While most of us were out celebrating yesterday1, a major religious group in Iran took a stand [NYT] against the sham election. The Association of Researchers and Teachers of Qum, a leading group of clerics, released a statement that appears to call the election fraudulent and the current government illegitimate, while also calling for the government to allow peaceful demonstrations and to stop its violent acts against citizens.
The Times didn’t speak with any of the clerics, but cites online sources for the statement, including the group’s official Web site and a BBC Persia story; I’ve read only the Google translation (h/t Anonymous Iran). It seems like a possibly quite daring statement:
“This crack in the clerical establishment, and the fact they are siding with the people and Moussavi, in my view is the most historic crack in the 30 years of the Islamic republic,” said Abbas Milani, director of the Iranian Studies Program at Stanford University. “Remember, they are going against an election verified and sanctified by Khamenei.”
The announcement came on a day when Mr. Moussavi released documents detailing a campaign of fraud by the current president’s supporters, and as a close associate of the supreme leader called Mr. Moussavi and former President Mohammad Khatami “foreign agents,” saying they should be treated as criminals.
The government is also treating as criminals a number of detained Moussavi supporters, many of whom have now made video “confessions” where they apologize for acting as foreign agents and admit to trying to incite a revolution. On Friday, a member of the Guardian Council — the group that officially codified the Iranian election — announced that the members of the British embassy that have been detained have already confessed and will be tried for “inciting protests.” These taped, forced confessions are part of a broad, coordinated media campaign by the government to call Moussavi a tool of foreign power and to remind those who support him that they can easily face detention, humiliation, and torture.
Yes, Happy Independece Day. I feel a bit more affection for my freedom to complain.
To pile a little more fun onto this fire, yesterday Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a group he wants to have open negotiations with President Obama in front of international media at the United Nations. That particular declaration is either a dare or a truly desperate ploy — either he’s trying to get Obama to speak up more about Iran, so that he can further criticize Western involvement in the country, or he’s trying to shore up his own position by reminding the world he’s the chief diplomat. He’s the president; he’s the winner. It’s bait I hope Obama won’t take.
After a week of seeing Iran shoved off many front pages (though the New York Times continues to do great work and to give great placement to its stories), I hope the week starts with more attention. The drama continues, and after this announcement, could even build.
1 I’d like to issue a personal and heartfelt thanks to LPSRocks for her sangria recipe. It’s like fruity fireworks in a glass.
SATURN SMITH 