Differences should be set aside : Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani

TEHRAN, Nov. 19 (MNA) -- Assembly of Experts chairman and Society of Combatant Clergy chief Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani said unity among principlists is a necessity. “The advice of friends, ulema, and Hezbollahi forces is to protect unity,” Mahdavi Kani told the forum. “Of course, differences should be set aside.” He also said it is necessary that different people with various professions enter the parliament “because it is the Majlis which supervises the performance of (state) bodies especially the government (executive body) and approves different legislations.” Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the gathering, Mahdavi Kani said the UFP (United Front of Principlists ) is ready to consider “views” of all principlist groups, insisting that the UFP is not a “monopolist”. Assembly of Experts member Ayatollah Ahmad Alam al-Hoda said the next parliament should be formed of MPs, who besides being experts, should also be truly loyal to the principles of ‘velayat’. Alam al-Hoda, who is also the Friday prayer leader of Mashad, said after the 1980-88 Iraqi imposed war against Iran a group was born that called the Islamic Hamas movement a “terrorist” when the youth in the Gaza Strip were besieged by Israel. He said this group sought to institutionalize ‘liberal democracy’. Also during the reign of the current government which its motto is justice a ‘deviant current’ came into being which insulted sanctities and promoted secularism, Alam al-Hoda said as he called on principlists to stand firm in their campaign for the Majlis elections.