‘Millions’ Out in Support of Government in Iran? Think Again
Today, pro-government Iranians took to streets in Tehran and possibly other cities in a show of support for the Ahmadinejad government and for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. A report by CNN spoke of hundreds of thousands of people in Tehran alone and perhaps thousands more in “Tabriz, Shiraz, Arak, Gilan and Sistan-Baluchestan province.”
According to CNN, protesters chanted slogans against Mir Hossein Mousavi, America, Britain, France, Israel and the Green Movement’s protests on Sunday – Ashura. However, the CNN report while accurate in most respects, failed to mention some very key facts about the protests; facts that would show the true nature of the protests.
For starters, the CNN report and some other media reports do not mention the fact that dozens of Buses chartered by the Iranian government ran non-stop from villages and suburbs around Tehran and other cities, bringing in government supporters in hordes to the protest venues. The buses began their operation the day before, ensuring the protest looked large enough.
These protesters were then later dispatched to their homes outside Tehran and other cities by the same buses. So what seemed like tens of thousands of Tehranis was in reality a mix of Tehranis and non-Tehranis brought in specifically for the purpose of fooling the world into believing that Tehran and other cities fully supports Khamenei and Ahmadinejad.
And while government-run media claimed millions and CNN claimed hundreds of thousands and that Tehran was ‘packed’ with protesters, independent analyses show that the protest in Tehran was composed of no more than 20,000 people.
Secondly, they fail to mention the fact that the protesters were offered free refreshments at the expense of the government to keep them there and to boost their morale. Their banners, slogans and even the declaration they released denouncing the opposition was written, prepared and handed over to them by the government. Protesters received all their material needs from the government from the minute they boarded the buses to the minute they got back home.
Even so, the enthusiasm that Green Movement supporters show when they are out protesting was non-existent during this protest. People had simply brought their whole families out for a day out on the streets after being prepped up by the government to counter the popular movement that is shaking the core of the Islamic Republic.
And even the government’s own media announced that there were no protests in some of the other large cities. Mashhad, the second largest city saw almost nothing. Neither did Isfahan, the third largest city. And there was no independent confirmation of protests from the cities that the government-run media reported.
Finally, there was no riot police, Basij or IRGC members out with batons, cables, pepper spray, tear gas and bullets to disperse the people or stop them from chanting and gathering. Compare this to the millions of people who marched onto streets in June or the hundreds of thousands that marched on Sunday in the face of brutal repression and a government ban on their protests and you will clearly see the desperate attempts by the Iranian government to make the world believe it has significant support among the populace.
If the government lifts bans on opposition protests, does not cut off telecommunication systems to disrupt planning, does not arrests hundreds and kill dozens, then we’ll see millions out on Iran’s streets every day.
The truth is, if the government did have support among the people, the crowds on Ashura would have been split between the Green Movement and the supporters of the Islamic Republic. On that day, it was an overwhelming show of support for reform and a clear rejection of the Islamic Republic – plain and simple. The ‘Tehranis’ the government showed the world today were huddled up in small pockets on that day or sitting at home in their villages, watching government propaganda on TV.
Protests like today’s may make the government feel a bit less insecure about its prospects of survival, but it is in no way going to change the resolve of the Iranian people or the perception of the government’s brutality and weakness in the minds of foreigners.
(This post originally appeared on The Daily NiteOwl by Josh Shahryar.)
Green Brief #60
Protests / Unrest
1. Reports indicate that on Thursday night, dozens of youngsters gathered on streets in the Apadana district of Tehran and chanted against the government and Ahmadinejad. The timing coincided with Ahmadinejad’s speech and his introduction of the new cabinet. Protesters chanted “Death to Dictator”, “Our pain is your pain; join us!” and sang Yaare Dabestani – a patriotic song. Apadana district is where deceased protester Sohrab A’rabi lived.
2. Thursday also coincided with the 40th day of his murder and his family held a short ceremony at Beheshte Zahra. The family later released a statement saying that they didn’t want to create unrest, thus, they didn’t invite people to join them in the ceremony.
3. Reports indicate that factions within Qom, who are displeased with Grand Ayatollah Sane’ie’s support for the reformists, are planning on holding a protest to denounce him. Leaflets have been distributed across the city for this purpose. There is also word that supporters of Sane’ie will be gathering in front of his office to counter the protest. No word of when the protests will be held has reached out yet.
4. Sane’ie in the meantime, has asked people not to gather in his support, saying that this would give a tool to those who wanted to create tensions.
5. Reports have also surfaced that people all around Iran chanted against Ahmadinejad and the government during his speech last night. According to confirmed sources, chants were heard throughout Tehran. In several parts of Tehran, people gathered on streets and chanted. People in their cars and motorbikes honked their horns in support.
6. There are reports of chanting from other cities in Iran as well; indicating the Sea of Green is very active in many places throughout Iran. Cities include Isfahan, Shiraz, Ahvaz, Abadan, Kermanshah and Qazvin.
7. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the government is still reviewing whether it should close universities for a semester for fear of student protests. It had earlier been dismissed by the government that such a plan was being considered.
8. Mohammad Araghi – the commander of IRG in Tehran – has alleged that over 300,000 people had formed a clandestine organization called “Vote Organization” or “Sazemane Rai” that had orchestrated that mass protests after the elections. He added the organization had been formed before the elections.
9. Confirmed reports indicate the police violating people’s right to privacy in Iran. According to these reports, the police are frequently entering homes forcibly and break down the doors if no one opens the door to them. Most of the time, these operations take place without any warrants – a clear violation of the Iranian constitution.
