Thursday , 13 February 2025

Iran’s President-Elect Sparks Outrage With ‘Punch in the Mouth’ Gaffe

Iranwire – Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s president-elect, likely did not anticipate that his final speech in parliament as an MP would spark outrage.

A part of his brief address last week, which primarily focused on “encouraging cooperation among governing bodies for the success of his future administration,” went viral on social media. 

In his speech, he said, “These dear people who came to vote despite the widespread calls for boycott have punched in the mouth those both inside and outside the country who were advocating against participation.”

Public opinion interpreted Pezeshkian’s words as suggesting that those who boycotted the election or abstained from voting had been figuratively “punched in the mouth” or silenced by the voter turnout.

A few hours after the speech, a group of people who had voted for Pezeshkian in the presidential election demanded an apology.

“Mr Pezeshkian, my vote for you was solely about punching the Taliban in the mouth, and nothing more,” lawyer Ali Mojtahedzadeh wrote on X, referring to former candidate Saeed Jalili’s supporters. 

Ehsan Bodaghi, a journalist, wrote on his X account: “Not only did I vote to not punch in the mouth those who abstained, but I also found many of their arguments to be logical and correct.”

“I consider the government’s most important duty to be recognizing the rights and demands and listening to this segment of society,” he added. 

Shahriar Shams Mostofi said, “Mr. Pezeshkian, if you truly seek change, start now. Do not let others justify your behavior or make you ashamed of apologizing. Just as you apologized for what you said about General Soleimani, apologize to those who feel insulted.”

A lawyer also commented: “Engage in dialogue with your opponents, listen to their words and arguments, not ‘punch them in the mouth.’ You should be apologetic and ashamed for the life you have created for people.”

Numerous political and civil activists have similarly demanded an apology. While an apology was issued, it was deemed insufficient.

In response to these calls for an apology, Pezeshkian’s X account posted: “Opening up political space and increasing participation is a win-win for both the people and the government.”

The enemies of the Iranian people tried their best to prevent people from voting. The grievances of honorable citizens are distinct from those of enemies and ill-wishers. The duty of the Iranian government is to address the demands of all people.”

However, this implied apology did not satisfy critics.

Journalist Morteza Kazemian wrote, “Are Sedigheh Vasmaghi, Abolfazl Qadiani, Narges Mohammadi, and other political prisoners, along with the National Front of Iran and the Coordinating Council of Cultural Organizations, ‘enemies of the Iranian people’?! Are rightful demands only those of the voters?”

Another journalist emphasized: “Mr Pezeshkian, your statement yesterday was definitely wrong. One does not justify wrongdoings, one apologizes for them. The culture of apologizing has existed in this country for years, use it.”

Many users also expressed dissatisfaction, still awaiting a proper apology from the president-elect.

However, the first crisis of the elected president runs deeper than mere words.

Keyvan Samimi, a political activist critical of the government who supported Pezeshkian in the second round of the election, wrote on his Telegram channel: “What I heard before the election differs from what I hear now. 

“Pezeshkian was against violence and bravely questioned it during the women’s uprising. However, today he used violent language and the phrase ‘a firm fist on the mouth’. 

“It is necessary to immediately apologize to those who opposed voting and recognize the right to civil protest.”

Journalist Mehdi Afroozmanesh also wrote on his X account: “The phrase’ firm punch’ is not a mere slip of the tongue, it represents a governing philosophy.”

Journalist and political activist Mehdi Mahmoudian, on his X account, labeled Pezeshkian as an “honest man” who did “everything” to secure votes, but since his victory, he has “only followed Khamenei’s agenda.”

Meanwhile, the president-elect also had defenders. 

Ali Asghar Shafiyan, editor of the Ensaf News website and a close associate of Pezeshkian, wrote on his X account without directly addressing the controversy: “After hearing a sentence from the president or witnessing a government decision we criticize, we should not distance ourselves from our chosen leader. Criticizing Pezeshkian is necessary, but let’s not alienate ourselves from him.”

The presidential election ended with significant results. According to official statistics, at least 60 percent of eligible voters in the country did not participate in the first round, and more than 50 percent did not participate in the second round. 

The election witnessed the most extensive electoral boycott in the history of the Islamic Republic.

The Ministry of Interior and the governorates have not officially published detailed vote counts by city and province, making it challenging to analyze the geographical, age, and class distribution of votes.

However, reports from citizen journalists indicate that the most significant drop in voter turnout occurred in small and medium-sized cities. 

These cities were notably active in the Woman, Life, Freedom movement and are predominantly inhabited by low-income groups.

During the second debate of the second phase of the presidential election, candidate Pezeshkian said: “It is the people’s index, only 40 percent voted for us. 60 percent of people have problems with us.” 

He, along with other members of his campaign, including Mohammad Javad Zarif and Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, repeatedly urged those boycotting the elections to participate in the one-week gap between the first and second rounds, promising that their concerns had been heard.

Ultimately, Pezeshkian won the presidency of Iran for a four-year term by securing 16,384,157 votes, defeating Saeed Jalili.

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