Sounded more like a bomb under Big Sis’s (Sistani )limo to me. Which, after all, is how Big Sis got the job from Mookie’s dad in the first place.

“Anybody who fights against the Islamic system or the leader of Islamic society, fight him until complete destruction,” he said in the nationally broadcast speech.

The cleric claimed some involved in the unrest had used firearms.

“Anyone who takes up arms to fight with the people, they are worthy of execution,” he said. “We ask that the judiciary confront the leaders of the protests, leaders of the violations, and those who are supported by the United States and Israel strongly, and without mercy to provide a lesson for all.”

shhhh……did you hear that?
It was the sound of every neocon head in America simultaneously exploding.

Oh I now that something broke in IRI after Khamenei speech. At last.

But one thing Iranians really want to change is corruption, corruption and once again corruption and Rafsanjani is one of the most corrupted of them all. His (extended) family has even businesses in Canada

I also do think that you are misreading mullahs. Although many say that Khomeini was innovator, over the many decades there were really two conflicting points of view of shia clergy on politics – one quietist and the other one not. And although majority supported the former how could they completely separate themselves from politics if they were owners of large areas of land, many buildings and businesses endowed to them by pious shia. The ownership of land was the reason why Khomeini & Co., started the Islamic revolution and they still own the land, businesses, and the factories in Iran, do they not?

As for Grand Ayatollah Sistani – he is old, but he and the clergy in Najaf are quite wealthy, which was one reason why Muqtada as Sadr attacked Najaf couple of years ago . It is also one of the reasons why the Najaf clergy is so influential in Iraq. And the reason why Najaf once again may be center of shia learning.
Money talks, as they say. Money also makes politics.

Perhaps you should read this….
“Now that Ayatollah Khamenei has become inexorably connected to Ahmadinejad’s power grab, many clerics are coming around to the idea that the current system needs to be changed. Among those who are now believed to be arrayed against Ayatollah Khamenei is Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the top Shi’a cleric in neighboring Iraq. Rafsanjani is known to have met with Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani’s representative in Iran, Javad Shahrestani.

A reformist website, Rooyeh, reported that Rafsanjani already had the support of nearly a majority of the Assembly of Experts, a body that constitutionally has the power to remove Ayatollah Khamenei. The report also indicated that Rafsanjani’s lobbying efforts were continuing to bring more clerics over to his side. Rafsanjani’s aim, the website added, is the establishment of a leadership council, comprising of three or more top religious leaders, to replace the institution of supreme leader. Shortly after it posted the report on Rafsanjani’s efforts to establish a new collective leadership, government officials pulled the plug on Rooyeh.”

What if…..the Council of three…..became Rafsanjani, Khameni, and…..Sayeed ali al Sistani?
lol
how devious

Rafsanjani has his history, and frankly he sees that what Montazeri went through, plus what is going on in Iraq; he sees that it is time for Iran to turn the page.

For Michael Ledeen has time and time again pointed towards the involvement of Iran in Iraq that was simply detrimental for Iraq. Despite all this, and all else that was detrimental, Iraq is still paying attention to
the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, where he
says that there is a path for Shia Islam, and
Khomeini detoured from it, and Khameini is still on the detoured path.

I am looking forward to the next posting by Michael Ledeen, for there is a lot of work to
be done, and frankly I think the needs have already been identified.

As for Zakat – in 2007 Ahmadinejad was talking a lot about trying to fight corruption, that was probably the main reason for why bazaris changed the recipient of their zakat from khamenei (who supported anti-corruption policy of Ahmadinejad) to Sistani . I also noticed that many mullahs as well as Rafsanjani were very upset with overt accusations of corruption by Ahmadinejad. That is not done in Iran. That is also one of the reason why he most likely won’t stay a president.

Now, I do not say that Ahmadinejad is not a fanatic and should not be removed but some of the forces arrayed now against him are far removed from being a democratic and are fanatical in themselves.

http://threatswatch.org/rapidrecon/2009/06/rafsanjani-has-votes-to-remove/

Perhaps the tide has turned, or the tide has gotten stronger.