Iranians defy Islamist power and taboos in massive cultural outdoor event

SMCCDI (Information Service):

Millions of Iranians celebrated, today, the traditional yearly "Sizdeh Bedar" marking the end of Persian New Year celebration which started on March 20th. Crowds gathered from the early hours of morning in Tehran and in most provincial cities' parks or green areas organizing immense picnics.

Freedom fighters used the occasion of these gatherings, despite an unprecedented increased security measures and just as they have done in recent years, in order to shout slogans or to distribute tracts against the Islamic regime and its leadership which considers all Traditional Persian events as "pagan legacy". The defiances took place, in most cities, as over 15,000 militiamen and plainclothes agents were distpatched in Tehran alone for a better control of the situation. READ MORE

Many were seen breaking Islamic taboos and the regime's forced "moral code" by dancing or chanting. Some sporadic clashes have been reported from several areas of the capital such as Tochal, Darband, Manzarieh and Park Mellat, as militiamen tried to arrest young Iranians seen dancing or girls taking off their mandatory veils.

Sporadic clashes happened in some northern and western cities, such as, Rasht, Babolsar, Hamedan, Baneh, Saghez, Marivan and Oroomiah (former Rezai-e). Tens have been reported as arrested by the regime's agents.

The impact of the historical popular attachment to some of the traditional Persian events, such as Nowrooz, Tchahrshanbe Souri, and Sizdeh Bedar, is to the level that neither the Arab invaders of Iran nor the Islamist clerics have been able to force Iranians to abandon their beliefs throughout the last fourteen centuries. Recently, the regime has had to adapt itself to some aspects of these beliefs and contend with controlling them.