The statement by the Association of Researchers and Teachers of Qom is an act of defiance against the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has made clear he will tolerate no further challenges to Mr Ahmadinejad’s “victory” over Mir Hossein Mousavi.
“It’s a clerical mutiny,” said one Iranian analyst. “This is the first time ever you have all these big clerics openly challenging the leader’s decision.” Another, in Tehran, said: “We are seeing the birth of a new political front.”
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8 comments:
" After 6/12, we Iranians are all Mousavis now, even those who voted for Ahmadinejad, whether they know it yet or not.
This is excellent news! The legitimacy of the regime is being directly challenged by Iran's most respected religious scholars. Khamenei can't possibly order the arrest of all these men. This should give Rafsanjani much more backing with the Assembly of Experts to have Khanenei demoted or replaced.
Well, i really don't have any hopes in Hashemi!
He too is just as criminal as khamenei!
The both of them are dangerous creatures!
Naj, I have heard that Rafsanjani is the richest man in Iran and that many Iranians see him as being very corrupt. But, he ran for President against Ahmadinejad promising reforms. Then he supported Mousavi in the recent election. Maybe Iranians are justified in being suspicious of Rafsanjani's motivations, but are they really all bad? Do you think that Rafsanjani supports Mousavi only because he thinks he can make more money if Mousavi is President?
I have been involved locally (Minneapolis) with the Iranian community here, in the struggle for democracy. It has been the most meaningful political work, I've done for awhile.
My group has met opposition, from some on the left, who have a bipolar worldview, and think Iran's government is anti-imperialist, and shouldn't be criticized.
Very interesting post.
David,
My opposition to Hashemi is not because of his wealth! His financial corruption is somewhat of a myth! But in being a power-greedy man, he is an excellent match for Khamenei. My opposition to him is because he, like Khamenei has blood on his hands.
He is only more overtly pro-western, and yes he has always been more 'liberal' very well recognizing that capitalism and liberalism go hand in hand! The former, he is also openly advocating!
Now, most of you know more about Iranian culture than I do as an outsider, but I found this at The Daily Star and thought I'd throw it out there to get your perspectives on it: "The authority of the rahbar goes against the traditional system through which Shiite society chooses its leader." (as quoted in http://www.newsy.com/videos/iran_s_power_struggle)
If this is so, wouldn't it throw the rahbar's authority into some question?
Daniel, yes it is correct!
In Islam "election" is an important process. In the early days of Islam, Imam Ali, who was the cousin and the son-in-law of prophet Mohammad had to wait for quite a while before he took over the governance of the Islamic ummah; because he didn't have enough votes in the early stage!
It is also correct that the concept of "rahbar" was not one of the principles of the Islamic Republic's initial constitution (on which a referendum was held)
To be accurate, the IRI threw the "republic" out of the door maybe in the second year after the revolution when it 1) introduced the concept of "vali-e Faghih", and second when it overthrew a democratically elected president, Bani Sadr!
At that time, Khomeini said something like "even if 35 million say yes, I say no". Basically, khomeini's attitude (and I am quoting) "I slap this government; I decide teh course of this government."
Many Iranian revolutionaries were disillusioned very early on with this revolution having gone awry! I find it very ironic that many of those who helped over throw Bani Sadr, are now threatened by the principles they set in place themselves!
There IS justice!
The report is also correct that the protest of this particular group of clerics is symbolic and that they do not hold any real power. But the real power of these gran ayatollah's is in the heart of those supposedly "rural masses" who have "supposedly" voted for Ahmadinejad!
Ahmadinejad CANNOT step over those, UNLESS he declares that he wants to establish a secular government!!! If he does that, then again the Iranians who are protesting today have reached their objective!! It's a really ironic and paradoxical situation!
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