Still, he ran on an economic platform that implicitly challenged the cronyism and corruption of clerical rule.

The demonstrations of July 1999 engaged students in politics, protesting against government corruption, political repression, the clerical rule and Khamenei.

As a result, many Iraqis say, the Iranian experience with clerical rule never developed a real following, except as a theory.

Many Iranians, including Mr. Khorram, think that could be the beginning of the end for clerical rule.

That triumph has been widely seen as marking at least an implicit challenge to clerical rule.

On numerous occasions, my interrogators accused me, and the entire opposition to clerical rule, of being dependent on the United States.

When he took over after the shah fell in 1979, the nation did not unify right away behind clerical rule.

Women's groups have expressed fears that the provision opens the way to clerical rule.

This class includes not only the traditional clerical elite, but also opponents of absolute clerical rule.

This does not necessarily translate into a desire for clerical rule and the abolition of a secular state.