Anti-Italian demonstration in Teheran reveals Ahmadinejad's weakness
Only a few dozen "students" turned up outside the diplomatic office for a sit-in which, according to the Internal Affairs Ministry, was unauthorised. Anti-Israel slogans are part of an internal struggle, in which the Iranian president is seeking to portray himself as Khomeini's heir.
Teheran (AsiaNews) A few dozen people: this was how many "students" the Iranian government managed to mobilize outside the Italian embassy in Teheran, in response to a manifestation set to take place this afternoon in Rome to refute President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's declaration that Israel should be wiped off the map. A peaceful demonstration which lasted less than two hours; the police were out in force and their presence kept in check demonstrators, who contented themselves with lining the sides of the street where the diplomatic office is situated, so as not to block the traffic.
However, the Iranian Internal Affairs Ministry said it had not given the green light for the manifestation to be held. This is a somewhat curious statement, given the rigid control imposed on any public meeting in Teheran, not to mention the presence of members of the forces of order, who did nothing to prevent the event.
Another fact worthy of note is the harsh criticism levelled by the former president, Mohammed Khatami, about Ahmadinejad's declarations. State media reproduced Khatami's views voiced shortly after Ahmadinejad's statements at length. He said: "These words have created hundreds of political and economic problems for us in the world." Even the pragmatic Hashemi Rafsanjani distanced himself from Ahmadinejad: during a prayer meeting held in Teheran on 28 October, he said he had no problems with the Jews and respected Judaism as "a holy religion".
Ahmadinejad's statements against Israel, upheld despite the international chorus of disapproval, coupled with today's events, would seem to confirm that they were destined first and foremost for internal use. Ahmadinejad, who comes from the Revolution Guards, seems to have been elected without having a large support base behind him, and now he is seeking to create one. "There are no less than six radical groups within the regime contending for power with antagonistic factions through proper internal feuds," Bani Sadr told a Roman daily today. Sadr was the first president of the Iranian republic and today he lives in exile in Paris. Amid this power struggle, Ahmadinejad is seeking to ride on Khomeini's icon, taking up key words which were dear to him, like those spoken against Israel on the Day of Jerusalem, an anniversary created by the father of the Islamic Republic of Iran, but which were later hushed. According to Bani Sadr: "These declarations of his are a sign of his impotence in these circles: he would not have resorted to such rhetoric if he had tangible power in hand." The return of radicalism against "western" clothing, which has led to the confiscation of thousands of female mannequins, could also be seen from this point of view.
On an international level, besides, Ahmadinejad's statements are turning out to have a positive impact on Israel. The Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister said today that the Jewish state "is cheered" by the Italian demonstration. In Tel Aviv, the Maariv daily ran a headline: "The Italians are with Israel".
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03/02/2009
