THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Police in Iran have imposed restrictions on an ancient festival which celebrates the triumph of good over evil, fearing that it could catalyse growing public anger against the country's theocratic leadership.
Iranians traditionally leap over bonfires and set off fireworks to mark the pagan festival of Chahar Shanbeh Soori, which is celebrated on the last Tuesday before March 21, the Persian new year.
This year, faced with an increasingly repressive crackdown on dissent, opposition leaders [have] been calling on supporters to use the festival to express their resentment against the regime.
Esmail Ahmadi Moqaddam, a commander with the state security forces, warned that "buying and selling fireworks is illegal, and the police the police [sic] will severely confront offenders on the basis of the law."
Bahman Kargar, another security official, told state television that "more than 3,059,000 fireworks have been confiscated and 65 individuals distributing such material have been arrested."
Iran's rulers have become increasingly worried that they could be swept away by the rising tide of political protest across the region. >>> | Monday, March 14, 2011
