Plots, plots everywhere according to Iran's newly elected President Ahmadinejad, from AP:
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's president accused the United States and its allies on Wednesday of "hatching plots" to provoke ethnic tensions and destabilize Iran, a day after the government closed a state-run newspaper for publishing a cartoon that sparked riots by ethnic Azeris."They (the U.S. and its allies) must know that they will not be able to provoke divisions and differences, through desperate attempts, among the dear Iranian nation," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a speech broadcast live on state-run television.
Iran closed the state-run Farsi language newspaper Iran and detained its chief editor and cartoonist on Tuesday for publishing a cartoon that showed a cockroach speaking Azeri and suggested Azeris are stupid.
It was the first closure of a newspaper since Ahmadinejad came to office last year — and the heavy response, along with public apologies by Iranian officials, suggested the government is concerned the United States may try to stir up trouble among Iran's ethnic minorities.
"Today, they (the U.S. and its allies) are hatching plots. They want to provoke differences, divisions, disappointment ... to prevent the Iranian nation from achieving all of its rights," Ahmadinejad told thousands of people in Khorramshahr in southwestern Iran...
More from AP:
The Press Supervisory Body closed the state-owned paper indefinitely, the first time a newspaper has been banned since President Ahmadinejad took office last year.“Those responsible, the cartoonist and the chief editor, were summoned and the charges were read to them. The two were taken to Evin prison,” said the Tehran prosecutor, Saeed Mortazavi Mortazavi.
Saffar Harrandi, the Culture Minister, apologised on state television and promised to punish the editor and cartoonist for the publication of “divisive and provocative materials”...
Oooops! Still too much outside coverage being given to them. The chief editor was probably advised that they'd published the cartoon too soon, events weren't right to keep it out of the world's attention.
One was startled and delighted to see, for perhaps the first time, in today's New Duranty Times, the complete list of those ethnic groups that constitute half the population of Iran, and all of which have their own grievances which, in the right conditions, and with the example of a completely autonomous or, still better, independent Kurdistan, could lead to local revolts against the Islamic Republic of Iran. list which visitors to this site have long been accustomed to:
Azeris, Kurds, Baluchis, Arabs.
If you are an Iranian patriot, by now you understand that if the government of Iran successfully acquires nuclear weapons, then the regime will be impregnable, and Iran will be doomed to another quarter-century, or more, of the hideous regime it now possesses. And Iran as you once conceived it, will be doomed.
And you realize that if the Americans have to do all kinds of things to stop it, those things will include not an invasion (that is not wise nor possible), but support for those Azeris, Kurds, Baluchis, Arabs. And no appeals to Muslim solidarity by Ahmadinejad and others will work, and what remains of what was the Persian Empire will be considerably reduced in size, reduced as was Turkey after World War I, and it will be, especially if the oil of Khuzistan is lost, never again an important country.
And Iran, as you once conceived it, will be doomed.
Such an Iranian patriot, then, knowing full well that Sunni Arabs, still courted by the Americans, would love to have Iran completely dismembered, and wishing to prevent that outcome, should be working with other patriots to prevent, to sabotage, to reveal secrets about, that nuclear project and its scattered facilities, so that the Americans will be able to deal with it with minimially inivasive surgery, and not rip the entire Iranian body politic, and body, to shreds by encouraging those Arabs, those Baluchis, those Azeris, those Kurds. It's up to the Persians. The hideous Islamic Republic was helped to come into existence by the Arabs (think of all the help extended by Arafat, the first official visitor, and the PLO, to Khomeini early on). Now the Sunni Arabs are smacking their lips over the prospect of the dismemberment of Shi'a Iran. It would not be regrettable for them if Iran, Persia, were to be reduced to its component parts, as Yugoslavia has been.
Nuclear bombs or the continued existence of Iran in its present configuration. For an Iranian in exile, or in Iran, one not Islam-mad, the choice should be clear. Or -- made clear.
As crazy as Ahmadinejad is, he seems generally concerned about the ethnic balance of Iran. I'm not entirely aware of any pogroms the Azeris may have experienced in Iran, but I have assumed that they were generally quite happy in Iran, being a dominant minority and all. Clearly, they are not happy with the suppression of their language by the Persians and there are some Azeri dominanted provinces that do want to join Azerbaijan, but that is not reflective of the whole. The Kurds would be the first to go, if Kurdistan becomes a reality and I could understand the animosity the Arabs and Baluchis have towards the Persians, but would America be successful in fomenting a revolt in an area where even Stalin himself failed? Seems unlikely considering the mishandling of Iraq.
Re: Iran's president: U.S. will fail to provoke ethnic differences
What Ahmadinejad really means is "I'm afraid-concerned that ethnic conflicts in Iran may soon occur between Persians and nonPersians (who feel they are opressed minorities in Aryan-Iran)." But instead he projects such concerns onto the US (or Israel)in his usual wierd-convoluted way.
Projection of his thoughts to his "enemies" is a pattern with Ahmadinejad (and many Muslims in the region).
"As crazy as Ahmadinejad is, he seems generally concerned about the ethnic balance of Iran."
Bingo. His concerns almost always have to be read through his projections (usually they are dumped on Israel). There may be ethnic conflicts in progress there that are just barely being contained-hidden from the world.
Freedom of speech is in full force in the middle east.
"Projection of his thoughts to his "enemies" is a pattern with Ahmadinejad (and many Muslims in the region). "
With many Muslims full stop.
Even a paranoid has real enemies.
