A Coronation in Qom

Please don't use the word "crackdown" for what the IRI has done to Iran over the last year; "crackdown" is neutral, and can even be good--eg, an international "crackdown" on commodities speculation, especially in oil and grains, would be nice:

What the IRI has committed and is committing is a "REPRESSION".

Dear Mr. Kennard,

I firmly disagree with your criticism of the author's use of the word "crackdown". You are missing the greater point of journalistic integrity in a functioning internal discourse of the Iranian community. I challenge your assertion that "crackdown" is ever a neutral or in your words "...good" instrument. Even in "commodities speculation, especially in oil and grains" when there is a crackdown on speculation someone loses out. Banking needs to be cleaned up, but with the tidal wave like debt in social and legal load that the US carries, we have lost the moral high ground.
However, I agree with your comments about the use of the word C-down in its application in intranational/international financial markets.
I'd also like to thank Mea Cyrus for illuminating the intricacies of the complex and ever shifting power dynamic that is Tehran and the current ruling party.

A shoddy piece of journalism. Quite honestly calling AN, Khamanei's puppet - when he was refusing to move his trusted mate, Mashaie, from his initial appointment as 1st VP despite several letters from Khamanei after protests made to him by some bigoted elements on his remarks of friendship between ordinary people of Iran and Israe; this was seen as a rift between the two. There is no winning with you guys. If there is a disagreement between the SL and President than there is a rift, if he eventually accedes to the SL's demands than he is a 'puppet'. I hope whoever pays this guy realises that they are not getting their money's worth. Additionally Khamanei has on his website many published fatwas and has been recognised by many in the Shi'ite world as a competent religious authority. Pls try to write something with credibility and give your sponsors their money's worth!

Rezvan (dear IRI epresentative),

Can you enlighten us by telling us which one of the top (in terms of number of followers), Marjas have confirmed that Khamenei's studies have reached the level of a Marja? Source?

I personally know one of the Marjas and he has no respect for Khamenei, as a cleric or a politician.

I am wondering if the taking over of Azad University and its endowment isn't more a sign that the government is desperate for funds?

Khamenei has the clergy in his pocket. Those clerics who dare mumble incoherently here and there are worried that he might be jeopardizing their longterm grip on power. The tiny minority who have been explicit about the problem, such as Ayatollah Broujerdi, are in prison while his peers keep quiet on the outside. The vast majority of the mullahs (big and small) seem to me to be very happy to be in Khamenei's cosy pocket. Be prepared for some nauseating flattery directed at him when he arrives in Qom. They might as well coronate him already. The whole royal family is rotten to the core. The problem is the crown itself.

animals fighting over scraps....

@Shawheen Hazrati

"intricacies of the complex and ever shifting power dynamic that is Tehran and the current ruling party" ?

We have a saying that goes like this, put a sock in it.

Anonymous said it best, "animals fighting over scraps..."

"REPRESSION" does not describe these animals.

This is insanely bad journalism. Khamanei is already a marja' (though many have criticized the way he became one and questioned whether religious knowledge and training is adequate for the position). He published his risaala years ago. I don't know who Ms. Niknejad's source is, but he/she appears to be living in Qom--10 years ago.

Go to the bio on the english page of Khamanei's official site.

http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=bio

He announced his marja'iyat long ago. Please, take the responsibility of reporting about Iran seriously.

I wrote comment #9 above "This is insanely bad journalism . . .). I wanted to apologize to Mea Cyrus 1) for getting her name wrong, and 2) for my incorrect assertion--after a little more research into the matter, it appears she is right that the risaala has not been published.

However, her assertion that Khamenei is "trying to announce his marja'iyat" is completely false/misleading, as his marja'iyat was proclaimed long ago.

Lets hope there aren't too many who would "emulate" this man. His career has been at best shabby and at worst destructive. As a statesmen he might compare with Galtieri in Argentina, whose achievements were the conquest of the Malvinas for 5minutes and the masterminding of death squads to hunt down and kidnap mostly unarmed students.To call him the "Just Jurisprudent" is a tasteless joke.

