Comments on: Muharram Violence in Iraq, Iran, Pakistan http://www.juancole.com/2009/12/muharram-violence-in-iraq-iran-pakistan.html Thoughts on the Middle East, History and Religion Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:17:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anonymous http://www.juancole.com/2009/12/muharram-violence-in-iraq-iran-pakistan.html#comment-1303 Anonymous Sun, 27 Dec 2009 07:59:18 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=4864#comment-1303 There are all kinds of rumors floating around, with some substance being added daily by the regime itself, that Khamenei is possibly going to be formally declared the Imam Zaman, Qa'im and Mahdi soon. Given the industry of prophecies about the Imam Zaman and his appearance that the Twelver Shi'a clerical class has built their careers upon over the centuries, I am just curious how the regime plans at explaining such a scenario to its own constituency and the general community. <br /><br />My suspicion is that as a desperate act of self-preservation the pro-apocalyptic faction of the powers that be in the regime will in fact do this very thing: that in 2010 we could very well see Khamenei suddenly declare himself, or be declared, the Islamic Messiah. Note that all the Shi'ite prophecies foreshadow a global apocalyptic war with the appearance of the Mahdi. To justify any imminent military confrontation with the West, one could see the Islamic regime indeed venturing into such risky messianic business as a last ditch maneuver at self-preservation. <br />http://iranian.com/main/blog/nur-i-azal/comedy-wings-khamenei-imam-zaman There are all kinds of rumors floating around, with some substance being added daily by the regime itself, that Khamenei is possibly going to be formally declared the Imam Zaman, Qa'im and Mahdi soon. Given the industry of prophecies about the Imam Zaman and his appearance that the Twelver Shi'a clerical class has built their careers upon over the centuries, I am just curious how the regime plans at explaining such a scenario to its own constituency and the general community.

My suspicion is that as a desperate act of self-preservation the pro-apocalyptic faction of the powers that be in the regime will in fact do this very thing: that in 2010 we could very well see Khamenei suddenly declare himself, or be declared, the Islamic Messiah. Note that all the Shi'ite prophecies foreshadow a global apocalyptic war with the appearance of the Mahdi. To justify any imminent military confrontation with the West, one could see the Islamic regime indeed venturing into such risky messianic business as a last ditch maneuver at self-preservation.
http://iranian.com/main/blog/nur-i-azal/comedy-wings-khamenei-imam-zaman

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.juancole.com/2009/12/muharram-violence-in-iraq-iran-pakistan.html#comment-1302 Anonymous Sun, 27 Dec 2009 07:25:39 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=4864#comment-1302 From Twitter: <br /><br />Emam Hossein, all security forces visible, their vans parked <br /><br />Special brigades deployed to protect Khamenei Residence <br /><br />People starting to flow into central Tehran From Twitter:

Emam Hossein, all security forces visible, their vans parked

Special brigades deployed to protect Khamenei Residence

People starting to flow into central Tehran

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.juancole.com/2009/12/muharram-violence-in-iraq-iran-pakistan.html#comment-1301 Anonymous Sun, 27 Dec 2009 07:23:55 +0000 http://www.juancole.com/?p=4864#comment-1301 Reuters: Heavy police presence in Tehran says Iran opposition<br />by Shifteh Ansari on Sat Dec 26, 2009 11:03 PM PST<br /><br /><br />TEHRAN (Reuters) - An Iranian opposition website said on Sunday that hundreds of security forces had deployed in central Tehran, where the opposition planned to stage fresh anti-government rallies during a Shi'ite religious festival. <br /><br />"Hundreds of police, riot police and security forces are at Haft-e Tir square, Enqelab Street and near the main Bazar," the Jaras website reported. <br /><br />http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artic...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />پس از اعلام آماده باش سه روزه به کلیه ی نیروهای بسیج و سپاه امروز بار دیگر تهران شاهد حضور گسترده ی مامورین در مسیر اعلام شده برای یک راه پیمایی اعتراضی دیگر است.<br />به گزارش ارتش سری هم اکنون شمار زیادی از مامورین یگانهای ویژه سپاه در میدان انقلاب حضور دارند و خود را برای سرکوب معترضین آماده نموده اند، این در حالی است که علیرغم شکل نگرفتن صفوف مردمی تا کنون تعداد بسیاری در ایستگاههای اتوبوس و ایستگاههای BRT حضور دارند و منتظر شکل گیری تجمع و پیوستن به آن هستند./پایان خبر<br />http://secret-army-iran.blogspot.com/2009/12/blog-... Reuters: Heavy police presence in Tehran says Iran opposition
by Shifteh Ansari on Sat Dec 26, 2009 11:03 PM PST

TEHRAN (Reuters) – An Iranian opposition website said on Sunday that hundreds of security forces had deployed in central Tehran, where the opposition planned to stage fresh anti-government rallies during a Shi'ite religious festival.

"Hundreds of police, riot police and security forces are at Haft-e Tir square, Enqelab Street and near the main Bazar," the Jaras website reported.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artic…

پس از اعلام آماده باش سه روزه به کلیه ی نیروهای بسیج و سپاه امروز بار دیگر تهران شاهد حضور گسترده ی مامورین در مسیر اعلام شده برای یک راه پیمایی اعتراضی دیگر است.
به گزارش ارتش سری هم اکنون شمار زیادی از مامورین یگانهای ویژه سپاه در میدان انقلاب حضور دارند و خود را برای سرکوب معترضین آماده نموده اند، این در حالی است که علیرغم شکل نگرفتن صفوف مردمی تا کنون تعداد بسیاری در ایستگاههای اتوبوس و ایستگاههای BRT حضور دارند و منتظر شکل گیری تجمع و پیوستن به آن هستند./پایان خبر
http://secret-army-iran.blogspot.com/2009/12/blog-…

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