Police Break Up New Tehran Rally
BBC: Iranian riot police have fired tear gas to break up a new opposition rally in the centre of the capital Tehran, hours after a stern warning to protesters.

Some 1,000 people had gathered on Haft-e Tir Square despite the warning from Iran's Revolutionary Guards against holding unapproved rallies.

Reports say the police were reinforced by Basij militiamen wielding clubs.

The Guards, an elite armed force, vowed to crack down on new street protests over the presidential election results.

On Friday Ayatollah Ali Khamenei banned protests, prompting street violence in which at least 10 people died.

Severe reporting restrictions placed on the BBC and other foreign media in Iran mean protest reports cannot be verified independently. >>> | Monday, June 22, 2009

Anti-Dhimmitude! Nicolas Sarkozy: Burqa Not Welcome in France
THE TELEGRAPH: President Nicolas Sarkozy has said that the Islamic burqa is 'not welcome' in France.

Photo: The Guardian
In a speech at the Palace of Versailles, Mr Sarkozy said that the head-to-toe Islamic garment for women was not a symbol of religion but a sign of subservience for women.

"The burka is not a sign of religion, it is a sign of subservience," he told members of both parliamentary houses gathered for his speech.

He added: "It will not be welcome on the territory of the French republic."

His comments follow an appeal last week by 65 French MPs for a parliamentary commission to examine whether Muslim women who cover themselves fully in public undermine the secular tradition in France as well as women's rights. >>> By The Telegraph’s Foreign Staff and Agencies in Paris | Monday, June 22, 2009

LE FIGARO - Extrait: LA BURQA, NON GRATA DANS LA RÉPUBLIQUE

S'exprimant sur la polémique qui a enflammé la classe politique française, le président de la République a estimé que la burqa soulevait un «problème de dignité et de respect de la femme». «Ce n'est pas un signe religieux, c'est un signe d'asservissement (…) Elle ne sera pas la bienvenue sur le territoire de la République française», a-t-il tranché. Il reviendra au Parlement de se prononcer sur l'opportunité d'un texte de loi. [Source: Le Figaro] | Julie Connan (lefigaro.fr) Lundi 22 Juin 2009

TAGES ANZEIGER: Sarkozy: «Burkas sind ein Zeichen der Unterdrückung»

In einer Grundsatzrede vor dem Parlament schlug der französische Präsident Nicolas Sarkozy ein Verbot des Ganzkörper-Schleiers für Frauen vor. Von der Opposition erntet er Kritik.

Zu den grossen Krisenherden der Welt nahm Sarkozy in seiner Rede nicht Stellung. Dafür sagte er den Burkas in Frankreich den Kampf an. Die Burkas seien ein Zeichen der Unterwerfung und Unterdrückung der Frau, sagte der französische Staatspräsident. Muslimische Frauen verdecken sich mit einer Burka nicht nur Körper und Haar, sondern auch Gesicht und Augen.

«Wir können nicht zulassen, dass es in unserem Land hinter einem Gitter gefangene Frauen gibt, die vom sozialen Leben ausgeschlossen und jeder Identität beraubt sind», sagte Sarkozy. Das Parlament solle die Burka auf französischem Staatsgebiet verbieten. «Das ist die beste Art vorzugehen.» Sarkozys Vorschlag kommt an einem Tag, an dem er noch am Morgen den Emir des Wüstenstaats Katar, Scheich Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani, empfangen hatte. >>> oku/sda | Montag, 22. Juni 2009

BBC: French Balls!

Since this was the first time in almost one and a half centuries that a French president had been allowed to address parliament, President Nicolas Sarkozy's speech was already on course to ruffle a few feathers.

The Greens and Communists refused to attend and the Socialists left early, claiming the venue for the address - the Chateau of Versailles, which was home to King Louis XIV - smacked of monarchy and a thirst for power.

But it was the French leader's attack on the burka that really caused a stir.

He expressed his strong distaste for the head-to-toe Islamic veil, calling it not a sign of religion but a sign of subservience.

"It will not be welcome on French soil," he said." We cannot accept, in our country, women imprisoned behind a mesh, cut off from society, deprived of all identity. That is not the French republic's idea of women's dignity."

