July 1st, 2009 by Blake

Drawing criticism from some senior clerics over the way it has handled the fallout from last month’s elections, Iran is reported to have hanged six supporters of presidential candidate and opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi. The Jerusalem Post also reports a serious public crackdown on Iranians Monday by Basij militiamen and their female counterparts, the Sisters of Zeynab. Moreover, accounts of prison overcrowding and prisoner abuse have emerged.

The swelling rift among clerics in the Iranian establishment has continued to draw conjecture from Western analysts, prompting a Huffington Post article that examines a potential “clash” between Islam and Democracy in Iran.  Similarly, Pepe Escobar at the Asia Times claims that Iran was cementing an uniquely theo-militaristic dictatorship even before the election. On the other hand, reports that the regime–whose survival has depended on its popular appeal–has been weakened. Doubts that the theocracy will weather the crisis remain widespread. Nevertheless, the death of Michael Jackson, many argue, has drawn Western media attention away from Iran, which has been advantageous for President Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Khamenei.

Posted in Elections, Iran, US media |