Iran Cleric Calls for Prisoners' Release

Top Reform-Minded Ayatollah Calls on Government During Friday Prayers to Free Activists, Clear Up Election Doubts

(CBS/ AP)  One of Iran's top clerics criticized hard-liners at the main Islamic prayers Friday, saying the clerical leadership must clear up doubts over the disputed presidential election and should release opposition supporters arrested in the post-election crackdown.

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president who sits on two powerful clerical ruling bodies, made the comments during his sermon before tens of thousands of opposition supporters, with opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi sitting in the front row.

The opposition packed the prayer hall to make a show of strength at the weekly Islamic prayers, which broadcast live on radio and are one of Iran's most important and symbolic political platforms. It was Rafsanjani's first time delivering the sermon since the June 12 election. In recent weeks, hard-line clerics have been using the sermon to tell Iranians to fall in line behind Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and accept the election victory of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Rafsanjani urged unity and appeared to blame hard-liners for disrupting unity by not listening to the controversy over the election, which was declared a victory for Ahmadinejad but which Mousavi claims to have won.

"Doubt has been created (about the election results)," Rafsanjani said. "There are two currents. One doesn't have any doubt and is moving ahead with their job. And there are a large portion of the wise people who say they have doubts. We need to take action to remove this doubt."

He said the turmoil following the elections "was a bitter period ... all were the losers." He criticized hard-liners for the crackdown on postelection protests, saying they should show sympathy for those arrested.

"Sympathy must be offered to those who suffered from the events that occurred and reconcile them with the ruling system. This is achievable. We need to placate them," he told the worshippers in the Tehran University prayer hall.

"It's not necessary ... to keep individuals in jail. Let them join their families. We should not let enemies criticize or laugh at us ... for keeping our people in jail," he said.

Rafsanjani suggested that Iran's state-controlled broadcasters also played a role in keeping the public dialogue stiffled following the election.

Multiple reports on Twitter and Facebook Friday afternoon said large groups of protesters were heading toward state-run television network IRIB and the Evin prison in Tehran's northern suburbs.

CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer, one of the last Western journalists to be kicked out of Iran in the wake of the election, says Evin is a feared symbol of the hard-line government's authority in the capital city. Many of the political prisoners arrested during the crackdown will be housed within its walls.

Mousavi and his supports say Ahmadinejad's victory was fraudulent, and hundreds of thousands marched in the streets in the weeks after the election in support of him. But Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who sits at the top of Iran's clerical leadership, declared the results valid and ordered a stop to protests. Police, elite Republican Guards and Basiji militiamen launched a fierce crackdown on protesters in which hundreds were arrested and at least 20 killed - though human rights groups say the figure could be several times that official toll.

The opposition has managed to hold only one significant protest since - on July 9. But they are hoping their mass turnout at Friday's prayers will prove their staying power.

Tens of thousands - mostly pro-opposition but also some government backers - packed the prayer hall and shouted competing slogans. Hard-liners made traditional chants of "death to America," while opposition supporters countered with "death to Russia" - a reference to government's ties to Moscow. Many pro-reform worshippers wore green headbands or wristbands or had green prayer rugs - the opposition movement's color.

At the same time, thousands more opposition backers were heading toward Tehran University for a planned rally outside the campus after the prayers, raising fears of a confrontation with security forces or with hard-line militiamen, witnesses said.

Near the university gates, police fired tear gas at Mousavi supporters as they headed for the prayers, witnesses said. They spoke on condition of anonymity fearing government retaliation.

Two pro-reform Web sites reported that a prominent women's rights activist, Shadi Sadr, was beaten by plainclothes militiamen and taken away as she headed toward Tehran University. Sadr was forcible pushed into a car and taken to an unknown location, Mousavi's Web site www.mowjcamp.com and a women's activists site www.meydaan.com said.

[zonkzilla]

"Political unrest in Iran, combined with reports of union troubles with Iraq's Southern Oil Co., also sparked concerns about whether oil production would suffer later this year."