President Sarkozy's comments have not come out of the blue.
They are in response to a call last week by a group of 65 cross-party MPs, led by the Communist Andre Gerin, who wants a parliamentary commission set up to investigate the spread of the burka in France.

They want to see whether such a spread is indicative of a radicalisation of Islam, whether women are being forced to cover themselves or are doing so voluntarily, and whether wearing the burka undermines French secularism.

Mr Gerin believes the burka "amounts to a breach of individual freedom on our national territory".

Because, if the mention of monarchy triggers warning bells in France, the mention of religion triggers much louder ones.

Ban in schools

The concept of secularism or "laicite" is sacred in France.

The separation of church and state is jealously guarded by everyone from school teachers to government ministers - and the constitution states the republic "does not recognise, subsidise or renumerate any religious body".

It underpinned the French Revolution, and has been a basic tenet of the country's progressive thought since the 18th century when French Enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire, Diderot and Montesquieu regarded religion as divisive, benighted and intolerant.

It was this same concept that was invoked five years ago to ban conspicuous signs of religion - including Islamic headscarves - from schools.

That decision sparked controversy and debate across Europe, with critics claiming it stigmatised Muslims at a time when France needed to be stepping up its fight against rife discrimination in the job market, which had caused so many youths of Muslim origin to feel forgotten by French society.

This latest call for a potential ban of the burka has prompted the head of the French Council for the Muslim Religion to warn MPs they risk stigmatising Muslims again. Sarkozy Stirs French Burka Debate >>> By Emma Jane Kirby, BBC News, Paris | Monday, June 22, 2009

Iran: Tehran Blames West for Riots
LOS ANGELES TIMES: Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi has accused Western nations and media of supporting violent protests in an attempt to create anarchy and split apart the Islamic Republic.

The BBC and Voice of America “are the mouthpiece of their government's public diplomacy," Qashqavi said during a press conference today. "They have two guidelines regarding Iran. One is to intensify ethnic and racial rifts within Iran and secondly to disintegrate the Iranian territories."

He added: "Any contact with these channels, under any pretext or in any form, means contacting the enemy of the Iranian nation. How can they say they are unbiased when their TV channel is like a war headquarters and in fact they are blatantly commanding riots? Therefore their claims are absolutely wrong. Their governments have ratified decisions so that they can act in this way."

Iranian authorities have become increasingly agitated at what they claim is Western meddling. Britain and the U.S. have denied such accusations, but years of ill will between Washington and Iran are playing like background music as Tehran appears a city divided between reformist protesters and government-backed militias.

And as the power struggle inside Iran's political class appeared to intensify, with reformist and conservative leaders exchanging sharp statements that blamed each other for last week's deadly street violence, authorities announced irregularities that could affect 3 million votes in 50 cities. >>> Jeffrey Fleishman in Cairo | Monday, June 22, 2009

Iranian-Americans Protest Against the Iran Election Results
Iranian-American demonstrators took to the streets of Los Angeles and protested outside the White House in Washington againts the Iran election results and what they say are crimes against humanity and democracy as the Iranian government reacts to massive daily protests. Photo: The Telegraph
A protester holds aloft money with the eyes of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's eye cut out. Photo: The Telegraph
TELEGRAPH PHOTOS: To the gallery >>>

Iranian Forces Ready to Clear Country of 'Hooligans'
CNN: TEHRAN, Iran -- Iranian protesters who "disturb the peace and stand up to security forces" will be considered a threat to the regime and will be met with a strong response, the country's Revolutionary Guard warned Monday.

"The guardians of the Islamic revolution and the courageous Basiji together with the security forces following the orders of the supreme leader and following him unquestioningly, are determined to act strongly to return peace and tranquility to society ... and to clean the country of these plotters and hooligans," the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement, according to Iran's state-run news agency, IRNA.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard is directly under the control of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and enforces the government's Islamic codes and morality. It was initially created to protect the leaders of the revolution, but over the years, it has broadened its scope. With more than 200,000 members, it is tasked with overseeing the country's crucial interests, including guarding its oil fields and missile arsenals.

