Photos: Qom Clerics and Seminary Students Protest Desecration of Khomeini's Photo


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Payvand.com - A large group of clerics and Seminary students held a gathering in the city of Qom Saturday to protest the burning of photo of Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of Islamic Republic, which was allegedly done by students during the Student Day protests in Tehran University. The protest was led by the firebrand cleric Ahmad Khatami who is staunchly against anti-opposition. Qom is of the the key centers for Shi'te sect of Islam, the dominant religion in Iran. The other Shi'te center is the city of Najaf in Iraq.

The State TV has repeatedly shown the footage of the photo being burned, in a rare display of openness, without showing the faces of the people burning the photo. This is being interpreted by the opposition as a conspiracy and suspicious act staged as a precursor to harsh crackdown of the opposition movement. Leaders of the opposition and the students of Tehran University have unanimously condemned the burning of the photo and the State TV for fanning the flames against the opposition. Hassan Khomeini, grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini, has also denounced state TV for broadcasting the images, describing them as "distorted."

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