Friday Prayer: UPDATE3
Jul 15th, 2009 by pedestrian
Go back two decades, to 1989. To a day which might very have looked like this one. Even the lines at Tehran’s Friday prayer would look quite similar to the one we will most likely see tomorrow: Rafsanjani on the podium, giving the speech as the Imam. Mousavi watching from the first ranks of the faithful.
In that year, like the one before it, Rafsanjani used every opportunity on that podium to blast Mousavi’s government with a list of criticisms: mismanagement, inequality, inflation, brain drain, weakness in production, dependence on subsidies, etc.
In fact, during his own first year in office later, Rafsanjani would not tone down the rhetoric and would continue to blast the previous government full force.
The left and right love to smear Mousavi with the Rafsanjani germ. But unfortunately, neither group bothers to read much.
If they did, they would know of the animosity that existed between these individuals during Mousavi’s time as PM.
If you flashforward to 2009, the two men have by now developed a common bond: getting rid of a cancerous tumor by the name of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his mafia bosses.
Of course, if reading shows us anything at all, it’s that mafia bosses never go down easily.
At the same time, there are those who accuse Rafsanjani of having little difference with a real-life Tony Soprano. And that may very well be the case. It’s not that Rafsanjani isn’t a thug, but that our problem with Ahmadinejad has nothing to do with Rafsanjani, as we are constantly accused. Having a common enemy does not make us implicit in Rafasanjani’s crimes. To top that off, we have seen SO much corruption in this newly formed mafia that even Tony Soprano would gasp in awe and bewilderment.
We will not attend the prayers this Friday to support him, but we will go hoping that we can have an opportunity to peacefully protest without having the militias gun down our demonstration. Or without the Imam sentencing us to death by hanging as the fascist Ahmad Khatami did two weeks ago.
Our protest will be in prayer, after all. They have silenced our Allah o Akbar by vandalizing our homes, breaking our windows, but for that, they could act on their own and in isolated circles. They didn’t need to stand on a united government podium. But to beat us in prayer would signal their true face. And that I don’t think they are ready to reveal in its entirety.
Not only that, but a violent confrontation with the participants at the Friday Prayer will only force the more moderate hardliners – people who have already started parting ways with the ranks of Ahmadinejad – to sway towards Mousavi in greater numbers.
We already know that they are flustered because their two prime news agencies (Raja News and Keyhan) are giving completely different guidelines. While one is asking supporters to stay home, the other is urging them to attend. Flustered modus operandi indeed.
Yes, the lines between religion, politics and daily life have never been a clear one in the Islamic Republic of Iran and they will continue to blur and perplex.
This Friday will be yet another very important day for Iran. Joining the ranks of the faithful, in one of the most politicized religious acts in the Islamic Republic of Iran will go to show that we do not ask for regime change, we are not anti-establishment, we are NOT deceitful agents going to the caves of foreign powers to ask for aid. In fact, we are in the most sacred cave of the very establishment with which we disagree to ask for their hand in a resolution. We are taking part in the most authentic acts of this very establishment. We want justice within this establishment. We want our votes counted and respected and our voices heard in the most revered platform of this establishment.
It’s an immament critique after all. And no one likes to call their own bluff.
Or do you?
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UPDATE1: Sajjad Safar Harandi, son of Iranian cultural minister (pity a “culture” that is run by that thug) has taken to his “eloquent” blog once more. If you remember, in 1998, two of Khatami’s ministers (Mohajerani at the Cultural Ministry and Nouri at the Interior Ministry) were beaten and abused by the basij forces during the Friday prayer.
With that in mind, Harandi writes: “This Friday I am not in Tehran [Ahmadinejad and his entire clan at Rasputin and Co. have left for Mashad and will hold the weekly government meeting there most likely to avoid having to show up at the Friday prayer] but if I was, I would most certainly attend the Friday prayer like most of my buddies. I have not attended the prayers led by Hashemi in forever, but this week it is different. I know that this has been the hottest topic of discussion in the religious, hizbollahi circles [hint: pro-Ahmadinejad prayer parties] and the most important thing of all is that Mousavi and Khatami may attend.
If Mousavi and Khatami attend, don’t doubt for a second that they’ve come to repeat the scenario that happened when Mohajerani and Nouri were cursed and beaten in 98. And when they come with that intent, we must make sure it doesn’t happen. We must not let the first time attendees [referring to his belief that Mousavi and Khatami's followers are anti-religion and thus have never prayed before] try to act innocent and must go at them full force.”
He also explains that while being with these “gigolos” may be problematic for praying [in the rules of the congregational prayer, everyone in the line must be of the faithful or the prayer is questionable. He doubts that the "greens" are faithful] they [Ahmadinejad's supporters, the "true" faithful] shouldn’t be concerned and should attend the prayers anyway.
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UPDATE2: Almost nothing is expected of Rafsanjani. No one is anticipating a good speech (he might very well deliver one, but we’re just not getting our hopes up). We’re only hoping he won’t sentence us to death. That’s about as high as our hopes are right now.
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UPDATE3: For those wondering why Ayatollah Khamenei never attends the Friday prayer, this picture should explain it:
The prayer leader stands in front of everyone, so if Khamenei himself is not leading, he will never stand behind those lower in his clerical rank.
http://doshmanan.blogspot.com/2009/07/blog-post_774.html
Will come back to your posts, but for now take a look at that!
