Iran: Clashes Accompany Fresh Montazeri Memorial in Isfahan
By Golnaz Esfandiari
WATCH: Video from a citizen journalist
of today's protests in Isfahan
Heavy clashes have been reported outside an Isfahan mosque where a memorial
ceremony was due to be held in honor of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, a founding architect of the
Iranian Revolution and spiritual father of Iran's opposition Green Movement.
The clashes come two days after a
funeral ceremony for the 87-year-old Montazeri, who died on
December 19 in his home in Qom, turned into a huge antigovernment protest in the
holy city located southwest of the capital.
Eyewitnesses tell RFE/RL that as mourners and opposition supporters arrived for
today's memorial service, they found security forces and plainclothes agents
awaiting them in front of the Isfahan mosque.
According to some reports, including on reformist websites, police used force
and tear gas to disperse the crowd of Montazeri supporters.
"There was a huge crowd," said one witness who spoke to RFE/RL's Radio Farda on
condition of anonymity. "There were clashes between the people and those who
were ready to prevent [the memorial] from taking place."
WATCH: Video from a citizen journalist at today's clashes reportedly
shows Basij
forces attacking a woman in Isfahan. (Another similar video can be seen
here)
Opposition websites were reporting that many mourners were injured, and up to 50
arrested, but those claims could not be verified.
Iranian authorities have severely restricted journalists' access to events amid
continuing postelection tension.
Iran's police chief warned today that "illegal" activities will be met with a
"fierce" response from authorities, according to Fars news agency.
"We advise this movement to end their activities," Esmail Ahmadi Moqadam was
quoted as saying. "Otherwise, those who violate the order will be fiercely
confronted, based on the law."
The reformist website "Jaras" was reporting that security forces had surrounded
the Isfahan home of leading reformist cleric Ayatollah Jalaleddin Taheri, who
was to lead today's memorial ceremony.
Powerful Symbol
Montazeri was an architect of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution who went on to
became one of the fiercest critics of the clerical establishment. He was once
seen as potential successor of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as supreme leader.
But after Ali Khamenei was chosen to take the post following Khomeini's death in
1989, Montazeri's outspoken views led to persecution.
In the late 1990s, Montazeri was placed under house arrest and, although it was
lifted in recent years, he was still kept in check by the authorities.
Iranians hold portraits of Grand Ayatollah
Hossein Ali Montazeri
during his funeral in Qom on December 21.
Most recently, Montazeri condemned the brutal postelection crackdown that
followed Iran's June presidential election, and accused the government of
dictatorship.
His funeral this week turned into one of the largest protests seen by opposition
forces since the disputed voting. Opposition supporters and mourners chanted
slogans against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as President
Mahmud Ahmadinejad.
Witnesses in Isfahan said today that mourners chanted slogans against Khamenei,
including "Khamenei is a murderer; his rule is null."
The supreme leader is Iran's ultimate arbiter in religious and political matters
under the country's postrevolutionary constitution.
"What happened today in Isfahan is unprecedented regarding the turnout of the
people and also the slogans that people chanted," said the eyewitness who
requested anonymity. "We haven't had anything similar to this in previous
gatherings."
Opposition Momentum?
The death of Montazeri, who was widely respected among Iranians, appears to have
re-energized the opposition movement, which has staged a number of protests in
various cities throughout Iran since his death was announced.
Morteza Semyari, one of the leaders of Iran's largest reformist student group,
Daftar Tahkim Vahdat (Office to Foster Unity), told RFE/RL that Montazeri's
legacy will remain alive within the opposition movement.
"What happened in Qom [at Montazeri's December 21 funeral service] demonstrated
that the ideas of Montazeri will remain alive," Semyari said. "The movement that
we saw in Qom is intertwined with the principle and views of Montazeri, and it
will move forward."
On December 22, hard-liners, who generally act with at least implicit support of
the government, attacked the home of one of Montazeri's sons, breaking windows.
They also
attacked the home of a senior pro-reform cleric, Ayatollah
Yusuf Sanei, whom some describe as Montazeri's possible replacement.
Poster of Ayatollah Yusuf
Sanei at Ayatollah
Montazeri's funeral
After Montazeri, Sanei will most likely become the spiritual leader of the
opposition
Montazeri's eldest son, Ahmad Montazeri, told RFE/RL he believes hard-liners
were threatened by the throngs of mourners who came out his father's funeral.
"Millions of people attended the December 21 funeral and it was magnificent,
despite the poisonous campaign of the past 20 years against Ayatollah
Montazeri," Ahmad Montazeri said. "When they [hard-liners] saw such support from
the people -- 90 percent of them youth that came to Qom from places far and near
-- they were shocked and they reacted [angrily]."
More protests are expected on December 27, which will mark the seventh day since
Montazeri's death and will coincide with the major Shi'ite religious holiday of
Ashura.
Authorities launched a brutal clampdown after the June election dispute that has
included killings, mass arrests, and the alleged rape and torture of detainees.
But Green Movement leader Mir Hossein Musavi, the presidential runner-up whom
supporters fear could be targeted with arrest,
has pledged that reform-minded Iranians cannot be silenced
by force.
Radio Farda broadcasters Mossadegh Katouzian and Roya Karimi contributed to
this report
Copyright (c) 2009 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
