Except the revolt is not just Islamic, and Egypt is mostly Sunni.
"Small turnouts reported in marches against Jordan government; Egyptian revolt echoed by protests in other nations" by Dale Gavlak, Associated Press / February 5, 2011
AMMAN, Jordan — In Iran, top leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told worshipers that Mubarak betrayed his people because of his close alliance with Israel and the United States.
You may not like the messenger; however, it is true.
“America’s control over Egypt’s leaders has . . . turned Egypt into the biggest enemy of Palestine and turned it into the greatest refuge for Zionists,’’ Khamenei said.
“This explosion we see among the people of Egypt is the appropriate response to this great betrayal that the traitor dictator committed against his people,’’ Khamenei said, without mentioning Mubarak by name.
--more--"
"Iran calls itself a model for Egypt protests; But opposition sees chance to push for changes" by Thomas Erdbrink, Washington Post / February 8, 2011
TEHRAN — In endorsing the popular movements in Egypt and Tunisia, Iranian leaders have called them a sign that the region is rising up against the United States.
And a lot of it is support for Israel; however, much of it is also their own immediate situation and AmeriKan backing of a repressive regime.
In a sermon on Friday, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, likened the events to an earthquake that is uprooting American “servants’’ among Arab leaders, reflecting diminishing American power.
With AmeriKa still trying to manage the changes so that their people stay in control.
To disgruntled Iranians, though, the sight of the Iranian government cheering on the Egyptian protesters is seen as deeply ironic.
In 2009, when Iranians themselves launched massive protests against the government here, Iran’s leaders labeled them “Western-backed rioters’’ and sent paramilitary forces wielding batons and tear gas to quash their revolt.
Yeah, the U.S. media was covering that wall-to-wall and calling for the regime to step down.
Different story when its our thug.
Oh, btw, the charge is accurate, too. It was an attempted coup.
Still, opposition leaders are hoping to use the protests in Egypt as a new catalyst, and are seeking permission from the government to launch a demonstration next week in the center of Tehran....
Past requests for such marches have all been denied by the government. But the appeal illustrates that the opposition movement remains alive, and, like the government, sees itself as sharing the goal of the Egyptian protesters.
It's good to see the Iranian people come together on something.
The government itself is preparing for state-backed rallies on Friday marking the 32d anniversary of the 1979 revolution, during which millions of Iranians took to the streets and forced the departure of the US-backed shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
It took time for other Islamic nations to emulate Iran’s experience, Khamenei said in his Friday sermon. But Iran’s “steadfast’’ anti-American policies have led to the admiration from “oppressed people worldwide,’’ and the revolts in Egypt and Tunisia show that the Islamic republic has turned into a role model for the region, he said.
He might be overreaching a bit there; however, they have won admiration in many places for not buckling under to USrael.
While Khamenei has portrayed events in Egypt as an Islamic awakening inspired by Iran, most opposition groups in Egypt, including the banned Muslim Brotherhood, have stressed the secular nature of their protests.
Yes, the AmeriKan media has tried real hard to make this appear to be an Islamic revolt when it is a PEOPLE'S REVOLT!
Just as the Iranian revolution caused a break in ties between Iran and the United States, it also contributed to deep strains between Iran and Egypt. The relationship has warmed slightly in recent years, but enormous divisions remain, particularly over Egypt’s leadership in making peace with Israel.
Why must every issue come back to Israel in my newspaper?
Khamenei has said that anti-Americanism, not economics, is the driving force behind the antigovernment anger in Egypt.
I think it is both. The U.S. backed the governments that put in place the policies.
“The people of Egypt feel small and humiliated because of Hosni Mubarak’s blind obedience of America and Israel. This is the main reason for the revolt,’’ Khamenei said.
They didn't misquote him, did they?
I don't think the Egyptian people feel that way at all. They seem rather proud, and with good reason. Like AmeriKa, the people are not the government.
State media in Iran have been airing footage of the protests, with commentators and politicians egging on Egyptian antigovernment demonstrators and decrying violence used by the Mubarak’s supporters....
Well, when the shoe was on he other foot....
One analyst who strongly supports Iran’s system of religious governance said there is no connection between the protesters in Egypt and those who took to streets in Iran in 2009.
“The Egyptian people are now seeking independence from the US and other powers,’’ said Amir Mohebbian, who heads a strategic research center. “That is a good thing.’’ But, he said, “during the radical uprising of 2009 in Iran the protesters aimed to undermine Iran’s strong position against imperialist powers such as the US. Therefore these protest movements are incomparable.’’
And then the AmeriKan government was calling for Ahmadinejad to go; not so with Mubarak.
Abbas Abdi, an analyst critical of the government, said Iran’s support for Egyptian and Tunisian protesters could boomerang.
“They do not realize that by supporting the North African demonstrations, they are also supporting protests in general,’’ said Abdi, who helped topple the shah in 1979. “In the future it will make any clampdown on protests by Iranian people a lot harder.’’
I feel the same way about protests; however, one must delve more deeply into who is behind them and who benefits.
--more--"
Other inspiration from Iran:
"Iran begins spy trial of American hikers; Not guilty pleas entered; little else is revealed" by Nasser Karimi, Associated Press / February 7, 2011
TEHRAN — Two Americans accused of spying appeared in a closed-door Iranian court session yesterday to begin their trial, after an 18-month detention that has brought impassioned family appeals, a stunning bail deal to free their companion, and backdoor diplomatic outreach by Washington through an Arab ally in the Gulf....
The case highlights the power of Iran’s judiciary, which is controlled directly by the nation’s ruling clerics and has rejected apparent appeals by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to show some leniency.
Related: Ahmadinejad the Moderate
Huh?
But Ahmadinejad has also tried to draw attention to Iranians in US jails, raising the possibility the detainees have been viewed as potential bargaining chips with Washington at a time of high-stakes showdowns over Iran’s nuclear program.
Court authorities imposed a blanket ban on observers, including Swiss Ambassador Livia Leu Agosti, who represents US interests in Iran in the absence of direct diplomatic relations....
--more--"
Related:
"Yesterday, eight international figures, including actor Sean Penn, American academic Noam Chomsky, and retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, issued an appeal for Iran to release the two men....
Controlled-opposition cronies make the cut!
--more--"
Also see: Occupation Iraq: Iranians Capture AmeriKan Spies
And you know what Iran does to spies?
"UN says Iran’s executions on the rise" by Associated Press / February 3, 2011
GENEVA — Iran has executed at least 66 people this year, an alarming surge that has defied outside pressure, the United Nation’s top human rights official said yesterday....
How many has the U.S. executed in its wars based on lies?
Navi Pillay, the UN’s high commissioner for human rights, said most executions were for drug offenses....
Two executions were held in public, which Pillay said compounded their cruelty and inhumanity....
Yeah, it's better if you do it behind closed doors.
Person still ends up dead, but, you know....
--more--"
