UINTED NATIONS - In the past few weeks, Iran has witnessed the decline of one of its most famous political figures. On March 8, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, for long one of the most powerful men in the Islamic Republic, formally ended his tenure as head of Iran's Assembly of Experts, the state body in charge of choosing, monitoring and, if necessary, sacking Iran's Supreme Leader. Although Hashemi is still Chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council, it's doubtful that he'll hold on to this last bit of power for long. Rafsanjani's battle to stay afloat in Iran's murky political waters began six years ago, with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's rise to the presidency. He managed for much of this time to remain influential and, to some degree, untouchable. But his strength within Iran's political arena began to fade in the aftermath of the country's contested presidential elections in 2009, with his public criticism of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iran's hardliners. The most visible sign of Rafsanjani's weakening status has been the escalation of verbal attacks and the accusations of corruption against the cleric's family. In the past few weeks, the public insults and criticism have gone beyond Rafsanjani's children, to include the cleric himself. Individuals claiming to be from the Basij militia have become confident enough to gather outside his home in northern Tehran and to shout slogans against Rafsanjani, his wife and family, even going so far as to start kicking his door and throw bricks at his building, according to the BBC's Persian service. Public attacks against Rafsanjani's daughter, Faezeh, have become even more aggressive. Once an MP and a leading reformist figure from as far back as 1997, Rafsanjani's younger daughter is currently caught in a storm of controversy. Plainclothes pressure groups, famously known as ‘Hezbollahi', recently attacked Faezeh, while she was visiting a cemetery in the south of Tehran, addressing her in appalling language that shocked the nation. The incident, which was captured by a cellphone video camera and posted on Youtube, was seen across Iran by everyone from ordinary citizens to the most senior clergy. The severity of the attackers' language and behaviour makes one whether these plainclothes attackers might have acting with the prior approval of senior conservative figures. Iran's attorney-general and judicial chief have issued statements condemning such behaviour and promised to punish her assailants. But the point is not the slogans being chanted or actions being taken against the former Iranian President, but rather that Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of Iran's most senior revolutionary figures for the past 32 years, no longer enjoys any immunity or respect inside the Islamic Republic. The attacks against and public criticism of Rafsanjani, once a feared deal-maker who helped end the Iran-Iraq War and make Ayatollah Khamenei Supreme Leader, have obviously been facilitated and supported by the current Iranian government. Rafsanjani hasn't retired from politics completely. But the decline in his public standing and the threat to his family's safety means he can't stay in power much longer. As Ahmadinejad's rivalry with the ageing cleric intensifies, it remains to be seen whether Rafsanjani and his family will ultimately be compelled to leave Iran. Rafsanjani, once renowned in Iran for being a 'dangerous' and 'sneaky' strategist and negotiator, is now like the broken Buddhas of Afghanistan. His strength and political glory will soon be nothing but dust and faded memories. Entekhabifard is an Iranian journalist, who regularly contributes to The Egyptian Gazette and its weekly edition, the Mail.
