Trouble in Tehran?

6May/110

Trouble in Tehran?

While the news this week in the US has understandably been dominated by the SEAL raid into Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden it has perhaps overshadowed more intriguing events in Iran.

A few minutes ago on May 5, 2011, Arab TV announced that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameini requested Iran's President Ahmadinejad to step down from his post. This has not been confirmed nor verified by Western media as yet, however, it has been reported that several of his close aides are already under arrest.

The UK Guardian reported today that many of Ahmadinejad's aides were accused of using 'supernatural powers', including invoking jinns (spirits) in an attempt to further the president's agenda against Khameini. This includes Irani Chief of Staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei

Yes indeed, there's trouble in Tehran city, but mostly for Dinner-Jacket and his pals, and it starts with a "K" and ends with an "i". From the Guardian:

Several people said to be close to the president and his chief of staff, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, have been arrested in recent days and charged with being "magicians" and invoking djinns (spirits).

Ayandeh, an Iranian news website, described one of the arrested men, Abbas Ghaffari, as "a man with special skills in metaphysics and connections with the unknown worlds".

Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, a hardline cleric close to Khamenei, warned that disobeying the supreme leader – who has the ultimate power in Iran – is equivalent to "apostasy from God".

But the feud has taken a metaphysical turn following the release of an Iranian documentary alleging the imminent return of the Hidden Imam Mahdi – the revered saviour of Shia Islam, whose reappearance is anticipated by believers in a manner comparable to that with which Christian fundamentalists anticipate the second coming of Jesus.

Conservative clerics, who say that the Mahdi's return cannot be predicted, have accused a "deviant current" within the president's inner circle, including Mashaei, of being responsible for the film.

Well, that sure settles it...I guess that Ahmadi-Nejad isn't the 12th Imam, or his analogue to John the Baptist, after all. Tough break, eh? And what kind of "sorcerey" and "metaphysical skills" do you think are being alluded to here?

Let's be clear about what's going on; this is a power struggle between Khameini and Ahmadi-Nejad. They've been fueding for the last 2 weeks, ever since Khameini over-ruled Dinner-Jacket and reinstated an intelligence minister he'd let go. My guess is that they're cooking up all of this demon-sorcery stuff in order to buttress the claim that Ahmadi-Nejad is no longer righteous and therefore unfit to rule. Which, as an aside, is why our system in the west of secular governance is better; because otherwise it can lead to folks citing religious reasons for political actions, and there is no arguing with them since they claim to be motivated by God and therefore enjoy absolute moral authority...

Now all of this is unconfirmed, and who knows what will ultimately happen or if whoever ascends to the Presidency would be any easier to deal with. But, let's just say, it couldn't happen to a nicer guy ...

So we'll be watching the situation; and making the popcorn :)

Your thoughts and opinions, as always, are welcome.