Iran's Clerics Create Open Mutiny

Young women protestors in Berlin; via London TimesLast week we thought Iran was going under cover again, with house arrests and trials of oppposition members. But there is no quick ‘exit stage left’ in Iran and support is coming from Iran’s largest group of clerics, who just declared President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election to be illegitimate, while condemning the subsequent crackdown.

“It’s a clerical mutiny,” said one Iranian analyst. “This is the first time ever you have all these big clerics openly challenging the leader’s decision.” Another, in Tehran, said: “We are seeing the birth of a new political front.” (via London Times)

Last week, Germany’s Spiegel Online printed an interview with Iranian theologian and philosopher Mohsen Kadivar on how many of Iran’s religious leaders abuse Islam and opportunities for reform. We see today, that the opposition if far stronger than Kadivar (outside of Iran) understands.

More reading: Salon’s Unveiling the revolution.