Montazeri versus Khomeini
Mouse versus Elephant!

Ayatollah Hussein Ali Montazeri has been under house arrest in Qom from 1997 to 2003. Montazeri was once Khomeini's right hand man. He helped to design the original version of the IRI constitution and he helped to create Hezbollah (of Lebanon). He was Khomeini's designated successor as VF (Velayat Faqih).

Montazeri had disagreements about some of the powers and policies of Khomeini. Unfortunately he did not keep his mouth shut and wait until he became VF when he would have had the power to make some changes. He expressed his disagreements to Khomeini. So Khomeini made sure that Montazeri did not become VF.

In 1997 Montazeri tried to prevent the regime from fraudulently declaring Khamenei to be an Object of Emulation (Marja' Taqlid, Ayatollah Al Ozama). He made a speech in which he suggested that Khamenei was unqualified to be an Object of Emulation, and unqualified to be Supreme Leader (VF) as well. (Montazeri should know. He helped write the IRI constitution. And Khamenei was only a Hojatol Eslam when he was made VF. It is doubtful that Khamenei is even properly qualified to be an ordinary Ayatollah, let alone a Marja' Taqlid and Ayatollah Al Ozama.)

So Khamenei put Montazeri under house arrest.

There is a Web site for Montazeri:

Ayatollah Montazeri Site

What dangerous heretical views does Montazeri hold and express that threaten the IRI regime so much that they dare not let him out of his house? In 2001 an interview was done with Montazeri.

Here are some quotes from that interview:

'The legitimacy of the religious government resides in the people - without the people it has none."

"The concentration of powers in the hands of a single person (i.e. the VF) is not accepted and must not be accepted."

"If the leadership does not change its behavior radically, there is no future for the religious government."

In the IRI, it is not okay for even a high ranking Grand Ayatollah and Object of Emulation to have such views. Such views are heresy. Think about that.

(Note: as of May 2003 Montazeri is no longer under house arrest.)

The Myth of IRI Reforms

So what does Montazeri mean in regards the feasibility of peacefully working for meaningful democratic reforms within the IRI constitutional system?

Khatami makes many noises about reforms.

Khatami has twice been approved by the GC as the "Reformer" of choice to run for President of the IRI.

Montazeri has been confined to his home for years for daring to criticize the powers of the VF.

What does that tell you?

That tells me that Khatami is no threat to the ruling power clique of the IRI, the "Hard-liners". He is a tame dog. He will bend over for the Mesbah Yazdi-Rafsanjani gang any time he is commanded to.

Myths due to Islamic Brainwash:
Reforms under Islam
Islamic Democracy
National Islamism (Meli Mazhabi)

For more information about Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi:

Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi site

Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi (Wikipedia)

In the IRI the GC ensures that no person who is unacceptable to the Hard-liners is allowed to run for elected office.

For more information about GC, EC, VF and IRI:

How the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) Government works?

The GC, the EC and the VF ensure that no legislation that is unacceptable to the Hard-liners ever becomes law.

The President and the Majlis have no power to do anything without the approval and permission of the GC and the VF.

The ruling "Inner Circle" of top hard-liner Mullahs in the IRI collectively wield absolute political and constitutional power. This did not come about by accident. This was very cunningly and craftily designed and built with malice aforethought.

For any meaningful democratic reforms to occur by peacefully working within the system, the ruling Hard-liners would have to knowingly and voluntarily give up the absolute power that they worked and fought for decades to acquire.

What do you think are the chances of that happening?

Fat and Juicy Montazeri
Montazeri before he had fallen from the grace!

Skinny and isolated Montazeri
Montazeri after he had fallen from the grace (under house arrest).

Let me close with three quotes from Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, member of the GC:

"What did our martyrs die for? So that we can trample on all the sanctities and our youth can have more freedom?"

"If freedoms were desirable, why did we bother to get rid of the Shah? He did give such freedoms."

"Religious leadership and political leadership are not separate from each other. Politics, Government and Islamic rule are for the Clergy only and the non-clergy lacks the right to interfere in politics."