Even Leftists are rooting for the freedom protesters in Iran, and that is so anomalous that Iran’s state-run Press TV is trying a canny strategy: denouncing the protests as “Islamophobic” and focusing on alleged attacks on Islamic institutions. No innocent people should be victimized and I’m against all vandalism, including what is described in this article, if it really happened. But they hardly negate the importance of the protests or the monstrousness of the Iranian regime. In highlighting all this, Press TV is hoping to intimidate Leftists who recoil at any hint of “Islamophobia” into dropping their support for the demonstrators. It will likely work on some of the intended targets.
“Response to Mahsa Amini’s death: Peaceful protests or Islamophobic riots?,” by Omar Ahmed, Press TV, September 27, 2022:
…While there is certainly room for debate on many issues related to this incident, the loose coalition of disparate, mostly-secular ‘oppositionists’ – be it in Iran or elsewhere – has shown that this so-called “movement” has little to do with Amini’s death or even progressive politics….
Indeed, some anti-government rioters have revealed their very open disdain for the Islamic faith. In Iran, for example, these rioters were seen setting alight a banner dedicated to Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), especially around a sensitive time in the Islamic month of Safar, days after Arbaeen.
More Islamophobic actions were witnessed in the heart of London, where members of the anti-Iran MKO terrorist group and pro-monarchy hooligans attacked the annual, peaceful Arbaeen procession that saw the participation of women and children….
The clashes didn’t stop with the targeting of the Arbaeen procession – falsely branded as “regime supporters” online, but included rioters vandalizing one of the main Shia mosques in the UK – the Islamic Centre of England that has affiliations with the Islamic Republic.
One individual from the unruly mob was seen climbing up the mosque and waving the flag of the pre-revolutionary monarchists, while others pelted the place of worship with glass bottles and other objects before clashing with riot police.
As such, for security reasons the center had to cancel a religious gathering that was planned that evening, commemorating the demise of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
There were reports on social media that the secularists planned another attack on the Islamic center the following evening, however, after dozens of Shia Muslim men gathered outside to safeguard the mosque, the plan was called off and the gathering relocated to Trafalgar Square.
Admittedly, one interesting outcome of this has been the unified stance by London’s Shia community, be they the pro-Islamic Republic of Iran or not.
Nevertheless, the increasing and brazen trend of Islamophobic assaults carried out by the seemingly peaceful, pro-democracy activists is a concerning development and further illustrates that the mob care little about the tenets of the liberal values they claim to uphold.
