Regardless of the cause when one in its pursuit puts everything on the line, this sort of courage of conviction begets respect.
Prince Edward of the House of Windsor gave up his throne for the love of a woman he could not have as his queen. That he harbored and showed admiration for the Nazis as abhorrent as it is does not lessen the respect he deserves for the courage of conviction he showed in regards to love for Wallis Simpson.
The same applies to Hossein-Ali Montazeri who just passed away at the age of eighty seven in Qom.
He was a lifelong Islamist who paid for his political belief long before the seizing of power by his likeminded. He is credited in large part to be one of the theoretician of the pillar of the current Islamist Rapist Republic, rule by the jurisprudent. What he helped to create and the murderous dogma it tuned out to be once holding the levers of power is no secret.
But when he saw what his creation was doing, although took him about ten years to get there, even thought he was confirmed to be the next absolute ruler he had the courage of conviction to put everything on the line including his absolute rule.
In my book he is due scorn, a lot of it for his part in creating this Islamist Rapist Republic, at the same time he is due respect, a lot of respect for turning his back on his murderous Islamist dogma, turning toward the Islamic religion and more than that toward putting people and their human rights above everything.
