Prominent Iranian Ayatollah Yousef Sanei Slams Iranian Leadership over Handling of Protests

Excerpts from a public address delivered by prominent Iranian Shiite cleric Ayatollah Yousef Sanei, posted on the Internet on August 12, 2009.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Iran
• Iranian
• Ayatollah
• Yousef Sanei
• Revolution
• Islam
• Muslim
• Protest
• Violence

[poyani]

A good neocon is a dead neocon too! At least this one Mullah believes in freedoms. Neocons only believe in nothing but death and destruction and no amount of blood is enough to satisfy their bloodlust.

[poyani]

He has always been like this. He is very liberal.

[PIROOZNAHAAVANDI]

اسلام= سند ۱۴۰۰سالۀ خفت یکی از بزرگ ترین تمدن های تاریخ

اسلام= سند ۱۴۰۰سالۀ موالیگری و بی هویتی ملت ایران

اسلام= سند ۱۴۰۰ سال تاراج ثروتهای مادی و معنوی ایران

اسلام= سند ۱۴۰۰سال کشتار بهترین فرزندان ایران زمین,

اسلام= سند خریت نیاکان آیت الشیطان مرتضی مطهری!

[PIROOZNAHAAVANDI]

جز "قلبِ تیره" هیچ نشد حاصل و هنوز...غافل در خیال که "اکسیر" میکنند

[xerojreffaj]

Ayatullah Saane'i is amazing, someone willing to look inwards and criticize in order for Islam to move forward. No surprise the authorities have treated him so badly.

[Nicksvoiceinthewild]

@poyani

Thank you for you answer.

I strongly advise you not to use language like "don't undestimate" however - commands lead to anxiety given religious concepts. It must be a suggestion, a word of advice, or general phrasing - for reasons of Islamic religion.

Muslims can safely do as you recommend, they cannot safely say what you command.

It's part of their way, it's a general fact or rule of life as well; "people don't like being given orders."

[poyani]

@Nicksvoiceinthewild That concept is central to any religion. Personally as an Athiest the concept means little to me. But don't underestimate its usefulness. Religious people have for some time now been able to use the notion of collective reasoning to create collective action for better and for worse.

The work of non-violent revolutionaries such as Martin Luthar King, Gandhi, Bishop Desmond Tutu or Latin American liberation theologists all revolved around this concept in one-way or another.

[Nicksvoiceinthewild]

@poyani

By the way I agreed with your sentiment - but I now understand that it is driving them more insane - more madder - more paranoid - more potentially dangerous - and in russia it is feeding the mass movement- and it's a bad mass movement,. In America it's a kind of schizophrenia - and in Europe - they are getting medince, I hope the Good Lord - but they are out of ammo intellectually - there is some but it's stashed at some house, it's too dangerous or humiliating, and they won't come.

[Nicksvoiceinthewild]

@poyani

I heard him say" In Islam collective reasoning..." is more than individual. At 5:58.

In Christianity - there is this concept as well.

All I will say is - as far as the herd goes - the herd does well to stick together - it stays warmer, it is more safe against predators - but if the herd is all going the wrong way- and it walks into a desert - having ignored the one or two who said "no this way, if you want water - it's this way. " - They can all collectively die of thirst.

Bad.