Rafsanjani won't lead prayer on Iran's anti-Israel day

Rafsanjani won't lead prayer on Iran's anti-Israel dayTehran  - Moderate Iranian former president Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani will for the first time in more than two decades not lead the prayer ceremony on the annual anti-Israel day, state media reported Wednesday.

The late supreme leader of the 1979 Islamic revolution, Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, had declared the last Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan as Qods (Jerusalem) Day and called for mass rallies against Israel and in support of Palestine.

The highlight of the Qods Day, which this year falls on September 18, has been the prayer ceremony in the Tehran University which was led during the last two decades by Rafsanjani, due to the cleric's expertise in the Middle East history.

But since Rafsanjani joined the opposition camp against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, his appearance could lead to anti-government protests which the Iranian establishment desperately wants avoid.

Rafsanjani's last appearance at the prayer ceremony on July 17 led to widespread protests in several parts of Tehran against alleged fraud in the June 12 presidential election which led to Ahmadinejad's re-election.

Instead of Rafsanjani, Ahmadinejad will lead the pre-sermon and pro-Ahmadinejad cleric Ahmad Khatami will lead the main sermon of the Friday prayer, the reports said.

Despite the precautionary measures, the main opposition leaders have declared their willingness to join the rally.

According to the daily Etemad, the three other opposition leaders - former premier Mir-Hossein Moussavi, former parliament speaker Mehdi Karroubi and ex-president Mohammad Khatami - will attend the rally in Tehran.

Their attendance could increase the possibility of their supporters joining the annual rally and overshadowing the anti-Israeli rally with anti-Ahmadinejad protests and provoke clashes with police.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said last week that the Qods rally should not be a venue for political disagreements but a united effort to support the Palestinian cause.

Rafsanjani said in a statement that the Qods Day should maintain its ant-Israeli nature and while referring to a possible clash between police and opposition supporters, he added that any other development would only please Israel.

Iranian police have warned the opposition not to misuse the anti-Israeli rally for internal political protests.

Moussavi's website, however, said that Qods Day was initiated by Ayatollah Khomeini and had nothing to do with the current government. (dpa)