Tehran's streets erupt after a key cleric speaks

[Coventina]

Source: Los Angeles Times

Reporting from Tehran and Beirut -- Security forces fired tear gas and plainclothes militiamen armed with batons charged at crowds of protesters gathered near Tehran University after a Friday prayer sermon delivered by the cleric and opposition supporter Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, his first appearance at the nation's weekly keynote sermon since before the election.

Rafsanjani, in a closely watched speech, lashed out at the hard-line camp supporting President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, criticized the June 12 election results and promoted several key opposition demands. However, he failed to offer a solution to what has emerged as Iran's worst political crisis in decades.

His inconclusive speech and the Muslim Sabbath clashes between security forces and supporters of opposition figure Mir-Hossein Mousavi that followed suggested the political firestorm unleashed by the marred vote would continue and that the movement it had inspired was as strong as ever.

"We could have taken our best step in the history of the Islamic revolution had the election not faced problems," he told worshipers in and around Tehran University. "We are in doubt today. Today, we are living bitter conditions due to what happened after the announcement of the election result. All of us have suffered. We need unity more than any time else."


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran-prayer18-2009jul18,0,6890660.story

[Canuckistanian]

1. K&R

Interesting. There still seems to be a major schism even amongst the senior clerics.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. US welcomes call for end to Iran foreign media ban

The United States on Friday welcomed a call from former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani for the lifting of media restrictions imposed in the wake of opposition demonstrations in Iran.

"There are universal principles that we feel are very important here... as Mr Rafsanjani himself reflected today, freedom of the press and the ability of the media to fairly report what is happening there," said State Department spokesman Philip Crowley.

The spokesman carefully avoided making a comment on the ongoing debate over the legitimacy of the disputed Iranian presidential elections, which Rafsanjani and other opposition members believe was rigged in favor of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad.

"You know, obviously, we continue to take stock of what's happening in Iran. This is not for the United States to resolve. This is a debate and a dispute that is going on within Iran," Crowley said.

Clashes in Tehran as Hashemi Rafsanjani warns regime

Iranian riot police used batons and teargas today to break up defiant protests after prayers in Tehran, where Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of the country's most powerful clerics, warned that the regime was "in crisis" and urged a release of prisoners detained in post-election unrest.

Rafsanjani, a bitter rival of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, broke his month-long silence to issue a stark warning that the Islamic Republic had lost popular support. His carefully crafted address stopped short of directly attacking Khamenei or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose victory in June's presidential poll has been widely denounced as a fraud. But its message was still strong.

"Today is a bitter day," Rafsanjani declared from the pulpit at Tehran University's sprawling prayer ground. "People have lost their faith in the regime and their trust is damaged. It's necessary to regain people's consent and restore their trust in the regime. Everyone has lost."

Mir Hossein Mousavi, the moderate former prime minister who says he won the election, sat in the front row with other VIPs as Rafsanjani spoke. Mehdi Karoubi, a reformist cleric who was also a candidate, was there too — and was jostled by thugs afterwards.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/17/iran-hashemi-rafsanjani-islamic-republic

[robcon]

3. Hopefully this is not over.

The protests will continue.

[ohio2007]

4. Iran's Karroubi attacked on way to prayers: website

Defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi was attacked by men in plain-clothes on his way to Friday prayers at Tehran university, the website of his Etemad Melli political party reported.
Etemad Melli quoted Karroubi's son Hossein as saying the reformist cleric was attacked when he got off the car in front of the university.

"When my father got out of the car in front of the university, some plain-clothes forces standing by the door attacked and assaulted him," Hossein said.


"His turban fell. They insulted him using very abusive and outrageous names."

Karroubi, a former parliament speaker, nevertheless attended the weekly prayers, along with Iran's main opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi and thousands of the two men's supporters.



http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.8b44f482e17a75ee461bb25a06cb2ba6.871&show_article=1

[Vidar]

5. Applauding the protesters.

[GoesTo11]

6. Reality check please

So, Rafsanjani is basically calling for Iran to go back to 1979 with the Islamic revolution and himself in the role of Khomeni.

Is it correct that DU feels this would be great for the causes of freedom, democracy, human rights and peace?

Thanks.

[ohio2007]

7. Can you cash the reality check

it is about keeping absolute power in checks and balances the theocratic way


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjQl73UE1Ps&feature=player_embedded

dinner jacket talks about a "mahdi" climbing out of a well some day soon. And he fancies himself the gate keeper

:crazy:

[ohio2007]

8. basijis interview with american TV (11 min video)

basijis interview with american TV
video;
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=aaf_1248203190

posters comment ;


some funny points out there
I was in iran-Iraq War and lost both of my feet in there
however , those basiji's that i knew were not after money or shooting their own people in heart . they were defending their country against Saddam . these little kiddies are way more stupid to know and feel what they meant to do and what they did .
Khomeyni urged students to join Basij in 1980 and they used them More.. to clear mine fields , instructions were " walk through the field and mark wherever you step on , if you survive , your brothers will follow you " that was fucked up man

basijis Irans cultural cops.
aka
the mullahs brown shirts.

But they seem like a nice bunch....just don't blaspheme their alla and you might be all right.

[ohio2007]

9. Preparing the green scroll for 25 July in Paris ( Did you remember to wear green ?

Seems its become a "beating a dead horse" subject

Preparing the green scroll for 25 July in Paris

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTtUiYEC2Y4

on edit;
think of it as another St. Patricks day with plenty of fighting
but
without the beer