I can see why he would think that liberty and democracy are “just a way of spreading immorality.” After all, there is plenty of immorality in the West. But he probably subscribes to the Ayatollah Khomeini’s view that “whatever good there is exists thanks to the sword and in the shadow of the sword! People cannot be made obedient except with the sword!” In fact, however, this may be “good,” but it is not virtue. In the West there is immorality, yes, but there is also virtue that, because it is not coerced, is genuine in a way that virtue arising from force and fear can never be. The Ayatollah Shirazi is condemning liberty when it is an indispensable prerequisite for any genuine virtue.
“Iran: Liberty and Democracy ‘Satan’s Tool’ Says Top Cleric,” from AKI, :
Qom, 11 Oct. (AKI) – Iran’s Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi – one of the current hardline government’s key reference points – has described Western values such as freedom and democracy as “the instruments of Satan.” Addressing the faithful in the holy Iranian city of Qom, he said: “The devil presents himself in many forms, and employs every means to convey his message. He uses each concept such as liberty and democracy to achieve his plans.”
“Only in appearance have human rights been invented to safeguard the rights of the people. In actual fact, they are just a way of spreading immorality,” the revered cleric added.