Iranian opposition stepping up criticism of ayatollahs
Ayatollah Mahmoud Amjad, an outspoken reformist seminary teacher, has called for staging a popular uprising against Iran's mullahs, describing the religious establishment in Qom of being "corrupt".
Amjad also called for purging Iran of corrupt officials and
religious figures.
He said in a statement that he would lead an uprising,
following in the footsteps of Islam's prophet Muhammad, to redress the wrongs
of the ayatollahs.
He held Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei responsible for
the killing of many Iranians during the demonstrations that erupted in 2009 in
protest against the fabrication of the presidential elections in favor of
former president Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad.
He also criticized Khamenei
for the recent execution of Iranian journalist Ruhollah Zam, describing the
journalist as a "martyr. He asked Iran's clerics not to fall silent in the
face of all the violations committed by the ayatollahs.
However, the Shiite Seminary lashed
out at Amjad for criticizing
Khamenei. It accused him
of serving the interests of foreign agencies, especially after he opposed the
execution of the abovementioned journalist.
Nevertheless, Amjad is finding support
among ordinary Iranians and opposition media, especially on cyberspace. They
complained against shrinking freedoms in their country, especially after the
detention of a large number of activists and opposition figures.
Some observers are, meanwhile,
stepping up attacks against those who criticize the ayatollahs. They accused
these opposition figures of being a "bunch of traitors".
