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Dissident senior cleric dies in Iran

youknowwho

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source: Dissident senior cleric dies in Iran - CNN.com

Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Senior Iranian dissident cleric Grand Ayatollah Hussein Ali Montazeri died overnight, several state-run Iranian news agencies reported Sunday.

His son, Ahmad, told the semi-official Iranian Labor News Agency that his 87-year-old father, who was suffering from an illness, passed away late on Saturday at his home in the Iranian holy city of Qom.

Montazeri -- a key figure in Iran's Islamic Revolution 30 years ago -- was perhaps the most prominent cleric who publicly criticized the presidential elections last June that returned hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the presidency.

On his Web site, Montazeri described the street protests that followed the polling as a challenge to the "very legitimacy of the Islamic Republic."

green movement just lost one of his great supporters. but also, this creates a good opportunity to get people to the streets once again. now the government's reaction can decide the future. considering the deep hatred Khamenei and his followers had for Montazeri, it's expected that they commit another mistake and make opposition stronger by insulting Montazeri after his death and disrupting his funeral. something that seems to be already started.
 
source: Dissident senior cleric dies in Iran - CNN.com



green movement just lost one of his great supporters. but also, this creates a good opportunity to get people to the streets once again. now the government's reaction can decide the future. considering the deep hatred Khamenei and his followers had for Montazeri, it's expected that they commit another mistake and make opposition stronger by insulting Montazeri after his death and disrupting his funeral. something that seems to be already started.

I don't know if Khamenei is quite that stupid. From what I understand, Montazeri is revered by Iranians of all political ideologies...insulting him would be the equivalent of an American politician insulting Martin Luther King.

EDIT: Actually now that I think about it, he might indeed be that stupid. The freak show Khamenei put on for the world's media last summer was not the action of a man who carefully analyzed the consequences of his actions.
 
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I don't know if Khamenei is quite that stupid. From what I understand, Montazeri is revered by Iranians of all political ideologies...insulting him would be the equivalent of an American politician insulting Martin Luther King.

EDIT: Actually now that I think about it, he might indeed be that stupid. The freak show Khamenei put on for the world's media last summer was not the action of a man who carefully analyzed the consequences of his actions.

their first strategy on every issue is to oppress and eradicate.

Iran regime on alert following death of dissident cleric Montazeri | World news | The Guardian

The regime's nervousness was evident from official pronouncements. The state news agency, Irna, announced Montazeri's death while omitting his official title of grand ayatollah, while the culture and Islamic guidance ministry told newspapers to stress his disagreements with Khomeini and ignore his political views.

they are already trying to insult and degrade him. just because he openly disagreed with them on many issues when no one had the guts to do that.
 
they're animals. they know nothing of human decency.

About 100 members of the pro-government Basij militia attacked the house of the late ayatollah and tore up a banner displaying his portrait, his son Saeed Montazeri said in a telephone interview from Qom.

"They attacked, they lost all control," Montazeri said, calling from the house. "They started to throw stones at people and tore down the mourning banner of my father."

Tens of thousands attend funeral of Iranian opposition cleric - washingtonpost.com
 
This was sarcasm, right?

nope. Obama has chosen the smartest approach regarding Iranian movement so far. any intervention in this issue would have justified Iranian government's claims that the movement is supported by foreign sources.
 
youknowwho said:
nope. Obama has chosen the smartest approach regarding Iranian movement so far. any intervention in this issue would have justified Iranian government's claims that the movement is supported by foreign sources.

I was more put off by the "this means a lot to the Iranian people" statement. Iranians aren't particularly friendly towards the US government (for good reason), so I fail to see how such an act would "mean a lot" to them.
 
I was more put off by the "this means a lot to the Iranian people" statement. Iranians aren't particularly friendly towards the US government (for good reason), so I fail to see how such an act would "mean a lot" to them.

Iranian government is against US. majority of the population now support friendly relationships with Western powers including US. in fact, it does mean a lot to Iranian people.
 
Wasn't that dude part of the gang that took 52 American hostages back in the 70's?

Good riddance.

One down.... how many's left? :confused:
 
green movement just lost one of his great supporters. but also, this creates a good opportunity to get people to the streets once again. now the government's reaction can decide the future. considering the deep hatred Khamenei and his followers had for Montazeri, it's expected that they commit another mistake and make opposition stronger by insulting Montazeri after his death and disrupting his funeral. something that seems to be already started.

Be safe, dear heart.
 
Wasn't that dude part of the gang that took 52 American hostages back in the 70's?

Good riddance.

