Combatant Clergy Association

For the Iranian reformist party, see Association of Combatant Clerics.

Political party in Iran

Combatant Clergy Association

جامعه روحانیت مبارز

General Secretary| Mostafa Pourmohammadi
Spokesperson| Gholamreza Mesbahi-Moghaddam
Founded| 6 November 1977; 46 years ago (1977-11-06)[1]
Headquarters| Tehran, Iran
Ideology| Islamic theocracy[2][3]
Islamic nationalism[4] Iranian nationalism[5]
Khomeinism[6]
Islamism
Governance of the Jurist
Anti-Western sentiment
Anti-Zionism[7]
Anti-imperialism[2]
Political position| Right-wing[8]
Religion| Shia Islam
Website
Official website

* Politics of Iran
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Conservatism in Iran

Ideologies

* Authoritarian
* Monarchism
* National
* Deviant current
* Religious
* Shia Islamism
* Fundamentalism
* Khomeinism
* Principlist

Principles

* Anti-communism
* Anti-Arabism
* Anti-Kurdism
* Authority
* Duty
* Elitism
* Familialism
* Hierarchy
* Law and order
* Militarism
* Patriotism
* Social order
* Sovereignty
* Tradition

* * *

Principlist groups

* Anti-Americanism
* Anti-imperialism
* Anti-Sunnism
* Anti-Zionism
* Antisemitism
* Clericalism
* Homophobia
* Misogyny
* Republicanism
* Sharia
* Theocracy
* Twelver Shi'ism
* Vilayat Faqih

* * *

Monarchist groups

* Anti-clericalism
* Iranian nationalism
* Royalism
* Secular state
* Westernization

History

* Iranian Revolution
* Pahlavi dynasty
* 1953 Iranian coup d'état
* White Revolution
* Safavid conversion to Shia Islam

Intellectuals

* Alamolhoda
* Fardid
* Khalkhali
* Larijani
* Modarres
* Yazdi

Politicians

* Ahmadinejad
* Asgaroladi
* Ghalibaf
* Ghazizadeh
* Hoveyda
* Jalili
* Jannati
* Khamenei
* Khomeini
* Larijani
* Mansur
* Mojtahedzadeh
* Palevi I
* Palevi II
* Pourmohammadi
* Raisi
* Rezaee
* Soleimani
* Zakani

Literature

* Islamic Government (1970)

Parties

Active

* Combatant Clergy Association
* Front of Islamic Revolution Stability
* Islamic Coalition Party
* Society of Devotees of the Islamic Revolution
* Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom
* YEKTA Front

Defunct

* Iran Novin Party
* Iran-e-No Party
* Islamic Republican Party
* Learned Council
* National Will Party
* Nationalists' Party
* Progress Party
* Rastakhiz Party
* Reformers' Party

Organisations

* Hojjatie Society
* Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
* Restart
* SAVAK

Media

* Abrar
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* Rajanews
* Resalat
* Vatan-e-Emrooz
* Yalasarat

Related topics

* Death to America
* Greater Iran
* Holocaust denial
* Islam in Iran
* Judicial system
* Nuclear program of Iran
* Pan-Iranism
* Politics of Iran
* Shia crescent

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The Combatant Clergy Association (Persian: جامعه روحانیت مبارز, romanized: Jâme'e-ye Ruhâniat-e Mobârez) is a politically active group in Iran, but not a political party in the traditional sense.

It has never been registered as a political party; however, it acts as a fragmented caucus and has actively operated in the electoral arena, competing for votes. Thus, it is considered an elite party and can be classified as a political party according to the minimalist definition by Angelo Panebianco. The traditional conservative clerical association was the majority party in the fourth and fifth parliaments after the Islamic revolution.[4]

The organization has great influence over non-elective institutions such as the Judicial system, the Guardian Council and Revolutionary Guard Corps.[8]

## History

[edit]

After the 15 Khordad demonstration failed in Iran, it was felt that a coherence organization was needed.[9] The association was founded in 1977 by a group of clerics with intentions to use Islamic culture and traditions to overthrow the Shah. Although the exact founding members of the group are unsure, some of them were said to be Ali Khamenei, Morteza Motahhari, Mohammad Beheshti, Mohammad Javad Bahonar, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Fazlollah Mahallati and Mohammad Mofatteh,[10] and its current members include founding member Ali Khamenei.[7]

