2300 GMT: A slowish evening so we’ll wish everyone good night and offer an early morning update on Saturday before I fly out of Beirut.
1725 GMT: Modifying Motahari. Amidst a rush of news, I was excessive in reporting that principlist Ali Motahari had declared in an interview (see 1140 GMT) that an Iranian can be against the concept of Supreme Leadership but remain within the framework of the Islamic Republic.
An EA reader offers this clarification, “Motahari, remarking that one of the roots of the post-election events is the lack of tolerance for opposition to the government and to fundamentalists, said, ‘When the leaders of the protesters accept the system [of the Islamic Republic], we cannot call them the pawns of America and Israel. They also accept the Supreme Leadership. Now, while they may not accept a particular opinion of the Supreme Leader, that doesn\’t take them outside of the system.’”
1720 GMT: Apologies for the long break, which was due to conference duties here in Beirut.
1140 GMT: Another Principlist Move For Compromise? High-profile MP Ali Motahari has reportedly been speaking in the last 24 hours of the need for acceptance of criticism: “We have to accept that one can be against Supreme Leadership but within framework of regime.”
Calling for honesty, justice, and integrity, Motahari asks why President Ahmadinejad cannot admit mistakes and ask for forgiveness. He blames post-election events on stubbornness of both sides, saying that all have their share of blame.
1130 GMT: Rah-e-Sabz claims that, in recent days, eye witnesses to the running-over of protestors by police cars during the Ashura demonstrations have been identified and arrested.
As we reported last night, the reported group of 200 around the home of Hojetoleslam Ghavami, where Karroubi was staying for a mourning ceremony, attacked the residence with stones and bricks. City officials and even the provincial governor tried to stop the assault but were unsuccessful. After four hours and the advice of “special forces” (possibly his State-appointed security detail) and anti-riot police, Karoubi decided to leave Qazvin for Tehran.
As the car was leaving the complex, shots were fired at it, breaking the supposedly bullet-proof windows. Karroubi said that there was not much his protection team could do; firing back in defence would have led to their prosecution. He added that only God knows why the guns that are supposed to be used only to defend the nation and the country are used against the people.
1035 GMT: Gunfire at Karroubi. Associated Press, France 24, and the leading activist site A Street Journalist, all apparently drawing information from the website connected to Mehdi Karroubi, report that the cleric’s motorcade was fired upon as it left Qazvin, northwest of Tehran, today.
Yesterday the home where Karroubi was staying was attacked by a group, reportedly 200 people in plainclothes.
0855 GMT: Where’s Mahmoud? Still travelling — after his visits to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, President Ahmadinejad was in Bahrain yesterday, declaring, “Vigilance, unity and cooperation of the Muslim nations will foil the enemies’ conspiracies and those who sow the seeds of discord among Muslims and Islamic states are either ignorant or traitors.”
0840 GMT: Releases. The son of Ayatollah Jalaleddin Taheri and the brother and nephew of former minister Abdollah Nouri, both detained during the protests around the death of Grand Ayatollah Montazeri and Ashura, have been released. Read the rest of this entry »
2115 GMT: Battling with Statements. The Assembly of Combatant Clergymen has condemned those it says are responsible for violence on Ashura, namely the security forces and plainclothes militia: “The Almighty God will cut off the hands of these deceived fools.” The Assembly added:
Today we should cry blood that on the day of Hossein’s Aashura and after all sorts of insults to Imam Khomeini’s family and his legacy by the phony defenders of the revolution, there was an attack on the prayer hall [in Jamaran, where former President Khatami was speaking] that is a reminder of the name and memory of the Imam. The peaceful ritual of commemorating Aashura was attacked by clubs, batons and chains and by insulting slogans. Those who [did this] made the utmost insults to both Ashura and Imam Khomeini and then beat and bashed innocent people.
Daftar-Tahkim-Vahdat, the main reformist Student Alumni Organisation, also issued a statement:
What a regret that a government that considers itself to be risen from religious teachings and a national revolution, on the noon of Ashura opens fire on innocents and does what even the most notorious rulers of this country throughout the history [e.g. the Shah deposed in 1979] had not dared to do.
2055 GMT: Taking Sides? We’ve posted the video of President Obama’s statement (see 2020 GMT) and it’s even harder-hitting than we thought:”History will be on the side of those who seek justice”
2035 GMT: How Many Detained Yesterday? Rah-e-Sabz reports that 400 to 500 protesters were arrested Sunday in Isfahan, including the brother and two nephews of former Minister of Interior Abdollah Nouri. Human Rights Activists News Agency are now saying 1100 people have been transferred to Evin Prison in Tehran.
2025 GMT: Dastghaib Calls for A Movement. Ayatollah Dastgheib has issued a statement for fellow marja (high-ranking clerics) to join him in calling on the Government to adhere to the Constitution.