The Basiji is a volunteer paramilitary force that takes orders from the Revolutionary Guard. It plays the role of de facto morality police and is often summoned to crack down on protests. It is unknown how large the force is, though estimates are in the millions.

At least 19 people were killed in clashes in Tehran on Saturday as Iranians took to the streets to protest the results of the June 12 presidential election, according to hospital sources.

Iranian-funded Press TV confirmed 13 fatalities, while unconfirmed reports put the number as high as 150. Tehran's prosecutor general's office said it has launched an investigation into the killings.

The station also said police arrested 457 people Saturday who vandalized property.

A statement purportedly from opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi on Sunday called on Iranians to "exercise self control" during protests in Tehran while still supporting their right to demonstrate against the government and the results of the election.

"The country belongs to you. The revolution and the system is your heritage," said the statement attributed to Moussavi posted on his Web site. "Protesting against lies and cheating is your right. Be hopeful about regaining your rights. Do not allow anyone who tries to make you lose hope and frighten you make you lose your temper." >>> | Monday, June 22, 2009

THE TELEGRAPH: Iran's Basij Force: The Shock Troops Terrorising Protesters

Protesters marching the streets of Tehran feared one thing more than any other: a sudden attack by the plain-clothed toughs of the Islamic Basij militia.

Armed with sticks, motorbike chains, knives and axes, the more extreme members have long been used as shock troops by the regime to cow demonstrators with brutal displays of violence.

Mounted on motorbikes, the militia's standard strategy is to charge the crowd, one man driving and another riding pillion using a truncheon to lash out at stragglers.

They have also been sent to raid university campuses, breaking bones and smashing up dormitories.

The movement - its name is Persian for "mobilisation" - began as a sort of volunteer Dad's Army, comprising old men and young boys fired with zeal during the Iran-Iraq war.

Under the command of the Revolutionary Guards, they would charge blindly across minefields with plastic keys, symbolising the martyr's entry to paradise, strung round their necks.

Officially, the Basij today number some five million: but only a fraction of its cadres are thought to be active.

Many joined simply for the benefits membership confers: an easier route to university or increased chances of promotion in government jobs.

In contrast, the armed men prowling the streets last week are a hard core, totally committed to the Supreme Leader and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. >>> By Angus McDowall | Sunday, June 21, 2009

BBC: Iran Guards Vow Protest Crackdown

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have threatened to crack down on any new street protests against the results of the country's presidential election.

In a statement, the guards vowed to react in a "revolutionary" way to suppress unauthorised demonstrations.

Reports are coming in that at least 1,000 demonstrators have gathered in a square in the centre of Tehran.

On Friday Ayatollah Ali Khamenei banned protests, prompting street violence in which at least 10 people died.

The capital has seen rallies both against and in support of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

'Revolutionary confrontation'

The Revolutionary Guards, Iran's elite security force, have close ties to the country's supreme leader.

In a statement posted on their website, they said their troops would break up street protests and force protesters from the streets.

"Be prepared for a resolution and revolutionary confrontation with the Guards, Basij [pro-government militia] and other security forces and disciplinary forces," they said.

"The Guards will firmly confront in a revolutionary way rioters and those who violate the law," they added. >>> | Monday, June 22, 2009

Miliband Accused of Being 'Waste of Space' as Brown Defends Iraq Hostage Handling
David Miliband: "a waste of space". Photo: TimesOnline
TIMES ONLINE: Gordon Brown insisted today that the Government had “left no stone unturned” in trying to secure the release of British hostages in Iraq, fending off criticism over its handling of the saga.

The bodies of two of the five captives were handed over to the Iraqi authorities this weekend, but the father of one of those still missing hit out at the way the Foreign and Commonwealth Office had dealt with the issue.

Graeme Moore, who is anxiously awaiting news of the fate of his son, Peter, an IT consultant, told GMTV: “They haven’t done anything. They should have been straight in directing negotiations right from the beginning.”

