An important group of religious leaders in Iran
called the disputed presidential election
and the new government illegitimate on Saturday
an act of defiance against the country’s supreme leader
and the most public sign of a major split
in the country’s clerical establishment
A statement by the group
the Association of Researchers and Teachers of Qum
represents a significant, if so far symbolic, setback for the government
and especially the authority of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
whose word is supposed to be final
The government has tried to paint the opposition
and its top presidential candidate, Mir Hussein Moussavi
as criminals and traitors, a strategy that now becomes more difficult
Leading Clerics Defy Ayatollah on Disputed Iran Election
Michael Slackman and Nazila Fathi
Authorities today…blocked access to the website
of a pro-reform group of seminary scholars in the holy city of Qom
that has joined other reformist clergy
in sharply criticizing last month's vote
as authorities continued a crackdown
against supporters of failed presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi
who has alleged massive fraud
The Association of Seminary Teachers and Researchers
…posted a message to its website late Saturday
echoing many of Mousavi's criticisms of the Guardian Council
which oversaw and confirmed the vote
No comments:
Post a Comment