Shi'ite cleric gains sway across border

Boston Globe ^ | May 14, 2007 | Anne Barnard

[gpapa]

TEHRAN -- Iran's ruling clerics have long prided themselves on running the world's only Shi'ite Muslim state -- a state that imposes religion, dictating what imams can preach, what the media can report, and what people can wear.

So some Iranians are intrigued by the more freewheeling experiment in Shi'ite empowerment taking place across the border in Iraq, where -- Iraq's myriad problems aside -- imams can say whatever they want in political Friday sermons, newspapers and satellite channels regularly slam the government, and religious observance is respected and encouraged but not required.

[SevenMinusOne]

Ahh....those seeds of freedoms and self-worth.....they are the death of radical Islam.....likely not for quite some time.....but it's beginning.....

Our actions are changing the world.....for the better...

[SolidWood]

Indeed. Intersting read.

Contacting the Iran Ping list.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Very Major and interesting.....

[SunkenCiv]

religious observance is respected and encouraged but not required.

Fatwa declared on kindler, gentler imams. Film at 11. Thanks E.