Ayatollah Saanei succeeds Montazeri as Spiritual Guide
By: Sheikh M Khurasani
HOLY CITY OF QOM, Iran: Ayatollah Yousuf Saanei has stepped into the vacuum
left by the December 19 death of the leading reformist ayatollah in Iran
Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri.
Ayatollah Saanei is another prominent reformist ayatollah who has emerged to
provide the Green Movement with spiritual guidance and ideological support:
Grand Ayatollah Yousuf Saanei declared on December 20 his desire to continue
Ayatollah Montazeri's work and honor his legacy, assuming his mantle as the
most prominent clerical reformist.
Ayatollah Saanei is known for his dynamic involvement in contemporary issues
that serve as sources of contention both politically and theologically. A 2007
interview with him by the newspaper Asharq al Awsat discussed his opinions on
current social and political issues.. Saanei's translated book, The Essence of
Thoughts, is posted on his website and delineates his views on Islam and
modern society.
His revolutionary background is also notable, having been a trusted supporter
of Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic. Saanei served in
the Guardian Council, the Assembly of Experts, and the Judiciary branch in the
early 1980s.
His assumption of Montazeri's mantle and his scholarly and religious
preeminence and popularity already have elicited a response from the Iranian
establishment. His house and office in Qom were attacked by paramilitaries the
day of Montazeri's funeral, which the government banned Saanei from attending.
His office in Shiraz was attacked last week as well.
On January 2, cleric Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi and the affiliated Qom
Lecturer's Association attempted to discredit Ayatollah Saanei by declaring
him to be ineligible to be a Marja-e Taqlid, or source of emulation and
guidance to Shiite Muslims. The story was featured on all state-affiliated
news agencies.
Ayatollah Yazdi's attempt to discredit Saanei has no precedent in Shiite
history-ayatollahs may confirm the religious ranking of a scholarly peer, but
never have had the religious authority de facto to excommunicate or demote him
from the ranking.
________________________________
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"shiagroup" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[email protected].
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/shiagroup?hl=en.
