Forty years of anti-American and anti-Israeli propaganda, and this is how much Iran’s Islamic regime is hated within Iran.
“Students at Beheshti University of Tehran Refuse to Walk Over U.S., Israel Flags, Boo People Who Do,” MEMRI, January 12, 2020
On January 12, during the second day of protests in Iran following Iran’s acknowledgment of shooting down Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752, students at Beheshti University in Tehran refused to walk over giant American and Israeli flags drawn on the ground. They booed people who did, and shouted at them that they had “no honor.” The video was uploaded to Twitter.
Philis O'Shaughnessy says
GBU who keep honor, dignity. The World has to have muslims stand up to violent hateful muslims.
gravenimage says
Why would many Muslims do that? It is against Islam to do so.
CogitoErgoSum says
It is a pretty good flag. I have always thought it was the best in the world and would not want to walk on it but nobody gets put in jail here in the U.S. for doing that …. and that makes me like it even more.
gravenimage says
+1
mortimer says
The American flag is a symbol of human rights and civil liberties. No one was a better exporter of freedom than Pres. Ronald Reagan who lectured foreign leaders about freedom at every opportunity.
Pres. Trump is certainly a very aware businessman, but I wish he could catch the fire in the cause of freedom. Probably won’t.
Wellington says
Gee, mortimer, I should think that having Abu Bakr al-Badhdadi and Soleimani terminated, as well as expressing just in the past 24 hours, both in English and Farsi, support for the Iranians utterly sick of the Iranian theocratic regime, all of which Trump has done, has put the 45th President in the same league with the 40th President—both very rare, valuable and great men.
P.S. As much as I admire Ronald Reagan, and I voted for him twice, he did goof up on immigration with the 1986 Amnesty Act. So far, in this matter specifically, Trump has been even better than Reagan.
Pal says
No, sorry, Trump is no better than Reagan in liberty/freedom. He simply cannot be one such.
Trump’s essence is: dynamic (in) business, ambitious social openness, then comes political ambition helped by them, and some tricky savvyness, by which to orientate and improve himself in matters (including liberty), but month by month year by year (and with no guarantee result would be entirely better).
Reagan was deeply connected with the philosophy of freedom, with the good traditional line of conservatism in America and Europe. He knew their ideas and authors and quoted them, passionately. He was also well connected to Christianity principles, moral and testaments (using, mentioning them regularly too).
Out of those items, and in relation to the point, Trump is connected rather to “some” “spoken” conservatism, superficially, I’d say.
Wellington says
Pal: First of all, I indicated that Trump was better than Reagan on one particular issue, immigration, and not across the board. And second, I think you are underestimating Trump just as so many underestimated Reagan. Both Reagan and Trump numerous times revealed their love of America and at some level, whether intellectually or instinctively, both comprehended that what made America great more than any single factor is freedom. Guess we’ll have to agree to disagree.
gravenimage says
Agreed, Wellington and Infidel.
Wellington says
+2
Infidel says
Here are some things I’d like to see them walk and stomp over:
– An Iranian flag
– A Saudi flag (which has the shehada on it, making the act very anti-islamic)
– A crescent/moon symbol, denoting islam
Carolyne says
+1
mortimer says
It seems a large minority if not a slight majority of Iranians are opposed to the mullahs’ reign of terror and want to end it. They obviously saw the strike against Soleimani as the glimmer of light before the dawn.
Some of these students will soon hang the mullahs from the lamp posts. The mullahs should get out of the country while they still can. The day of reckoning for the mullahs is coming soon.
Since 2019, the mood of Iran has severely turned against the mullahs. Anyone who isn’t ideologically blinkered (like the idiots at CNN) will see that the mullahs’ days are numbered.
The students have been chanting the mullahs’ reign has no legitimacy. This is the sign that the counterrevolution has begun.
gravenimage says
Could be, Mortimer. But we have made these assumptions before–including ten years ago.
mortimer says
Dear GI, the tempo and size of protests has increased since the economic troubles of 2019.
At midnight on 15 November 2019, the Iranian government announced that they would increase the price on fuel. This triggered a crisis which has gone on since then.
The increases are seen as very unjust, since the mullahs have given themselves exemptions. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has exempted some trustees from paying taxes. They include the giant organization Khatam al Anbiya Construction Headquarters, and many other smaller entities belonging to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps IRGC.
