Mehdi Karroubi slams government "extremists"

Mehdi Karroubi

Iranian opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi maintained that contrary to the claims of the “extremists” in the Islamic Republic, the establishment is by no means in control of the post-election crisis. He maintained that people are still intent on their rightful demands but are now continuing their protests with greater "alertness" in the face of government pressures and threats.

Speaking to a group of political and student activists, the opposition leader cited the warm and welcoming attitude of people toward newly released political prisoners in the streets, neighbourhoods and workplaces as proof of the continuity of the protests.

He maintained that “extremists” are so intent on controlling the society that they have gone beyond mere control of the living, they want to also control the dead.”

Mehdi Karroubi cited examples of how funeral permits were denied for some members of the clergy and memorial services were cancelled through government interference.

He maintained that such reactions merely reveal the weakness of the establishment that even a simple funeral is cause for its alarm.

Mehdi Karroubi also slammed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s latest encouragement to increase the size of Iranian families coupled with initiatives to encourage civil servants to move out of the capital in order to relieve the ever increasing problem of congestion in the city which according to Ahmadinejad could multiply the possible damages from an earthquake.

Karroubi criticized the government’s contradictory initiatives in handling the problem of Tehran’s increasing population and advised the government to refrain from interfering in the personal affairs of families.