Moussavi challenges supreme leader and is "ready for martyrdom"

[Recursion]

Source: Al Arabiya (Arabic; this is my translation)

(again, my translation; Al-Arabiya will probably have a better translation up in a couple of hours.)

Making a direct challenge to the supreme leader of Iran, Mir Houssein Moussavi has strongly contradicted the sermon delivered by Ayatollah ALi Khamenei on Friday supporting the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as President. On Moussavi's website, he declared himself ready to be martyred for his opposition.

Moussavi claimed that cancelling election results is a right that cannot be denied and vowed to "continue standing by" Iranians to defend their rights.


Read more: http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/06/20/76539.html

---

(Note to mods: I can't find the stance on translating sources, but Al-Arabiya and Al-Jazeera's Arabic sites are consistently 2-3 hours ahead of their English ones...)

[pattmarty]

1. ANY politician says shit like that, I'll believe it when I see it.

[peacetalksforall]

4. What kind of attitude is that wtth the little we know about him or Iranians.

Yes, it might all be emotion. But why attack the guy?

And "ANY politician says xxx like that, ..." ANY? YOU ARE WRONG!!!! WHICH POLITICIAN IN THE U.S. said that about the stolen votes in the election of 2000 or the outrageous role and proclamation of our not so supreme court - or any of the election thefts that followed. Which ones even challenged the vote. Which one even moved a finger to expose Diebold, ES & S, Sequioa? The people did it.*

They al ONLY hid and put a piece of Gorilla Tape over their mouths.

The Aytollah refers to democracy in his speeches. They have no more of a democracy than we have.

*As usual, the exceptions were Kucinich and Conyers and his supporters (who only held hearings - nothing more).

Should the tru Iranian winner be crucified, he will have followers all over the world.

[pattmarty]

6. Name me one US politician who would put his POLITICAL life..................

............in danger, much less his life. Don't worry, I'll wait....................





There may be a couple, but you will be hard pressed to name them.
I am NOT against what is happening in Iran, but you have to be realistic.
WE here in the US ought to be out "in the street" over healthcare, education, lobbying (political payoffs), our prison population, war spending, do you want me to go on? I could, you know for another hour at least.

[peacetalksforall]

7. You said 'ANY POLITICIAN SAYS xxxx like that'. I said NO POLITICIANS (in this

coutnry) has ever said anything like that.

You said SAYING, now you've switched to DOING???????

I stand by what I said - no one here would say it or do it - they would write a book and attempt to make some money.

[pattmarty]

10. Whaaaa?????????????

[peacetalksforall]

11. Didn't you say every politician says xxxx like that. I said no they don't.

[pattmarty]

12. NO I DID NOT. Any is not "EVERY".. READ both posts for context.

[marshall]

14. Patrick Henry, et al?

They laid their lives on the line in a way that I agree none of our leaders (or most of us) do today. They would balk at the idea of giving up freedoms in exchange for safety. Who cares if we are safe from terrorism if we aren't free to live as wish and in privacy?

[pattmarty]

15. I agree. The Iranians are doing it, here in the US the Spanish speaking..........

............immigrants & citizens did it a couple years ago AND even the wacko "tea-baggers" did it. Where in the fucking hell are the so called liberals & progressives? There is a lot of shit in this country we should be out in the street protesting. If we were out in the streets, Obama might actually DO the change he PROMISED.

[ohio2007]

2. Al-Arabiya in english

Iran's Mousavi says ready for "martyrdom:"ally


http://www.alarabiya.net/english/


Iran opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi said he was "ready for martyrdom", according to an ally, in leading protests that have shaken the Islamic Republic and brought warnings of bloodshed from Iran's Supreme Leader.

Mousavi also called on Saturday for a national strike if he is arrested, a witness said. As darkness fell, rooftop cries of Allahu Akbar (God is greatest) sounded out across northern Tehran for nearly an hour, an echo of tactics used in the 1979 Islamic revolution against the Shah.In an act fraught with symbolic significance, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the mausoleum of the father of Iran's Islamic revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, while unrest continued across Tehran in defiance of a ban on demonstrations.

"A suicide bomber was killed at the northern wing of Imam Khomeini's shrine. Two people were injured," Fars reported without giving further details.

snip

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/06/20/76486.html

[OKNancy]

3. Earlier thread

Here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3931948

[rpannier]

5. Religious Democracy

Heavy on religion, light on Democracy

[EFerrari]

8. Thank you for doing that translation.

:)

[Blandocyte]

9. Good to see

people with the guts to stand up for their convictions.

[robcon]

13. Reminds me of the signers of the Declaration of Independence

"We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.