That is, end the danger to the Islamic Republic, not the Islamic Republic itself, but that latter outcome is what all lovers of freedom should be supporting.
“Special Report: Iran’s leader ordered crackdown on unrest – ‘Do whatever it takes to end it,'” Reuters, December 23, 2019:
(Reuters) – After days of protests across Iran last month, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared impatient. Gathering his top security and government officials together, he issued an order: Do whatever it takes to stop them.
That order, confirmed by three sources close to the supreme leader’s inner circle and a fourth official, set in motion the bloodiest crackdown on protesters since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
About 1,500 people were killed during less than two weeks of unrest that started on Nov. 15. The toll, provided to Reuters by three Iranian interior ministry officials, included at least 17 teenagers and about 400 women as well as some members of the security forces and police….
That evening at his official residence in a fortified compound in central Tehran, Khamenei met with senior officials, including security aides, President Hassan Rouhani and members of his cabinet.
At the meeting, described to Reuters by the three sources close to his inner circle, the 80-year-old leader, who has final say over all state matters in the country, raised his voice and expressed criticism of the handling of the unrest. He was also angered by the burning of his image and the destruction of a statue of the republic’s late founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
“The Islamic Republic is in danger. Do whatever it takes to end it. You have my order,” the supreme leader told the group, one of the sources said.
Khamenei said he would hold the assembled officials responsible for the consequences of the protests if they didn’t immediately stop them. Those who attended the meeting agreed the protesters aimed to bring down the regime.
“The enemies wanted to topple the Islamic Republic and immediate reaction was needed,” one of the sources said….
“Our Imam,” said the official, referring to Khamenei, “only answers to God. He cares about people and the Revolution. He was very firm and said those rioters should be crushed.”…
“The aim of our enemies was to endanger the existence of the Islamic Republic by igniting riots in Iran,” said the commander-in-chief of the elite Revolutionary Guards Corps, Hossein Salami, last month, according to Iranian media….
The protests reached more than 100 cities and towns and turned political. Young and working-class demonstrators demanded clerical leaders step down. In many cities, a similar chant rang out: “They live like kings, people get poorer,” according to videos on social media and witnesses….
A senior member of the Revolutionary Guards in western Kermanshah province said the provincial governor handed down instructions at a late-night emergency meeting at his office on Nov. 18.
“We had orders from top officials in Tehran to end the protests, the Guards member said, recounting the governor’s talk. “No more mercy. They are aiming to topple the Islamic Republic. But we will eradicate them.” The governor’s office declined to comment….
Squeezed by sanctions, Khamenei has few resources to tackle high inflation and unemployment. According to official figures, the unemployment rate is around 12.5% overall. But it is about double that for Iran’s millions of young people, who accuse the establishment of economic mismanagement and corruption. Khamenei and other officials have called on the judiciary to step up its fight against corruption.
Agostino Armo Pellegrini says
Khamenei is a crusty fossil of islam’s antiquated and bigoted ideas for allah. Islam belongs in the history book of humankind’s biggest mistakes. Islam’s power comes from hiding the truth, from promoting bigoted aggression that crushes rational thinking and good morals. That’s how these goons stay in power, they keep their people stupid for a demon god and killer prophet. It’s kind of a fascist approach to governing in my opinion:promote violence and bigotry as divine wisdom, and feed your people’s ego by telling them they’re the “best of peoples” for being stupid. They don’t dare think for their self, most these muslims, that might get them killed. Just keep passing your god’s idiotic teachings to your children, just stay closed minded to fair criticism and kill others for it. That way you can keep on being the world’s stupidest people for the world’s stupidest religion.
About 1,500 people were killed during less than two weeks of unrest…
Congratulations leftists, you defend a religious and cultural paradigm that kills people by the thousands. Islam is peaceful and muslims are a great contribution to the West, you say, as thousands of good people die and suffer for islam’s tyrannical ways. A recent tv commentator said it best about the left, it’s not about debate and solving problems for them, it’s about control. They like islam because it offers them the control they want, all under the umbrella of religion. Forget human rights, forget democracy, just bow to allah and keep your damn mouth shut. In my opinion, that makes them as evil as the terrorists that kill us for allah.
Gail Griffin says
Watch netflix; Black Crows.
Agostino Armo Pellegrini says
Interesting, I didn’t know anything about it, so I looked it up and found this article:
https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/black-crows-tv-stars-receive-death-threats-from-islamic-state-members/news-story/f5b0e17dd66ceca8c1f3deef94b78ab7
I’ll have to check that action out, thanks. 🙂 I’m sick from too much Christmas candy.
gravenimage says
No one is safe.
Quazgaa says
The arabs will fight islam’s war to the last iranian servant.
Infidel says
Not quite. The Iranian adherence to Shia Islam is what makes them hated even more by the Arabs. And w/ recent protests in Lebanon and Iraq against Iranian interference, even Arab Shias are protesting Iran.
