Middle East
Clashes reported at Iran protests
Iranian security forces have reportedly clashed with protesters demonstrating in the central city of Isfahan. The reported clashes occured as large crowds gathered at the Sayed mosque on Wednesday to mourn the death of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, a senior cleric who was critical of the Iranian government.
Throngs of Mourners Attend Funeral of Dissident Cleric in Iran
BEIRUT, Lebanon The funeral of a prominent dissident cleric in the holy Iranian city of Qum turned into a huge and furious antigovernment rally on Monday, raising the possibility that the cleric s death could serve as a catalyst for an opposition movement that has been locked in a stalemate with the authorities.
Iran’s Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, prime defender of the protest movement, dies
Top Iranian Dissident Cleric Dies
Iranian cleric reacts to Khomeini scandal – UPI.com
TEHRAN, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- An opposition cleric in Iran said the government was disrespecting the Islamic republic by exploiting the vandalism of pictures of Ayatollah Khomeini. Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, who fell out of favor with Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei following disputes over civil rights, condemned the way the government handled the vandalism of pictures of the founder of the Islamic republic.
Moderate Cleric Montazeri Accuses Iranian Authorities of Defaming Revolution Leader
Ayatollah Montazeri, the most outspoken critic of the Iranian government condemned what he called the "strategic use" of tearing Ayatollah Khomeini's picture by the establishment. "By doing this you are defaming him (Ayatollah Khomeini) and saying that people would tear Imam Khomeini's picture. If anything, you should have kept it silent! "he maintained.