2020 GMT: Obama Speaks. The US Government has definitely decided to throw rhetorical support behind the Iranian opposition. The President, in a press conference which will focus on the foiled attempt to blow up a Detroit-bound jet, has taken the time to comment on events in Iran. Read the rest of this entry »
2130 GMT: Hot Gossip of Night. There is a statement lurking on Hashemi Rafsanjani’s website in which the former President uses the story of Imam Hossein, the third Imam whose death is marked by the ceremony of Ashura on Sunday, to argued that it is important to keep public consciousness alive.
Rafsanjani puts forth Hossein’s opposition to the caliph as the most significant political movement in the last 1400 years, with its promotion of virtues and condemnation of injustice and evil. And, in an all-too-obvious parallel with the 21st century, he asserts that Hoseein was accused of having revolted for power and collaborated with foreigners to which the Imam answered: “I’m not revolting to Govern; my revolt is to protect and correct the course of the disciples of my ancestor [the Prophet Mohammad].”
I say that the statement is “lurking” because it has not been picked up by other Iranian media and Rafsanjani has not moved to exploit it in another public forum….yet.
1900 GMT: Iran’s Nuclear Programme. On a relatively slow news day, an EA reader has pointed out the recent Doha Debate on the subject. Participants include Mahjoob Zweiri of the Centerfor Strategic Studies in Jordan, Seyed Mohammad Marandi of Tehran University, Baria Alamuddin of Al-Hayat, and Alireza Nourizadeh of the Center for Arab and Iranian Studies in London. Read the rest of this entry »
2100 GMT: Culture and Politics. Days after Mir Hossein Mousavi was dismissed as head of Iran’s Art Academy, the president of Iran’s Academy of Medical Sciences has been removed for criticising the imprisonment of political activists.
Iraj Fazel, a prominent surgeon and academic, wrote, “Why are our dear university students and girls and boys with pure thoughts and concerns being viciously attacked without reason and being thrown into dungeons? Why should a nation that is still showing signs of fatigue from a great revolution have so many political prisoners?”
2015 GMT: The Tehran Demonstrations Today. Persian2English has published a detailed account, translated from the version offered by Human Rights and Democracy Activists in Iran, of the protests in Toopkhaneh Square. An extract:
People started shouting: “Allah is great,” “Death to Dictator,” and “Release political prisoners.” The police started coming toward the people again and stopped them, forcing them to change their route.
Plainclothes forces moved around the people to identify youth who were shouting slogans against Khamenei. There was a 16 year old among the people who kept on saying: “Death to our leader, Khamenei; shall he perish” and people responded with a loud voice, “Amen.” One of the plainclothes forces approached him slowly, without other people noticing, and grabbed his hand as if he was going to arrest him, but a number of women started noticing, and saved him.
The plainclothes man kept shouting and asked other plainclothes forces to go after the teen because he had slandered the Leader. Then a number of youth attacked one of the plainclothes forces. The plainclothes force picked up a bar and started beating the youth. Women stood up against him and did not let him continue beating the youth. Plainclothes forces had electrical batons hiding under their clothes.
Whenever they felt threatened, they brought it out and attacked the people. People were dispersed, but eventually united again. At 3:55 pm, the youth started gathering in Toop-Khane Square and shouted slogans like “Allah is Great,” “Today is a day of mourning, our green nation of Iran is mourning today.”
Drivers, even Vahed Bus Drivers and private cars supported people by honking their horns. Motor bike forces attacked people with batons and tear gas. Around 4:00pm, plainclothes forces, police, and even guard forces gathered around Toop-Khane Square and ordered shopkeepers to close down their shops.
2035 GMT: We’ve posted the video and full transcript of President Ahmadinejad’s interview with Britain’s Channel 4 (see 1925 GMT).
1925 GMT: Mahmoud Says All is Well. President Ahmadinejad has given another “exclusive” interview to a Western broadcaster, this time Britain’s Channel 4. Once again, the discussion started with nukes, nukes, nukes, allowing Ahmadinejad (who I suspect is pretty used to this line of questioning) to stake out his defence of the Iranian nation against Washington — “We are against the expansionist policies of the United States” — and ending in the cul-de-sac of the question, “Is the matter of extended hands finished?”
It’s the second half of the interview that is surreal, however, with Ahmadinejad’s defiance — in the face of all evidence to the contrary — “We have freedom in Iran – people are free to express their views”: Read the rest of this entry »
2200 GMT: Late Breaking News. The reformist website Mardomak reports that the memorial ceremonies for the fallen protesters will most probably be held this Thursday. The website asserts, “Although a rather low-level official of the ministry has objected to holding these ceremonies…there has not been any official objection… It seems that the government officials know that if they officially object, the government would then have to shoulder the responsibility of preventing these ceremony to happen.” Mardomak also stated that if the doors of the Mosala are not opened on Thursday, all participants will sit down in the middle of Beheshti Street and light candles and recite the Koran.