The Combatant Clergy Association was one of the few republican groups active before the Iran–Iraq War. A "free political atmosphere" was not provided in Iran due to the special conditions of wartime, and the Combatant Clergy Association was the only active political organisation after the dissolution of the Islamic Republican Party (All IRP clerics were members of CCA but not all CCA founders were members of IRP).[4] By the emergence of factional differences in government of Mir Hossein Mousavi, the organization was divided, and Association of Combatant Clerics was formed.[11]

### Recent years

[edit]

CCA is suffering from unresolved contention between its elites. Hassan Rouhani, president of Iran since 2013, is a member of the faction although he has been inactive and not participated their regular sessions since the disputed 2009 presidential elections, a situation that applies to Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani as well.[4][12] The association however backed Rafsanjani and Rouhani in 2016 Assembly of Experts election and included both on its list,[13] despite backing Rouhani's rival, Ebrahim Raisi, for president in 2017.[14]

## Goals and activities

[edit]

The association brought together anti-Shah clerics and bazaaris.[15] It also aimed to preserve the revolution and its achievements. Supporting the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist and state organization are some of the group's goals. The association does not recognize itself as a political party and hence does not have any written strategy or policy. The association mostly announces its political viewpoints around election time.[10]

Members of the association have had important positions in the different governments of Iran. By 2004, four out of eight presidents of the executive branch of the government had been selected from this association. Also, the president of the judicial branch of the government was one of the members of the association, Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, for two five-year periods, from 1989 to 1999.[10]

### Foreign policy

[edit]

The association believes in making diplomatic relationships with all world countries except the United States and Israel, and their criteria in this regard is avoiding both being dominated by other countries and domination over others. However, they believe that there can be relationships with France and the United Kingdom under defined conditions. The association believes that there are intrinsic differences between the value system of Iran and western societies.[16]

## Funding

[edit]

The fourth chapter of the Combatant Clergy Association's statute deals with the financial issues of the association.[16]

## Election results

[edit]

### Assembly of Experts

[edit]

Election  | Seats won  | +/−  | Ref

|
|
|

1998 |

69 / 86 (80%)

|  | [17]
2006 |

69 / 86 (80%)

|  | [18]
2016 |

66 / 88 (75%)

|  3 | [19]

## List of General Secretaries

[edit]