Naj! Tanama milarzeh een ro mibinam!!!! :’(
Nice…ur last phrase makes the perfect ending.
I’d like your opinion of the following somewhat brief editorial in today’s WSJ:
That didn’t take long. President Obama last week gave Mahmoud Ahmadinejad an autumn deadline to negotiate over Iran’s nuclear program. “We remain ready to engage with Iran, but the time for action is now,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said yesterday in a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations. So much for waiting to see how Iran’s post-election drama plays out.
Premature would be a generous description of this diplomatic outreach. Leave aside that this regime can’t be trusted to negotiate anything. More immediately relevant is that millions of Iranians refuse to accept the “leaders” of the “Islamic Republic” (in Mrs. Clinton’s words) that the Administration so eagerly aims to engage. Massive street protests roiled Tehran, Shiraz, Esfahan and other cities in the wake of the transparently fraudulent June 12 poll. The Basij and Revolutionary Guard goon squads got the people off the streets, killing an unknown number, and the regime blocked nearly all foreign reporting out of Iran.
But not all national uprisings abide by the 24-hour cable news cycle. The shah didn’t fall overnight, as waves of protest rose and ebbed. And the current struggle has now moved behind the scenes. An influential group of clerics refuses to recognize the new government, and only two senior mullahs have even congratulated Mr. Ahmadinejad. Mir Hossein Mousavi, the opposition candidate, won’t concede defeat, in spite of the tremendous pressure to do so.
Many eyes and ears are on this Friday’s prayers. Former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a powerful Ahmadinejad rival, will deliver the sermon for the first time since the election. Will the cynical operator oppose the regime openly, or seek to end the internal feud? Splits in the establishment brought down South African apartheid and Eastern Europe’s communists. In the meantime, thousands of demonstrators dared to come out into the streets of Tehran last Thursday chanting, “Death to the Dictator.” Oil workers, bus drivers and the bazaar guilds are mulling a general strike.
Even with his control over so many levers of power, Mr. Ahmadinejad can’t seem to get traction for a second term. The so-called Green Revolution hardly looks to be over. Which raises a quandary: Why is Washington rushing to confer U.S. and international prestige on a regime that doesn’t enjoy legitimacy among its own people?
Michael
I don’t want to make predictions which come out to be completely false Michael, but I really don’t think Rafsanjani will “oppose the regime openly”.
And I also don’t think this uprising will lead to a revolution like the article hypes. Particularly because it is actually working to strengthen a deeply religious faction within the IRI. Note that those who are standing with the people (that influential group of clerics you mention and many others) are anti-Ahmadinejad. They are not anti-IRI.
I think this article is reasoning the way Ahmadinejad reasons: being against him signals that you are against the ruling establishment. Which clearly isn’t the case.
Now, I personally still think that the U.S. should negotiate with Iran (Naj really disagrees with me, you can see our arguments here) and I don’t have anything to put forth against her reasoning. I just don’t see how NOT talking is going to help. And I also don’t understand the deadlines. What does that mean? So what are they going to do if Iran doesn’t meet the deadline? Just take if off the table and replace it with nothing? Which doesn’t sound too bad. Or put the military option on there (well, it’s always “ON” there, but in terms of priorities I mean). WTF?
The government is a completely illegitimate one. But had it NOT been, the number 1 in Iran would remain the same.
(the huge difference now is that the number 1 is clearly stronger in terms of military mite than we previously believed in terms of using it against his people)
I agree with Naj on this though: [if there are negotiations] what will happen is that like Russians, Americans too will get a bunch of advantages, in exchange for their silence vis a vis these goons!
From my perspective we should not negotiate with Ahmadinejad – pictures of Obama and him together would be very discouraging for those still in opposition.
As for us getting advantages from negotiations, I can’t see what they would be. If Iran wants to become a nuclear power there are more sanctions we can try to get the UN to apply. But the truth is that there is really not a lot we can do to stop you short of intervention of some kind. That would be a disaster for everybody.
Michael
Michael, in terms of sanctions, what could they possibly do to hurt us more than they already have? If yesterday’s crash is any proof, they are hurting everyday Iranians, not Ahmadinejad and his chums.
And I agree, I can’t even BEAR the thought of an Ahmadinejad/Obama photo op. We’ve gotten along just fine (not exactly “fine” but anyhoo) without you for the past 30 years. I for one don’t mind another 30 if that’s how long it takes to get rid of these thugs. I want a government that has MY best interest at heart negotiating in the wild jungle out there.
Had it not been for these bunch of fools Iran could and should have gone full steam for Nuclear Power. The illegitimate Government is the biggest handicap Iran has on its way.
The US or any other Government will exploit the weakness of the Iranian Regime to the hilt. They are just waiting to see if the present Regime survives. Even if AN survives, his position in the negotiation table would be weakened and by his antics he has given the powers (East/West) a lot of options.
This guy is insane or very stupid.
I dont know which one is more dangerous.
Vagabond, personally, I think he’s neither. (to me he’s both! I’m talking about how HE sees it). He KNOWS full well what he’s doing.
“…in terms of sanctions, what could they possibly do to hurt us more than they already have?”
I think I read somewhere that more than half of the petrol Iran uses is imported.
Michael