Monday, February 21, 2005

Shia Mourning Ritual Turns Into Deadly Protest Demos

SMCCDI (Information Service):
The Shia mourning ritual of Moharam's "Sham e Ghariban", turned into deadly protest demos. At least 2 persons have been killed in the souhern City of Kerman while tens of other have been injured in the Capital and cities, such as, Esfahan and Mashad.

Many mourners sized the occasion for showing their rejection of the regime by playing the religious card and qualifying the current rulers of Iran as "those continuing the crimes of Yazid" (an Arab ruler responsible for the death of Hussein the 3rd Imam of Shias in Kerbala over 13 centuries ago).

Slogans against the regime leaders were shouted by the demonstrators who most of them are from deep religious families.

Some public materials and pictures of the regime's leaders were set on fire and several militiamen were injured during the clashes.