IRAN AGAIN URGED FREE ELECTIONS FOR IRAQ
TEHRAN, 25 Apr. (IPS) Iran once again reiterated Friday its desire to see an Islamic regime coming to power in neighbouring Iraq and defended the now defunct regime of Saddam Hoseyn for allowing the Iraqi Shi’a to live in "fraternity with their Sunni brothers".
"The most natural way to let the Iraqi people to exercise their right is to let them to form their government and their State through free elections under the auspices of the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Conference to see if they want Islam or an oppressive, foreign-imposed government", Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi said during the traditional Friday prayers.
On Thursday, President Mohammad Khatami said what Iran wants for Iraq is "freedom and democracy on the basis of one Iraqi one vote", underlining that with this formula, the Shi’a, who are in Majority in neighbouring Iraq, would be able to control the government.
"The Iraqi people are Muslim and 65 percent of the country's population are Shi’as who have been living in fraternal peace (with Sunni Muslims) for many years", the former Head of the Iranian Judiciary said shamelessly, not mentioning that not only the Iraqi Shi’a were ruthlessly oppressed under the Sunni-dominated Ba’thist regime that murdered hundred of thousands of Shi’as, including several of their senior clerical leaders, but also despite their numeric majority, they had no say in the country’s affairs.
The Ayatollah, who is an influential member of the powerful, conservatives-controlled Council of the Guardians known for the vulgarity of his verb and deforming the facts warned the US-led Coalition to leave Iraq and respect the Iraqi people's will for holding free elections.
But he did not say why the present Iranian clerical rulers refuse the same process for Iran, jailing instead those, like Mr. Abbas Amir Entezam, Iran’s longest political prisoner and Mr. Mohsen Sazegara, a political activist and journalist, who urge holding a national referendum allowing Iranians to choose their own desired regime.
The cleric, said a massive turnout of the "Iraqi people" mourning the martyrdom of Imam Hoseyn in 860 AD indicated the "prominent role" of the country's "Muslims in Iraq's future", but he did not mentioned that only the Shi’a celebrate the "martyrdom" of Emam Hoseyn and if they were able to do so freely, it was thanks to the Coalition’s toppling the ruthless regime of Saddam Hoseyn which martyred the Iraqi Shi’a for decades.
"America and Britain do not understand the Iraqi people's message. The Iraqi people say one cannot rule a nation with force and pressure. American officials are making a mistake by saying that those mourners' demands do not represent the Iraqi nation's will", he said, without emphasising.
Warning of "enemy plots" to create division among world Muslims' ranks, including those in Iraq, Mr. Yazdi said "the enemy has always been following the policy of divide and rule and is pursuing this policy even now but the enemy should know that Muslims are primarily committed to their faith and Iraqi Muslims will not go under oppression".
Ayatollah Yazdi also condemned "Israeli crimes" in the occupied Palestinian lands, saying, "Israel is misusing the current situation and confronting Palestinians".
Turning to domestic issues, Ayatollah Yazdi expressed his concern about young Iranian turning away from Islam and its teaching by urging the young one to go to mosques instead of parties of dancing, mixing with girls, drinking, going to movies or theatres. ENDS IRAN IRAQ 25403