A picture of police climbing over a door…
Note the green graffiti on the wall that says, “Marg Bar Khamenei” (Death to Khamenei)
Opposition
10. Fatemeh Rake’ie, the Secretary-General of the Innovative Muslim Women’s Society, today said that Mir Hossein Mousavi’s new movement was a representation of Imam Khomeini’s ideals. Rake’ie, a former MP, said Mousavi was expected by Iranians to lead the reformists and those in search of change.
11. 72 alumni and current university students have sent a letter to the members of the Assembly of Experts calling for the removal of Khamanei.
Government / International
12. Ali Larejani – the speaker of the Iranian Parliament – today said the parliament was ready to receive Mehdi Karroubi’s complaints and evidence. Larejani added that they would hear Karroubi’s words and would contact the victims through their phone numbers and addresses, after they’ve been given to them by Karroubi. He further said that they had no desire to keep secrets from the people and this would be done efficiently and transparently.
13. Mahmood Ahmadinejad today in his speech said that the Ministry of Intelligence had not done its duty, thus, the unrest took place. He didn’t blame Mohseni Ejaie – the former Intelligence Minister – personally. He also added that change was needed in the ministry. He added that “God willing we will get to a 70-million strong intelligence system.” (Gestapo anyone?)
In another part of his televised speech, Ahmadinejad criticized deputy speaker of parliament Bahonar for saying that five of his ministers would possibly be rejected by the parliament and said that it was not a good thing for the country.
Ahmadinejad during his speech said that he really liked the husband of Marzieh Dastjardi – the proposed Minister of Health – and sometimes thought he was like a peach and felt like eating him.
14. Confirmed reports indicate that Tehran’s Attorney General Saeed Mortazavi – another government official thought to be responsible for the suppression of protesters, arrests and tortures – will be replaced by Morteza Bakhtiari – a former head of Iran’s Prisons Department.
15. Reports have emerged that Ahmadinejad’s pick for Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi, is wanted by the Interpol. He was listed in an international arrest warrant issued by an Argentine judge on November 9, 2006 for being a suspected participant in the Argentine-Jewish Mutual Association bomb attack in Buenos Aires in 1994. Vahidi is also considered by many to be the founder of IRG’s Lebanon Corps.
Vahidi’s wanted page on Interpol’s website.
16. Kazem Seddiqi will now be appointed to the list of clerics leading Friday prayers; while this week’s prayers will be lead by Ahmad Jannati – reports indicate.
17. Conservative MP Hamid Rasa has published an OP-ED severely criticizing Ayatollah Sane’ie’s speech in Gorgan, calling him the Imam of Zarar Mosque – a prayer center established by enemies of Mohammed who claimed to be Muslims which was later destroyed by Mohammed’s decree.
18. Reports indicate that Hamid Reza Foladgar – a member of the Article 10 Commission on Political Parties – has said that any political party joining the Green Path of Hope would lose its permit to operate.
19. The Supreme Audit Court of Iran has convicted Esfandyar Rahim-Mashaei, of a series of financial charges. He was sentenced to two months suspension from his government post, the Jomhuriye Eslami daily reported on Thursday. The paper did not give further detail on the nature of the charges, but said they were in connection with the period that Rahim-Mashaei served as the head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization.
20. Kerman Friday prayers Imam Hojjatoleslam Seyyed Yahya Jafari, has also said that Mehdi Karroubi should get 80 lashes for raising the issue of rape. He criticized Karroubi for not sending the letter to then head of Judiciary Hashemi Shahroudi instead of Rafsanjani.
Arrested / Released / Killed / Torture
21. Short report by Mehdi Saharkhiz on what happened to one of the victims of violence during peaceful protests.
22. Journalist Emsael Azadi’s son Mohammad Azadi, was arrested last night in front of Etemaade Melli newspaper. Mohammad’s father spent several hours begging and going from one department to another to get his son’s insulin to him as he has diabetes. At one point, during his search to find his son’s whereabouts, he was told by security officials his son should die because he had written slogans against the government. He was finally able to get the insulin to him; but is still unable to locate where he is being kept.
23. Security forces broke into a Baha’i woman’s house on Wednesday, in the city of Sari, searched her house without a warrant and took her away using a search warrant that had been issued for a date three weeks ago. The 24 year’s whereabouts are unknown.
24. Mostafa Tajzadeh contacted his family today telling them he might remain imprisoned throughout Ramadan – the Islamic holy month of fasting which is starting on Saturday. Faizullah Arab-Sorkhi also called his family for the first time after 45 days of being in detention.
(Correction: In the last Brief, we erroneously reported that Ramadan would be starting next week.)
25. The families of three Americans arrested in Iran, while on a hiking trip, have yet again pleaded with the Iranian government to free their loved ones. They asked the Iranian government to grant the three Americans consular access. They have also created a website and will update information about the detainees’ whereabouts:
Media
26. Reports from Tehran’s Islamic Court have emerged, that Keyhan has not been banned. Abolhasan Pour-Hosseini – an official from the court – told IRIB that no such order had been given. Earlier it had been reported, that a court in Iran, had banned Keyhan after complaints by Mousavi and the order had been referred to Attorney General Mortazavi for his approval.
International Protests / Events / Warnings / Efforts
27. A flash protest against Nokia, near Madison Square Garden in New York and another protest in front of Nokia’s flagship store in New York today.
Full report: http://tinyurl.com/lwy5pv
Posted with author’s permission, original source.
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