Governmental Rally For Slained Hamas Leader Gather Few Demonstrators
Reuters - World News
Mar 26, 2004
TEHRAN - Some 5,000 Iranians, fired up by a sermon on Israel's assassination of Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, streamed through the streets of Tehran on Friday to denounce the Jewish state.
A helicopter attack on Monday killed the wheelchair-bound militant leader, whose organisation is committed to the destruction of Israel.
The crowd, composed of women clad in the all-enveloping black chador and bearded men, bellowed "Death to Israel, Death to America" and waved Palestinian flags and posters of Yassin.
"Israel is a cancerous tumour that should be cut out," declared one banner. State television reported similar scenes across the Islamic Republic.
Protester Majid Azizi, 21, wearing a black and white chequered Palestinian headscarf, said he hoped Israel would be destroyed.
"I am here to pledge my support to Palestinians in their fight against the usurpers," he said.
Israel says Yassin and other militant chiefs masterminded the suicide bombings carried out during a nearly 3-1/2 year Palestinian uprising.
Israeli and U.S. flags were burned under the bronze statue of a Palestinian fighter in central Tehran. Donation boxes were put out among stalls selling nuts and imitation jewellery.
Leading conservative cleric Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani whipped up the crowd with his Friday sermon at Tehran university, telling worshippers: "All independent nations should rise up against this crime".
Although widely accused of funding anti-Israeli militants, particularly in Lebanon, Iran insists its support for them is purely moral.
Hamas has an office in Tehran, a sticking point in relations with the European Union with which Iran hopes to strike a lucrative trade pact.
Protest leaders called an end to the Tehran rally by reading a message vowing that Palestinians would soon be avenged on Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. They said the same message was read out across the nation.
http://www.daneshjoo.org/generalnews/article/publish/article_5488.shtmlIran to export cars to Cuba
Madrid, March 25, IRNA -- Iran is to export cars to Cuba, said Iran's ambassador to Havana Ahmad Edrisian in a meeting with Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade Raul de la Nuez in Havana on Wednesday.
Edrisian said Iran is also to enter venture with Cuba for production of shoes, basic materials for textiles and plastic bags.
Nuez said his country is ready for any cooperation with Iran to upgrade trade with the Islamic state.
He also welcomed presence of Iranian companies in Havana international fair, slated for November.
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