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Saturday, December 30, 2017

‘Death to the Dictator! Death to Rouhani!’: Thousands Protest the Government in Iran

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Iran over the past few days, speaking out against both the “hardline” government of the ayatollahs and the supposedly “moderate” secular government of President Hassan Rouhani.

“Death to the dictator!” and “Death to Rouhani” are chants heard in at least eight Iranian cities, and the movement appears to be spreading.

The UK Daily Mail reports protesters surrounding an Iranian mullah, a powerful member of the theocratic ruling class, and changing “Mullahs, be ashamed and leave Iran!” in his face.

One of the big protests was held in Mashhad, which is considered one of the holiest sites in Iran and in all of Shia Islam, as it contains the shrine of a revered 9th Century imam.

On Friday afternoon there were reports of protesters filling the streets of Qom, Iran’s spiritual center, and chanting: “We don’t want an Islamic republic!” Another protest chant, “Iran is haphazard without the Shah,” seems calculated to annoy the mullahs and ayatollah. These are remarkable gestures of defiance against Iran and the revolution of 1979, which is officially regarded as a sacred event.

One brave woman expressed her defiance by standing up without a veil or headscarf:

1 comment:

Jim said...

Mr Trump (unlike his muslim predecessor) has already voiced support for this.. we should continue to support them and do what we can to help them change their leadership if that's what they want to do.

It is much easier and better than going to war with them. The nuclear program WILL be stopped.