Friday, April 09, 2010

Supreme Leader's New Fatwa on Late Payers of Utility Bills

During the 1979 revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini ordered the faithful not to pay their utility bills to the Shah's government. It was another clever move by the exiled cleric which pushed the Shah's administration further towards bankruptcy.

Three decades later, those who pioneered the revolution are themselves facing a revolution which uses some of the same methods used thirty years ago like chanting 'God is Great' from the roof tops. In response to the iron fist shown by the establishment against those who take part in street demonstrations, people are trying to resort to other civil disobedience protest methods which inflict damage on the regime but carry less danger for them. Not paying the utility bills can be one such method, of course there are also many who just can't make ends meet and pay the bills too, and so here is the Supreme Leader's latest Fatwa on those who are not paying their water bills:

'Refusing to pay the water bills is not allowed and those who perform their ablution with such water will therefore make their rituals void'

Four other high ranking clerics including Messbah Yazdi, Mohammad Yazdi, Nouri Hamedani and Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi who has a representative office in Harrow Road, London have also issued similar fatwas.

Here is the real irony however. Ayatollah Khomeini in his first speech after return form exile in the Behesht Zahra cemetery, promised 'We will make water, electricity, buses and so forth free of charge, we have so much income from the oil why should our people have to pay for these things?'

4 comments:

Sohrab said...

There are other similar non-violent strategies that have yet to be used. Dr. Sazegara has been suggesting many in his daily video messages.

parvati_roma said...

LOL on content of fatwa - a hilarious short-circuit between temporal and religious spheres! But on second thoughts, when a theocracy runs the utilities companies I suppose that's only to be expected? Dread to think what we'd be in for here if the Papal States hadn't changed management back in 1861.

Neda Mehregan said...

There is also another campaign against buying imported fruit. Fruit is being imported by Sepah mafia and people are refusing to buy them.

Waybec said...

It's all very well, but it's obvious that the intelligent, decent and outraged people of Iran need to do more to remove this oppressive regime! Tyrants were eventually held to account in the past by the people without the use of Computers, mobile phones or punitive measures. Co-ordinating and taking to the streets in the millions right up to the doorstep and very throat of the murderous Khamanei will only get rid of this 'Dark Mullah' period in Persia Iran's history now! Yes, it requires guts, courage and bravery! Some will fall... But no less than those people of the past who put the cry of fair play & justice above their own lives!