Between Japan’s Emperor and Iran’s Supreme Leader!
Until August 1945, the Emperor of Japan possessed two attributes: the first was religious, as he was considered sacred and a semi-divine figure; the second was secular, in that no Japanese government could make a decision without his approval. He never delivered a speech or spoke directly to the Japanese people. However, after Japan was struck by atomic bombs and he observed that the desire of the military leadership, along with the Japanese populace, was to fight to the end and to be prepared to sacrifice millions of lives, he addressed the Japanese people and the military via radio, calling for surrender and non-resistance to spare his people’s bloodshed. Thus, the war ended in August 1945. The Americans appreciated his stance; he was neither tried nor forced to sign a surrender treaty, although his absolute powers were limited by the new constitution. This process marked the beginning of Japan’s great resurgence, which continues to this day.
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To date, Iran’s new Supreme Leader has not addressed the Iranian people. Can we hope that he will emulate the Emperor of Japan, making his first address to the Iranian people one whose content closely resembles that of the Emperor’s speech—namely, sacrificing powers for the benefit of alleviating the hardships of the Iranian people and the peoples of the region? This would run parallel to efforts to ease the continuous distress and crisis afflicting the Iranian people for the past 47 years, paving the way for constitutional changes that would subsequently limit the absolute powers of the Supreme Leader, which currently make him indirectly responsible for all wars waged by the state and all crises endured by the people. From this reformist approach, a new, developed Iran could emerge, granting the institution of the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist (Velayat-e Faqih) the advantages and benefits of this long-awaited transformation.
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Final point: Dr. Houshang Nahavandi, in his book on Imam Khomeini, attributes to the Imam the declaration in June 1978 of his desire for clerics to step away from governance in Iran, leaving state administration matters to specialists. Perhaps this prescription is the most suitable and beneficial for Iran and for some Arab countries, where Islamic militias have led them into devastating civil wars with millions of victims. Had they stayed away and confined themselves to preaching and charitable work, they would have immediately extinguished many of the fitnas, wars, killings, and destruction that plague many countries in the region.
