Association of Combatant Clerics
The Association of Combatant Clerics[lower-alpha 1] (Persian: مجمع روحانیون مبارز, romanized: Majma'-e rowhāniyūn-e mobārez) is an Iranian reformist clerical political party. It is regarded as a left-wing party within the Iranian political spectrum.[3]
Association of Combatant Clerics مجمع روحانیون مبارز | |
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General Secretary | Mohammad Mousavi Khoeiniha |
Spokesperson | Majid Ansari |
Head of Council | Muhammad Khatami |
Founded | March 16, 1988 |
Legalized | February 7, 1989[1] |
Split from | Combatant Clergy Association[2] |
Headquarters | Tehran, Iran |
Newspaper | Salam[2] |
Ideology | Islamic democracy Reformism Clericalism |
National affiliation | Council for Coordinating the Reforms Front |
Other affiliation | Coalition For Iran (2004) |
Website | |
rouhanioon | |
History
The Association of Combatant Clerics was founded in 1987 after abolition of the Islamic Republican Party, the last political party of that time. The association was originally radical, populist,[4] rather than reformist in orientation, and favored a focus "on exporting the revolution and calling for the state's monopoly over the economy,"[5] rather than democracy and freedom of expression. As of 2007, it advocated limits on clerical power in Iranian politics and extending individual freedoms—though not to the extent that might "lead to secularism or liberalism."[6]
After the resignation of Mehdi Karroubi from the post of secretary general, the party had no secretary general until late August 2005, when Mohammad Mousavi Khoeiniha was elected as the new secretary general. Former President of Iran Mohammad Khatami is the Chairman of the association's Central Council.
Members
According to Muhammad Sahimi, the party "has a significant number of followers and sympathizers among the younger clerics".[7]
Central council members
28 members of the party's central council are:
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Other members
- Mehdi Karroubi (former member)
- Sadegh Khalkhali (deceased)
- Ali Akbar Mohtashamipur (deceased)
- Hadi Ghaffari
- Rasoul Montajabnia
- Abdollah Nouri
- Mohammad-Reza Tavassoli (deceased)
- Hassan Sane'i
- Mahmoud Doayi
- Ghodratollah Alikhani
- Mohammad-Ali Rahmani
Notes
- The party's name has been alternately translated Association of Militant Clergy, Assembly of Combatant Clerics, and Combatant Clerics League
References
- "List of Legally Registerred Parties in Iran". Khorasan Newspaper. Pars Times. July 30, 2000. p. 4. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
- Bashiriyeh, Hossein (Spring–Summer 2001). "Civil Society and Democratisation during Khatami's First Term". Global Dialogue. Centre for World Dialogue. 3 (2–3): 19–26. ISSN 1986-2601. Archived from the original on 2016-05-07.
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- Asayesh, Hossein; Halim, Adlina Ab.; Jawan, Jayum A.; Shojaei, Seyedeh Nosrat (March 2011). "Political Party in Islamic Republic of Iran: A Review". Journal of Politics and Law. Canadian Center of Science and Education. 4 (1): 221–230. doi:10.5539/jpl.v4n1p221. ISSN 1913-9047.
- Werner Ende; Udo Steinbach, eds. (2010), Islam in the World Today: A Handbook of Politics, Religion, Culture, and Society, Cornell University Press, ISBN 9780801464898,
Left-wing Islamists can be separated into three groups that cooperate with one another, the most important being the aforementioned MRM.... Initially left-wing Islamists pursued a strict policy of economic austerity. They subjected the economy to rigorous state controls...
- Golkar, Saeid (2015). Captive Society: The Basij Militia and Social Control in Iran. Washington D.C.: Columbia University Press. p. 15.
after a split in the Militant Clergy Association [Jame'e-e Rohaniat-e Mobarez], Rahmani joined the left-wing party known as the Assembly of Militant Clerics, or Majma'-e Rohaniun-e Mobarez.
- Rahnema, Ali (February 20, 2013) [December 15, 2008]. "JAMʿIYAT-E MOʾTALEFA-YE ESLĀMI ii. Jamʿiyat-e Moʾtalefa and the Islamic Revolution". Encyclopædia Iranica. Fasc. 5. Vol. XIV. New York City: Bibliotheca Persica Press. pp. 483–500. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
...Society of Tehran's Militant Clergy, became largely overshadowed by the left-leaning clerical faction of Society of Tehran's Militant Clerics (Majmaʿ-e ruhāniun-e mobārez-e Tehran).
- Yadullah Shahibzadeh (2016). Islamism and Post-Islamism in Iran: An Intellectual History. Springer. p. 94. ISBN 9781137578259.
With Khomeini's backing, the leftist faction within the Society of Militant Clergy (Jameeh-ye Rouhaniyat-e Mobarez) left the organization and established the Association of Militant Clerics (Majma-e Rouhaniun-e Mobarez).
- Bashiriyeh, Hossein (Spring–Summer 2001). "Civil Society and Democratisation during Khatami's First Term". Global Dialogue. Centre for World Dialogue. 3 (2–3): 19–26. ISSN 1986-2601. Archived from the original on 2016-05-07.
...Association of Combatant Clerics, which was an important party in the left wing
- Brumberg, Daniel, Reinventing Khomeini: The Struggle for Reform in Iran, University of Chicago Press, 2001, p.162
- Mneisi, Ahmad. "The power shift within Iran's right wing". Archived from the original on 10 February 2006. Retrieved 19 April 2006. At the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.
- [Wright, Robin, Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East, Penguin Press, 2008, p.300]
- Muhammad Sahimi (12 May 2009). "The Political Groups". Tehran Bureau. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
External links
- Mr Khatami, the Chairman of the Central Council of Militant Clerics Society, from Mohammad Ali Abtahi's weblog (in Persian)
- Mousavi Khoiniha became the secretary general of the Militant Clerics Society, from BBC Persian
- First meeting notes of Militant Clerics Society, from Mohammad Ali Abtahi's Persian weblog