The Iranian Islamic Revolution is Dead!

The tremendous events in Iran following its latest presidential election may be difficult to follow, but it seems life there will never be the same again. During one of the demonstrations yesterday a list of Seven Demands was circulated among the crowd. Number Three was the "temporary appointment" of Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri as Supreme Leader. Montazeri helped turn Iran into a theocracy and at one time was Khomeini’s designated successor, but in the late 80s he denounced the regime’s excesses and retired to comparative security in Qom.

Here is what Montazeri has to say:

...This was the greatest occasion for the government’s officials to bond with their people. But unfortunately, they used it in the worst way possible.Declaring results that no one in their right mind can believe, and despite all the evidence of crafted results, and to counter people protestations, in front of the eyes of the same nation who carried the weight of a revolution and 8 years of war, in front of the eyes of local and foreign reporters, attacked the children of the people with astonishing violence. And now they are attempting a purge, arresting intellectuals, political opponents and Scientifics…based on my religious duties, I will remind you…I expect the government to take all measures to restore people’s confidence. Otherwise, as I have already said, a government not respecting people’s vote has no religious or political legitimacy...I pray for the greatness of the Iranian people.

Valid democracy trumps valid Islam - this from Khomeini’s closest partner and at one time intended successor. The Iranian Islamic Revolution is over, let the Second Iranian Revolution bury it as peacefully as possible, lest the best that can be expected is a generation of spiritual emptiness, like the Soviet Union during the Brezhnev years.

Counterpoint: Now Lebanon reports on the alternation between buoyancy and depression that Hezbollah and Ahmadinejad supporters experienced in that country: 1, 2: They now see regional war as an option to regain their fortunes.