"The vote, cast in a free atmosphere and with all inclinations and parties at present, was after all a vote to the Islamic Republic, to national independence, to the Constitution and to the Islamic causes"
About this Quote
The sentence is built like a funnel. “The vote” is singular and collective, not millions of individual decisions. “Was after all” signals a correction, as if the public’s own interpretation needs tutoring. Then comes the stack of sanctified objects: “Islamic Republic,” “national independence,” “the Constitution,” “Islamic causes.” Each term widens the moral and political stakes, making dissent look like betrayal of the nation, the legal order, and religion all at once.
Context matters: in the Islamic Republic, elections are real events but bounded ones, shaped by vetting, state media, and the Supreme Leader’s overarching authority. In that environment, “free atmosphere” is less a description than a claim to international and domestic credibility. The subtext is a warning wrapped in reassurance: you may vote, you may have “parties,” but the meaning of your vote will be interpreted from above. Participation becomes a ritual that renews the system’s mandate, even when the ballot is used to signal frustration. The phrase “after all” does the quiet coercion, converting messy pluralism into a single, obedient story.
Quote Details
| Topic | Freedom |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Khamenei, Ayatollah. (2026, January 16). The vote, cast in a free atmosphere and with all inclinations and parties at present, was after all a vote to the Islamic Republic, to national independence, to the Constitution and to the Islamic causes. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-vote-cast-in-a-free-atmosphere-and-with-all-119311/
Chicago Style
Khamenei, Ayatollah. "The vote, cast in a free atmosphere and with all inclinations and parties at present, was after all a vote to the Islamic Republic, to national independence, to the Constitution and to the Islamic causes." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-vote-cast-in-a-free-atmosphere-and-with-all-119311/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"The vote, cast in a free atmosphere and with all inclinations and parties at present, was after all a vote to the Islamic Republic, to national independence, to the Constitution and to the Islamic causes." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-vote-cast-in-a-free-atmosphere-and-with-all-119311/. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
