IRAN MUST NORMALISE RELATIONS WITH THE US: AYATOLLAH MONTAZERI
LONDON, 21 Sept. (IPS) Grand Ayatollah Hoseynali Montazeri, Iran’s most senior cleric called for an "immediate" resumption of relations with the United States and accused the present leaders of playing the "Zionist lobbies" cards that prevents normalizing with Washington.
The dissident Grand Ayatollah, who was the right hand man of Grand
Ayatollah Roohollah Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic revolution of 1979
and the founding father of the Islamic Republic, made his remark at a time that
Tehran is under tremendous pressure from the international community over its
nuclear projects and support for international terrorism.
Ayatollah Monatzeri was placed under house arrest condition several years ago because of open criticism of the way Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’i, the leader of the Islamic Republic was leading the nation both internally and externally.
Though he recovered recently a limited liberty of expression, yet he continued his harsh criticism of the present leaders, including the embattled President Mohammad Khatami for not being able to standing firm to the hard line conservatives who opposes the reforms he promised to the nation.
In an interview with the Japanese newspaper "Yomiuri", Ayatollah Montazeri also condemned the occupation of the American embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979 by Iranian revolutionary students, most of them among prominent personalities fighting for transforming the present theocracy into a secular democracy.
"Jewish lobbies does everything for not allowing the United States and Iran resume their relations and the Iranian leaders, by continuing antagonizing Washington, in fact do what the Zionists are after", Ayatollah Montazeri told the paper, quoted Sunday by the Persian service of the BBC
The operation, hailed by Ayatollah Khomeini as a "second revolution" and eventually approved by Ayatollah Montazeri resulted in taking 55 American diplomats and embassy staff as hostage for 444 days, leading Washington to cut all its ties with the new Iranian regime and imposing unilateral economic sanctions.
According to Ayatollah Montazeri, the people have the right to elect their leaders and be free of criticizing them, as recommended by the Muslim’s prophet Mohammad, an exercise in democracy forbidden by the conservatives on the ground that the leader of the Islamic Republic is a Reprehensive of God and as such is above all laws of the Constitution.
This is the second time in as many weeks that Ayatollah Montazeri takes aim at Iranian clerical leaders. In an address to some 500 students in his home city of Qom last Wednesday, he publicly said since the people are not satisfied with the situation, they should have the possibility to decide freely for their future.
According to Mr. Sadeq Saba, the senior analyst of Iranian affairs for the BBC, Ayatollah Montazeri’s latest remark is very important die to the fact that the attack on the American embassy and hostage taking is "the very root" of both persisting tensions in Iran-US relations and Tehran’s growing isolation on the international scene.
Under American pressures, the International Atomic Energy Agency urged Iran to sign the additional protocols to the Non Proliferation Treaty "immediately and unconditionally" or face possible sanctions by the United Nations. ENDS MONTAZERI IRAN US RELATIONS 21903