Iranians on revolution day chant ‘death to America’

[CG6468]

Iranians on revolution day chant ‘death to America’
 
Sunday, 10 February 2013

By Al Arabiya with AFP

Hundreds of thousands of people marched on Sunday in Tehran and other cities chanting “Death to America” as Iran marked the 34th anniversary of the Islamic revolution that ousted the U.S.-backed shah.

In the capital, crowds waving Iranian flags and portraits of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini walked toward the landmark Azadi (Freedom) Square, in a government-sponsored rally which is now a cornerstone of the regime.

Marchers also chanted “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” as they headed for the square, some waving posters of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, where President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was expected to make an address.

Iran is holding similar rallies nationwide, especially in large provincial capitals such as Mashhad, Isfahan, Shiraz and Kerman.

At the Tehran rally, foreign media were being closely monitored and allowed to cover the event from officially designated areas only.

The rally marks February 11 when the army declared solidarity with the people, turning its back on Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Ten days beforehand, Khomeini returned in triumph from exile in France to lead the revolutionaries to power.

Tehran is currently under a series of international sanctions aimed at curbing its controversial nuclear program of uranium enrichment.

YO! JOHN F'N KERRY! YOU PRESENCE IS REQUIRED IMMEDIATELY!

[tac]

Good luck with that. He's probably under the desk sucking his thumb.

[Conservative Libertarian]

My wife's hometown is Tehran.

She said that less than 10% of the people in these demonstrations actually want to be there. Most are told that they must report there with their family members or lose their job or are threatened with legal prosecution. Everyone shows up before the international press shows turns on the cameras. Within 30 minutes of the press leaving, it is a ghost town.

[Ptarmigan]

My wife's hometown is Tehran.

She said that less than 10% of the people in these demonstrations actually want to be there. Most are told that they must report there with their family members or lose their job or are threatened with legal prosecution. Everyone shows up before the international press shows turns on the cameras. Within 30 minutes of the press leaving, it is a ghost town.

They are coerced with a gun to their head. Sounds like North Korea or Burma to me.

[Conservative Libertarian]

They are coerced with a gun to their head. Sounds like North Korea or Burma to me.

For all practical purposes, YES.

[txradioguy]

My wife's hometown is Tehran.

She said that less than 10% of the people in these demonstrations actually want to be there. Most are told that they must report there with their family members or lose their job or are threatened with legal prosecution. Everyone shows up before the international press shows turns on the cameras. Within 30 minutes of the press leaving, it is a ghost town.

Gotta love mandatory fun.   

[RayRaytheSBS]

They are coerced with a gun to their head. Sounds like North Korea or Burma to me.

Sounds like a DUmmy paradise to me. That's what they  seem to want here.

[Conservative Libertarian]

My wife lived under that tyrannical regime until 1994. She was a teenager during the revolution and lived a short distance from an Air-base during the Iran-Iraq war. Things kept getting progressively worse until she was able get family here in the US to sponsor her. Her religious sect was declared to be illegal by the government of Iran which made life for her even more hazardous.

She became a US Citizen back in 2006. The whole process, from the time that she applied to come here until becomong a US Citizen took 17 years. She should have learned to speak Spanish forst and then hopped the Southern border. It would have been faster and cheaper.

[RayRaytheSBS]

She should have learned to speak Spanish first and then hopped the Southern border. It would have been faster and cheaper.

Sad, but true...

[Ptarmigan]

My wife lived under that tyrannical regime until 1994. She was a teenager during the revolution and lived a short distance from an Air-base during the Iran-Iraq war. Things kept getting progressively worse until she was able get family here in the US to sponsor her. Her religious sect was declared to be illegal by the government of Iran which made life for her even more hazardous.

She became a US Citizen back in 2006. The whole process, from the time that she applied to come here until becomong a US Citizen took 17 years. She should have learned to speak Spanish forst and then hopped the Southern border. It would have been faster and cheaper.

To my ears, Farsi sounds like Spanish or French. If someone was not paying attention, they might think it is Spanish. 

[Conservative Libertarian]

To my ears, Farsi sounds like Spanish or French. If someone was not paying attention, they might think it is Spanish. 

Farsi follows a word order similar to German. In fact, German is called an Indo-Iranian language. The only thing that sounds French in Farsi is that they adopted the word 'merci' for thank you because it is much easier to say than their own language.

[Dori]

My wife lived under that tyrannical regime until 1994. She was a teenager during the revolution and lived a short distance from an Air-base during the Iran-Iraq war. Things kept getting progressively worse until she was able get family here in the US to sponsor her. Her religious sect was declared to be illegal by the government of Iran which made life for her even more hazardous.

She became a US Citizen back in 2006. The whole process, from the time that she applied to come here until becomong a US Citizen took 17 years. She should have learned to speak Spanish forst and then hopped the Southern border. It would have been faster and cheaper.

My neighbors came here when the Shah was deposed.  They could see the writing on the wall.  But they call themselves Persians.  

[Conservative Libertarian]

My neighbors came here when the Shah was deposed.  They could see the writing on the wall.  But they call themselves Persians.  

Lots of people were stuck when the revolution occurred and couldn't get out. Yes, they do tend to call themselves Pesians.