Pedestrian

You haven’t forgotten Sadeq Mahsouli, have you? The man who oversaw the interior ministry during the notorious election. A man whose wealth was estimated by parliament to be around 200 million dollars (note: this is not some LA satellite channel making this claim, but the parliament of the Islamic Republic of Iran).

He was just approved by parliament to head the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security.

I will write about the day he was in parliament later – I really think it should be recorded in history in as many places as possible.

Funny part is that Mahsouli did not deny his wealth but tried to emphasize his “simple life”. Among other things:

• His furniture is so beat up and old that even beggars don’t want them.
• His son once had to borrow fifty thousand Tomans ($50) from the son of Ali Motahari at school. Ali Motahari stated his concern: “why don’t you give more money to your son?” and Mahsouli replied: “I give him enough.”

Mahsouli may be a very good example of this, but the “beggars look” has been continuously promoted in the past thirty years and it has taken on a life of its own. The simple life was never promoted, rather, the facades of a simple life were.