Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s declaration that God once spoke through him has sparked a wave of controversy, with critics labeling the claim as blasphemous and indicative of a despotic attitude.

“The Almighty God was speaking! In fact, it was my tongue, but it was God’s words; it was a very extraordinary session,” Khamenei remarked, emphasizing the significant impact of the event. Such claims have been met with sharp criticism on Iranian social media, with many calling into question Khamenei’s adherence to Islamic teachings.

The controversy stems from the core Islamic belief that God’s final communication was with the Prophet Mohammed, a tenet that is not to be contravened according to Shiite oral traditions. Khamenei’s assertion has thus been seen by some as an affront to these fundamental religious principles.

Faraj Sarkouhi, an exiled Iranian literary critic and political commentator, has characterized Khamenei’s claim as a reflection of “Megalomania, self-centeredness, self-deification, claiming to be a prophet or the voice of God, a sense of exceptional wisdom, and extreme narcissism,” qualities he attributes to despots nearing the end of their reigns.

Amidst the resulting uproar, social media users have pointed out the hypocrisy within the Iranian legal framework, highlighting that if an ordinary citizen had made such a statement, they would have faced execution for a plethora of charges, including blasphemy and insulting religious sanctities. This underscores the disparity in how theocratic laws are applied within the country, depending on one’s status.