A close associate of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who advocates cultural openness and opposes greater clerical involvement in politics, is preparing to be a possible successor to the Iranian president when he steps down in two years.
Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, the head of Ahmadinejad's cabinet, presents himself as a candidate who would rather represent a nationalist rather than a theocratic Iranian story, "The Guardian" reported.
Mashei, whose daughter is married to Ahmadinejad's son, has become one of Iran's most controversial figures, drawing sharp criticism from the conservative establishment, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Hardliners close to Khamenei accuse Mashaei of endangering the Islamic Revolution and the principles of Islam by focusing on Persian history.
Women are not even allowed to dance
Mashaei infuriated conservatives in 2008 when he declared that "Iranians are friends of all nations in the world - even Israelis."
He was also criticized for applauding in Turkey at a ceremony where a woman was performing a traditional dance. In Iran, women are not allowed to dance.
Mashaei once headed the Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization.
He was appointed first vice president in 2009 when Ahmadinejad came to power after disputed elections that sparked mass protests.
However, he was forced to step down after Khamenei intervened and announced in a letter to the president that the "propriety of the regime" dictated that Mashaei leave the post.
Ahmadinejad then named him head of his cabinet, which many interpreted as a blow to Khamenei and the first sign of a rift between the president and the supreme leader.
As the Guardian reported, a classified US diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks stated that the incident underscored Mashaei's importance in Ahmadinejad's team.
"That Ahmadinejad stubbornly protects Mashaei shows his importance as a key adviser to an increasingly isolated president; he also appears as a spokesman for the Ahmadinejad administration. The current president even told the press that he would be happy to serve as vice president in Mashaei's administration, prompting many to speculate that Ahmedinejad wants Mashaei to succeed him in 2013," the cable said.
Apparent legitimacy of the election?
Some analysts believe that the regime, which destroyed the opposition Green movement and lacks a domestic opposition, is only trying to create an opposition in order to create a semblance of legitimacy for the next elections.
Hushang Amirahmadi, president of the American-Iranian Council, who knows Mashaei, told The Guardian: "The reformist movement in Iran failed for several reasons. I think that Mashaei is becoming another alternative and that the regime is using this opportunity to warm up the next elections in Iran. Mashaei says that Iranians are primarily Iranians, and that Islam comes later".
"He is trying to revive a kind of national pride among Iranians, something that has been neglected not only since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, but also during the past two centuries.
The general obsession with Islam after the revolution made the authorities ignore Iranian history, and Mashaei is now trying to promote this kind of nationalist narrative. I believe that Ahmadinejad is also personally fond of Iranian history and that he is trying to revive the ancient Iranian glory and power".
Iranians are proud of their history and still celebrate many old traditions such as the Persian New Year Nowruz.
Final decision in 6 months
Mashei is also believed to have played a key role in the British Museum temporarily ceding the Cyrus Cylinder to Iran.
This handiwork is considered the first human rights monument in history.
During the six-month exhibition in Tehran, it was seen by millions of visitors, although hardliners and clerics largely boycotted the event.
The relic was returned to Britain last Sunday.
"Obviously, Mashaei's nationalist views pose a threat to clerics who fear that their power could weaken if people start respecting their pre-Islamic history," Amirahmadi said.
Mashaei has not ruled out running in the 2013 presidential election, telling reporters recently that he will make a final decision six months before the election.
Kayhan, a Khamenei-friendly newspaper, predicted that Iran's powerful Guardian Council of the Islamic Revolution would block Mashaei's possible candidacy. The Guardian Council gives an opinion on all candidates before the elections in Iran.
Mashaei, who is launching his paper next month, is believed to have tried to secure the release of three Americans arrested in Iran, which resulted in the release of Sarah Shored. Her friends Sean Bauer and Josh Fatal are being held in Tehran after hardliners are believed to have prevented their release.
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