The Islamic Republic is Looking More Unstable Day by Day
March 15, 2004
Iran va Jahan
Potkin Azarmehr
The recent events in Fereydoon Kenar are a reflection of the anger felt by the Iranian people and their readiness to overthrow the 25 year old rule of clerics in Iran.
The Islamic authorities in Fereydoon-Kenar, North Iran, declared the results of three polling stations null and void. Such blatant cheating in favour of Meghdad Najaf-Nejad, made the people spontaneously gather on the town's main bridge around 8:00 am on Saturday and shout slogans against the unashamed cheatings.
As the crowds grew and the slogans became more radical, the Law Enforcement Forces(LEF) started opening fire at the protesters with pellet guns. Far from pushing the crowd back, the shooting by LEF made the people angrier and they retaliated. As the crowd became more confident they targeted the Friday Sermon preacher Bakooyi, who was the driving force behind the election frauds in town.
The crowd moved towards Bakooyi's ostentatious residence, intent on killing the preacher. At this point they were shouting: "We will make his (Bakooyi) blood flow here, We will make his palace, his grave" "mA injA ro khoon mikonim, ghasresho ghabresh mikonim" and "All the criminals here are in the LEF" har chi injA jAnieh, nirooye entezAmieh".
Bakooyi is said to have fled the town for Qom, but one of his cars was completely destroyed and his lavish residence was set on fire.
Latest reports suggest the Friday Sermon preacher, Bakooyi is still hiding in Qom and does not dare to go back to Fereydoon Kenar.
As the protests spread, the people attacked the provincial government building and took control of a police station.
The Islamic authorities who were unable to control the crowd with the local LEF, brought in the special guards from Tehran, Isfahan, Amol and Babol. Five are reported killed (Three men and two women) and several hundred are wounded so far.
Three of the dead are known to be students by the names of Behrooz Khanlartabar, Hossein Ghavami, and Hossein Khodayi.
The hardline daily Jomhoori-Eslami, reported the incidence by saying "a throng of thugs marched towards the house of Friday Sermon Preacher of Fereydoon-Kanar but they were pushed back by the LEF. Some have been wounded"
E'etemad daily on the other hand in today's edition of its paper has reported the situation in Fereydoon-Kenar as completely critical, with all the schools, banks, and the Bazaar closed. The daily has reports the number of wounded 68 with 6 in critical conditions.
The selected winner of Fereydoon-Kenar 'elections', Meghdad Najaf-Nejad, either having realised the level of hatred felt by the people towards him or just aware of the futility of his selection has handed in his resignation.
The people of Fereydoon-Kenar have won the first round of battle for free and fair elections in Iran. With the ongoing teachers strike, youth riots during the Shiite mourning periods, and riots in other parts of Iran, the Islamic Republic is looking more unstable day by day.
http://iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2004&m=03&d=15&a=8