11.   The high court ruling rankled conservative clergy and political leaders across Germany.

12.   The rainbow design has drawn criticism from some conservative clergy because of its use by the gay rights movement.

13.   The reformists have little power to stop the conservative clergy, which control the judiciary, the military and the broadcast networks.

14.   His main challenger is parliamentary speaker Ali Akbar Nategh Nuri, who is backed by the ruling conservative Shiite Moslem clergy.

15.   His remarks were clearly in favor of Nategh-Nuri, who is also backed by the conservative clergy in the holy cities of Qom and Mashhad.

16.   Another front-runner is parliamentary speaker Ali Akbar Nategh-Nuri who is backed by the ruling conservative clergy.

17.   But he resigned under pressure from conservative Islamic clergy and a parliament that considered him to be too liberal.

18.   During the past two years, Iranian leaders, notably Khamenei, have been trying to convince the conservative Shiite Moslem clergy to give a greater role to women.

19.   The president also downplayed speculation of dissension within the ranks of the ruling conservative clergy following the latest political developments.

20.   The ruling conservative clergy has primed parliamentary speaker Ali Akbar Nategh Nuri to replace him.