One down.... how many's left? :confused:

That's actually a short-sighted perspective. He actually came out against the 1979 revolution in the past couple of years, and was one of the staunchest supporters of the pro-democracy movement in Iran. While the Iranian government (Khameini and Ahamdinejad) are hostile towards the U.S., the people of Iran tend to express the desire for friendly relations between the two countries. It's a huge loss to pro-democracy supporters in Iran, but, as YKW has stated, another opportunity to take to the streets and protest the current regime.
 
That's actually a short-sighted perspective. He actually came out against the 1979 revolution in the past couple of years, and was one of the staunchest supporters of the pro-democracy movement in Iran. While the Iranian government (Khameini and Ahamdinejad) are hostile towards the U.S., the people of Iran tend to express the desire for friendly relations between the two countries. It's a huge loss to pro-democracy supporters in Iran, but, as YKW has stated, another opportunity to take to the streets and protest the current regime.

Perhaps. I am the first to admit that I don't really keep up with who is filpping and who is flopping in Iran.

All I know is that I still have a "f*** you" in my pocket for Iran and most likely will, for the rest of my life. Myself, I'd nuke 'em all and let Allah sort 'em out but I digress.

Good news is, people like me, from that time era, most likely will be gone in 20 to 25 years and then America can pretend like it never happened and join in a thunderous chorus of Kumbaya. :rofl
 
Perhaps. I am the first to admit that I don't really keep up with who is filpping and who is flopping in Iran.

All I know is that I still have a "f*** you" in my pocket for Iran and most likely will, for the rest of my life. Myself, I'd nuke 'em all and let Allah sort 'em out but I digress.

Good news is, people like me, from that time era, most likely will be gone in 20 to 25 years and then America can pretend like it never happened and join in a thunderous chorus of Kumbaya. :rofl

people like you are already a minority in US. that's why Obama is the president of USA right now. :2wave:
 
Good news is, people like me, from that time era, most likely will be gone in 20 to 25 years and then America can pretend like it never happened and join in a thunderous chorus of Kumbaya. :rofl

We have at least one poster on this board who is Iranian, and has caused me to reconsider many of my previous biases against Iran.
 
We have at least one poster on this board who is Iranian, and has caused me to reconsider many of my previous biases against Iran.

I hear ya. I used to dog out the G.O.I. (Israel) for their arrogance, non-stop land grabbing and de-humanization of Palestianians until I met Tashah. Since then, it's been like...schwing!!!! =======)
 
he had an illnes for five years and his opinions were sent by his son not himself.
 
he had an illnes for five years and his opinions were sent by his son not himself.

So why was he under house arrest?

Obama has played this one the only sensible way he can. The absolute priority for democrats has to be that the people of every tyranny will take power and win their freedom. Iran is a complicated place. Its people had ample justification for mistrust against the British and the USA whose client rulers denied freedom and liberty to the Iranian people. This led to excesses, of that there can be bo doubt, and power for a group of reactionary medievalists in the ruling elite.

But Iran is also a place with some democratic tradition and it people have the instinct to recognize a tyrant. Iran has a massive proportion of young people. They are highly educated and ready to seize their own liberty and rights. Everything should be done to support and encourage them, without it being seen like a Western intervention or manipulation of the Iranian dissident movement. On that score Obama's interventions have been controlled and measured, a strong statement of the principles of liberal democracy. We must walk the line between support for dissent and rebellion without provoking a nationalist anti-Western backlash.

A democratic Iran, changed by its own people into a secular muslim state like Turkey, would be a great outcome for everyone. This will not be achieved by a war with Iran, which should only be launched where there is a definite credible threat. Let the Iranian people shine and sweep away these troglodytes instead.
 
people like you are already a minority in US. that's why Obama is the president of USA right now. :2wave:

I think you're right. Most Americans have no idea about the Iranian Hostage Crisis, or the president at the time... a shade less inept than Obama.

You are right, ignorance and emotion is why Obi-1 was elected. No person with a modicum of knowledge about this country's founding or Obi-1, could pull the lever for "The One We Have Been Waiting For."

It simply shows what an ignorant, emotion charged electorate can accomplish.

.
 
I think you're right. Most Americans have no idea about the Iranian Hostage Crisis, or the president at the time... a shade less inept than Obama.

You are right, ignorance and emotion is why Obi-1 was elected. No person with a modicum of knowledge about this country's founding or Obi-1, could pull the lever for "The One We Have Been Waiting For."

It simply shows what an ignorant, emotion charged electorate can accomplish.

.

Because Obama was responsible for the Iranian hostage crisis?

What drivel this is.

This cleric has renounced his behaviour at the time and come out in favour of a more open polcy with engagement with the West. He was a clear icon for the forces of democracy in Iran and this has been recognized by the USA.

But you and your buddies... well you just carry on trashing the POTUS and ignore the great issues of our times.
 
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