[Editor's Note: On June 12th, Iranians went to the polls to elect their country's next president from among four eligible candidates: incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezai, former majles speaker Mehdi Karroubi, and former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi. Just hours after the polls closed, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was certified as the winner by Iran's Interior Ministry with an astonishing 63 percent of the vote, leading to widespread discontent and an unprecedented outpouring of opposition against the Iranian government in the weeks that have followed. Of this, the most notable - and potentially transformative - have been signs of discontent among Iran's clerical leaders, many of whom have publicly broken with the ruling regime for the first time. What follows is a survey of these emerging fissures.]
The Grand Ayatollah Ali Montazeri, a one-time contender for the post of Iran's Supreme Leader, has issued a scathing critique of the election results and their subsequent handling by the ruling regime. The election outcome, Montazeri has charged, "cannot be accepted by anyone of sound mind - and, based on reliable evidence, substantial alterations have been made in the votes of the people." The Iranian government's behavior, moreover, has jeopardized its legitimacy, Montazeri contends. "The distinction of a powerful government - Islamic or non-Islamic - is its ability to heed both similar and opposing views and, with religious compassion, which is a prerequisite of government, allow all the strata of society, whatever their political beliefs, to participate in the running of the country, instead of totally alienating them and constantly increasing their [the dissidents] number." He concludes: "Since this government is known as a religious government, I fear that the conduct and actions of the officials may ultimately harm the religion and undermine the people's beliefs. (amontazeri.com, June 16, 2009)
Iranian clerics have been sighted participating in anti-government protests. "In a blatant act of defiance, a group of Mullahs took to the streets of Tehran, to protest election results that returned incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power," reports CNN senior Middle East Editor Octavia Nasr. "Whether these clerics voted for Ahmadinejad or one of the opposition candidates is unknown. What is important here, is the decision to march against the will of Iran's supreme leader who called the results final and declared demonstrations illegal." (CNN, June 25, 2009)
Seyed Jalaleddin Taheri, a senior cleric close to the Ayatollah Khomeini who once served as the prayer leader in Isfahan Province, has attacked the leadership of current Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. "Did the imam [Khomeini] allow the public property of Muslims to be used by one candidate without any limits….and has religion given you such permission?" Taheri, an outspoken supporter of presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, has questioned publicly. "Why does the protection of law only apply to you and your friends, and [why] do religion, law and the imam only become dear when you can benefit from them… where does your totalitarianism end?... I thought that in light of the interests of the nation, revolution and country, perhaps the regime's officials would address irregularities that occurred prior to and during the election in a fair and just manner, but it is obvious that officials are not willing to address the fraud and rather intend to suppress the protesters using security and terror tactics." (Tehran Rooz, July 2, 2009)
A prominent gathering of Iranian clerics has spoken out against the reelection of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the regime's ensuing resort to violence. The Association of Researchers and Teachers of Qom, estimated to be the largest group of clergy within the Islamic Republic, has declared in an Internet statement posted on its website that: “Candidates’ complaints and strong evidence of vote-rigging were ignored... Peaceful protests by Iranians were violently oppressed... Dozens of Iranians were killed and hundreds were illegally arrested... The outcome is invalid.” The declaration, one Iran analyst says, is tantamount to "clerical mutiny." (Times of London, July 6, 2009)
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