THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A senior Iranian cleric has accused Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of "heresy" after saying Hugo Chavez would be resurrected with the 12th imam.
Ayatollah Ahmed Janati, the hardline chief of the Guardians Council, told worshippers at Friday prayers in Tehran: "Those comments on Chavez's return with Christ were heresy."
Janati was referring to comments by Ahmadinejad on March 6 in which he called Chavez a "martyr" who would "return, along with the righteous Jesus and the perfect human."
The last was an allusion to Shia Islam's 12th imam that Iran's majority faith believes will return with Christ to bring peace and justice to the world.
Janati said Iran's clergy had been "upset" by the remarks.
"Should people say whatever comes to mind? I wish (Ahmadinejad) had spent a few days in a seminary before discussing such issues," he said.
"Chavez was a populist and anti-American. His political agenda was completely acceptable. But he was not a Muslim," Janati added. » | Source: AFP | Friday, March 15, 2013
