Is this true? And if it is, why the heck wasn't it frontpage news?!?

[Random Variable]

<< Last Wednesday, April 24, an obscure deputy in the Iranian parliament went to the podium at 10:45 in the morning to read a prepared statement.

Few in that hall could have known what was coming: a fatwa issued by one of the country's most prestigious and revered religious leaders, the Grand Ayatollah Montazeri. His message was directed far beyond the boundaries of Iran, to all members of the Shia faith. It was a powerful and politically important message: Suicide terrorism is antithetical to the teachings of Islam, and those who practice it, and kill women, children, and babies, are doomed to eternity in hell. The struggle between the Palestinian people and Israel must be resolved by other means, above all by negotiations. A tumult broke out when the import of the statement became clear, but the parliamentary president permitted the deputy to read the fatwa in its entirety.

The proceedings were broadcast live throughout Iran. Therefore, although no Iranian publication and, to my knowledge, no foreign-news service reported the event, the Iranian people were able to hear it in real time. >>



http://www.nationalreview.com/ledeen/ledeen042902.asp

 

[Red Dawn]

<< Is this true? And if it is, why the heck wasn't if frontpage news?!? >>

Or at least published at a site that has some credibility.

 

[Random Variable]

<<

<< Is this true? And if it is, why the heck wasn't if frontpage news?!? >>

Or at least published at a site that has some credibility. >>

That's why I asked if it was true.

 

[aphex]

Interesting, i hadnt heard of that before.

 

[Kadarin]

While theoretically possible, it just doesn't sound like something a hardline mullah in Iran would say.. But then again, Iran is a bit of a wild card in the Mideast situation right now.

 

[StageLeft]

If it is true it pleases me. I'd rather see it posted on CNN though

Me <- CNN's bitch.

 

[Jimbo]

I hope it is true as well. If the Mulla in the story, Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, is the same as Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, that cat has been under house arrest for the last five years. He was number two to Ayatollah Khomeini but fell out of favor for questioning the extent of the clerics' power. Wht would any Fatwa he issued be read over State controlled radio?
But...
His Freedom Movement has consistently opposed using violence as a political tool, so that Fatwa would be consistant with their stated beliefs.
It could be true, but if it is not, whomever made up the story, knew something of internal Irain politics and the players.

 

[sandorski]

Shows that Iran maybe more civilized than what they are given credit for. Of course their reputation is coloured by the US Embassy inceident of the late 70's/early 80's, but we should take into account why that happened: Iranians objected to the puppet Shah, who was supported by the US. Iranians had a revolution, deposed the Shah, then attacked those who installed the Shah(US).