Senior Iran cleric hails “Islamic state of Iraq”

Senior Iran cleric hails "Islamic state of Iraq"
Fri. 26 Aug 2005

Iran Focus

Tehran, Iran, Aug. 26 - A senior Iranian cleric welcomed on Friday the establishment of an Islamic republic in Iraq and hailed the country's new constitution as one based on "Islamic precepts".

Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, who heads the powerful ultra-conservative Guardian Council, told worshippers in Tehran's Friday prayers, "Fortunately, after years of effort and expectations in Iraq, an Islamic state has come to power and the constitution has been established on the basis of Islamic precepts".

"We must congratulate the Iraqi people and authorities for this victory", he said.

Jannati, who is a top confidant of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said that all justice-seeking counties of the world "have no model other than the Islamic revolution in Iran to turn to".

"Lebanese Hezbollah and the state of Iraq are not the only supporters of the Islamic revolution", he said.

Referring to the West as Global Arrogance, the hard-line cleric said, "No matter how many stones they throw in our path, they cannot prevent the spread of the Islamic revolution in the world".

"We are the winners in the nuclear issue, too", Jannati said. "The way is paved for our progress and we just need to work hard".

Jannati said the rising oil prices had placed Iran on a sound financial footing. "We still have problems, but less than before".

In comments directed against other factions within the clerical regime, Jannati called on the new hard-line government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to "purge executives who have been within our system, but who have been opposing our system and abusing people's rights".

"These executives must be purged as soon as possible", the powerful cleric said.