Tehran, Iran, Oct. 19
Trend:
A senior cleric in Iran has cautioned the Guardian Council and Expediency Discernment Council to reject the draft law on ratification of FATF, approved by the parliament.
This draft has two remaining steps to become a law - the Guardian Council and Expediency Discernment Council must ratify it.
Tehran’s temporary Friday Prayers leader, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami said today he is asking both sides to not angrily deal with the whole situation.
"The opponents of the bill should not call the other side traitors and the bill's supporters must not say that the opponents do not know the country's problems. The anger does not solve the problems. The FATF bill is like the other bills."
He asked the Guardian Council and the Expediency Council, which have to decide on this regard, to be attentive.
“International organizations are not reliable,” he said. “The FATF Executive Secretary said there was no guarantee that Iran would be removed from the blacklist. Now, if it is not guaranteed, do not put the cord around our neck and choke ourselves."
"Forty years ago, this nation threw thieves out of the door. The arrogant world wants to come in again through the international rules window. Watch out for the thieves," Khatami said.
Iran's parliament addressed one of the country's most contested issues Oct. 7, approving a bill against the funding of terrorism. Such a measure is a precondition to be removed from the blacklist of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The bill's supporters believe the measure will help ease the impact of US sanctions, giving Iran more access to international banks and helping it achieve greater financial transparency. Critics, however, argue that Iran has given up its independence and is once again looking to Western countries to resolve its economic problems at home.