Iran's Green Movement Lives (Amir Taheri)

WSJ ^ | Amir Taheri

[nuconvert]

-Excerpt-

The Iranian opposition consists of a wide variety of parties and groups with different ideologies and goals. Messrs. Khatami, Mousavi and Karroubi miss few opportunities to declare that they are not seeking regime change but change within the regime. They claim that Mr. Ahmadinejad has abandoned "the true teachings" of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who founded the Islamic Republic in 1979.

The trio are often labelled "reformists" although they have not indicated a single reform they plan to introduce. Their main threat is that, unless they are allowed to form political parties, they will boycott the coming Majlis elections this summer.

-excerpt-

A third group, however, appears to have concluded that only regime change can save Iran from national catastrophe. Here we find people like former Deputy Interior Minister Mostafa Tajzadeh and former Majlis member Mohsen Armin.

Significantly, some of the strongest voices for regime change come from the clergy. Grand Ayatollahs Hassan Sanei and Asadollah Bayat have declared the regime's founding principle of wilayat al-faqih (clerical rule) to be "contrary to Islam." They have called for "a new constitution in which the people exercise the power that Allah gives human beings to manage earthly affairs."

[Happy Rain]

So this is all about just who gets to prepare the way for the 12th Imam and his Caliphate?

Islam is the only faith where reason is punishable by death..

[RoadTest]

All of the -isms and -ologies, if given enough rope, eventually resolve themselves into an orgy of raw power and self-destruct.

[odds]

>>>>”The trio are often labelled “reformists” although they have not indicated a single reform they plan to introduce. Their main threat is that, unless they are allowed to form political parties, they will boycott the coming Majlis elections this summer. “<<<<

Not entirely true. Moussavi had a five point “reform” plan, for starters, which included more than “allowing to form political parties”.

• Mousavi called for the administration to be publicly held accountable but it was not clear if he was referring to some sort of a public inquiry.
• He asked for new legislation that provides clear election laws that make the process transparent and fair.
• The release of all political prisoners.
• Restoration of freedom of the press and the lifting of a ban on media shut down by the government. “The fear of free media should be eliminated and the international experience in this matter should be considered,” he said.
• Restore the right to legal demonstrations, formation of political parties in accordance with article 27 of the Iranian constitution.

http://www.vancouverite.com/2010/01/01/mir-hossein-mousavi-not-afraid-to-die-for-freedom/

>>>>”Significantly, some of the strongest voices for regime change come from the clergy. Grand Ayatollahs Hassan Sanei and Asadollah Bayat have declared the regime’s founding principle of wilayat al-faqih (clerical rule) to be “contrary to Islam.” They have called for “a new constitution in which the people exercise the power that Allah gives human beings to manage earthly affairs.”<<<<

Mr Taheri is getting his Ayatollahs confused.

Ayatollah Hassan Sanei is a member of the Expediency Discernment Council in the mullahs’ regime. He was also the one who offered the original reward for killing Mr Rushdie (for Rushdie’s book the Satanic Verses) & has said that the offer still stands.

It is Ayatollah YOUSEF Sanei, who is the so-called ‘liberal’ ayatollah.

As for Asadollah Bayat-Zanjani, he is another so-called ‘liberal’ mullah, but still an Islamist. Incidentally he supported Mousavi, and questioned the legitimacy of Ahmadinejad post-election in 2009.

In summary, they are ALL part & parcel of the Islamic Republic, do Not want “regime change”, but prefer a so-called “Islamic Democracy”, and are responsible for the present mullahs’ regime & their atrocities in Iran since the inception of the Islamic Republic – “wilayat al-faqih” or not.

Also, it is interesting how Taheri spells “velayate_e faqih” as an Arab would in Arabic rather than in Perso-Arabic.

[Valin]

Bump