Ian Bunn | Political & Popular Culture Arts

They didn't say 'we'll wipe it out' (April 24th 2012)

Dan Meridor the 64 year old Israeli deputy Prime Minister a longtime member of the Likud party and Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy, has admitted Iran’s President Ahmadinejad was misquoted, never saying that Israel must be wiped off the map. Speaking to the Arab network Aljazeera, Meridor stated “They [Iranian leaders] all come basically ideologically, religiously with the statement that Israel is an unnatural creature, it will not survive… They didn’t say ‘we’ll wipe it out,’ but (rather) ‘it will not survive, it is a cancerous tumor, it should be removed’. They repeatedly said ‘Israel is not legitimate, it should not exist’.” An English translation of a speech attributed to Ahmadinejad in 2005 at the “World Without Zionism” conference highlights the problem in translating a Persian metaphorical turn of phrase where there is no exact English language equivalent. The importance of these translation issues rests with how Israel has used the words to garner global support against these Iranian overt threats toward Israel “In the words of Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister: “They are the leaders of Iran who called for a new Holocaust and who vowed to wipe Israel off the map.””

Inspired by Dudi Cohen http://ow.ly/anBhZ image source דן מרידור, מאיר שמגר http://ow.ly/anAPd

Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei the 50 year old Iranian politician and advisor confidant to President Ahmadinejad has been arrested for using ‘black magic’ through invoking spirits. Mashaei’s relationship to Ahmadinejad has been a source of discontent to the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Mashaei was forced to resign his new appointment in 2009  as First Vice President due to the Ayatollah’s pressure, but was immediately appointed by Ahmadinejad as his chief of staff. Twenty five allies close to Ahmadinejad including Mashaei have been arrested and now charged with sorcery relating to the mythical Hidden Imam Mahdi, the revered savior of Shia Islam, who similar to the Christian rapture, is claimed to be nearing his return. The accusations against the 25 include skills in metaphysics and connections with the unknown worlds.

Inspired by Saeed Kamali Dehghan ow.ly/4VjhG image source Wikipedia ow.ly/4Vjmu

Mehdi Karroubi the 73 year old Iranian reformist politician, democracy activist, chairman of the National Trust Party and critic of President Ahmadinejad’s foreign policy, has along with fellow reformist politician Mir Hossein Mousavi been denounced by the Iranian parliament as corrupts on earth and should be tried. The denouncements of the two opposition leaders came about following protests in Tehran for which they have been accused of inciting the demonstrations. Corrupt on earth is a capital crime levied against political dissidents in the Islamic Republic of Iran punishable by execution. Fifty conservative MPs marched through the main hall of the parliament chanting “Death to Mousavi, death to Karroubi”. Reports confirm sixty-six people had already been executed during January alone.

Inspired by Reza Sayah and Mitra Mobasherat ow.ly/3Y61Q image source Wikipedia ow.ly/3Y5Uz

Jafar Kazemi and Mohammad Ali Hajaghaei, activists from the People’s Mujahedeen of Iran (PMOI), the exiled Iranian opposition have been executed by hanging for their involvement in the anti-government demonstrations and riots in Tehran following the disputed Presidential election of 2009, where President Ahmadinejad was accused of having rigged the election outcome. Iranian authorities claim the two acted under instructions from foreign leaders based out of England. Iranian authorities claimed the two activists referred to as Monafeghins, had distributed photographs and banners of the demonstrations, and had participated in the chanting of favorable slogans in the name of the PMOI. Thousands of demonstrators had been arrested during the course of the riots, along with many beaten, wounded and killed.

Inspired by ABC news ow.ly/3Koeo image source Persian2English ow.ly/3KohL