Parliament) reacted to Rafsanjani's statement that "the country is faced with a crisis" by saying that, “Once when Imam [Khomeini] was alive, some of the political figures talked about such an issue and said that the country is faced with a crisis. But the Imam responded to this by saying that you yourselves have reached an impasse, not the country. In the current circumstances also there are people who have faced a crisis themselves. There is no such crisis for the country, however.”
Another member of the regime’s Majlis, Bijan Nobaveh, has said, “Conveying the notion that the country has faced a crisis is a personal interpretation of Rafsanjani. The Islamic Iran is currently enjoying sufficient stability. Regrettably, some propagate the notion of a crisis in the country so that they could reap the particular benefits for themselves."
Speaking to the Fars news agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Nobaveh said about the call for the release of political prisoners, that, “Essentially we do not have political prisoners in the Islamic Republic and many of those detained have either been rioters or they have led the riots. Therefore, they must be tried and punished for their acts in accordance with the law."
Fars also reported that Mullah Salek of the “Combatant Clergy Association” said, “Rafsanjani did not quite appropriately fulfill expectations during the Friday prayers sermon. The Hezbollahis expected him to condemn the riots, which sadly was not done.”
The state-run ILNA news agency on Saturday threatened Rafsanjani by saying, “People's continued acceptance of Mr. Rafsanjani and his continued chairmanship of the Sstate Expediency Council is possible as long as the Supreme Leader sees fit. However, the meaning of the state's foresight and tolerance is not equivalent to forgetting the central role of some in creating doubts about the health of the elections and spinning the competition in favor of Dr. Ahmadinejad's rivals or encouraging street riots with their silence. As such the said figures must not speak as if the Iranian people have experienced an intense and incurable Alzheimer. Rather they must realize that their continued political life has been made possible by the Supreme Leader and everything is dependent on his views in this regard.”
Kayhan daily quoted Anbarloui of the Motalefeh faction, close to Khamenei, as saying, “Even people with the slightest political awareness know that today the enemy has targeted the pillar of the revolution. Everyone knows that the role of the Supreme Leader in our state is key. Why do some uninformed and ignorant people damage the revolution’s pillar? The people's tolerance has a certain threshold. Why do some exploit the nobility and modesty of the people's revolution and use forums to officially repeat what the enemy says?"
In reaction to attacks from the Khamenei faction, mullah Moussavi Tabrizi of the “Assembly of Qom Seminary Scholars and Researchers,” was quoted by the state-run ILNA news agency on Saturday as saying: Today the least that those who love the state can do to overcome the current situation is to implement the guidelines presented by Rafsanjani.
The same news agency also reported that mullah Ghoravi of the Association of Qom Seminary Teachers, has said: Officials must take seriously the recommendations of Rafsanjani for a way out of the current situation and immediately move to implement them. The supreme guardianship of clerics has borrowed from the reputation of the innocent Imams, and for it to be accepted it must be dependent on the people’s presence and acceptance.
According to Fars news agency, mullah Ghavami, a former member of the regime’s parliament pointed to Rafsanjani’s remarks about the state of crisis in Iran and said: This is a very obvious point and even average people on the streets know about the chaotic situation of the country. Of course, to escape from this crisis fundamental work has to take place and the mere call for unity is not effective. All of the levers of power are controlled by the conservative ruling faction and unity would not be possible under the terror of plainclothes agents and imprisonment.