Iran opposition leaders to attend anti-Israel rally Reutersoom lttp://www .reuters.con 'VarticlePrint?article ld—USTRE5SF3QY2009O916
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Iran opposition leaders to attend
anti-Israel rally
Wed Sep 16, 2009 1:42pm EDT
By Parisa Hafezi
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's opposition leaders will attend the nationwide
“Qods Day' rally on Friday, a reformist website reported on Wednesday, a
move that could lead to fresh anti-government protests.
The June presidential election, which was followed by huge opposition
protests, plunged Iran into political turmoil and exposed deepening divisions
within its ruling elite.
Opposition leaders say the poll was rigged to secure President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad's re-election. The authorities deny it.
Iranian authorities, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah PJi Khamenei, have
warned the opposition against turning the annual anti-Israel rally into street
protests against the clerical establishment.
Defeated presidential candidates Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi
said they would attend the anti-Israel rally. “Mousavi, Karoubi and former
president Mohammad Khatami will participate in Friday's rally,” said the
reformist website, Mowjcamp.
Defying the authorities, some moderate websites have called for new
anti-government protests on “Qods Day.”
Witnesses said security forces had tightened control in streets leading to
the prayer venue in central Tehran.
The late founder of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah
Khomeini, declared the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan
as the “Qods (Jerusalem) Day” and called for nationwide rallies against
Israel and in support of Palestinians.
State television said moderate cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who
backed the opposition during the post-election unrest, had been replaced
with a hardline cleric to lead the prayer sermon at Tehran University on
Friday.
For the past 25 years, Rafsanjani, also head of a powerful arbitrary body,
has led the sermon.
State media said Ahmadinejad would also address worshippers, a move
which could provoke supporters of his election rivals to stage protests
against the establishment.
Moussavi's kaleme.com website said “Qods Day” was initiated by Khomeini
and had nothing to do with the current government, calling on his supporters
to join the rally.
Rights groups say thousands of people, including senior pro-reform figures,
were arrested after the election, though most have been freed. The
opposition says more than 70 people died during street protests after the
vote. It contradicts the official death toll of 36 people.
Hardliners have portrayed the opposition protests as a foreign-backed bid
to undermine the Islamic government system.
(Writing by Parisa hafezi, Editing by Janet Lawrence)
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