Posted on 12/20/2009 12:03:05 AM PST by BlackVeil
Iran's senior dissident cleric, Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, has died aged 87, official media reported.
Montazeri was an architect of the 1979 Islamic revolution who fell out with the present leadership and was under house arrest for some years.
"Hossein Ali Montazeri passed away in his home last night," the official IRNA news agency said in a report that did not mention his title.
He lived in the holy Shiite Muslim city of Qom, south of Tehran.
In August, he described the clerical establishment as a "dictatorship", saying the authorities' handling of street unrest following a disputed presidential election in June "could lead to the fall of the regime".
All very helpful, and quite consistent with my own amateur views. I like Rubin, as well, though I think I learn something from Ledeen every time I read his stuff. I don’t agree with everything, and indeed have gotten into 2-3 good back-and-forths with him — he is very kind to respond to my posts on his Pajamas Media site. But he strikes me as very thoughtful.
Michael Totten is always a good read, too, and he has a piece out in the last couple of days which talks of how on the Arab street the Iranians are for the first time perceived as a greater menace than the Israelis.
I am one of the few George W Bush fans on the planet, I think. I have always wondered if the restraint Bush showed on Iran was a function of some insider information he had — perhaps that Iran was egregiously overextended for many years and bound to implode eventually. I am hopeful that this is the case, and that we might see regime change without having to intervene militarily.
Shi’ite mourning is done for 40 days. The 40th-day events are usually the largest and most important. Thus, expect big demonstration at the end of January.
That is a very good observation, which I had overlooked. The arabeen for this dissident will draw many people in. The funeral tends to be only a minor event, as they are buried quickly with little pomp.
Remember the trigger for the Tienanmen protests in 1989 was the death of Hu Yaobang, a former Communist Party leader who was a reformer.
The good die young.
The 40th day is when the soul departs this earth and into the heavens, so it is a day of closure for the families and friends.
40 days of mourning or as a time period of the soul being earth bound is to be found in various spiritual beliefs/philosophies, including pagan ones.
Damn, ain’t this a shame.../sarc
Read the latest on this at http://antimullah.com
Here (a shi'ia web site) http://rh61.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/why-40-days-of-mourning-arbaeen-of-imam-hussein-as/ they have another explanation:
Number forty is mystic in Theosophy. According to the Islamic culture if someone practices a good deed constantly during forty days, it would be his inseparable attribute and lead to descending of God's blessing. In some religions forty days and forty nights praying has been special position.
Commemorating of the fortieth day of deeds by their family and giving alms is one of the common custom among some of the Muslims. The fortieth day of Imam Hussein (AS)’s martyrdom is called Arbaeen. In this day Shiites commemorate Imam Hussein's revolution. These forty days are a suitable opportunity for people to develop the love of Hussein (AS) and hate his murderers, in their hearts. Forty consecutive days, from Ashura up to Arbaeen, also is a national ceremony of aversion announcement from oppressors of the history.
and
here (a sunni web site) http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-AAbout_Islam/AskAboutIslamE/AskAboutIslamE&cid=1169972921136 they are talking about “soul” (ruh).
At the time of death, the soul is taken from the body by the Angel of Death. It is later returned to the body once it has been buried. The grave for each of us will either be a pleasant place to wait for Judgment Day, or it may be a terrible place to wait if we were not righteous believers in this life. When Judgment Day comes, Allah will re-create us as He did the first time.
When Moses (AS) prayed forty nights; found the ability to hear the words of God. “And remember when we appointed for Moses forty nights, and (in his absence) you took the calf (for worship), and you were polytheists and wrong-doers.” [Holy Quran1:51]
The holy prophet Muhammad (SW) said: “If someone devotes him only to god forty days; the springs of wisdom found in his words.”
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