"Ayatollah Montazeri is addressing the religious members in their own language," she said.
It is divided among secular and religious members, exiles and those fighting inside Syria, and supporters and opponents of armed struggle.
Mr. Schubert also sent an e-mail message to the three top religious members of his executive committee, representing Catholics, evangelicals and Mormons.
The Turkish public, however, was adamantly antiwar, and many in Erdogan's party, especially the more hard-line religious members, firmly opposed him on this issue.
Church records show that the number of nuns and male religious members has dwindled nationwide from 212,231 in 1967 to 102,362 last year.
Isn't it unfortunate to go to hell for the benefits of others?" Analysts said Ayatollah Montazeri's statement was probably aimed at more religious members of the force who have been involved in the crackdown out of religious devotion.
"There are lots of opportunists within the force, but there are also religious members who act based on their ideological devotions," said Fatemeh Haghighatjoo, a former member of Parliament who is currently a visiting scholar at the University of Massachusetts.
The planning group he appointed — including laity as well as priests and other religious members — recommended even deeper cuts than he had expected, slashing the number of parishes almost in half.
It is especially astounding as many lawmakers say they are deeply religious, members of the Religious Right.
Even the religious members of my immediate and extended family are generally pro-secular, believing that religion should be personal.
