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Cleric rising to lead Iran’s new wave of hard-liners

As a new generation of right-wing conservatives emerges in Iran, well-known cleric Alireza Panahian is upping his game as a vocal critic of Reformists and moderates.
Iranian cleric Ayatollah Seyed Ahmad Khatami leads Friday prayers in Tehran, Iran, May 26, 2017. TIMA via REUTERS         ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RC1BCED7FBD0

In Iran, when the fall months of Muharram and Safar arrive, people hold ceremonies to pay homage to the decedents of the Prophet Muhammad, especially his grandson Imam Hussein ibn Ali and a number of other Shiite imams. These months, which roughly correspond with September and October, are sacred for Shiites.

But the mourning ceremonies have become opportunities for hard-liners to advance their political agenda. Eulogists, or religious singers, are paid huge amounts of money, and the practice has drawn public scrutiny. 

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