MP-
I once saw a large wall poster with a lean and hungry looking cartoon-person, his back to a tree, his sweaty face perring around the tree, his fearful eyes looking at the world. The poster said, "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you." It fits with Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad's face could be on a donation box for the mentally ill ("Help Jerry's kids")that people often see at check-out counters in stores.
He's bizzare. It's a crazy world where somebody like him could get nukes.
FreeSpeech is right -- projection is what Ahmad does with frequency. Statements like, "the US is hatching plots", and, "they want to provoke differences, divisions, disappointment". These are all tactics that HE has been doing himself!
And he also accuses the US, and her allies, of wanting to, "prevent the Iranian nation from achieving all of it's rights".
Sigh.
Since WHEN is it his "RIGHT" to destroy Israel????!!!! He's a liar and a manipulator, and he tries to appeal to our sense of fair play by using the "Rights Issue" as his platform to achieve his long-term goals -- of which we are all painfully aware of.
l will be so thrilled when they finally bomb the hell out of Ahmadinejad and his gang, his outbursts are enough to send one over the edge with his maniac remarks.
This may be a bit of off topic, but last year I dates an Iranian woman. Yes, that's right. I said it. Somethingaboutislam dated an Iranian. Oi Vey.
Anyway, she came to the West to flee the oppression of islam - especially as it applies to women. She said she was an atheist. Or at least her atheism was a reaction to the religion of her culture. I can't blame her for that.
But even though she was an apostic, she still maintained strong anti-semetic and anti-American views. She believed all the hype about islam being hijacked by the terrorists, and that Israel was to blame for all the world's ills, and that America was fundamentally corrupt in it's world agenda.
So the point is that even a 'liberal' non-muslim iranian from a progressive well-off family like her still could NOT shake the anti-semetism and anti-Americanism of her culture. They may fight amongst themselves, but the have one unifying thread, they hate the Jews, the West, Americans in particular, and that hatred for us is stronger than their interfaith squabbles.
We dated for about a month. What happened? Did our political differences kill it? Well, we had arguments as you can imagine. She would go off on a rant with little provocation. Every try arguing with an iranian woman? LOL.
No, I broke up with her for another reason. Her idea of sex was kissing and a handshake. 41 years old and she had intercourse twice in her life. Considering I'm a lights-on kind of guy, we just were not compatible. LOL
"intercourse"..."lights on"...too much information for me!
Champ, it was too much info for her as well. You and her would be perfect for each other. LOL
Something, you really could have ended with the first sentence of the last paragraph.....we're not nosy.
And I'm positve she and our Champ wouldn't be "perfect" for each other!!!!
Cartoon of a cockroach speaking Azeri?
I demand an immediate apology from the Government of Denmark for this outrage!
Are we ready for "Going Roman" if Iran follows through on its threats to retaliate?
Check out my blog at
http://the-gathering-storm.blogsource.com/post.mhtml?post_id=332163
Freewoman, lighten up. This is not Saudia Arabia. We can mention sex on jihadwatch. Now if you want nude photos, you have to visit my paysite. LOL
ok, let me get this straight...
Ammadinnerjacket is concerned that the US is stoking ethnic divisions in Iran.
but what is he doing in Iraq? yep, he's using his influence (read weapons, money, militia, intelligence) to stoke ethnic divisions between the shia and the sunnis in Iraq.
classic projection.
somethingaboutislam -
If I were a lesbian, then you might be right. My last name is Champion, so don't assume I'm a guy. I'm a happily married mother of four who isn't the least bit interested in hearing reports about whether or not someone "puts out" for you, or NOT.
She probably stuck to kissing and holding hands with you for "other" reasons, something, like maybe you're a turn-off? I don't care HOW religious a woman might be, when she encounters a sexy guy, then look out!
You just don't want to face the fact that she didn't find you attractive. Sorry -- the truth hurts.
Champ, you sound like a sexually repressed prud. And by the way, she did put out. But her hang ups were a draw back, that was my point.
She wasn't religious. Did you not that part. She was an atheist.
Whatever Stud! My point is that NO ONE CARES about your sex life -- and -- your goal was to make this poor woman look bad, but all you did was succeed in making yourself look worse!
Don't bother writing back, cause I'm not going to waste my time reading any more of your illegible pottie-posts.
Poor woman look bad? This anti-semite, anti-american who thought that Israel and America was the cause of the world's woes? I only told it as it was. Her sexual inhibitions were a direct result of growing up in a repressed sexual environment. That's the point.
Potty mouthed? The word "intercourse" is potty mouthed to you? You might find yourself more comfortable in Iran.
To lighten things with a limerick:
There once was a girl from Iran
Who would not put out for her man.
She then hit the highway
While he warbled "My Way"
And blamed his bad luck on Koran.
Mazeltov!
You might find yourself more comfortable in Iran. - somethingaboutislam
Or anywhere but Lancaster County, Pennsylvania:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intercourse%2C_Pennsylvania
somethingaboutislam:
For every example such as you cite, there's probably someone like me (secular Jewish female) who had the pleasure of dating a very charming secular Muslim Persian whose wealthy family lost everying due to the Islamic Revolution and fled to the west.
We didn't end up as anything more than friends, but Ali is not even slightly anti-Semetic, but rather anti-Arab (hates his given name and gave his own son a Persian name). He thinks that the worst thing that happened to his people and their culture was the original Muslim invasion. And he harbours no animosity toward Israel. (He knows where most of Iran's Jewish population had to go to escape to safety.)