He also dismissed David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, as "a waste of space". >>> Philippe Naughton | Monday, June 22, 2009

Guy Bechor: Obama Doesn’t Get It
YNET NEWS: US president seeking instant Mideast solutions that show his ignorance

When I read that President Obama will call for normalization of ties between the Arab world and Israel at the early stages of his “peace plan,” I shrugged. Yet when I read that he intends to settle the Palestinian refugees in the Arab states they currently live in, and grant them monetary compensation, I was amused.

These are pipe dreams, just like the “Arab democracy” vision of his predecessor that collapsed loudly and brought disaster to the region. This is a rookie plan of an intern who believes that the Israeli-Arab conflict can be resolved with a quick and arrogant gesture. It is clear that whoever came up with this plan lacks understanding of the history, demography, and mostly the fears of the region.

Arab states will never renounce their demand to send back Palestinian refugees to Palestine, that is, to the State of Israel, and some of them, maybe, to the Palestinian Authority. Why? Because these are holy issues.

These refugees define the aspirations of the Arab world, its politics, and its article of faith; this is something that one does not renounce. The demand for returning the refugees is the only common denominator connecting Hizbullah and the Christians in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Iran, and it’s worth more than gold.

The Arab political establishment wishes to realize the “right of return” not for the sake of the Palestinians, heaven forbid, who are hated in most Arab States, but rather, in order to weaken Israel, destroy it from within, and sink it in the sea of returning Palestinians.

For the Arab world, this is not about the fate of the “Palestinians,” but rather, the fate of the “Palestinian problem,” and these are two separate issues: They hate the Palestinians, but admire the Palestinian problem. They hate the refugees, but admire their right of return. The Arab states have not been maintaining the refugee problem for more than 60 years in order to renounce it. >>> Guy Bechor | Monday, June 22, 2009

Iran's Web Spying Aided By Western Technology: European Gear Used in Vast Effort to Monitor Communications
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: The Iranian regime has developed, with the assistance of European telecommunications companies, one of the world's most sophisticated mechanisms for controlling and censoring the Internet, allowing it to examine the content of individual online communications on a massive scale.

Interviews with technology experts in Iran and outside the country say Iranian efforts at monitoring Internet information go well beyond blocking access to Web sites or severing Internet connections.

Instead, in confronting the political turmoil that has consumed the country this past week, the Iranian government appears to be engaging in a practice often called deep packet inspection, which enables authorities to not only block communication but to monitor it to gather information about individuals, as well as alter it for disinformation purposes, according to these experts.

The monitoring capability was provided, at least in part, by a joint venture of Siemens AG, the German conglomerate, and Nokia Corp., the Finnish cellphone company, in the second half of 2008, Ben Roome, a spokesman for the joint venture, confirmed.

The "monitoring center," installed within the government's telecom monopoly, was part of a larger contract with Iran that included mobile-phone networking technology, Mr. Roome said.

"If you sell networks, you also, intrinsically, sell the capability to intercept any communication that runs over them," said Mr. Roome.

The sale of the equipment to Iran by the joint venture, called Nokia Siemens Networks, was previously reported last year by the editor of an Austrian information-technology Web site called Futurezone.

The Iranian government had experimented with the equipment for brief periods in recent months, but it had not been used extensively, and therefore its capabilities weren't fully displayed -- until during the recent unrest, the Internet experts interviewed said.

"We didn't know they could do this much," said a network engineer in Tehran. "Now we know they have powerful things that allow them to do very complex tracking on the network." >>> By Christopher Rhoads in New York and Loretta Chao in Beijing | Monday, June 22, 2009

Netanyahu: Change in Iran Could Bring Peaceful Ties
YNET NEWS: Prime Minister Netanyahu tells German newspaper he has 'no doubt' Iran's citizens would choose a different government if allowed to vote freely. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman calls Netanyahu's previous comments on Iran 'provocation'

Peaceful relations between Israel and Iran would be possible if new leadership took power in Tehran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with German newspaper Bild published on Monday.

"There is no conflict between the Iranian people and the people of Israel and under a different regime the friendly relations that prevailed in the past could be restored," Netanyahu told German daily Bild.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was officially re-elected in a June 12 vote that the opposition has denounced as a fraud, and that has provoked the most violent unrest in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution which ousted the US-backed shah.

