You are here:   Blogs >Focus on Islamism > The Tactics of an Iranian Police State
Standpoint Blogs
 
 
Focus on Islamism
Wednesday 8th July 2009
The Tactics of an Iranian Police State

BY ALEXANDER MELEAGROU-HITCHENS 

A Farsi language website affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, http://www.gerdab.ir/, has published pictures of Iranian protesters, asking viewers to identify the ‘criminals'.

On one of these web pages, the pictures numbered 1 and 19 are stamped with the word ‘identified'.  There is also a second page of circled faces, which have yet to be identified.

These tactics should serve as yet another reminder (as if we needed one) as to the type of state we are dealing with: a totalitarian, theocratic gangster regime, marshalled by a ruthless and invasive secret police.

For anyone wishing to show solidarity with the Iranian people, there will be a demonstration tomorrow (9 June) to mark the anniversary of the 1999 Iranian student protests which were also brutally suppressed by the regime.  It starts at 6 PM and the organisers request that attendees wear green if possible and meet at 16 Prince's Gate, SW7. The nearest Tube station is South Kensington.

 
Like this article? Share, save or print using the icons below
Delicious   Digg   StumbleUpon   Propeller   Reddit   Magnoliacom   Newsvine   Furl   Facebook   Google   Yahoo   Technorati   Icerocket   Print   Mail   Twitter   
Share/Save
 
 
 
Alexander Melea...
July 30th, 2009
11:07 AM
Micro, we are not talking about fascist race rioters, who incited violence and bloodshed like in Oldham and Burnley in 2001. We are talking about people who are peacefully demonstrating, many of which have already disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again. If you are comparing the Iranian protesters with the mad racist rioters in Oldham and Burnley, then I fear there is little that can be done for you.

Microraptor
July 11th, 2009
5:07 PM
Mr. Hitchens these are the exact same tactics used by the British police after rioting in Oldham and Burnley etc. in 2001. In fact the red top tabloids and even the Telegraph joined in publishing all the police photos and appealing to the public to call a hotline. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1335604/Riot-police-want-names-fo... I am not an apologist for the Revolutionary Guards, Mr Hitchens, but this blog posting of yours is facile.

Post your comment

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
 
About Focus on Islamism

Focus on Islamism is a blog dedicated to analysing and exposing the modern ideological phenomenon known as Islamism.

Shiraz Maher is a writer and broadcaster.

Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens is a PhD student at King's College, London.  He has contributed to various online and printed publications including, The Daily Telegraph, Lebanon's Daily Star, Standpoint and NOWLebanon. 

To contact the authors, click here

Recent Blog Posts
Blog List
More Posts
Popular Standpoint topics