Ahmadinejad allies charged with sorcery (Witchsmeller Pursuivant Alert)

The Guardian ^ | 5/5/2011 | Saeed Kamali Dehghan

[mojito]

Close allies of Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have been accused of using supernatural powers to further his policies amid an increasingly bitter power struggle between him and the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Several people said to be close to the president and his chief of staff, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, have been arrested in recent days and charged with being "magicians" and invoking djinns (spirits).

Ayandeh, an Iranian news website, described one of the arrested men, Abbas Ghaffari, as "a man with special skills in metaphysics and connections with the unknown worlds".

The arrests come amid a growing rift between Ahmadinejad and Khamenei which has prompted several MPs to call for the president to be impeached.

[mojito]

Meanwhile, back in the 12th century.

[Abin Sur]

The fact that people will believe in things like this in 21st Century never fails to astound me.

[Artemis Webb]

He turned me into a newt!

[a fool in paradise]

[a fool in paradise]

[married21]

Any Wiccans care to comment?

[The_Reader_David]

Sounds more 8th century to me: bogus witchcraft charges were brought against St. John of Damascus by his political enemies in the court of the Caliph of Damascus. (It was one of those eras when Muslim rulers cared more for power, and therefore competence on the part of subordinates, than for Islam, so St. John was, for a while, the Grand Vizier.) He was accused of killing another Christian monk by witchcraft, which charge he rebutted by getting the monk to leave seclusion and come to the court.

[ccmay]

Awesome, a witch hunt hundreds of years after they were abandoned everywhere else except Africa. Full of win!

[mas cerveza por favor]

[JoeProBono]

[Anti-Bubba182]

The outhouse rats are turning on each other. They are a bunch of superstitious savages.

[mountainlion]

Has he made any public appearances lately? I think he was assisted.

[Argus]

Abbas Ghaffari, "a man with special skills in metaphysics and connections with the unknown worlds"

They caught him red-handed watching a bootleg Harry Potter DVD.

[mojito]

Oddly enough, the arrested fellow seems to have a page at LinkedIn:

Abbas Ghaffari - Out of your network
Expert and a Member of Scientific board at Ministry of Jihad-e-Agriculture
Demographic info
Iran | Machinery

http://www.linkedin.com/search/fpsearch?fname=Abbas&lname=Ghaffari&keepFacets=Y&facet_G=ir%3A0&pplSearchOrigin=TSEO_SN&trk=TSEO_SN

What a lovely mix: Jihad and agriculture. These are strange times indeed.

[lonevoice]

Eegads, these people are a billion man bunch of anachronistic weirdos!

[kenavi]

Did you send him an invitation?

[mojito]

I didn’t, only because he seems indisposed at the moment.

[mas cerveza por favor]

[Robert357]

Just when you think that middle east politics can't get any more unbelievable, you read this story.

Maybe Charlie Sheen (the warlock?) can get a job over in Iran, after all if he is half as powerful as he claims to be he could certainly tip the balance of power.

[Abin Sur]

There is no such thing as “good magic.”

I agree...because there's no such thing as magic, period.

[Abin Sur]

Do you believe in the Scriptures?

No.

[MissDairyGoodnessVT]

well they have to find SOMETHING so they can impeach Ahmadjinejad......lol

[Ronin]

I’m not so sure about that. I personally have seen some things and experienced things that have no logical explanation.

But, for the most part, I think you’re right. People that call themselves magicians or wizards are usually just con artists.

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

[Cvengr]

People in the 21st century might be wise to not ignore such possible existence in the future.

Rev 9:13-16
(13) And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
(14) Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
(15) And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
(16) And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.

[Slings and Arrows]

o/~ I put a spell on you... o/~

[Darksheare]

We’ll give ‘em my coffee and call it a day.

[ZX12R]

I agree...because there's no such thing as magic, period.

I have an Abin Sur voodoo doll, and I'm sticking a pin in it's head. Do you feel anything?

[Slings and Arrows]

Black magic, coming right up.

[Allegra]

Djinns??

OH NOES!!!

[aruanan]

Genies can pop their own corks?

[TheOldLady]

Here’s hoping that they put all their trust and confidence in magic and djinns to defeat us. I’d pay good money to see that.

[Slings and Arrows]

Evil spirits and potions - our enemy is fighting with djinn and tonics.

[TheOldLady]

*snort* giggle LOL!

Here’s hoping that they keep it that way. ;-)

[gonzo]

"...Several people said to be close to the president and his chief of staff, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, have been arrested in recent days and charged with being "magicians" and invoking djinns (spirits).

Ayandeh, an Iranian news website, described one of the arrested men, Abbas Ghaffari, as "a man with special skills in metaphysics and connections with the unknown worlds"..."

WHAT???

There is a reason that G_D gave the Atomic Bomb to the USA first! ..................................................................... FRegards

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks mojito.

• Ahmadinejad's allies arrested for "using black magic" to keep leader in power

[a fool in paradise]

Genies can pop their own corks?

They can go blind that way.

[Slings and Arrows]

*snicker*