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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Iran cleric hits out at oppositions religious hypocrisy |
| 2009-08-04 |
| [Iran Press TV Latest] Iran's Assembly of Expert member Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami has criticized the opposition for adopting a religious tone. His remarks came after the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, formally endorsed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for a second term. In his speech during the approval ceremony on Monday, Ayatollah Khamenei drew a parallel between those who wish to undermine Iran's ruling system in the guise of Islam and a group of 'hypocrites' who at the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) built a mosque to oppose the Islam prophet. The 'hypocrites' went on to build a mosque that was criticized in the Holy Quran as the 'Mosque of Mischief,' and which was eventually destroyed on the orders of the Prophet (PBUH). On the issue, Ayatollah Khatami, a Principlist supporter who has harshly criticized those who continue to challenge the outcome of the June 12 election, termed the opposition tactics used to continue the protests as "hypocrisy." "Some people, with their conspiracies in the recent election, have recreated the circumstances of the 'Mosque of Mischief,' which is exemplified by their crying of 'God is Great' from their rooftops," said the cleric. "God revealed a verse [from the Holy Quran] which said that this mosque has been built with the intention of harming Muslims and creating divisions and advocating infidelity... For this reason, the Prophet (PBUH) sent a group to destroy that mosque," he told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), in a reference to Chapter 9, verses 107-110 of the Holy Quran. "The Mosque of Mischief is an example for using religion as an instrument." In Iran's disputed presidential election, all three opposition candidates had impeccable religious and revolutionary credentials, with Mehdi Karroubi being a senior cleric, Mohsen Rezaei the war-time commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and Mir-Hossein Mousavi being prime minister for 8 years during the war. Supporters of Mousavi have adopted the color green, as in indicative of the family of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), from whom Mousavi is descended, and his supporters frequently should "Allah-u Akbar" (God is Great) from rooftops at night. |
| Posted by:Fred |