Cleric Wields Religion to Challenge Iran's Theocracy

News Type: Event — Seeded on Sat Nov 21, 2009 1:34 PM EST

Article Source: The New York Times

Ayatollah Montazeri has emerged as the spiritual leader of the opposition, an adversary the state has been unable to silence or jail because of his religious credentials and seminal role in the founding of the republic.

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{"commentId":10817599,"authorDomain":"jcatom"}

JCAtom

He is widely regarded as the most knowledgeable religious scholar in Iran and once expected to become the country’s supreme leader until a falling-out with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the 1979 revolution and Iran’s supreme leader until his death in 1989.

Now, as the Iranian government has cracked down to suppress the protests that erupted after Iran’s presidential election in June, Ayatollah Montazeri uses religion to attack the government’s legitimacy.

{"commentId":10817599,"threadId":"729955","contentId":"3528641","authorDomain":"jcatom"}

3 votes

#1 - Sat Nov 21, 2009 1:35 PM EST

{"commentId":10818402,"authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

Synthesis

Montazeri's opposition to the regime is the surest sign of its illegitimacy, countering those who have their suspicions regarding the motives of Mousavi and Rafsanjani.

{"commentId":10818402,"threadId":"729955","contentId":"3528641","authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

4 votes

#2 - Sat Nov 21, 2009 2:41 PM EST

{"commentId":10818910,"authorDomain":"alwaypwns"}

Alway

Sounds to me like the world would be a better place if there were more religious leaders like him in it.

{"commentId":10818910,"threadId":"729955","contentId":"3528641","authorDomain":"alwaypwns"}

2 votes

#3 - Sat Nov 21, 2009 3:19 PM EST

{"commentId":10820005,"authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

Synthesis

I have always felt a world without any religious leaders would be best. A world in which we have our own personal relationship with the godhead (however each of us chooses to define that) would, I suspect, be a world with far less grounds for strife.

But if you have to have religious leaders, you could do worse than to have ones with the Ayatollah Montazeri's courage and convictions.

{"commentId":10820005,"threadId":"729955","contentId":"3528641","authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

3 votes

#3.1 - Sat Nov 21, 2009 4:41 PM EST

{"commentId":10821624,"authorDomain":"josh-ellious"}

Josh-304951

The world would be a better place if people woke up from their religious delusions and met life on its own terms.

{"commentId":10821624,"threadId":"729955","contentId":"3528641","authorDomain":"josh-ellious"}

3 votes

#3.2 - Sat Nov 21, 2009 6:43 PM EST

{"commentId":10821041,"authorDomain":"blessed-isles"}

Briwnys

"A political system based on force, oppression, changing people's votes, killing, closure, arresting and using Stalinist and medieval torture, creating repression, censorship of newspapers, interruption of the means of mass communications, jailing the enlightened and the elite of society for false reasons, and forcing them to make false confessions in jail, is condemned and illegitimate," he said in one of a flurry of written comments posted on Web sites since the election.

{"commentId":10821041,"threadId":"729955","contentId":"3528641","authorDomain":"blessed-isles"}

2 votes

#4 - Sat Nov 21, 2009 5:57 PM EST

{"commentId":10826726,"authorDomain":"bobnelsonfrance"}

Bob Nelson.

My goodness!

Does this mean that the ayatollahs aren't a monolithic block of evil?

Oh!

{"commentId":10826726,"threadId":"729955","contentId":"3528641","authorDomain":"bobnelsonfrance"}

3 votes

#5 - Sun Nov 22, 2009 2:27 AM EST

{"commentId":10827287,"authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

Synthesis

Yeah, I know. Amazing what you can find out when you get your information from other sources besides rabid anti-Islam sources, isn't it?

{"commentId":10827287,"threadId":"729955","contentId":"3528641","authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

3 votes

#5.1 - Sun Nov 22, 2009 4:37 AM EST

{"commentId":10829314,"authorDomain":"blessed-isles"}

Briwnys

The people of Iran who oppose the illegitimate regime of Ahmadinejad, including Ayatollah Montazeri, are some of the bravest and most beautiful souls it has been my privilege to know. We should never forget that Ahmadinejad was selected by Khamenei, not elected by the people. The opposition needs our support. They need to know they are not alone.

{"commentId":10829314,"threadId":"729955","contentId":"3528641","authorDomain":"blessed-isles"}

3 votes

#5.2 - Sun Nov 22, 2009 10:13 AM EST

{"commentId":10829841,"authorDomain":"Socrates1"}

Socrates1

Certainly an interesting and welcome response to the Islamic wave of terror in Iran. Perhaps others can learn the lesson of Centralized thought and power.

{"commentId":10829841,"threadId":"729955","contentId":"3528641","authorDomain":"Socrates1"}

2 votes

#6 - Sun Nov 22, 2009 10:56 AM EST

{"commentId":10831246,"authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

Synthesis

Perhaps others can learn the lesson of Centralized thought and power.

Like those who voted for and supported the Patriot Act, or who are agitating against the separation of church and state in the U.S.....

{"commentId":10831246,"threadId":"729955","contentId":"3528641","authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

1 vote

#6.1 - Sun Nov 22, 2009 12:33 PM EST

{"commentId":10836827,"authorDomain":"Socrates1"}

Socrates1

Wow, we agree. You understand the danger.

{"commentId":10836827,"threadId":"729955","contentId":"3528641","authorDomain":"Socrates1"}

1 vote

#6.2 - Sun Nov 22, 2009 7:45 PM EST

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JCATOM

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Cleric Wields Religion to Challenge Iran's Theocracy

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