by News Agencies and Israel Hayom Staff
Senior dissident cleric's funeral turns into biggest anti-government protest seen in Iran in years • Mourners call for ayatollah's replacement, political prisoners' release • Protest held as Islamic Republic gears for presidential elections in 10 days.
Demonstrators in Iran on Tuesday
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Photo credit: Screenshot from YouTube  |
The funeral procession of a senior dissident cleric, which took place in Isfahan, Iran, on Tuesday, turned into the biggest anti-government protest seen in years, as tens of thousands of Iranians chanted slogans against the Islamic Republic's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling for "death to the dictator."
According to a BBC report, the protesters also chanted "The political prisoners must freed" and "Mousavi and Karroubi must be freed," referring to the leaders of the reformist green movement who are under house arrest in Tehran.
According to a BBC report, the protesters also chanted "The political prisoners must freed" and "Mousavi and Karroubi must be freed," referring to the leaders of the reformist green movement who are under house arrest in Tehran.
Ayatollah Jalaluddin Taheri, who died at the age of 87, was a major opponent of the hardliners in Iran's government. Taheri resigned from his position as Isfahan's Friday prayers leader in 2002 in protest of the country’s political and economic situation and what he described as "the broken promises of the revolution."
The resignation was ignored by Iran's state-controlled media, but a dissident publication quoted his resignation letter, in which he said he "could not remain silent in light of the tangible realties ... and the suffering of people," and denounced "life-long powers; mafia-type gangs ... that act under the name of religion and authoritarian fascists ... walking up the ladder of religion and riding on the back of political camels."
Isfahan Police did not intervene in the protest, held just 10 days before the country's presidential elections.
The slate of candidates, vetted by Iran's Guardian Council, is dominated by conservatives and hardliners seen as close to Khamenei.
The eight approved candidates included chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, former nuclear negotiator Hassan Rohani, and former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati.
Saeed Jalili, who is seen as the frontrunner in the elections, has been Iran's top nuclear negotiator since 2007. Jalili, 47, began his career as a diplomat in 1991. He has the support of ultraconservative cleric Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, who was previously seen as Ahmadinejad's spiritual mentor.
The council banned two independent contenders, moderate former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Ahmadinejad ally Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie.
News Agencies and Israel Hayom Staff
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=9789
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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