The invaluable website Enduring America (see link above) has published the comments of Iranian Grand Ayatollah Montazeri on a set of contemporary political issues. Montazeri was, together with Ayatollah Khomeini, one of the founders of the Islamic Republic. He later became critical of the way it was developing and was dismissed by Khomeini. Montazeri spent years under house arrest but has become even more outspoken in the wake of the June elections. These comments were made on the day before 13 Aban (November 4 in the Western calendar), the anniversary of the takeover of the US embassy in Tehran and the beginning of the 444-day hostage crisis.
Here are some excerpts:
The seizure of the America Embassy in the beginning of the Revolution, which was supported by most of Revolutionary classes of people and the late Imam Khomeini, was also supported by me. However, due to the negative consequences and the excessive sensitivity that this has provoked amongst the American people which still exists today, it is evident that this was a mistake… .
If national interest calls for relations with America, tensions and distrust must not be aggravated by empty slogans. It is obvious that Israel and its lobby in America have been and will be completely against the Iranian-American relationship and find their interests in the continuation of the current crisis between America and Iran. It is unfortunate that statesmen of the country do not pay attention to this fact… .
It is obvious that with the crisis that the government created after that “magnificent” election [of 12 June], it cannot negotiate with the powerful governments of the world from a strong position… .
I believe that, in a wise and calculated decision, the government can immediately free all the political prisoners, free all the press, and strip away the prejudices of government institutions and universities. It can replace this with a hiring process that looks at those who are capable and deserve their positions. With such a revolutionary and pious decision, the government can return the lost authority of the establishment. It is through this [solution] that the establishment can negotiate with the powerful nations with power and authority… .
A government that keeps its people unsatisfied, oppresses and desecrates rights of people, and imprisons a large group of educated scholars and political activists with unknown accusations cannot claim to be in a struggle against the imperialists and imperialism. Without attending to public dissent to gain the support of people, without revival of the rights of all classes and freedom of the journalists and media, fighting imperialism is impossible and impractical… .
