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| Axis of Evil |
| Riots, arrests hit Iranian city after illegal CD, video crackdown |
| 2003-01-02 |
| Daily TImes (Pakistan) Iranâs southwestern city of Ahvaz has been hit by widespread rioting following a crackdown on shops selling illegal videos and CDs, an MP told parliament on Tuesday. Illegal vids and CDs, is it? How depraved! Urging government action to end the tensions, reformist MP Jassem Shadidzadeh said at least 300 young people had been arrested in the unrest, during which one bank was set on fire and a major road link cut. âClashes broke out after the judiciary in Khuzestan province ordered the police, without coordinating with the Khuzestan governorâs office and the intelligence ministry, to shut down centres producing and distributing CDs in Ahvaz,â Shadidzadeh said in comments carried on state radio. âSecurity forces resorted to violence and used tear gas to stop people, mostly young students. Three hundred students ranging in age from 12 to 18 have been arrested and seven schools have been closed. For about a week, Ahvaz city has been tense. One bank has been burned down and the road from Khorramshahr to Ahvaz has been blocked for two days.â After the ayatollahs have been hanged, these kids are probably gonna become antiglobalists. But for now — I'm rooting for the kiddies. The Ahvaz MP was later quoted as telling the student news agency ISNA that he had demanded the local security chief be fired. âThis is part of a wider programme,â he said, accusing hardliners in the security forces of running a long-running campaign of provocation dating back to student demonstrations in November. Good man, Shadidzadeh. Not that anything'll happen to the instigators in this case, but it's good practice for when they have a real parliament, after the ayatollahs are dead... Press reports said the rioting broke out when hundreds of police and vigilantes launched a crackdown on scores of shops distributing foreign video cassettes and video CDs. The operation was also aimed at owners of banned satellite television equipment in residential areas, reports said. The clampdown led to 47 people being sentenced to lashings for selling âindecent and obscene filmsâ. Can't have decent Medes and Persians watching "Sex in the City," can you? It'll unravel their turbans — and no telling what it'll do to the wimmin! |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #1 Theyre all whipped up after watching VCD copies of Mystery Science Theatre 3000's "Red Zone Cuba". A movie so bad it will make you want to gouge your eyes out with a fork. Its only watchable at all under the guidance of the MST3k Crew. |
| Posted by: Frank Martin 2003-01-02 12:18:46 |