In a new statement, Amnesty International has spoken about constant torture exerted on thousands arrested during the 2019 November Uprising. The statement says,” they have been beaten, punched, kicked and flogged by security forces”. Detainees include children of 15 and younger.
Other grievances are very severe such as selling the bodies of killed protesters! For a big list of grievances, see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019%E2%80%9320_Iranian_protests
In recent protests, chants by demonstrators targeted the government and its leaders with people chanting, “Shah of Iran, return to Iran!”, “Clerics must get lost”, “No to Gaza, no to Lebanon. We sacrifice our lives for Iran,” “Death to the dictator”, “Death to the Islamic Republic”, “Our military brothers, why do you kill your brother?”, “Bless your soul Reza Shah”, “Not Gaza, not Lebanon, my life only for Iran”, “Oil money has been lost, it has all been spent on Palestine”, “They have brought up Islam, but trampled the people”, “The supreme leader lives like a God. We, the people live like beggars.”
Iranian protesters also expressed their opposition to the Islamic Republic’s anti-Israel fixation by chanting ”We have no money or fuel, to hell with Palestine.”
Carolyne says
Not much difference than our house of Representatives. They have exempted themselves from Obama care and have many perks, i.e. their private golf course and country club. Lifetime pensions even if they serve only one term. Nancy Pelosi made millions overnight with insider trading account which was then legal for them. The list goes on and on. No, not much different than the Mullahs.
gravenimage says
Agreed, Mortimer. But protests over the price of fuel are not in and of themselves opposed to Islam.
Wellington says
I like your optimism, mortimer, but, as gravenimage has indicated in her reply to your post, such hopes have frequently been dashed before.
There is also the matter, even assuming the Iranian mullahs are history, of what would come next. If these Iranian students don’t grasp that there is no good Islam, then the rot will continue in Iran but just under another Muslim regime rooted in the error which is Mo’s creed.
Just as there is no reforming Nazism or Marxism, there is no reforming Islam. When a belief system starts out rotten, as the three I just mentioned above surely did, the only sensible and humane thing to do is to consign such rot to the margins of society for all time.
No reforming rot, you know. A rotten apple can never be made into a fine and healthy apple.
Best to you, mortimer. Always enjoy reading your posts and I also like the fact that I agree with you around 90% of the time. A very healthy percentage of agreement I would argue. Take care, pal.
mortimer says
Islam cannot be reformed, only abandoned. They are quietly abandoning it.
Wellington says
Sure hope so, mortimer. Nothing is more “worthy” of finally being placed on the trash heap of history than Islam.
Infidel says
Evidence please, Mortimer! And no, wishful thinking on your part doesn’t pass as evidence
gravenimage says
I see that Leander is banging on again about how evil the Bible is, and how it is responsible for Islam.
Now he just has to throw in his drivel about what a peacenik the wonderful “Prophet” was…
AleX says
I think the new ‘Arab spring’ is near. I give it a month before it starts.
Mullahs should be packing their robes and scram ASAP.
US surely has a different approach to that of Irak now with Iran. And that is popular uprising from within, with no military intervention.
Let’s wait and see.
gravenimage says
The “Arab Spring”, alas, just resulted in more bloody Islamization.
Wellington says
A good omen and a very sensible and courageous one too, but as Infidel and others have mentioned here at JW (including yours truly) the only real salvation for Iranians lies in not just getting rid of the mullahs but also getting rid of Islam.
The mullahs are “merely” a symptom of the problem. Islam most definitely IS the problem.
gravenimage says
Spot on, Wellington.
Wellington says
Thank you, my friend.
mortimer says
Reply to Wellington: Muslims leave Islam instantly when they see the Koran is a hoax concocted by the caliphs to control the Arabs.
Wellington says
Thanks for your reply, mortimer. But that “instantly” part is very much conditioned on viewing the Koran as a hoax (which it surely is).
But when even people like Zuhdi Jasser and Irshad Manji, educated as they are and certainly in their own person not at all ready to engage in, or support, typical Islamic terrorism, still can’t see just how shitty Islam truly is and that the Koran is one of the most egregious hoaxes of all time, how much “instantly” can we reasonably expect from the Muslim masses?
Even a very well-educated and intrepid non-Muslim like Daniel Pipes continues to maintain there is a good Islam lurking out there somewhere. Damn. And I trust you see the problem, i.e., Islam still gets a pass from non-bad people who should have long ago concluded that trying to salvage Islam is like trying to salvage Nazism or Marxism.