2115 GMT: And so to close where we began this morning, considering the problems for President Ahmadinejad.
1. It is clear that the President will now be opposed by the “Principlist” bloc in Parliament. The vocal criticism of Ali Motahari has now been joined by the Islamic Engineers Society, which has criticised both the appointment of the First Vice President and the sacking of the Minister of Intelligence: “It seems you want to be the sole speaker and do not want to hear other voices… therefore it is our duty to convey to you the voice of the people.” (Significantly, this news was reported on Press TV’s website.)
Principlist legislator Hamid-Reza Katouzian told Tabnak: “Allegiance to the rule of just jurisprudence is not embracing the Leader and kissing his hand; allegiance must be practical….Putting the incidents of the past 10 days together, whether they were purposeful or carried out unintentionally, only show a confrontation with the Leader, and it is my opinion and that of other Principlists that Mr. Ahmadinejad needs to determine the nature of his relationship with the Leader.”
2. A “conservative” Member of Parliament, Gholam-Reza Mesbahi-Moghaddam, has expressed support for Hashemi Rafsanjani and has advocated compensation to the families of slain protesters. He also considered demonstrators to be “young gullible individuals who can be released”.
3. Perhaps in response to this pressure, Ahmadinejad has asked the head of Iran’s judiciary, Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi to deal with the situation of the detainees (which Shahroudi had promised yesterday), hoping that the release of these individuals will coincide with the Birthday of Imam Mahdi. Ahmadinejad claims that most detainees have been “hoodwinked into participating these protests by individuals related to certain internal politicians or the propaganda of foreign enemies”.
2045 GMT: Mohammad Tavasoli, a senior member of the Freedom Movement of Iran, has been freed after 43 days in detention.
2030 GMT: Ayatollah Bayat-Zanjani, who has emerged as a vocal critic of the Government, has issued another statement criticising those who have ignored “the vote of the majority”.
1945 GMT: The Memorial is On. Despite the denial of a permit from the Ministry of Interior, Mir Hossein Mousavi’s Facebook page announces the gathering will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. local time on Thursday at the Grand Mosala in Tehran. The page also puts up a poster for the event (pictured).
1930 GMT: American Perceptions. After the news of the denial of the permit for the Thursday memorial, a quieter phase in Iran news. Meanwhile, in the US there is a discussion of clerical power, political roles, and individual rights under the Iranian Constitution. Francis Fukuyama started it in The Wall Street Journal, and Kevin Sullivan has continued it on Real Clear World. It’s a commentary as notable for the American perception of “Islamic Iran” as it is for insight into the Iranian system.
1755 GMT: The head of the political office of the Ministry of the Interior, Abbaszadeh-Meshkini, has told Fars News that no official permission has been given to any individual or group for a “40th Day” gathering on Thursday. Abbaszdeh said, “Memorial ceremonies are considered to be private issues of citizens and any request for such ceremonies from the interior ministry has obvious political overtones”.
Amidst much discussion, including on Enduring America, about the position of clerics in the post-election conflict, the excellent Tehran Bureau has compiled a list of the positions of ayatollahs who have made their views known publicly. Six Grand Ayatollahs have made statements supporting demonstrations, two have been neutral, and one opposed. Amongst Ayatollahs, eight (including Hashemi Rafsanjan) have been supportive of at least some opposition demands, two neutral, and seven opposed. (Note: Ayatollah Ali Mohammad Dastghaib, who wrote an open letter to Hashemi Rafsanjani today, can be added to the list of supporters of the protest movement):
Since protests erupted in Iran after its disputed Presidential election, a growing number of influential Shia clerics have made statements in favor of the protesters.
Grand Ayatollahs in Support of Protesters (in alphabetical order)
Though an exact list is hard to come by, experts agree that there are only a few dozen Grand Ayatollahs now living. Shia clerics earn the title of Grand Ayatollah through years of study, publishing papers and books on theological subjects, and gathering thousands or even hundreds of thousands of followers. Literally translated, grand ayatollah, or marja taqlid, means “source of emulation.” Read the rest of this entry »
A confession. After several hours, we were still not certain of the significance of yesterday’s statement by the Association of Teachers and Researchers of Qom, who declared that the Government was “illegitimate”. Our initial thought was that the group was just one of a number of clerical factions, in this case a “reformist” faction such as the Assocation of Combatant Clerics linked to former President Khatami. We were not sure who the members were or what relationship they had to prominent critics of the Government such as Ayatollah Montazeri, Ayatollah Sane’i, or Ayatollah Taheri. Read the rest of this entry »
2300 GMT: A slowish evening so we’ll wish everyone good night and offer an early morning update on Saturday before I fly out of Beirut.
2115 GMT: Battling with Statements. The Assembly of Combatant Clergymen
2130 GMT: Hot Gossip of Night. There is a statement 
2100 GMT: Culture and Politics. Days after Mir Hossein Mousavi was dismissed as head of Iran’s Art Academy, the president of Iran’s Academy of Medical Sciences 
2035 GMT: We’ve posted 
2200 GMT: Late Breaking News. 
Amidst much discussion, including on Enduring America, about the position of clerics in the post-election conflict, the excellent Tehran Bureau 
A confession. After several hours, we were still not certain of 
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