If the Iranians manage to do what the Hong Kong protesters are trying against a more implacable foe, they should recognize this ingratitude of Arab Shias, and throw off all of Islam – Shia and Sunni. I personally advocate them reverting to Zoroastrianism, which is what they were possibly as far back as Cyrus the Great (although I haven’t seen any evidence that Cyrus himself embraced Zoroastrianism, even though he met and knew Zarathustra). Or else, pick any sect of Christianity or Judaism, or even explore Buddhism or Confucianism. But ban Islam in the same way that Germany banned Nazism, and end that 1200 year long nightmare that’s plagued that once great country (talking about the Achaemenid to the Sassanid empires)
Carol the 1st says
Comparing Saudi Arabia with Iran you wonder which is the greater evil. Isn’t it the Sunnis that are flooding us with their mosques etc? Below is the title of a Peter Santenello video I found pleasantly surprising and I wonder if Prince Muhammad bin Salman accounts for the recent changes in attitude on display. It is filmed Nov./19 inside a mall in the capital Riyadh of all places. The people Sentenello speaks to don’t appear to be “plants” and it is very interesting to hear how they share their thoughts and feelings with him:
SHOCKING First IMPRESSIONS! 🇸🇦ترجمة عربية INSIDE SAUDI ARABIA #1
James Lincoln says
Agostino Armo Pellegrini,
Exactly – you nailed it!
Telh says
Well said. Islam is a blight on the earth.
keya says
Finally somebody is very worried. Probably this is the beginning of the end.
clive delmonte says
We can only hope and pray !
Ade Fegan says
“The Islamic Republic is in danger. Do whatever it takes to end it.”
The first sensible thing he ever said !!!!!!!!
**************************************************************************
Merry Christmas brothers and sisters !
gravenimage says
Merry Christmas to you!
Olufemi Ogunyipe says
The Islamic Republic of Iran is not the only entity that is in danger. The whole house of Islam is a danger unto itself. Who has done this to it? It is Islam itself.
gravenimage says
Iran’s Supreme Leader: “The Islamic Republic is in danger. Do whatever it takes to end it.”
……………
What a thug.
abad says
When I was attending UA I knew quite a few Iranian students who wanted to see the Islamic Republic of Iran go bye-bye. Keep in mind, these students, their parents left Iran either before or soon after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Sure they assimilated well enough here in the USA, and to be honest, never even saw these kids (kids because they were younger than me) wearing any Islamic clothing.
But I suspect if any were Moslem they were not the devout variety. Some were Christian, and some were in the religion closet.
gravenimage says
abad wrote:
When I was attending UA I knew quite a few Iranian students who wanted to see the Islamic Republic of Iran go bye-bye
……………..
Alas, that was not true of all of them, Abad. I had Iranian students complain about an art exhibit of mine at the International House at UC Berkeley in 1979 which contained a single tasteful nude. They demanded that that the whole exhibit be immediately taken down–not just the “offending” piece. A lot of my work was damaged in the takedown–they would not even allow the displays to be covered up until I could have taken them down without damage. This was my first solo show, so this was especially painful for me.
I was shocked to find out that it was Iranian students who demanded my work be censored–like you, I had assumed that all young Iranians studying in the West would be against what the Mullahs represented–I was very naive at 19.
James Lincoln says
gravenimage says,
“…I had assumed that all young Iranians studying in the West would be against what the Mullahs represented–I was very naive at 19.”
Truth be told, I too was very naïve at 19. That’s pretty normal.
The problem is that a lot of people are still remain naïve decades later. I mean, look at Bernie Sanders…
gravenimage, as I’ve said before, you are incredibly intelligent – and add much value to this website.
Keep posting – and have a very Merry Christmas!
gravenimage says
You are sadly right about those like Bernie Sanders, James.
Again, thank you for your kind words.
And a Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Infidel says
Until they decide to openly apostatize – since they’re in the US and not in Iran, I don’t trust them. Gravenimage’s account above seems more likely. In the 80s, when I was in college in India, I had an Iranian classmate who was a big fan of Khomenei, and there were a number of Iranians in that city who’d spraypaint anti-Iraq graffiti under bridges and similar places (This was during the Iran-Iraq war).
No, I don’t trust Iranians – not even those who masquerade as ‘Persians’ – unless they also happen to have fully apostatized from Islam to something else
gravenimage says
Have to agree, Infidel.
Many–even some Anti-Jihadists–assume that all Iranians are simply under the heel of the Mullahs and all hate them. But after forty years, and all too many clear signs to the contrary, I just don’t see this being the case.
Sure–*some* do hate the Shari’ah state there and I laud them, but I’m don’t think they make up any kind of majority.
gravenimage says
I don’t think
FYI says
Can you imagine that this ‘holy’ man of islam most likely has absolutely NO understanding of the Golden Rule{Matthew 7 v 12} or the concept of “Love thy neighbor”{Lev 19:18},this despite the fact that allah claims
1]he gave the Gospel to Jesus Christ k5:46 and
2] at the time of writing of the koran confirms the Gospel as being true k3:3?
And yet we see the koran appears to have completely missed these essential aspects of God.Now, if the koran is MISSING these things isn’t it logically the case that the koran is in error?
Could it have something to do with al LAH being “The BEST OF DECEIVERS” koran 3:54 an Arab god whose greatest enemy is apparently a MAN called MALIK AL AMLAK{“the King of kings”} ?
Can the ‘holy’ men of islam figure it out?
Do they even want to figure it out{..but then they would lose their power….}?
“The messenger of allah said the most hated of MEN before allah on the day of resurrection and the man most wretched,most hated will be a MAN called MALIK AL AMLAK for there is no king but allah”
SAHIH MUSLIM VOL 5 HADITH #5611
So if Jesus Christ is defined as being “the KING OF KINGS”{Revs 19:16} ,the MALIK AL AMLAK,it seems allah doesn’t want the competiton…
elee says
I should heartily endorse ending the Islamic Republic. Somehow what was achieved in 1953 is deemed impossible now, so 40 million Persian Muslims remain victims of their cult. And what is the conscientious civilised man to make of this? Well, if we cant liberate them, can we at least incapacitate them? I