Clerics

Where Is the Islamic Republic of Iran Heading?

September 23rd, 2009

Rasool Nafisi

WASHINGTON–The rushed support of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the disputed June election, and the announcement of his reelection the day after polls closed, has damaged the credibility of the velayat faghih (the rule of qualified jurist) beyond repair. The legitimacy of the regime, already in question by modern urbanites, now has become the target of daily attacks by the people who once were its ardent supporters. more»

The Clerical Divide

September 22nd, 2009

Clerics Supporting Ahmadinejad

1. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic)
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is Iran’s Supreme Leader and highest authority. He was president for two successive terms (1981–1989). In 1989, he succeeded the original Supreme Leader and founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini. more»

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Critical Comments

Hikers’ Case Casts Doubt on Ahmadinejad’s Credibility, Authority

Shayan Ghajar

The freeing of the two remaining American hikers from prison in Iran has occurred just before Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gives his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. However, rather than serving as a convenient public relations maneuver to bolster the Iranian executive’s image during his sojourn to the United States, the conclusion to the hikers’ detention has only served to highlight Ahmadinejad’s ultimate irrelevance in determining and expressing Iran’s policies. more»

Azeri Uprising Triumphs Over Government Crackdown

Shayan Ghajar

Determined protesters in Iran’s ethnic Azeri region have managed to accomplish something unparalleled by other protest movements in Iran since the disputed 2009 presidential elections: securing a concession from the government. Unlike the other mass protests that have wracked Iran in recent years, the demonstrators have not demanded free elections or the release of political prisoners. Instead, the thousands of Azeris gathering in Iran’s northwestern cities demanded that Lake Urmia, an enormous saltwater lake of incalculable ecological, cultural, and economic significance, be saved from its current slide towards oblivion. more»

Iran Shifts Its Rhetoric on Syria

Shayan Ghajar

Iran’s unwavering support for Syria has become axiomatic since the Arab wave of discontent began to shake Damascus. Iran has sent technical, material, and military support to Syria to help Bashar al-Assad quell protests. Syria’s strategic importance to Iran currently takes precedence over all the Islamic Republic’s other relationships. The Islamic Republic proved the primacy of its relationship with Syria by publicly claiming that Turkey, a trade ally and friendly neighbor of Iran, was fomenting Syria’s unrest by arming terrorist groups and engaging in secret talks with Israel.
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