Iran has accused the West and its media of playing a role in fomenting unrest.

Netanyahu said he had "no doubt" that Iran's citizens would choose a different government if allowed to vote freely.

"I think the true nature of the Iranian regime has been unmasked," he told Bild. "What we have seen in Iran is a powerful desire on the part of the Iranian people to be free." >>> Dudi Cohen | Monday, June 22, 2009

BBC Supports Islam, Attacks Christianity
MAIL Online: One of Radio 2's most popular religious presenters has launched a stinging attack on the BBC suggesting the broadcaster is biased against Christianity.

Don Maclean, 66, who hosted Good Morning Sunday for 16 years, said the broadcaster was 'keen' on programmes that attack the Christian church.

He said programming chiefs were keen to take a 'negative angle at every opportunity' in a way they do not with other faiths like Islam.

Mr Maclean said programmes about Anglicanism on the BBC always discuss gay clergy and for Catholicism they always mention paedophiles.

The presenter, who was replaced on the Radio 2 show in 2006 by Aled Jones, claimed the broadcaster was trying to 'secularise the country'.

He admitted that he was dismayed that the BBC recently appointed Aaqil Ahmed, a Muslim, as its new head of religious programming. The BBC supports Islam and attacks Christianity, claims Radio 2 stalwart Don Maclean >>> Paul Revoir | Monday, June 22, 2009

Iran Expels BBC Correspondent: Official
REUTERS: TEHRAN - Iran has decided to expel the BBC's correspondent in Tehran over the broadcaster's coverage of this month's election, an Iranian official said on Sunday, and a semi-official news agency said Jon Leyne had 24 hours to leave.

The BBC confirmed Leyne, its permanent correspondent in Tehran, has been asked to leave, adding "The BBC office remains open."

An official at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, which deals with foreign media, said Leyne had been told of the expulsion decision.

The official did not give details, but state radio cited the "distortion of news regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran and particularly news pertaining to the election."

The BBC in turn has accused the authorities of interfering with its broadcasts.

The semi-official Fars News Agency, which said Leyne must leave within 24 hours, also said he was accused of "dispatching fabricated news and reports" and "ignoring neutrality in news.."

He was also accused of "supporting rioters and trampling the Iranian nation's rights," Fars said. >>> Reporting by Hashem Kalantari and Fredrik Dahl; editing by Matthew Jones | Sunday, June 21, 2009

TIMES ONLINE: Iran and Britain in Diplomatic Stand-off as Protest Death Toll Rises

Britain and Iran moved towards a full-blown diplomatic crisis today as David Miliband rejected claims that the Government was stirring protests against the disputed re-election of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Within hours of confirmation that the BBC correspondent Jon Leyn had been ordered to leave Tehran, Iran’s foreign minister rebuked Britain for raising questions about voting irregularities.

As the death toll from clashes between demonstrators and security forces continued to rise, Manouchehr Mottaki told diplomats: “Great Britain has plotted against the presidential election for more than two years. We witnessed an influx of people before the election. Elements linked to the British secret service were flying in in droves.”

His comments come after Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused “the evil British government” on Friday of interfering last weekend's election. >>> Jeremy Griffin | Sunday, June 21, 2009

Carter Says Palestinians Are Treated 'Like Animals'
MEHR NEWS: Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter said on Tuesday that Palestinians are being treated “like animals.”

“Tragically, the international community too often ignores the cries for help and the citizens of Palestine are treated more like animals than like human beings,” Carter said at a joint news conference with Hamas leader Ismail Haniya.

The former president called for a lifting of Israel''s merciless blockade of the Gaza Strip and ending “all violence” against the Palestinians.

“The starving of 1.5 million human beings of the necessities of life -- never before in history has a large community like this been savaged by bombs and missiles and then denied the means to repair itself,” Carter said at a UN school graduation ceremony in Gaza City.

