Top cleric: U.S., Israel “proxies” behind bombing in Iran

Washington, 29 May (WashingtonTV)—Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Khatami, member of the Assembly of Experts, who led Friday prayers in Tehran today, said in his second sermon that “the proxies of arrogance” were responsible for yesterday’s deadly bombing attack in a Shiite mosque in the southeastern city of Zahedan.

“Without a doubt, America and Israel are involved in this incident through their ungodly Wahabi and Salafi accomplices,” Khatami said.

Khatami warned: “We must beware of the enemies’ plots aimed at sowing discord between Shi’is and Sunnis and we must have no doubt that the powerful Islamic system will arrest the perpetrators of this crime and sentence them to the severest of punishments,” the conservative Fars news agency quotes him as saying.

Turning to the upcoming presidential election, Khatami stressed the importance of the people’s participation in the election and said that the 12 June election differed in one sense from other elections in that this election was not about electing just one individual but, rather, one of electing “a managing group”. He then urged everyone to come forward and vote, saying that voting was “a political” imperative.

Khatami also thanked the Voice and Vision [state-owned radio and television] Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran for “providing the possibilities for getting to know the [presidential] candidates,” reports the semi-official ISNA news agency.

This is while some groups and individuals have voiced their objections to the alleged “bias” of the national media for backing President Ahmadinejad and failing to reflect the criticisms leveled at him by his rivals, in the presidential race.

The interim Friday prayer leader of Tehran, then referred to the anniversary of the death of the late leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, [in 1989] and said: “the election atmosphere should not result in reducing praise for this great man of Iran’s history – and the imam is the permanent leader of this nation and his guidelines ignite the Islamic system. The imam entered the arena at a time when religion was estranged and he revived the path of the Ahl al-Bayt [Companions of the Prophet].

Khatami added that: “Islam as a pivot, paying attention to republicanism, the rule of law…, standing steadfast in the face of greed and Arrogance and defending the oppressed people of Palestine, were the five mobilizing markers…of the Imam Khomeini.” He then said that future generations should be told about Imam Khomeini and learn that “it is thanks to that great personality that Iran enjoys this glory and independence today and we must not make use of the imam for our individual, party or group interests.”

Khatami then praised the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying: “His eminence is a faithful soldier, a teacher at the altar and a sympathetic guide in the arena of the revolution” who has shown that he has deserved the mantle of leadership, reports Fars news agency.

Turning to the upcoming parliamentary elections in Lebanon [due on 7 June], Khatami condemned what he called U.S. “interference” in Lebanon, saying: “For some time now America has made every effort to bring to power the [political] current it favors, but if the Americans are true to their words, let them allow the people to choose for themselves. We strongly condemn America’s interference in Lebanon.”

Sources: Fars news agency, ISNA

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(Original article written in Persian.)