 merrie says: In his sermon broadcast live on radio nationwide, Rafsanjani reprimanded the clerical leadership for not listening to the controversy over the election, which was declared a victory for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in results that Mousavi's supporters say were fraudulent. "Doubt has been created (about the election results)," Rafsanjani said. "There is a large portion of the wise people who say they have doubts. We need to take action to remove this doubt." Rafsanjani couched his sermon in calls for unity in support of Iran's Islamic Republic. But his sermon was an unmistakable " if implicit " challenge to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has declared Ahmadinejad's victory valid and demanded an end to questioning of the results. Rafsanjani said the people's voice must be considered. "We believe in the Islamic Republic ... they have to stand together," he said. "If 'Islamic' doesn't exist, we will go astray. And if 'republic' is not there, (our goals) won’t be achieved. Where people are not present or their vote is not considered, that government is not Islamic.” He criticized the postelection crackdown and urged the release of those arrested and said the government reaction had split the nation’s clerics. “I hope this Friday prayer sermon will be the beginning of a development and will help us pass safely through this problem, which can be unfortunately called a crisis,” he said. Rafsanjani, a former president, is considered the opposition’s top supporter within Iran’s clerical leadership. He heads two of the three most powerful clerical bodies that oversee the elected government, the Expediency Council and the Experts Cou... |
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