|
Defiant Iranian cleric vows to continue his fight for justice
Freed after five years of house arrest, Iran's most senior dissident cleric has vowed to continue his struggle for justice and freedom in the Islamic republic. Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri celebrated his freedom by visiting a mosque near his house in the city of Qum where he used to make speeches before his political activities were curtailed. "God, who is the master, gave all believers a power of religious authority," he told a crowd of about 600 supporters, including some senior clerics. "But this power is not absolute, it is limited. Just as I did during my detention, I will continue to talk about issues and to act. It is my religious duty." OK, how long before they lock him up again? Or is it to late? Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, who had been in failing health and suffering from depression in recent months, used a cane when he stepped out on Thursday. But he looked healthy, smiled broadly and joked with well-wishers. "I am very well and I have not lost my memory, as some have hinted," he said. He said he had made no deal to win his release from house arrest. There had been rumours that in return for his release he would tone down his political stance, but in an interview with the BBC he denied this and called on President Mohammad Khatami to be more proactive in his reform efforts. "The people were very hopeful when Khatami took office, but if he continues like this they will be very disappointed," he said. He echoes the feelings of many Iranians who are fed up with the deadlock between the reforming parliamentary majority and the hardliners who control the executive branches of government. The grand ayatollah's release will be considered a victory for reformers after more than 100 MPs signed a petition on his behalf. However, the police booth outside his home and the cameras trained on his front door remained, and his son said all the doors of the house except the main one were still padlocked. Despite his revolutionary credentials, Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, 80, has become increasingly critical of the regime over the past decade and continued to be influential in the debate over national reform, issuing appeals for greater democracy from the confines of his home. He is one of Iran's most senior and respected religious authorities and was once in line to succeed Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as Iran's supreme leader. But he began criticising the excesses of the Islamic republic and Khomeini stripped him of his position as his successor in 1989. He might yet get a chance to become leader. Posted by: Steve 2003-01-31 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=9777 |