Friday, June 20, 2003

One Iranian cleric is calling for the protestors to get the death penalty.

"I ask the head of the judiciary and public prosecutors across Iran not to treat these people with compassion as they endangered the country's security. Islamic Sharia and our laws are explicit on what we should do with them," Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi said in a Friday prayers sermon.

"The judiciary should deal with these people as Moharebs (those who fight Allah) and not as Mokhalef (those who oppose Allah)," he added, urging the courts to handle the detainees "quickly, meticulously, seriously and ruthlessly".

This is the sort of rot that will hasten the fall of the theocracy. For years they have held power through fear and to a degree it has worked. Especially with Saddam and an unfriendly Taliban on either side to whip up the masses. But now both of those nations have come out from under the heel of oppression, to some degree and the millions of Iranians who used to keep their mouths shut are no longer willing to do it. If Khameini and the ruling council follow this call it will only serve to bring millions more into the streets. This is done out of fear. Fear that what the protestors stand for will spread, by turning them into martyrs Yadzi's exhortations would spread open dissent farther and faster than anything else.

He is blind and treats with arrogance the spreading desire for freedom.

"Those who were responsible for the disorder were not university students, since we have 1.5 million university students who are all Muslims and sons of respected Iranian nation," he said.

"The people who have caused this disorder earn their livelihood by doing so," he charged, in a sermon interspersed by chants of "Death to America", "Death to Israel" and "Death to those who oppose Veleyat-e Faqih", the function of Khamenei as supreme leader.

With more police and army units quietly supporting the students and protestors the end could come very quickly, especially if they start killing the people out on the streets seeking a better life.

< email | 6/20/2003 11:41:00 AM | link