It is clear that the Supreme Leader has issued fatwas regularly. However, I checked and rechecked to see if he has published his "resale amaliye" but can't find it anywhere, not even on his website. Khomeini's resale is linked to on the Leader's site: http://www.leader.ir/langs/FA/, perhaps that's what's confusing you.

I believe MEA's point about Khamenei's marjaeyat refers to K's plan to acuire a grand marja's status. K does not have a resale-amaliye but he has been active in issuing fatwas something exclusive for Marjas. so here there is a bit of confusion caused by sudden rise of K to marjaiyat. do not forget that Ejtehad is different from marjaeyat. what many above have mentioned is ejtehad not the latter. so what doe sit mean for commentators above if K publishes his resaale? it clearly means he is trying to put himself forward as a strong marja'.

I believe many who leave comments do it on the like or dislike feeling immediately after reading something. that knee jerk reaction being done without proper research turns out to be worthless 9 out of 10.

have we forgotten how iranian constitution was changed to make khamenei fit for the job?

http://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%87%D9%85%D9%87%E2%80%8C%D9%BE%D8%B1%D8%B3%DB%8C_%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D9%86_%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B3%DB%8C_%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86_%DB%B1%DB%B3%DB%B6%DB%B8

Hamid, I think you're confusing several things. One can be a mujtahid, meaning one is qualified to issue legal rulings (fatwas). However, those rulings aren't binding on anyone unless one becomes a marja'--an object of emulation, meaning one has followers to whom one's rulings are binding. Becoming a marja' is a complex process of a mujtahid distinguishing himself in religious circles, thereby generating a following. The process normally (but I don't think always) includes the publication of a risaala--a multi-volumed topically-arranged work containing one's rulings on a wide variety of issues.

To my knowledge, there is no such term as grand marja. I think you may be thinking of the term grand ayatollah, which is simply another designation for marja. ("Ayatollah" refers to a mujtahid, and "grand ayatollah" refers to marja.) As far as I know, a marja is a marja--there's no other higher level/title that one can claim, though of course some marja's are much more prominent than others and have greater influence and a larger following (like Burujerdi or now Sistani).

Anyway, Khamanei may be going to Qom to rally support and silence his opponents, but I doubt he's going to claim a title that he already claimed years ago. Of course the legitimacy of that claim is another issue entirely.

@ Vahid "Anonymous said it best"... anony'mouse' sure is mighty.
"Put a sock in it"?! I want to know which city still uses that gem. 'Put a sock in it, Pal!'
Sir,
you might have mistaken what I was arguing for, as a point of order in the conversation. I'm glad journalists living in Tehran have better manners than you. To brush with the broad stroke all who are involved in the daily struggle to make their lives better in a global community, is to play to the lowest common denominator in an argument. Therefore passing judgments without all the details can be irresponsible and dangerous. I firmly believe that we should all live in a peaceful and just world, but I can't advocate for the Bloombox over Solar panels, because that might be over your head.

Jami`at Mudarisin Hawzah `Ilmiyyah in Qom published a list of eminent qualified maraji`s. Being announced shortly after the demise of Ayatollah al-uzma Araki, the list brought comfort to the Iranians. The name of the Supreme Leader was in the list as well. As the people in Iran can refer to the outstanding marji‘s in the hawzah of Qom and due to his familiarity with the Islamic and international affair, the Supreme Leader accepted the proposal of being a marji‘ for the Muslims in the Islamic countries. His Eminence says:

