According to BBC Persian, Basij groups in eight universities in Tehran “reacted sharply” to Ahmadinejad’s appointment of Mashaei as his first deputy. Hardline conservatives have been angered by the pick, who last year said, “Iran is a friend of the nation in the United States and in Israel.”
In an open letter to Ahmadinejad, student Basij groups strongly criticized the selection of Mashaei and warned “if necessary, they will go beyond oral warning, and they will take practical action [to protect] their beliefs.” The groups also expressed their support for the results of the 10th presidential election.
Representatives from these groups said “people have not made a brotherhood pact with anyone and whenever they realize someone is deviating from the path of the Guardian Jurist…they will take reformative action.”
These groups claim that the appointment of Mashaei, along with Abdulali Kordan and Mohammad Reza Rahimi, was a negative mark on Ahmadinejad’s first term.
July 20, 2009