Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame
Ahmedinejad is like the Ayatollah's form of masturbation. It feels really good for them when Mahmoud spouts off, but no one likes the mess it creates.
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Sorry, pet peeve of mine. The term Ayatollah refers to a senior cleric of Shia Islam and they range in political views from very moderate and tolerant to extreme conservative; many of the high ranking figures speaking out for election reform in Iran were Ayatollahs (and in some cases, Grand Ayatollahs). It remains to be seen where it settles, but right now Khamenei is likely supported by only a small number of Grand Ayatollahs. I'd argue that many of them feel more shame and embarrassment when they see a speech like Ahmadinejad's, and know that so many people will be making generalizations about the state of Iran and about Shia Islam as a result.