The United States and Europe “must try to do all that is necessary to convince Israel and Egypt to allow basic goods into Gaza,” AFP quoted Carter as saying. >>> | Wednesday, June 17, 2009

BBC's Appointment of Muslim as Head of Religion Is 'Worrying', Anglicans Warn
THE TELEGRAPH: The appointment of a Muslim as the BBC's head of religious broadcasting is a "worrying" development that could further undermine the corporation's coverage of Christianity, Anglicans have warned.

Members of the General Synod, the parliament of the Church of England, are to vote on a motion condemning the decline of religious programming on BBC television, amid complaints that Christians are now only depicted as "freak shows".

In a new report to accompany the motion, the corporation's decision to recruit Aaqil Ahmed from Channel 4 to head its religious and ethical output is singled out for particular criticism.

Hundreds of people have complained to the BBC about the appointment of Mr Ahmed, who will be the first Muslim and only the second non-Christian in the role.

"Many of the Channel 4 programmes concerned with Christianity, in contrast to those featuring other faiths, seem to be of a sensationalist or unduly critical nature," wrote Nigel Holmes, a Synod member and former BBC producer who has tabled the motion.

"From this point of view it is worrying that the Channel 4 religion and multicultural commissioning editor, Aaqil Ahmed, who is a Muslim, is soon to be responsible for all the religious output from the BBC."

The motion is expected to attract the support of senior bishops when it is debated by the Synod next month.

The paper accuses the corporation of ignoring its Christian audience by failing to broadcast a Good Friday service on any of its national television and radio stations this year. >>> By Matthew Moore | Sunday, June 21, 2009

Forget Gerontomullocracy! Give Youth a Chance!
Image: Flickr

Freedom Craving 'Fuelling Iran Unrest'
BBC: The Iranian leadership is falling into the same trap that their arch-enemy the Shah of Iran fell into in the 1970s.

Photo: BBC News
They are not listening to the people.

After a meeting with Shah Reza Pahlavi, the US ambassador William Sullivan complained: "The king will not listen."

Soon afterwards, the king had to leave the country, and Ayatollah Khomeini returned from exile in triumph.

Khomeini's successor as Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, claimed at Friday prayers at Tehran university that "foreign agents" were behind efforts to stage a velvet revolution.

Change

Having spent 10 days in Iran for the 12 June election, that accusation sounds to me like a classic case of blaming the messenger.

There is a velvet rebellion taking place. It is not a revolution yet - but it could evolve into one if the Supreme Leader and his associates do not listen to the people.

I heard with my own ears dozens of peaceful, young Iranians saying they wanted change.

Sixty percent of the population are under 30 years old. They have no memory of the Islamic revolution in 1979. Many of them use the internet and watch satellite TV. Their window on the wider world is irreversibly open.

Many of them simply want peaceful change - and in particular an end to the strict laws that govern personal behaviour in Iran.

They want to be able to sing and dance. They wonder why the Iranian leadership continue to ban such expressions of human joy - a ban very similar to the rules imposed on Afghanistan during the Taliban regime.

And of course Iranians do sing and dance. I have been to several parties where the dancing was intense. And so was the drinking, though alcohol is also illegal.

Prohibition does not work. Many Iranians simply lead double lives.

An article in a magazine - available at Tehran news stands when I was there last year - carried the headline: "We are all hypocrites now."

Many women only cover their heads because they would be arrested if they did not.

Several women I met openly complained about the religious "guidance" police enforcing the female dress code of the chador, or the hijab and "manto" coat.

One young student told me: "I like the hijab. My friend doesn't like it. I should be free to choose to wear it, and she should be free to choose not to."

Another woman said: "The hijab is not really the problem. The real problem is that men and women are human beings - they are the same, and they should have equal freedoms." >>> By Hugh Sykes, BBC News | Sunday, June 21, 2009

Iran Cleric Family Arrested?

’Death to Khamenei’: In Tehran, a city bus is engulfed in flames, as people in crowds shout, 'Death to Khamenei'

Basij Militia HQ Burns: Amateur video shows the Basij headquarters set ablaze while smoke rises into a darkened sky

Zehntausende von Exil-Iranern protestieren
NZZ Online: Zehntausende von Anhängern der iranischen Opposition haben am Samstag in Europa und den USA gegen das offizielle Wahlergebnis im Iran protestiert. Die grösste Demonstration fand in Villepinte bei Paris statt, wo sich Exil-Iraner aus mehreren europäischen Ländern versammelten.