#  | Name  | Tenure  | Ref

|
|
|

1  | Fazlollah Mahallati  | 1977–31 October 1981  | [20]
2  | Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani | 1 November 1981 – 21 October 2014  | [20]
—  | Mohammed Emami-Kashani (interim) | 1996  | [20]
3  | Ali Movahedi-Kermani | 2 December 2014 – 30 May 2018  | [20]
4  | Mostafa Pourmohammadi | 30 May 2018–present  | [20]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "حماسه ای ماندگار در تاریخ انقلاب" (in Persian). The Institute for Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeini's Works. 6 January 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
2. ^ a b Ervand Abrahamian (1989). Radical Islam: the Iranian Mojahedin. I.B.Tauris. pp. 42–45. ISBN 9781850430773.
3. ^ Abrahamian, Khomeinism, 1993: p.33-36.
4. ^ a b c d Mohammadighalehtaki, Ariabarzan (2012). Organisational Change in Political Parties in Iran after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. With Special Reference to the Islamic Republic Party (IRP) and the Islamic Iran Participation Front Party (Mosharekat) (Ph.D. thesis). Durham University. pp. 175–177.
5. ^ M Nasif Sharani (2013). Esposito, John L.; Shahin, Emad El-Din (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Islam and Politics. Oxford University Press. p. 196\. ISBN 9780195395891.
6. ^ M Nasif Sharani (2013). Esposito, John L.; Shahin, Emad El-Din (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Islam and Politics. Oxford University Press. p. 196\. ISBN 9780195395891.
7. ^ a b "ایسنا - پیام تبریک جامعه مدرسین به مردم و حسن روحانی". Isna. 16 June 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
8. ^ a b Asayesh, Hossein; Halim, Adlina Ab.; Jawan, Jayum A.; Shojaei, Seyedeh Nosrat (March 2011). "Political Party in Islamic Republic of Iran: A Review". Journal of Politics and Law. 4 (1). Canadian Center of Science and Education: 221–230. doi:10.5539/jpl.v4n1p221. ISSN 1913-9047.
9. ^ Staff writers. "Combatant Clergy Association; An Organization which was formed by Political Motivations" (in Persian). Young Journalists Club. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
10. ^ a b c Staff writers (2004). "Performance history and strategies of Combatant Clergy Association (Part 1)". Hawzeh Pegah (in Persian) (135). Retrieved 19 September 2016.
11. ^ Haddad Adel, Gholamali; Elmi, Mohammad Jafar; Taromi-Rad, Hassan (2012-08-31). Political Parties: Selected Entries from Encyclopaedia of the World of Islam. EWI Press. ISBN 9781908433022. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
12. ^ Mahnaz Malekuti (29 December 2012). "Elections divide cleric coalition in Qom". Rooz Online. Retrieved 20 September 2016 - via The Iran Project.
13. ^ Arash Karami (23 February 2016). "Why this election of Iran's Assembly of Experts is more important than ever". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
14. ^ "Principlists Shift toward Conservative Candidate Ebrahim Raisi", Iranian Diplomacy, 23 April 2017, retrieved 24 April 2017
15. ^ Kandil, Hazem (2016-08-15). The Power Triangle: Military, Security, and Politics in Regime Change. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780190239206. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
16. ^ a b Staff writers (2004). "Performance history and strategies of Combatant Clergy Association (Part 2)". Hawzeh Pegah (in Persian) (136). Retrieved 19 September 2016.
17. ^ "جریان شناسی ادوار انتخابات مجلس خبرگان" (in Persian). Fars News Agency. 13 January 2016. Archived from the original on 14 January 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
18. ^ "تاثیر حمایت جامعه مدرسین در رای آوری نامزدهای خبرگان/کدام اعضای کنونی نامزد جامعه مدرسین نبودند؟". Khabaronline (in Persian). 1 March 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
19. ^ "طیف بندی‌های خبرگان پنجم را بشناسید/ 3 منتخب اختصاصی جامعه مدرسین و 16 منتخب اختصاصی خبرگان مردم". Khabaronline (in Persian). 1 March 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
20. ^ a b c d e "موحدی کرمانی دبیرکل شد" [Movahedi-Kermani became the General Secretary] (in Persian). Iranian Students' News Agency. 3 December 2014. 93091207754. Retrieved 25 June 2016.

* v
* t
* e

Political organizations in Iran

* Politics of Iran
* House of Parties of Iran

Principlists|

* The Two Societies
* Combatant Clergy Association
* Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom
* Front of Followers of the Line of the Imam and the Leader
* Islamic Coalition Party
* Islamic Society of Engineers
* Islamic Association of Physicians of Iran
* Islamic Society of Students
* Islamic Society of Employees
* Islamic Society of Athletes
* Zeynab Society
* Front of Transformationalist Principlists
* Society of Devotees of the Islamic Revolution
* Society of Pathseekers of the Islamic Revolution
* Association of Islamic Revolution Loyalists
* Summit of Freethinkers Party
* Fadayeen of Islam Society
* Ansar-e Hezbollah
* Front of Islamic Revolution Stability
* Resistance Front of Islamic Iran
* Development and Justice Party
* Green Party
* Progress and Justice Society of Islamic Iran
* Modern Thinkers Party of Islamic Iran
* YEKTA Front

Reformists|

* Council for Coordinating the Reforms Front
* Association of Combatant Clerics
* Executives of Construction Party
* Assembly of Qom Seminary Scholars and Researchers
* Islamic Association of Teachers
* Islamic Association of Engineers
* Islamic Association of Iranian Medical Society
* Islamic Association of University Instructors
* Association of Followers of the Imam's Line
* Islamic Iran Solidarity Party
* Democracy Party
* Will of the Iranian Nation Party
* Association of the Women of the Islamic Republic
* Islamic Assembly of Ladies
* Office for Strengthening Unity
* Islamic Labour Party
* Worker House
* Islamic Iran Freedom and Justice Organization
* Popular Party of Reforms
* Iranian Call and Reform Organization
* Kurdish United Front
* Moderation and Development Party
* National Trust Party
* The Green Path of Hope
* NEDA Party
* Union of Islamic Iran People Party

Anti-establishment|

* National Front
* Iran Party
* Party of the Iranian People
* Freedom Movement
* Movement of Militant Muslims
* Council of Nationalist-Religious Activists
* Pan-Iranist Party
* Nation Party of Iran

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