Prominent Iranian Cleric Dies at 85

Daily Comet - AP ^ | 07/30/07

[Borges]

TEHRAN, Iran Ayatollah Ali Meshkini, a founding member of Iran's Islamic regime and leader of an important government assembly, died Monday. He was 85.

Meshkini died in a Tehran hospital where he had been receiving treatment since early July, his doctor, Jaffar Aslani, told the official Islamic Republic News Agency. State television said he died of a lung infection.

The ayatollah, or top-ranking Shiite Muslim cleric, was the head of the Assembly of Experts. The 86-member government body can in theory reprimand or even dismiss Iran's supreme leader, a position currently held by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In a condolence message reported by IRNA, Khamenei described Meshkini as "a model for his students and followers," and said his demise was "a great loss."

It was not immediately clear who would succeed Meshkini in his assembly position.

Meshkini was a close associate of the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, whom he supported during the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought the religious regime to power.

A hardliner, Meshkini was among the proponents of the theory that the legitimacy of Iran's clerics to rule the country is derived from God, as opposed to pro-democracy reformers who believe the government's authority is derived from popular elections.

[samtheman]

He’s burnin’ now.

[Paleo Conservative]

Too bad 85 clerics didn’t die at the age of one.

[Gay State Conservative]

Geeze....somehow he didn’t seize the opportunity to travel
to Iraq and die a “martyr” fighting the infidel,thus assuring himself 72 virgins.

[Bringbackthedraft]

They don’t die as martyrs, they send the young ones to die for them!

[tet68]

Meshkini was among the proponents of the theory that the legitimacy of Iran’s clerics to rule the country is derived from God, as opposed to pro-democracy reformers who believe the government’s authority is derived from popular elections.

Ah yes, the divine right of mullah Kings, no different than
a typical monarchy except it doesn’t have that patriarchal thing going for it.

Monarchy does seem to be dwindling nowadays though...

[rbosque]

One down...

[sure_fine]

is any of those cleric NOT prominent

[Bringbackthedraft]

I would also suspect they get all the virgins they want when they are alive too.

[Craigswatch]

That will be one less bullet used when we invade Iran.

[reagan_fanatic]

Khamenei described Meshkini as "a model for his students and followers," and said his demise was "a great loss."

Your loss, satan's gain.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Party Time!

[BMC1]

GOOD

[skinkinthegrass]

Hmmm...No virgins, for YOU...only 72 Helen Thomases
...and T.H. can talk....the sheep/goats only bleat.

[Joe Boucher]

One Iranians down, what 40 maybe 60 million more to go.
Let’s get busy.

[Hydroshock]

May pork be upon him.

[lexington minuteman 1775]

Dropping off, one shoe at a time...

[Jaysun]

Hi-ho, Hi-ho, it’s off to Hell you go.....

[Vermont Lt]

He must be shaking his head, wondering, “WTF?”

[Ouderkirk]

Good riddance and may he burn in hell.