"Dear brothers, concerning the question of marji‘yat, it is not like that. Someone will accomplish the duty. It is not something dependent on a single individual. The gentlemen published a list in which my name was included. However, if I had been consulted (about it), I would have objected. I had not been informed about their decision. It was not until after its being published that I knew about it. If I had known earlier, I would not have agreed. I even informed the people in the IRIB TV (of my opinion) and said to them ‘If it does not displease the eminent gentlemen, do not mention my name when you read their list.’ After a while, they replied that it was not possible for them to make any change. At the end of a meeting of several hours, they decided that they could do nothing, and so the original form of the announcement was read as it was.
(quote from Khamanei as per his website)
I have not heard anyone in the columns of TB call him a liar yet (unlike AN)! So I presume the words quoted are true. Seems to give a very different perspective from that of a power hungry individual who wants to be crowned a 'marja' as if such a thing was ever possible in the first place. As in reality a 'marja' acquires his standing in the Shi'ite community through his outstanding works of piety, humility in behaviour, knowledge and service to his followers. I have not seen any comment about Khamanei accusing him of avarice, conceit or ignorance. The only potentially sound allegation made against him was his apparent endorsement of AN as president even before the official count was completed thus undermining one of the necessary conditions of being a marja that of being 'adil'. I think the reformists and particularly those who have wrongly been imprisoned and subjected to abuses can probably fairly claim that he has departed from this particular condition. But in his favour are many mitigating circumstances, such as the threat of civil war and foreign interference had the situation not been quickly controlled by the security forces very quickly, the closing down of Kahrizak, the various enquiries that have been instigated under his direction on the abuses at Tehran University, the reaching out to various sections of the population including taking on a lot of open flak and criticism directly by a student and indirectly by his opponents, who still remain relatively free to speak what they want in Tehran.

Rezvan:

You supporting Ayatollah Khamenei (AKh) and Ahmadinejad is your business, although you are on the wrong side of history here. But, what you say about AKh being a Marja' is not what the history shows, unless you have invented your own version of history.

Before he was appointed as the SL, AKh was not even a Mojtahed, let alone a Marja'. They had to revise the Constitution in order to be able to justify his appointment. After his appointment, the two most important grand ayatollahs of the time - the true Marja's - Ayatollahs Golpayegani and Mara'shi sent him telegrams referring to him as Hojjatoleslam, not ayatollah!

Then after Ayatollah Mara'shi passed away in 1994 (Golpayegani passed away in 1992), security forces saturated Qom, seminary students that were supported financially by the SL's office had demonstrations, and many clerics were pressured in order to declare AKh a Marja'. Even then, he was listed only as the 4th person in the list of 7, and since declaring him a Marja' was really ridiculous, he said that he would be a Marja' for outsiders, which is another ridiculous statement, because in Shiite Islam it is the people who decide whom they want to emulate. No true Mojtahed or Marja' says, "I want to be emulated by this or that group of people."

And regarding Jaame'h Modarresin-e Qom (JMQ): It is simply a political party operating under that name. One of its leaders, Mohammad Yazdi is a most corrupt cleric that destroyed the judiciary. Ayatollah Shahrudi, his successor said, "man viraaneh ghazaei raa tahvil gereftam." The other leader, Moghtadaei, is one of the most reactionary, backward thinking clerics.

The JMQ declares the Organization of Islamic Revolution Mojahedin - a political not religious group - as "illegitimate," declares Ayatollah Yousef Sanei, a most popular and moderate cleric and one who Ayatollah Khomeini had certified him as a Mojtahed, as not being a Marja', etc., etc.
Often Yazdi issues a statement in the name of the JMQ, but then others quietly protest that they did not agree to it, or did not want to sign it.

So, nothing that the JMQ says has any credibility with people like me.

Say what you will Rezvan, but we WILL take our country back and this circus will soon be over in logic name, Amen.
It's payback time.

@ rezvan,

I do not understand why a pro government list after demise of ayatollah araki is taken as a solid document to say khamenei is a marja! many high profile established marjas did not accept khamenei as a marja. see link.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2010/10/101016_l39_hamidansari_mohammadyazdi_ayatollahkhomeini.shtml

if he was a marja where is his resale?