Posted on 02/21/2005 3:24:21 PM PST by Cyrus the Great
Tehran, Feb. 21 – Heavy clashes between Iranian Kurds and security agents erupted on Friday in three towns in western Iran, leaving dozens injured and hundreds arrested.
Clashes broke out after State Security Forces agents used force to disperse demonstrations taking place simultaneously in the towns of Sardasht, Saqqez, and Baneh in protest against severe fuel shortages in the area, eye-witnesses reported.
The demonstrations quickly turned violent as protestors fought back and shouted slogans against Iran's ruling clerics.
In Sardasht, residents came to the aid of protestors during clashes as the SSF attempted to arrest anyone in the vicinity of the demonstration. At least 200 people, mostly youths, were arrested.
In Saqqez, residents reportedly forced SSF agents to flee the scene after serious scuffles.
In Baneh, hundreds of protesting youths were reportedly detained by security forces and taken for questioning.
Iranian Kurds have been at loggerheads with the Islamic fundamentalist regime that has been in power for 26 years.
B U M P
Good for the Kurds, hopefully they whacked some islamofacists.
Fuel shortages? I thought iran was a producer??
They may have been recently discussing the relative merits of freedom with their Iraqi counterparts.
Big difference between crude coming out of the ground and refined gasoline.
Gee, sure looks like the wheels are coming off for the mullahs...
My my, can it be? There, floating in the breeze, it looks like a piece of grass, yes it is, it's a straw in the wind! Bye bye ayatollahs...remember Caucescu, start packing your turbans now while you still can.
Go Kurds!
Turban renewal!
I say give them some high-dollar weapons, a little training, cook up some popcorn, pull up a chair, and watch the fur fly.
Yippy-ky-yay!
Syria would be a good place to form the new nation of Kurdistan.
Little Sick Mullah,
With defective medulla,
Was beating his Kurds Away
Along came a riot,
(Kurds can't be kept quiet)
To show IDF jets the way!
LOL. Now THAT'S a plan!
Drip Drip Drip Drip
A Kurd you may of heard of.
http://mb-soft.com/believe/txh/saladin.htm
Saladin
General Information
{sal'-uh-din}
Salah ad-din, Yusuf ibn Ayyub, known as Saladin in the West, b. c.1138, d. Mar. 4, 1193, a Muslim warrior and founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, was a staunch opponent of the Crusades. Of Kurdish descent, Saladin was raised in northern Syria, where members of his family were prominent government and military leaders under the rule of the Zangid dynasty.
In 1152 he joined the staff of his uncle Shirkuh and later accompanied (1169) Shirkuh, who headed a Zangid army, to Egypt, where he helped the Fatimid rulers resist the Crusaders. Shirkuh was appointed (1169) Fatimid vizier but died two months later; Saladin, officially installed as Shirkuh's successor, effectively repulsed the Crusaders. He solidified his power base in 1171 when he overthrew the Fatimid dynasty, returning Egypt to Islamic orthodoxy and becoming sole ruler there.
At the death (1174) of Nur Al-Din, the Zangid ruler, Saladin set out to conquer the Zangid kingdom in Syria as a preliminary to the holy war (jihad) against the Crusaders. Launching the jihad in 1187, Saladin was victorious at Hattin, recaptured Jerusalem, and drove the Crusaders back to the coast. These events prompted the Christians to mount the Third Crusade (1189-92), pitting Saladin against Richard I of England. The Crusaders succeeded only in capturing Acre, and the Peace of Ramleh (1192) left the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem with only a small strip of land along the Mediterranean coast.
Saladin not only vanquished the Crusaders but also restored Egypt as the major power in the Middle East. Within Egypt he established a stable dynasty, encouraged education, and reformed the financial structure to support the armed Kurdish and Turkish cavalry. Saladin also initiated a prolonged period of economic prosperity, population growth, and cultural revival. After he died, however, the Turks -- especially the Mamelukes -- began to predominate.
Michael W. Dols
Bibliography:
Ehrenkreutz, Andrew S., Saladin (1972); Gibb, H. A. R., The Life of Saladin: From the Works of 'Imad ad-Din and Baha 'ad-Din (1973) and Saladin: Studies in Islamic History (1974); Newby, P. H., Saladin in His Time (1984).
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