Infidel says
Wellington, add Qanta Ahmed – FNC’s latest celebrated Muslim commentator – to your list
Giacomo Latta says
I agree. However, for Iranians the mullahs are currently their number one problem. The latter are not and hopefully will never be ours.
mortimer says
Crown Prince of Iran HRH Reza Pahlavi currently lives in Potomac, Maryland, U.S. He is well placed to give advice to American decision-makers. He has used his position to try to influence the Iranian electorate to perform acts of civil disobedience and non-participation, though he opposes foreign military action to oust the Islamic regime. Iran has a number of ex-pat opposition parties. Hopefully, they can work together to get their country back from this CONSPIRACY of the mullahs.
Wellington says
As a “wonderful bonus” it would be simply terrific if the Crown Prince announced his conversion to Christianity–or Hinduism—or Buddhism—or, or, or. Anything but remaining Muslim.
Infidel says
According to Wiki, he’s still a Shi’a Muslim
So no, I won’t be rooting for his return, or the restoration of the Pahlavis
Pal says
Pahlavi behaves exactly like Ataturk, like Sadat.
He must, he ought to.
Pahlavi is secular, of course. But he needs a massive support. He needs his “+1”, “+1 million”. The millions in Iran are the (ordinary) Muslims. Pahlavi wouldn’t bring about any change in his country only together with a smaller elite.
K. Ataturk, at the time, composed a secularist march on Islam. But he said: “We make reforms, but it doesn’t mean we abandon Islam. A country without a religion has no future!”. In his war and other pre-1923 activities he many times called to millions, incl through mosques, as “Muslim brothers”. Ataturk, as a secular president of Turkey, behaved many times as a deist, but he was nothing else than a Sunni muslim.
Anwar Sadat of Egypt also needed support & “legitimacy” from his population incl in order to remove still popular Gamal A. Nasser and his socialist-left influence, after his end. Televisions and newspapers named Sadat “our pious president”, unlike Nasser, the “infidel”, displayed his butt in the air with forehead pressed on ground, and even with a zabiba on it.
Islamic world’s righteous tricks …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_bump
Dov Berrol says
We could always hope for a return to Persia’s ancient religion of Zoroastrianism. Or a revived modern version of it – with an emphasis on personal faith and separation of mosque and state.
Rufolino says
How about no state religion at all ? Phew, what a relief.
Mark Berlinger says
Good news: In 2020 the ayatollah’s propaganda fools fewer students in Tehran.
Marigold says
I agree with Wellington .Islam cannot be reformed just as Nazism or Marxism can’t be because all are basically evil.Until the students recognise and accept this basic fact there can be no real change in Iran.I hope there won’t be any crackdown on the organisers of the flag protest like there was in the uprising of November 2019
TimothyS says
Let’s see Canadians show such patriotism for their own flag.
Anjuli Pandavar says
I think this is hugely significant. I think the spell has been broken.
gravenimage says
I do hope so, Anjuli.
dsinc says
Is there a way for commenters to turn off the reply button below their comments? I would have liked to reply to some of the comments on this thread but the chance to do so was denied me. Is this selective censoring?
gravenimage says
No, it’s not censorship, dsinc.
Any poster may reply to any other poster, and the replies, and replies to repliers, are indented from the left.
But this can’t go on indefinitely, obviously–you soon run out of room horizontallly. So, after a point–maybe four or five replies, each to a subsequent post, I haven’t counted–the “Reply” button no longer appears.
But this doesn’t mean you can no longer reply–just go up to the last “Reply” button, and comment there. Your post will appear at the end of the thread. If there are several replies in line, just make sure you note which poster you are replying to.
There is obviously nothing selective about this. The content of the posts makes no difference all.
Tom says
What a difference. Young people in Iran are craving freedom from the hatred of the Islamic regime and have the guts to stand up to the regime even though they may be imprisoned and tortured, or worse killed on the street.
Here in the west we have young people who hate freedom of speech, support terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah, hate the freedoms that democracy gives them, want to turn the west into a communist/Islamic dominated society, and riot in the streets because they know there will not be any repercussions.
Seems to me like the world is upside down and we in the west need to take control of our young peoples minds once again.
gravenimage says
We just need to stop indoctrination in the schools. This is not mind control=–just the opposite, in fact.