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| Axis of Evil |
| Hard-line vigilantes declare war to "clean" Iran of reformers |
| 2002-12-04 |
| Hard-line vigilantes, best known for disrupting reformist gatherings and beating up students, declared a "holy war" Wednesday to rid Iran of reformers who promote Western democracy and challenge the country's supreme leader. The declaration in the weekly newspaper of the ultra-hard line group Ansar- e-Hizbollah, the chief organization of the vigilante movement, appeared to be a direct challenge to Iran's reformist president, Mohammad Khatami. Masoud Dehnamaki, a vigilante ideologue, also said Wednesday that Iranians who try to appease Iran's enemies such as the United States "should be stopped." The article in the weekly newspaper Ya Lesarat, the usual vehicle for announcing Ansar-e-Hezbollah decisions, warned that the time has come for a "revolutionary Jihad," or holy war, to remove reformers from power and replace them with "idealist and religious" officials. The declaration follows some of the largest demonstrations in years by students protesting a death sentence imposed on a reformist leader, Hashem Aghajari, for making statements questioning the rule of the clergy over Iranian society. Also Wednesday, Mohammad Reza Khatami, leader of the reformist Islamic Iran Participation Front made a statement suggesting further confrontations were likely between the country's liberals and conservatives. Khatami, the younger brother of the president, was quoted by the official Islamic Republic News Agency as saying the behavior of conservatives may bring Iran to a "situation that no one would be able to control." He had earlier warned that moderates would walk out of government if conservatives continued to thwart efforts toward reform. Iranian student blogs have been calling for a large demonstration on Dec 7 to urge reforms. This could get nasty. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #4 The creaking noise you hear is a domino rocking, slowly, back and forth. Six months, tops. |
| Posted by: Chuck 2002-12-05 08:11:58 |
| #3 There is an interesting article in today's Daily Telegraph about the arrest and trail of 3 Gallup affiliated pollsters in Iran who found that 75% of those polled want better relations with the USA. Polling and publishing anything positive about the "great satan" is against Iranian policy. I recommend anyone to the article's accompanying photo which shows the 3 pollsters in common Iranian jail wear (more like cheap pjs) standing next to the 'judge' with thes wry and sardonic grins and posture. |
| Posted by: Jack 2002-12-05 07:57:44 |
| #2 Let the games begin! |
| Posted by: mojo 2002-12-04 17:34:54 |
| #1 and these hard-line troops are in addition to the "foreigners" (read Arabs) brought in to whack the students and other protesters? Sounds like another step on the road to a secular Iran... would be nice to see Iran occupied with internal dissent enough that IDF could pave hezbollah and the bekaa |
| Posted by: Frank G 2002-12-04 15:51:05 |