DUSHANBE, February 17, 2011, Asia-Plus — Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says the United States is behind anti-government “sham” protests cloned off the pro-democracy movements in Tunisia and Egypt.
“The main purpose was to clone [the protests] so they could claim that the crises plaguing the US-backed dictatorships in the region have spread and that Iran — which has been the forerunner of democracy in the region — is also having internal problems,” Fars News Agency (FNS) quoted Larijani as saying on February 15, referring to the popular uprisings in the North African countries that toppled two longtime despots.
The remarks came one day after the supporters of the defeated candidates in the 2009 presidential elections, Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, gathered in parts of the Iranian capital.
Tehran says members of the anti-government groups, including the anti-Iran terrorist group Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO), disrupted the protests by staging riots and shooting on bystanders. Two people were killed and several others injured.
Referring to the protests in Egypt and Tunisia, the parliament speaker said the “roots of the Islamic awakening” in the region were in the hostile and humiliating attitude of the United States and Israel toward Muslims.
Larijani added that the US, “angered” by Iran”s support of the pro-democracy protests in the region, orchestrated such “sham rallies” in an effort to break the will of those nations heading toward revolution.
“The US must know that by such hypocritical moves, it will further tarnish its despicable image in Iran and the region.”
The opposition had asked for permission to hold a public rally “in support of the people in Tunisia and Egypt” but Iranian officials refused to give permission and declared all such rallies illegal. Tehran said the Iranian people already expressed their solidarity with the Egyptians and Tunisians on February 11 on the sidelines of rallies marking the 32nd anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Press TV reported, noting that counter-demonstrations were held to denounce the move by the opposition to disrupt public order and condemn the riots by the supporters of the defeated candidates.
This is while the US government has once again voiced support for anti-government moves in Iran, Iran’s Press TV said. Iran has repeatedly slammed Western countries for supporting post-election riots that erupted following the June 2009 presidential election.
In the meantime, BBC reported on February 16 that Iranian national TV says that fresh clashes have erupted in Tehran during the funeral of a student killed in anti-government protests on Monday.
Rival groups of pro- and anti-government protesters both claim the dead man as one of their supporters, BBC reported.
Sanea Jaleh, 26, was among two people killed during Monday”s protests, when thousands of opposition members rallied for the first time in more than a year.
On Monday February 14, thousands of supporters of opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi took to the streets of Tehran to show solidarity with the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, which have both succeeded in toppling their unpopular leaders.
Two people were killed and several wounded during Monday”s clashes with riot police in Tehran. Some 1,500 people have been detained, opposition groups say, but official figures put the number at 150.
