Rafsanjani threads the path of reconciliation

In a landmark and historic speech at Tehran University's Friday prayer, the centerist ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani carefully threaded the path of political reconciliation in post-election Iran, thus providing a timely new impetus for Iran's transition from what he termed as a "crisis."

Rafsanjani's much-anticipated speech was important for the audience it included among the thousands who flocked to hear him, former president Mohammad Khatami and the three presidential candidates, Mohsen Rezai, Mehdi Karrubi, and Mir Hossain Mousavi, as well as their supporters, who for once shared the same space, if not necessarily the same slogans, at the ceremony -- that is a hallmark of the Islamic Revolution.

Invoking comparison with the incipient post-revolutionary days when another moderate ayatollah, Taleghani, captivated the audience at the Friday prayer, Rafsanjani consciously couched his deliberation on today's political situation in the familiar language of political Islam, by dividing his speech into three parts, the first two dealing with the normative foundations of the Islamic Republic and the goals and objectives of the revolution, and the third focusing on contemporary problems.

Keen on emphasising the republic and participatory nature of the post-revolutionary order, Rafsanjani stated that the title of "Islamic Republic" is not a cliche and that Islam and republic are the two constitutive defining features of the system, drawing on a number of pertinent stories about the prophet and Shia Imams to accentuate the point about the regime's respect for popular sovereignty.

With the issue of "national unity" on top of his mind, Rafsanjani's intention was to stay above the frey of political factions and that explains his self-reference as farajenahi (above factions) -- a point cemented by his reference to his consultation with the members of the Assembly of Experts and the Expediency Council.

While praising Iran's free elections, Rafsanjani stated his regret that the post-election events prevented Iran from earning a high mark in the world community, criticising the oversight Council of Guardian for failing to utilize the extra five days alloted to it by the supreme leader to review the complaints of voting irregularities and fraud.

Still, Rafsanjani's speech was equally important for what he did not say, above all, any criticism of the election results or of the performance of the election officials. Instead, he confined himself to a criticism of the state radio and television, stating that an "environment of doubt" was cast on the elections as a result of certain activities by the state-controlled media.

What is more, by acknowledging that a large group of Iranians are adamant about the legitimacy of results, Rafsanjani actually fell just a couple of steps short of conceding the legitimacy of election results. Insisting that "we must pass through this period," Rafsanjani's aim was to be future-oriented instead of being stuck in the uncomfortable present, which is why he in a language of candor and openness talked about the importance of necessary stops to "regain people's trust" in the government. In this vein, he called for the release of those arrested after June 12th presidential elections, the restoration of free press, and respect for the rule of law.

Concerning the latter, Rafsanjani's legalist solution resonates with the sentiment of both the supreme leader, who three weeks ago advised every one to use the legal channels and not to stray from the legal bounds, as well president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who was in the holy city of Meshhed earlier this week and made a powerful speech regarding the rule of law as the only insurance against dictatorship.

Ahmadinejad has also introduced a new edict to the state-controlled media, whereby the individuals and groups who are unhappy with how they have been depicted in the media can have a chance to publicly respond. Also, there are signs that Ahmadinejad is considering revamping his cabinet by incorporating fresh faces that may appeal to the 14 million voters who did not vote for him.

Although the gaps in confidence between the Ahmadinejad camp and the Mousavi camp remains large, Rafsanjani's timely bridging the troubled waters with his bold and yet calculated reconciliatory speech, that simultaneously warned of the country's enemies who are determined to "deprive Iran of its gains in nuclear technology," represents a qualitative leap forward in terms of crisis-management in Iran

"HAMAN" AND ANCIENT EGYPT MONUMENTS

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The name "Haman" was not known until the decoding of Egyptian hieroglyphics in the 19th century. When the hieroglyphics were decoded, it was understood that Haman was a close helper of the Pharaoh and was "the head of the stone quarries." (Above are shown ancient Egyptian construction workers). The most important point here is that Haman is mentioned in the Qur'an as the person who directed construction work under the command of the Pharaoh. This means that information that could not have been known by anybody else at that time was given in the Qur'an, a point most worthy of note.

The Qur'an relates the life of the Prophet Musa (as) with great clarity. As it tells of the conflict with the Pharaoh and his dealings with the Children of Israel, the Qur'an reveals a wealth of information about ancient Egypt. The significance of many of these historical points have only recently come to the attention of the learned people of the world. If one considers these points with reason, it quickly becomes clear that the Qur'an, and the fountain of information contained within it, has been revealed by the All-Wise Allah for it correlates directly with all major scientific, historic and archaeological finds in recent times.