And yet according to the people who track it, there is a HUGE oil surplus and demand is still dropping. So up goes prices now "because of how the unrest in Iran might affect oil prices" in the winter.
Thanks Congress, Thanks Mr. President, thanks for investigating the whole issue and enforcing current laws and putting people in jail.
Yea, thanks for nothing.
The US is failing, we are almost in a full collapse, there will be bread lines and riots, and we can thank Congress and our President (and Bush-Cheney of course.)for selling us out for money.
Obama's lack of addressing oil prices manipulation a clear violation of US trade laws has caused me to drop my support of him.

[zonkzilla]

I think Ahmadinejad and the Mullahs are paid off by OPEC and the oil companies to keep things unstable to keep oil prices high. They are nothing but bought and paid for puppets of big oil.
Regarding the $3.00 a barrel increase in oil prices today:
"Political unrest in Iran, combined with reports of union troubles with Iraq's Southern Oil Co., also sparked concerns about whether oil production would suffer later this year."

[curiously1]

This mullah who is saying these things isn't any different from the rest of the ruling thugs in Iran. He is just a little smarter. He sees that the end is coming and he is trying to allign himself with the Iranian people, so that he can get a break from them.
The thugs are scared to death.

[YuSoWrong]

Which part of the NeoCon agenda to bring a republic to the Near East is more disturbing: the idea that third-world Arabs are human enough to need a republic, or that a republic in itself ever a good idea?

When will the rule of philosopher-misfits save us from Jefferson, et al?

[cgirltruck]

Just finished reading a very good book "All The Shaw's Men". Should read it yourself. Will explain why Iran hates us so much and makes perfect sense. Can't say I blame them. We, our government, really needs to learn to keep its nose out of other country's/government's business. Especially when we have no right to force our way/opinion/goal on anyone else.

[lauraboo6]

Repeated web address: Here, you can find a compilation of the latest videos from today's events in Tehran. Many videos are already there and new ones are constantly coming in, so keep on refreshing.

http://www.youtube.com/user/peive17#play/uploads/0/UWj5oAm88Ns

[YuSoWrong]

Yeah! Have you noticed that GWB had a Vice President named Lincoln, and the Ayatollah had a Vice President named Kennedy? There are just so many coincidences between the Republicans and Iran, it's amazing.

[skyk-2009]

It seems that the leaders of Iran have a major problem on their hands. It appears they have the SAME Problem the Republican Party had in this nation before the American People went to the polls in Record Numbers to throw them out on their behinds. When the PEOPLE want change, fear and intimidation only works for so long.

[DaVicar5]

In case you haven't checked lately, nobody cares about what "Iranian Clerics" call for!

[hoomanf2009]

Here, you can find a compilation of the latest videos from today's events in Tehran. Many videos are already there and new ones are constantly coming in, so keep on refreshing.

http://www.youtube.com/user/peive17#play/uploads/0/UWj5oAm88Ns

[lauraboo6]

Thanks for this link, which I'm going to repeat in my post, if you won't mind. I've been so concerned about what's going on in Iran, feeling kind of helpless. What can the average American do to help, if anything?

[eclecticman1]

THE REACTION TO THE ELECTION WILL NOT STOP. THE CONSERVATIVE HARD LINERS WILL SEE THIS AS TIME MARCHES ON. EVENTUALLY THE MORE LIBERAL ELEMENTS WILL WIN.

[BeckieBest]

The problems in Iran are a perfect illustration of what happens when you join church and state. Both are corrupted.

[Slrman]

At last a serous voice of moderation from Islam. Maybe he will also say killing Jews is not a sport? If Islam is to survive, more will have to step forward and renounce violence and terror as a religious duty. Other wise, they will find themselves at war with the rest of the world. That is, if they are not already and the rest of the world just hasn't accepted that yet.

[YuSoWrong]

We don't kill Jews anyomore. Now we kill Zionists.

[YuSoWrong]

I'll be staying at your mom's house. You can reach me there. Don't electrocute yourself on the job.