From Shiraz today:
December 21, 2009 Ayatollah Montazeri Died
Someone sent an SMS saying, “Ayatollah Montazeri Dargozasht (A. Montazeri died). Although one family had Christmas decorations up for over a week and were trying to have a happy house for the season, despite the mandatory depression of the month of Moharram, the wife had to take a day out to wear black and silently mourn this cleric who had risen to the task of being spiritual leader of the Green movement.
By the time her 6-year old daughter came home from kindergarten she had forgotten that she had on black. As te daughter sat down for lunch she turned to mother and asked, “Why are you wearing Ahmadinjd colors mom?”
December 28, 2009 Ashura News
People are talking in Shiraz. It seems things heated up in this city in the evening when people were denied attendance at Shameh Ghariban ceremonies on Ashura (Sunday) from Zargari to Zand streets. It seemed there were confrontations and clashes between attendees and security forces. So, the purpose of soldiers in front of mosques last night was not to protect mosques, rather, they were posted to prevent people from entering mosques!
Someone said that around 1 pm on Sunday there must have been some commotion in Shahe Cheragh mosque because the Dasteh’s of ceremonial mourners (and the crowd) were no longer allowed into the mosque.
One man said that his neighborhood is normally impassable during Ashura because of all the mourning groups, but that this year only one Dasteh passed by his house. He also said that his son is in a Dasteh. In past years as they waited their turn to go to Shahe Cheragh they would encounter noonday prayers (which they would perform in their holding area) and would get to the mosque only by late afternoon. This year things were different. He was done chanting and was able to pray in the mosque at noon and was home by 1:00 pm.
In years past Ayatollah Dastegheib (Fars provinces Guardian Council representative) always hosted a Shameh Ghariban dinner in Shiraz, on Ashura, with government support in the form of free gas, electricity, helping hands, etc. This year his Hosseinieh was shuttered and he was not allowed to host this dinner which normally feeds 2000-3000 people. He supported Mousavi during the campaign and recently came out with a call to clerics to break their silence.
Someone said that her husband had just called her and told her that he and his government co-workers were forced to go out on a pro-government march against the protest actions on Ashura. If they did not go they would lose their jobs.
Another story I heard was that government workers who attended A. Montazeri’s memorial service in Shiraz were handed a note the next day at work asking them to justify why they were spotted at the ceremony.
A final story for today – someone was in a bread line near the Hafezieh Stadium at which AN (pres) spoke on Tuesday. They saw a young man walk out of the stadium. Someone in the bread line asked the young man sarcastically, “So, how much did they pay you to attend the talks?” The young man responded with a heavy village accent, “They didn’t pay me. They paid my father.”
seamorg
spoonsun
