The funeral of former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has presented a rare occasion for Iranians to express public resistance.<br /><br /> Huge crowds flocked on to the streets of Tehran to commemorate the former insider and founding member of the revolution whose political allegiances shifted in later life towards the reformists.<br /><br /> Rafsanjani died of a heart attack on Sunday (January 8), at the age of 82.<br /><br /> At the ceremony hosted by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, Rafsanjani’s family members were reportedly pushed back to make way on the front row for supporters of the host, despite a rift between him and the deceased in recent years. Khamenei’s guests were, for the most part, critics – some hardline – of the ex-president.<br /><br /> This didn’t stop some mourners from calling for the release from house arrest of opposition leader and former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi.<br /><br /> Other mourners chanted the name of Rafsanjani’s successor and fellow reformist Mohammed Khatami.<br /><br /> The chants reportedly obliged state television to turn up the background music in an effort to drown out the sound.<br /><br /> Khatami’s name and image are banned in Iranian media and he is said to have been forbidden from attending the funeral.<br /><br /> Moderates in Iran are concerned the balance has now been shifted away from the reformists and fear Rafsanjani’s protege President Hassan Rouhani will suffer when he seeks re-election in May.<br />
