Even as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was using a world tour and speeches to bolster his position, even as senior Parliament figures were fighting the President over his economic plans and approaches in nuclear talks, even as the Green Waves were planning the protests of 16 Azar, there was another strategy being developed behind closed doors in Tehran, Qom, Mashaad, and Hamedan.
It is a strategy linking senior clerics and former President Hashemi Rafsanjani. And, in their vision, it is the strategy to bring Iran out of political, social, and religious disaster.
2030 GMT: An Iranian activist is offering a running summary of the Government’s crackdown on students through arrests and detentions as well as disciplinary action by Universities.
1840 GMT: A Mousavi Trial? Mohammad Nabi Habibi, Secretary-General of the conservative Islamic Coalition Party, has demanded that Mir Hossein Mousavi be prosecuted for claiming that the Presidential election was rigged, “I believe both Mousavi and all those who propagated this big lie must face trial in a court of law.”
1600 GMT: Magically Appearing Crowd. We opened this morning (0745 GMT) with photographic confirmation of the disappointing crowd at President Ahmadinejad’s Thursday speech in Tabriz. Kayhan, the firmly pro-Government newspaper, has published pictures, but suddenly the empty bleachers are filled with people.
2000 GMT: If Ayatollah Montazeri is suffering from dementia, with his words written by someone else (see 1400 GMT), he’s hiding it well. As expected, he has issued a statement criticising the Chinese Government’s treatment of Uighur Muslims and adding, “Silence from other governments, particularly Muslim governments has caused great surprise and regret.”
1910 GMT: Media Twist of the Day. Kayhan newspaper, a staunch supporter of the Ahmadinejad Government, has been summoned to court to answer charges of “disseminating lies intended to poison public opinion”.
1900 GMT: Catching up with news reported earlier today: about 200 faculty of the medical school of the University of Tehran have protested the arrest of political activists. Dr. Jila Marsoosi, a faculty member and the wife of detained politician Saeed Hajjarian, also a member of this faculty ddressed the crowd.
1800 GMT: Now, This is Intriguing. Part of the intrigue is in the report on Press TV’s website. Habibollah Asgaroladi, a senior member of the Islamic Coalition Party, has described the formation of a new political party by Mir Hossein Mousavi as “favorable”, saying, “Establishing a party to voice one’s ideas and political perceptions is a wise move.”
Asgaroadi and his party are “principlists”, loosely defined as advancing the principles of the Isamlic Revolution and falling in between the “conservative” and “reformist” camps.
That makes his endorsement of Mousavi eyebrow-raising. But the other part of the intrigue is that the report comes via Press TV. That’s right, the same State media outlet that has been anxious to downfall the political legimitacy of a Mousavi-led campaign.
Written with EA correspondent Mr Azadi:
Entries (RSS)