Iranian Voices Continue to Be Heard -- Despite Repression
Despite threats of beatings and imprisonment, the Iranian opposition remains in place. It may have scaled back its efforts, but it hasn't disappeared. Today, in Teheran, the leading clerical opponent of the current regime, Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, gave the sermon at Friday Prayers. Though not televised, it was heard on state radio.
Rafsanjani is a careful politician, and while he kept the tone moderate, never calling out the Supreme Leader, he did criticize the Guardian Council and the Government for their handling of the election and for sowing seeds of discord and unrest -- placing the onus on Ahmadinejad rather than the opposition -- due to the election results. He called for unity, for sympathy for the opposition, release of prisoners, and a relaxing of suppression of the press. In the audience was the leading opposition leader, Mir Hussein Mousavi.
Outside thousands of opposition supporters rallied -- they were also attacked by militia and riot police using batons, tear gas, and maybe more.
So, what does this say? It says that Iran remains in a very tense and transitional place. The hardliners are hunkering down, doing whatever they can to stamp out opposition, but the opposition isn't going away. And so we continue watching, hoping for change and openness. Hoping that the Republic part of the equation doesn't get lost -- knowing that Ahmadinejad is part of a movement to rid Iran of democracy.
Rafsanjani is a careful politician, and while he kept the tone moderate, never calling out the Supreme Leader, he did criticize the Guardian Council and the Government for their handling of the election and for sowing seeds of discord and unrest -- placing the onus on Ahmadinejad rather than the opposition -- due to the election results. He called for unity, for sympathy for the opposition, release of prisoners, and a relaxing of suppression of the press. In the audience was the leading opposition leader, Mir Hussein Mousavi.
Outside thousands of opposition supporters rallied -- they were also attacked by militia and riot police using batons, tear gas, and maybe more.
So, what does this say? It says that Iran remains in a very tense and transitional place. The hardliners are hunkering down, doing whatever they can to stamp out opposition, but the opposition isn't going away. And so we continue watching, hoping for change and openness. Hoping that the Republic part of the equation doesn't get lost -- knowing that Ahmadinejad is part of a movement to rid Iran of democracy.
Comments