Zahra Eshraghi, the granddaughter of Iranâs revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, has been barred from standing in next monthâs parliamentary elections, reformist sources told AFP Monday. Eshraghi, who is also married to reformist party leader Mohammad Reza Khatami, and is therefore a sister-in-law of President Mohammad Khatami, had registered to stand for a seat in the Majlis in Tehran. However the conservative-run Guardians Council ruled that she was guilty of ânon-respect for Islamâ, was âdisloyal to the constitution and Islamic republicâ and âunknownâ to prospective voters where she hoped to stand.
| "Nope. Nope. She'd never do. Try somebody with a turban. And an automatic weapon." |
The Guardians Council is a 12-member political oversight body that vets all legislation and also screens candidates for public office. On Sunday it sparked a major crisis when it emerged the body had disqualified massive numbers of reformers. The candidacy of Mohammad Reza Khatami, who heads the Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF), was also rejected.
| "Nope. Nope. Simply won't do. Wrong color turban..." |
Eshraghi, who is aged around 40 and holds a degree in philosophy, is well known for her modernist views and open support of the campaign for greater womenâs rights by Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi. Last October, she was among prominent reformers and activists who gathered at Tehranâs airport to greet Ebadi after the announcement the rights lawyer had won the Nobel Peace Prize. |