Laut den Organisatoren nahmen 90'000 Personen an der Kundgebung teil. Maryam Radjavi vom Nationalen Iranischen Widerstandsrat forderte einen demokratischen Wandel im Iran und «freie Wahlen unter der Aufsicht der Uno». >>> sda/afp/dpa | Samstag, 20. Juni 2009

CNN: Rallies in France, Germany, U.S. Support Iranian Demonstrators

WASHINGTON -- Demonstrators gathered in major cities in France, the United States and Germany on Saturday to condemn Iran's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tehran.

The rallies ranged from tens of thousands of Iranian exiles and supporters who crammed a Paris, France-area convention center to the hundreds of demonstrators who braved a downpour in Washington to march to the White House.

In Hamburg, Germany, protesters marched against the announced result of last week's Iranian election, which had President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared the overwhelming victor in voting that opposition groups called rigged.

A threatening statement Friday by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran raised fears of bloodshed, and security forces in Tehran confronted demonstrators Saturday with clubs, tear gas and water cannons. >>> CNN | Saturday, June 20, 2009

CNN: 90,000 Thousand Protest in Paris


CNN: Hundreds Protest in New York


leJDD.fr: Iran: Le monde réagit

Plutôt discrète après la proclamation des résultats en Iran, la communauté internationale s'est émue dimanche des violences policières dans la République islamique. Selon CNN, 19 personnes ont été tuées lors des manifestations de samedi. Plusieurs voix se sont élevées pour appeler à la fin de la répression. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dénonce ces "ingérences". Et semble déterminé à mater l'opposition.

Londres, Rome, Berlin, Washington... Téhéran a essuyé les critiques de plusieurs capitales occidentales dimanche. En cause: la répression des manifestations de l'opposition samedi. CNN fait état de 19 victimes, la télévision publique iranienne parle elle de 10 morts et 100 blessés. Ces informations restent difficiles à vérifier, les journalistes occidentaux étant cantonnés dans leurs hôtels. Mais plusieurs vidéos, postées sur YouTube par des internautes iraniens, témoignent de la violence des affrontements.

Dimanche, la chancelière allemande, Angela Merkel, a demandé aux autorités iraniennes d'autoriser les manifestations pacifiques - interdites vendredi par le Guide suprême, l'ayatollah Ali Khamenei - et de procéder à un recomptage des bulletins de vote. L'Italie a quant à elle exhorté Téhéran à prendre des mesures urgentes pour mettre fin sans violences aux événements qui secouent le pays. Rome estime que la sortie de crise se trouve dans la tenue d'une rencontre publique et pacifique "entre le gouvernement et d'autres" pans "de la société iranienne". Après avoir observé une certaine retenue pendant la semaine, estimant que ce n'était pas à Washington de commenter le choix des électeurs iraniens, Barack Obama s'est montré plus ferme samedi. Il a appelé les autorités "à mettre fin aux violences et aux actions injustes" contre le peuple iranien. "Le gouvernement iranien doit comprendre que le monde regarde ce qu'il se passe. Nous portons le deuil de chaque vie innocente qui a été perdue", a-t-il ajouté dans un communiqué. >>> Par M.E, leJDD.fr | Dimanche 21 Juin 2009

Obama Urges Iran to Halt 'Unjust' Crackdown
At last, Obama finds a little bit of courage to speak out about the crisis in Iran. His statement is weak. Hardly the words of an inspiring leader. This is, however, a small step in the right direction. – ©Mark

INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: President Barack Obama challenged Iran's government to halt a "violent and unjust" crackdown on dissenters, using his bluntest language yet to condemn Tehran's postelection response.

Mr Obama has sought a measured reaction to avoid being drawn in as a meddler in Iranian affairs.

Yet his comments have grown more pointed as the clashes intensified, and his latest remarks took direct aim at Iranian leaders.

"We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people," Mr Obama said in a written statement.

"The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights." >>> PA | Sunday, June 21, 2009