Originally posted by ProtoplasmicTraveler
I think one of the key things to remember that the Iranian Holiday of Ashura involves self flatulence.
Self... flatulence? I'm pretty sure the word you're looking for is "flagellation" - flatulence is passing wind, flagellation is whipping.
So there would in fact be no shortage of bloody people to take video of.
Except that looks nothing like flagellation. Which doesn't produce nearly that much blood, anyway. Flagellation opens the blood vessels in the skin,
capillaries and such, leading to a slow seep of blood. THis picture is from a deep wound, a real gusher.
One of the biggest problems in the footage coming out of Iran/Tehran yesterday and today is the skies don’t match the forecast. International
weather services say yesterday and today were both sunny and bright. The videos all look like gloomy overcast skies.
My local weather service screws up all the time. Also consider, it's hte middle of a major city. One currently undergoing riots. Smog, smoke, heat
trap effect, and tall buildings all contribute to dulling the sky and light.
Another big question is the notion that protesters would be chanting “G-d is Great” as a form of protest against a theocracy. That does not
exactly sound like a protest cry of “Hell no, we won’t go” to me!
Then you have no idea about anything pertaining to Shia Islam or Iranian politics. The Iranian people do not oppose theocracy. They simply expect
their officials to follow the tenets of Islam, serve the interests of the people i nthe name of God, and otherwise behave in an ideal way. By chanting
"God is great" in a protest against their government, they are saying that the government has lost its legitimacy over the ulema.
Chances are strong that crowds actually in various stage of celebrating the religious holiday who support the regime are then depicted as
opposition crowds.
There's definitely going to be lots of people out mourning the martyrdom of Ali. But that'll be in addition to the protests.
Chances are strong that the main groups of militant protestors against the regime are CIA/MOSSAD/MI5 funded and backed and possibly even manned
with CIA/MOSSAD/MI5 Agents.
It's a definite possibility. However, these agencies aren't exactly popular among hte people of Iran. It would take a lot of work for the CIA, much
less Mossad, to instigate something of this scale.
There is little doubt that former SAVAK members and their descendants loyal to the Shah’s regime and the Prince Regent are actively taking a
part there too on the ground.
Such people were almost universally killed during the course of the revolution, which targeted members of SAVAK with a fury - and kept hunting htem
down after the revolution. Former members of SAVAK would almost all be pushing their 60's these days - These particular bogeymen are a non-factor.
I think there are some homegrown protestors unhappy with the government there just as there are in every other nation on earth that has a
government.
I think they are being funded, encouraged, helped, and even prodded, and put at risk and exploited by various Western Intelligence Agencies though as
the media takes what little it has and twists it as best as they can to depict wide spread unrest and human rights violations.
They're definitely being encouraged. However I doubt that they're following any westerner game plan - As you noted, they're chanting Allah u
Akbar.
There is absolutely no doubt that there is a wide scale propaganda war going on against Iran and that Western Governments are committed to
destabilizing the Iranian regime and changing it.
Everything else in my opinion is highly suspect.
[edit on 28/12/09 by ProtoplasmicTraveler]
No doubt about the propaganda. But It's rather vapid to think the Iranians have nothing going on their own.
