Top cleric calls for “merciless” treatment of Iran protesters

12:30GMT—8:30AM/EST

Washington, 26 June (WashingtonTV)—Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Khatami, a hardline member of Iran’s Council of Experts, who led Friday prayers in Tehran today, said in his second sermon that based on the Islamic punishment for moharebeh [waging war against God], the imam and leader of an Islamic society can fight “rioters” [election protesters] until their destruction, because Islam has suggested the severest punishment for those who engage in moharebeh.

According to the Labour news agency, ILNA, Khatami said that the “leaders of rioters” in [recent] protests “feed at the trough of America and Israel,” and called on Iran’s Judiciary to deal with them “decisively and mercilessly,” so that others learn a lesson from their fate.

Under Iran's Islamic law, punishment for people convicted as mohareb is execution.

Khatami went on to say that “European, American and English” media “showed the height of their malice” during the last two weeks, and added: “I am surprised, how is it they are let loose in the country? I expect the respected government to control them. Why are they always adding fuel to the fire in the country? With satellite-linked mobile [phones] they goad on the people moment by moment and they also lie,” ILNA quotes him as saying.

Khatami then referred to the murder of Neda Aqa-Soltan and said that any “wise” person who looks at the video of the incident [which shows Neda to have been shot in the chest and dying], will realize that she died “at the hands of rioters and instigators”, even though “Mr. [Barack] Obama sheds crocodile tears” for her and the West “caused an uproar” about her.

Directing his comments at Western media, he said: “These media which spread lies should know that the winter will be over, but you will remain disgraced.”

Blasting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon’s recent expression of concern and his call for Iran’s government to respect the internationally recognized rights of protesters, Khatami alluded to the extended conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip last year and criticized American conduct in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Addressing Ban, he said: “Wretched man! 400 children died in Gaza, you felt no worries; 100 helpless women died in Gaza, you felt no worries; Americans kill people in Afghanistan and Iraq, you feel no worries; you are worried now?” he said.

He called the UN “arrogant power” and asked other nations to seek a “real United Nations.”

Khatami then reminded American officials of Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib and said: “You dare talk of human rights with all your human rights violations?”

Concluding, he again directed his fire at Britain, saying that the Iranian nation had not forgotten about “the activities of the English in the past 50 years or more and how they brought to power the Pahlavi regime,” the national broadcaster, IRIB, quotes Khatami as saying.

 He added: “It would be fitting if, after chants of “Death to America”, we also add to this the chant of “Death to England”.

That Aqa-Soltan’s last moments were recorded on video in an “alleyway” shows her murder was “pre-planned” by protesters” he said.

“If the [Islamic Republic] system wants to confront someone, it will do so in the streets, not in a deserted alleyway,” he added.

“In the alleyway they [security forces] arrest, they do not kill,” Khatami said. “All evidence indicates that they [protesters] did this, and they are causing a scene against the system.”

Directing his comments at Western media, he said: “These media which spread lies should know that the winter will be over, but you will remain disgraced.”

Blasting UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon’s recent expression of concern and his call for Iran’s government to respect the internationally recognized rights of protesters, Khatami alluded to the extended conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip last year and criticized American conduct in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“Wretched [man]! 400 children died in Gaza, you felt no worries; 100 helpless women died in Gaza, you felt no worries; Americans kill people in Afghanistan and Iraq, you feel no worries; you are worried now?” he said.

He called the U.N. “the arrogant power” and asked other nations to seek a “real United Nations.”

Khatami then reminded American officials of Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib and said: “You dare talk of human rights with all [your] human rights violations?”

Referring to Khamenei’s support for the officially declared reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Khatami said: “In Islam’s perspective, the vali-ye faqih [supreme jurisconsult] is not just a political leader; he is the proof of religion, meaning the deputy of the Awaited Imam [Twelfth imam of the Shiites, Mahdi].”

He said that disagreeing with the deputy of the Imam of the Age – may God hasten his advent – is considered as disagreeing with the Imam of the Age himself.

He went on to say that Khamenei’s sermon during last week’s Friday prayer, in which the supreme leader dismissed charges of fraud and rejected the possibility of another round of elections, was “complete and all-encompassing.”

“Truly these statements were the last word and in line with these statements I want say that… [we must] accept that a country without law is a jungle, and if the country wants to be organized, the way is to carry out the law,” the Friday Prayer leader said.

According to a report by Iran’s Labor News Agency, ILNA, Khatami dismissed protests against the election, saying: “Thanks be to God, there are no problems among the majority of people. The only way to leave behind the few problems which have been created is through the rule of law.”

He rejected a suggestion by some reformists to turn the matter of the disputed election over to the Expediency Council, saying: “These people who suggest convening a council, with a real or legal personality [to lead it], this is a deviation which has unpredictable consequences.”

He went on to reject calls by defeated presidential candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi, and Mehdi Karrubi, who demand the annulment of the election results.

“Anulling the election and questioning its basis, according to the interpretation of the supreme leader, is the talk of the day, and the nation will not be forced into it. If you have problems with a few [ballot] boxes, then state your objections, and if those [results] are annulled there is no problem; but one cannot question the basis of the election,” Khatami said.

He concluded his remarks by addressing his comments to world leaders and said: “The world must know, the arrogant must know, our great Islamic revolution is a legacy of good deeds and it is not a willow-tree to be shaken by these quickly-passing waves. Thanks to God, the revolution stands erect and strong and will defend all its values.”

Iranian authorities have accused moderate defeated candidate Mirhossein Mousavi of being responsible for the bloodshed and have refused him and the defeated reformist candidate Mehdi Karrubi’s calls for the vote to be annulled.

Some 20 people have been reported to have been killed so far in the violence and scores of people arrested after the most widespread anti-government protests seen in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

The official news agency, IRNA, on Thursday cited a Tehran Islamic Revolution Guards Corps commander as saying that eight members of the basij militia were killed by "rioters" in the protests.

Sources: ILNA, ISNA, IRIB website, in Persian

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