Divisions within the theocracy
As is often the case in a less-than-transparent and partially-democratic political system, recognizing politics can be difficult. Thomas Erdbrink, of the Washington Post offered some hints by highlighting a Tehran newspaper article.Ahmadinejad Criticized for Saying Long-Ago Imam Mahdi Leads Iran
"Several leading Iranian clerics criticized President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday for saying that the last imam of Shiite Islam, a messianic figure who Shiites believe was hidden by God 1,140 years ago, leads modern-day Iran...
"Several clerics in the Iranian parliament accused Ahmadinejad of implying that Imam Mahdi or Imam Zaman (Imam of the Age), as the Shiite messiah is also called, supports his government. Since the 1979 revolution, Iran's government has been overseen by Shiite clerics, but religious leaders here have resisted Ahmadinejad's frequent hints that his government's actions are guided by the Mahdi.
"Clerics said in interviews published Wednesday that the president should not use the imam to his political advantage or to silence critics of the government.
"'If, God forbid, Ahmadinejad means that Imam Zaman supports the government's actions, this is wrong. Certainly Imam Zaman would not accept 20 percent inflation rates, nor would he support it or many other mistakes that exist in the country today,' wrote Gholam-reza Mesbahi Moghadam, a cleric belonging to a powerful faction close to Iranian businessmen and established religious figures. His comments appeared in Ettemaad-e Melli, a Tehran newspaper owned by a cleric who is critical of Ahmadinejad...
"The clerics also feared that the president's remarks in Mashad could make it harder to criticize the government. 'These kinds of statements might create an image of a holy relation between persons and religion, which will close the path for critics,' Mahmoud Madani Bajestani, another cleric and politician told Ettemaad-e Melli..."
Labels: Iran, political culture, politics
posted by Ken Wedding @ 9:16 AM
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