- 21 December 2009
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- 11 Comments
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- Events in Iran, Human Rights in Iran
Opposition clashes with government at Grand Ayatollah Montazeri’s funeral
21 December 2009 Posted By NIAC
The BBC is reporting that clashes have taken place between members of the opposition and the government in wake of the funeral of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, who passed away on Sunday, khoda biamorz. “Tens of thousands” reportedly joined the procession through the streets of Qom as the leading dissident cleric was finally laid to rest. Here’s more:
The reformist Jaras website said mourners chanted slogans in support of the cleric and also of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi.
Mr Mousavi took part in the procession, along with fellow opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi.
Another site, Rahesabz.net, said some members of the hardline pro-government faction Ansar Hezbollah tried to stop chanting in the crowd, but left “after clashing with some people”.
Many mourners were carrying green banners or wearing green – the colour of Iran’s opposition.
Footage broadcast on the internet showed crowds chanting against Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling him a “murderer” and saying his rule was illegitimate.
Other video showed thousands of mourners marching in Montazeri’s hometown of Najafabad, near the central city of Isfahan.
They beat their chests and chanted: “Oppressed Montazeri, you are with God now.”
While the government knows it cannot stop the funeral and mourning period from taking place, they have reportedly restricted the media and the movement of people even more.
Leading up to the funeral, buses carrying mourners were stopped and some passengers reportedly arrested.
The Jaras website said one of Montazeri’s students, Ahmad Qabel, had been detained on his way to the funeral.
Meanwhile, the BBC says fresh attempts have been made to jam its Persian television service to Iran.
Persistent interference started on Sunday shortly after the channel began coverage of the grand ayatollah’s death, the corporation said.
The Grand Ayatollah’s passing is a major loss for those seeking human rights and greater civil liberties in Iran. He will be missed.
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11 Responses to “Opposition clashes with government at Grand Ayatollah Montazeri’s funeral”
This video shows the immense size of the crowd in Qom:
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-372784
Look at the crowd!
http://files.posterous.com/onlymehdi/lazMzCtGjIvvGibRR9AuGBqpG9ZsotUcNmytw8gP9bXfC7vnkDWtyhOkQQ7h/13555_102764633079767_10000038.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=1C9REJR1EMRZ83Q7QRG2&Expires=1261440982&Signature=Lvv3wjAIh%2BBdPe1KBq5cZK6I6dg%3D
The ball is rolling now. There is no stopping it. These thieves, murders, rapists, and charlatans will get theirs in this life and the next.
Well, the crowd was indicative of the passing away of a Grand Ayatolloh. That said, the Green Movement was able to mobilize and capitalize on the passing away of Montazeri (unlike when he was alive.) Mousavi and Karoubi were on the scene, evidently uncontested by any official means of denial. And the IRIPF appeared to allow the assemblage and procession to take place unhindered.
To the many commenters who are cheerleading the imminent demise of the IRI, I’ve just one question for y’all: how exactly do you envision such a thing actually taking place? Keep in mind, the IRGC has yet to even mobilize in a street response. And Green representation (or sympathy) in the government can be considered negligible. So what means are available to the Greens? Do you honestly think that incidental (illegal) assemblies held on widely spaced state events or incidental occurrences will actually bring about the downfall of a nation? Absurd. Before that would happen, government would provide for a wider spectrum of representation, or more likely a street mobilization by the IRGC (martial law)would take place- which is not in any way imminent, given the relative lack of strength by the Greens so far. Now that could change; anything is possible. Just don’t hold your breath…
“Mousavi and Karoubi were on the scene, evidently uncontested by any official means of denial.”
Just to point out your most absurd point, you know Mousavi’s car was attacked and one of his bodyguards injured by government security forces, right??
Pirouz,
Do you honestly think the IRGC or even artesh is going to mobilize and fight the civilian population with tanks and heavy guns? Some of the self-righteous may be delusional, but I’m sure many understand the reality and consequences of deploying soldiers within the context of history. You obviously do not remember before the downfall of the shah, when the people held ‘illegal’ assemblies, marshal law was declared, soldiers were deployed and civilians were killed. We saw how that played out at the end.
However, I give the leadership too much credit. They will more than likely repeat history. Soldiers will be deployed. Civilians killed. Soldiers defect. People will rise. And another king will fall. But it will be the arrogance and confidence of the “Islamic” republic and their well-paid supporters which will lead to their ultimate downfall. And they will fall harder than the Shah.
After the smoke clears, the criminals will be held accountable. And the hypocrites and opportunists that cheered the oppression from the comfort of free and democratic countries will be out in the open.
Pirouz, you are something else brother. First you claim this would be a good gauge of the opposition’s ability to coordinate and mobilize, and then when, by almost all accounts, a huge crowd comes out to show their support for one of the biggest critics of the government, you credit the government for “allowing the procession to take place unhindered”, a claim whose absurdity has been already been pointed out by others, but deserves repeating. As John pointed out, Mousavi’s car was attacked. The government forces closed the main highway between Tehran and Qom, disrupted Internet access, and several senior opposition leaders were arrested on their way to the procession. Despite the government’s efforts, “huge crowds, wearing opposition green and waving green ribbons and flags, surged through the conservative heart of Iran as Ayatollah Montazeri’s funeral galvanized a protest movement that has refused to wither despite six months of repression.”[1]
I agree that this movement is a long way from a revolution, but I also think that it is clearly moving (and accelerating) in that direction.
Your unusual hesitation to give credit to the Green movement when it is so obviously deserved, and your increasingly far-fetched rationalization to give credit to Iran’s repressive government, leaves any reasonable observers to question your intentions. If you support the government, or you just don’t support the opposition movement, then come out and say it, and provide your reasons. But hiding behind claims that you voted Green and support the opposition movement seems, to any reasonable observer, to be a very poor ruse.
[1] Montazeri’s death moves Iranian crisis from Tehran to holy city. http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/story.html?id=2368673
Dear Iranian-American,
While we’re on the subject of a “very poor ruse”, I wanted to bring to your attention that a certain individual calling himself “Sargord Pirouz” has recently appeared on Iranian.com and has been posting comments that are eerily similar in content and tone to those of the ever irrepressible Pirouz. “Sargord Pirouz” claims to be an officer in the IRGC (or something along those lines). Seems a little fishy, no? Anyway, keep up the good work buddy.
Regards,
Alireza
“Pirouz, you are something else brother. First you claim this would be a good gauge of the opposition’s ability to coordinate and mobilize, and then when, by almost all accounts, a huge crowd comes out to show their support for one of the biggest critics of the government, you credit the government for ‘allowing the procession to take place unhindered’, a claim whose absurdity has been already been pointed out by others, but deserves repeating. … If you support the government, or you just don’t support the opposition movement, then come out and say it, and provide your reasons. But hiding behind claims that you voted Green and support the opposition movement seems, to any reasonable observer, to be a very poor ruse.”
Yep. Thanks Iranian-American for taking the time to give your articulate response to Pirouz.
And as they say in Persian “harfeh hessab javab nadarad.”
@Alireza and Someone:
Thank you. As horrific and brutal the actions of the Iranian government are against our family, friends and fellow Iranians in Iran, I think there is a silver lining here. I have recently felt an increasing sense of unity and brotherhood among most Iranians (in Iran and abroad, regardless of political affiliation), as well as a sense of hope, that Iran will one day have a government that is worthy of its people. Einshallah.