Iran --Shiite Cleric Kamal al-Haydari undated.
'The unconventional pronouncements of a Qom-based senior cleric, Kamal al-Haydari, about Shiite jurisprudence and jurists, have once again infuriated state-recognized "Ayatollahs" and traditional clergies close to the Iranian government.
Born in Najaf, Iraq, the 64-year-old al-Haydari resides in Qom, the hub of the Twelver-Shi'ite seminary in Iran.
By submitting the issue of "takfir" in seminaries, he has questioned one of the Shi'ite authorities' essential tools.
Takfir is a concept in Islamic discourse designating ex-communication, as one Muslim declaring another Muslim, or any individual, as a non-believer or an apostate.
...
Nonetheless, for the first time, the powerful Qom Seminary Teachers Association, renowned as the "seminary police," has also joined the anti-al-Haydari chorus, expanding anger against the controversial "Grand Ayatollah."
According to unofficial reports, Iranian security forces and intelligence agents have closed al-Heydari's office in Qom, taking down all signs and transferring the under-guard to Tehran.
The same reports also allege that Iranian authorities have banned the prominent seminary lecturer from holding classes.
However, official Iranian media have not yet published any report on al-Haydari's fate.'
Read more here: Ayatollah Breaks With Conventions, Triggering Criticism