One such example of this wisdom can be found in the Qur'anic references to Haman: a character whose name is mentioned in the Qur'an, along with the Pharaoh. He is mentioned in six different places in the Qur'an, in which it informs us that he was one of Pharaoh's closest allies.

Surprisingly, the name "Haman" is never mentioned in those sections of the Torah pertaining to the life of the Prophet Musa (as). However, the mention of Haman can be found in the last chapters of the Old Testament as the helper of a Babylonian king who inflicted many cruelties on the Israelites approximately 1,100 years after the Prophet Musa (as).The Qur'an, far more in tune with recent archaeological discoveries, does indeed contain the word "Haman" in reference to the life of the Prophet Musa (as).

The criticisms thrown at the book of Islam by some non-Muslims have disappeared by the wayside as an Egyptian hieroglyphic script had been deciphered, approximately 200 years ago, and the name "Haman" discovered in the ancient scripts. Until the 18^th century, the writings and inscriptions of ancient Egypt could not be understood. The language of ancient Egypt was made up of symbols rather than words: hieroglyphics. These pictures, which tell stories and keep records of important events in the same way that modern words do, was usually engraved on rock or stone and many examples survived through the ages. With the spread of Christianity and other cultural influences in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, Egypt forsook its ancient beliefs along with the hieroglyphic writing which was synonymous with that now defunct belief system. The last known example of the use of hieroglyphic writing was an inscription dated 394. The language of pictures and symbols was forgotten, leaving nobody who could read and understand it. Naturally, this made historical and archaeological study virtually impossible. This situation remained-until just over two centuries ago.

In 1799, much to the delight of historians and other learned people, the mystery of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics was solved by the discovery of a tablet called the "Rosetta Stone." This amazing find dated back to 196 B.C. The importance of this inscription was that it was written in three different forms of writing: hieroglyphics, demotic (a simplified form of ancient Egyptian hieratic writing) and Greek. With the help of the Greek script, the ancient Egyptian writings were decoded. The translation of the inscription was completed by a Frenchman named Jean-Françoise Champollion. Hence, a forgotten language and the events related in it were brought to light. In this way, a great deal of knowledge about the civilization, religion and social life of ancient Egypt became available to mankind and this opened the way to greater knowledge about this important era in human history.

Through the decoding of hieroglyph, an important piece of knowledge was revealed: The name "Haman" was indeed mentioned in Egyptian inscriptions. This name was referred to in a monument in the Hof Museum in Vienna. This same inscription also indicated the close relationship between Haman and the Pharaoh.200

In the dictionary of People in the New Kingdom, that was prepared based on the entire collection of inscriptions, Haman is said to be "the head of stone quarry workers."201

The result revealed a very important truth: Unlike the false assertion of the opponents of the Qur'an, Haman was a person who lived in Egypt at the time of the Prophet Musa (as). He had been close to the Pharaoh and had been involved in construction work, just as imparted in the Qur'an.

Pharaoh said, "Council, I do not know of any other god for you apart from Me. Haman, kindle a fire for me over the clay and build me a lofty tower so that perhaps I may be able to climb up to Musa's god! I consider him a blatant liar." (Qur'an, 28:38)

The verse in the Qur'an describing the event where the Pharaoh asked Haman to build a tower is in perfect agreement with this archaeological finding. Through this brilliant discovery, the irrational claims of the opponents of the Qur'an were demonstrated to be false and intellectually worthless.

In a miraculous way, the Qur'an conveys to us historical information that could not have been possessed or understood at the time of the Prophet (saas). Hieroglyphics could not be deciphered until the late 1700s so the information could not have been ascertained from Egyptian sources. When the name "Haman" was discovered in the ancient scripts, it was further proof of the infallibility of Allah's Word.

200. Walter Wreszinski, Aegyptische Inschriften aus dem K.K. Hof Museum in Wien (Egyptian Inscriptions from the K.K. Hof Museum in Vienna) (Leipzig: J C Hinrichs'sche Buchhandlung: 1906).
201. Hermann Ranke, Die Ägyptischen Personennamen, Verzeichnis der Namen (The Egyptian Family Names, Listing of the Names), Verlag Von J J Augustin in Glückstadt, Band I,1935, Band II, 1952.

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