# Stance of marjas on the 2009 presidential election in Iran

Following the 2009 presidential election in Iran, various marjas (a religious authority for which the title Grand Ayatollah is given) have made statements concerning the controversies surrounding the election.

## Table of marjas and their published stance

This table was taken directly from the List of marjas, with some columns removed and a new one added.
The names are ordered alphabetically.
| S. No. | Name | Residence | Website | Stance |
| 1 | Abdolkarim Mousavi Ardebili | Iran | Official Website | rejects election as invalid |
| 2 | Ali Hosseini Khamenei | Iran | Official Website | position changed twice; currently blesses results. |
| 3 | Ali Husaini Sistani | Iraq | Official Website | - |
| 4 | Bashir Hussain Najafi | Pakistan & Iraq | Official Website | - |
| 5 | Asadollah Bayat Zanjani | Iran | Official Website | issued a fatwaa stating that if the president was fraudulently elected, then the blessing of the Supreme Leader at the inauguration ceremony would be insufficient for conferring legitimacy |
| 6 | Hossein Mazaheri | Iran | Official Website | - |
| 7 | Hossein Noori Hamedani | Iran | Official Website | - |
| 8 | Hossein Vahid Khorasani | Iran | Official Website | - |
| 9 | Hossein-Ali Montazeri | Iran | Official Website | supports peaceful protests, condemns violence |
| 10 | Javad Gharavi Aliari | Iran | Official Website | - |
| 11 | Kazem Haeri | Iran | Official Website | - |
| 12 | Mohammad Asif Mohseni | Afghanistan | Official Website | - |
| 13 | Mohammad Baqir al-Mohri | Iran | Official Website | - |
| 14 | Mohammad Ebrahim Jannaati | Iran | Official Website | - |
| 15 | Mohammad Hussain Najafi | Pakistan | Official website | - |
| 16 | Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah | Lebanon | Official Website | - |
| 17 | Mohammad Ishaq Al-Fayyad | Iraq | Official Website Archived 2008-03-15 at the Wayback Machine | - |
| 18 | Mohammad Said Al-Hakim | Iraq | Official Website | - |
| 19 | Mohammad Shahroudi | Iran | Official Website Archived 2018-03-12 at the Wayback Machine | - |
| 20 | Mohammad Taqi Modaressi | Iraq | Official Website | - |
| 21 | Moslem Malakouti | Iran | Official Website | - |
| 22 | Mousa Shubairi Zanjani | Iran | Biography | - |
| 23 | Nasir Makarem Shirazi | Iran | Official Website Archived 2020-10-31 at the Wayback Machine | - Calls on Guardian Council to examine the votes "carefully and impartially", warns against national divisions |
| 24 | Qorban Ali Kaboli | Afghanistan | Official Website | - |
| 25 | Sadeq Rohani | Iran | Official Website | - |
| 26 | Sadiq Hussaini Shirazi | Iran | Official Website - | - |
| 27 | Safi Golpaygani | Iran | Official Website | concerned for election integrity Guardian council should be above politics, exercise its role as a neutral arbiter and not lean toward one party at the expense of the other |
| 28 | Yousef Sanei | Iran | Official Website - | declared it haraam (impermissible by religious law) to work for the administration of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad |

## Changes in position

Ali Hosseini Khamenei initially confirmed the election, but later ordered a probe.

## Official statements

Several Marjas have made official statements about the controversies surrounding the 2009 Iranian presidential election. In addition to the statements made by the Marjas

### Grand Ayatullah Husayn Hossein Ali Montazeri

(Translated, from his official website)
In the name of God
People of Iran
These last days, we have witnessed the lively efforts of you brothers and sisters, old and young alike, from any social category, for the 10th presidential elections.
Our youth, hoping to see their rightful will fulfilled, came on the scene and waited patiently. This was the greatest occasion for the government's officials to bond with their people.
But unfortunately, they used it in the worst way possible. Declaring results that no one in their right mind can believe, and despite all the evidence of crafted results, and to counter people protestations, in front of the eyes of the same nation who carried the weight of a revolution and 8 years of war, in front of the eyes of local and foreign reporters, attacked the children of the people with astonishing violence. And now they are attempting a purge, arresting intellectuals, political opponents and Scientifics.
Now, based on my religious duties, I will remind you:
1- A legitimate state must respect all points of view. It may not oppress all critical views. I fear that this leads to the loss of people's faith in Islam.
2- Given the current circumstances, I expect the government to take all measures to restore people's confidence. Otherwise, as I have already said, a government not respecting people's vote has no religious or political legitimacy.
3- I invite everyone, specially the youth, to continue reclaiming their dues in calm, and not let those who want to associate this movement with chaos succeed.
4- I ask the police and army personals not to "sell their religion", and beware that receiving orders will not excuse them before god. Recognize the protesting youth as your children. Today censor and cutting telecommunication lines can not hide the truth.
I pray for the greatness of the Iranian people.

### Statements from other Ayatollahs

While not Marjas themselves, several influential Ayatollahs have made statements regarding the 2009 Iranian elections.
Grand Ayatollah Yousef Sanei and Grand Ayatollah Asadollah Bayat Zanjani wrote letters to the Iranian news web site Emrooz in support of the protestors, with Ayatollah Zanjani referring to the election as a "gross injustice,"