Hassan Rohani’s advisor on ethnic and religious minority affairs has been the subject of serious attacks by the right-wing factions of the Islamic Republic administration, and according to Keyhan, he has been summoned by the judiciary to give certain explanations.
Ali Younesi, whom Keyhan refers to as Rohani’s “extremist advisor”, is said to have been summoned by the Special Court for the Clergy for his so-called “strange and scandalous statements.”
Keyhan cites allegations published by Jahan News that Younesi has had to give a written declaration that he would refrain from “irrelevant and provocative comments.”
Hassan Rohani has been the first president to actually appoint an advisor for Ethnic and Religious Minority Affairs.
The Shargh daily quoted Younesi about his impression of the 2009 presidential election, which he called “a deep wound in society” that has marginalized many groups. The Islamic Republic hardliners, however, refer to the 2009 election protests as sedition and refuse to accept the reformist view of the protests as a legitimate demand for a vote recount in view of allegations of vote fraud.
Younesi has also spoken in support of teaching local languages in provincial schools and hiring people from the local population to fill provincial leadership jobs.
