Iran's highest cleric, Grand Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri, died last night at 87.
Montazeri was originally set to be the successor to Khomeini as the Supreme Leader (Rehber) of Iran, but had a falling out with Khomeini after opposing political executions at the culmination of the Iran-Iraq war. Montazeri has since then been the leading liberal voice amongst the clerical elite. He condemned the recent fraud in the elections and was a strident opponent of Ahmadinejad.
Although Khamenei is nominally the highest religious figure in Iran, in reality he is not respected by the clerical class. He was a middling cleric when Khomeini chose him as his successor, and the rules had to be changed to allow him to take the position (because he was not an ayatollah). In reality, Montazeri was the highest religious figure in Iran and was revered by millions.
Montazeri's funeral should lead into the Ashura processions coming in a week. Ashura is the commemoration of the matyrdom of Imam Huseyn, which was the seminal event for Shia Islam. Huseyn, a grandson of Muhammad, was killed by forces of the Umayyad Caliph in a disupute over who should rule the Muslim ummah. This cemented the split between Sunnis and Shia, and helped frame the Shia psyche as a class oppressed by corrupt leaders. The resonance this event could have in terms of mobilizing popular resistance against the current regime is clear.
The combination of the mourning both for Montazeri and Imam Huseyn could bring huge crowds onto the streets and offer a perfect opportunity for the opposition to challenge the regime. Watch developments closely.
Montazeri was originally set to be the successor to Khomeini as the Supreme Leader (Rehber) of Iran, but had a falling out with Khomeini after opposing political executions at the culmination of the Iran-Iraq war. Montazeri has since then been the leading liberal voice amongst the clerical elite. He condemned the recent fraud in the elections and was a strident opponent of Ahmadinejad.
Although Khamenei is nominally the highest religious figure in Iran, in reality he is not respected by the clerical class. He was a middling cleric when Khomeini chose him as his successor, and the rules had to be changed to allow him to take the position (because he was not an ayatollah). In reality, Montazeri was the highest religious figure in Iran and was revered by millions.
Montazeri's funeral should lead into the Ashura processions coming in a week. Ashura is the commemoration of the matyrdom of Imam Huseyn, which was the seminal event for Shia Islam. Huseyn, a grandson of Muhammad, was killed by forces of the Umayyad Caliph in a disupute over who should rule the Muslim ummah. This cemented the split between Sunnis and Shia, and helped frame the Shia psyche as a class oppressed by corrupt leaders. The resonance this event could have in terms of mobilizing popular resistance against the current regime is clear.
The combination of the mourning both for Montazeri and Imam Huseyn could bring huge crowds onto the streets and offer a perfect opportunity for the opposition to challenge the regime. Watch developments closely.
