Community | January 13, 2009 | 96 comments

Iranian protesters burn Obama pictures

source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5510665.ece

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aswift1
Iranian demonstrators burned photographs of Barack Obama today as they protested against America’s inaction over Gaza.

Dozens of people gathered in Tehran waving Palestinian flags and defacing and setting fire to images of the President-elect.

Iranian demonstrators have often burned effigies or pictures of US presidents in the past but this appeared to be the first time Mr Obama’s picture had been defaced, a week before his inauguration as president.

The Iranian government has condemned the West, and the United States in particular, for not doing more to stop Israel’s attacks on Gaza. The 17-day-old offensive, which Israel says is to stop rockets being fired at it, has killed more than 900 Palestinians.
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96 comments // Iranian protesters burn Obama pictures

  • Brendan_M
    • Brendan_M  
    • This comment was removed as a violation of community guidelines.
  • timcat_blues
  • timcat_blues
  • timcat_blues
  • cerealforeal
    • 0
      cerealforeal  

    • Burn baby burn, Obama is just another Bush. You people should stop getting your hopes up, it's only going to hurt that much more when your expectations don't get met.

    • 3 years ago
  • timcat_blues
  • Ihatethemall
  • RCS
  • bluestranger
  • sleepnomore
  • nursediesel
    • 0
      nursediesel  

    • even if Obama said he was a koran carrying muslum extremist they'd still hate his and our capitalistic, democracy loving butts because we have a choice.and they don't. they would have burned hilary if she had made it. and mccain they would have enjoyed his POW pix and burned them, too, they hate the usa!

    • 3 years ago
  • KaT_Trina
  • navider
    • 0
      navider  

    • I think the right wing Iranians and the right wing Israelis have the same secret agenda. Lie to everyone and manipulate your people to keep yourself in power.

    • 3 years ago
  • MoonLoon
    • 0
      MoonLoon  

    • Oh yes, the Iranians! Another bastion of justice in the Muslim World. Little to no rights for women, poverty, and paranoia on a scale rarely seen in history. Led by men totally gone over to the dark side.

    • 3 years ago
  • 2helenahandbasket
    • 0
      2helenahandbasket  

    • Who the hell cares what the Iranians do? They have no idea how we live in America. When they have a free democracy they can have an opinion of America, and Obama.

    • 3 years ago
  • jenathemuse
  • uniform72
    • 0
      uniform72  

    • I'm sorry but the Middle East is hopeless and a waste of time. We are damned if we do and damned if we don't, and no matter what we do (or don't) they will be killing each other (and hating us) for the next 1000 years. Anyone remember Osama Bin Laden? We should concentrate every effort on stringing him up and then GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE... for good.

    • 3 years ago
  • Nader123
    • 0
      Nader123  

    • The silence being exhibited by Mr. Obama is very troubling...on the one hand he says there is only one president now, yet his economic recovery and stimulus plans are the evenings headline news, and yes I know that the economy is important and top priority but you better believe that what is happening in the middle east today will have a devastating impact on all of us...Israel, yet again is draging us with her problems, we are doomed if we continue with the status quo of our foregin policy and specifically the blind and suicidal support for the zioist state, which we have yet to comprehend its ultimate objectives...WAKE UP FOOLS!!!

    • 3 years ago
  • pedrozero
  • pedrozero
  • nursediesel
    • 0
      nursediesel  

    • just recently Obama said, 'there is only one president at a time.' it was only a matter of time before Iranians would do this. They've done this with every USA president since i can remember.

    • 3 years ago
  • mransom
  • eldiablo
  • neocongo
  • timcat_blues
  • remanns
    • 0
      remanns  

    • Its a shame there aren't any Spartans left to "discuss" world views with these "Persians",....OH wait,.....there IS that tiny lil enclave of soldier-citizens in the holy land now......hmmmmmmmm.

    • 3 years ago
  • bluestranger
  • JohnA
  • Matchlessman
    • 0
      Matchlessman  

    • These people and you haters that comment just can't wait until all the satire is about Obama. I feel sorry for him because he is almost too good to watch get bashed like this! By Americans and abroad, I know we have had a bad 8 years, but HOPE is the whole point.

      Anyone have any idea what Roosevelt did when he got ellected.... He went on vacation for 2 months! That was in the thick of the great depression. Now we have an administration that knows we are months from the worst of things and he has been working his tail off to appoint his cabinet and assure us that he is working. He is legit people, come on!

    • 3 years ago
  • JohnA
    • 0
      JohnA  
    • Matchlessman:

      Another kool-aid drinker being led by the nose by the media. The only hope I have is that I'm not bankrupt or dead in four years. Other than, I don't expect much. He's legit, LMAO, he's a fraud and a phony, caught in lies and a known plagiarizer, not that anyone seemed to care.

    • 3 years ago
  • Matchlessman
  • Matchlessman
  • Hostile
    • 0
      Hostile  
    • Matchlessman:

      He is legit? Sure, he's legitimately pro-war, pro-drug war, anti-constitution. He's legitimately going to fuck you over. "Hope"? Hope is cheap, what you should've asked for was dignity.

    • 3 years ago
  • RonenA
  • johnson40995
    • 0
      johnson40995  

    • I would like to just say that i heard from a friend who has a friend who has lived in the middle east. And he said that the majority of these protests are staged by the government. What the government does is offer money and food to the poor citizens of these countries to protest and burn flags and efigies. And you cant blame them sometimes, thats the only way they will get to eat that week.

    • 3 years ago
  • poweraktar
    • 0
      poweraktar  

    • C'mon Iranians.. you dont even know the guy. Besides its not the Americans who are attacking the Palestines. Its the Israelis. Israel might be Americas stooge but the ultimate responsibilities fall on those who does the deed

    • 3 years ago
  • Conniepae
    • 0
      Conniepae  

    • Obama groupies? Barack Obama isn't even in office yet. I can understand Iranians not understanding the balance of power, but I thought you John A. had more sense.

      Why does Obama need to be characterized asThe Messiah for one to hope we can recover from the past 8 years of Republicans "decidership". George W. didn't care to lead. Just ask him, he would tell you, "I'm the decider". I'm hoping for leadership, decidership hasn't worked out so well.

    • 3 years ago
  • JohnA
    • 0
      JohnA  
    • Conniepae:

      Your hoping for leadership, and you voted for a man who has taken a solid position on an issue in his entire life. Good work there. Voting "present" is not leadership.

    • 3 years ago
  • Conniepae
    • 0
      Conniepae  
    • Conniepae:

      Singing "Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran isn't leadership either. Being able to see Russia from your state isn't qualifications of leadership. I didn't choose Barack Obama as my first choice, but I hope he is a step in the right direction.

      I don't agree with all of his statements. I personally hope he takes the time to look backward and correct the errors of the past. At least investigate using facts, not whitewash. I think he hopes if he doesn't investigate the past, they will give him a pass. That is just plain crazy. Republicans eat their own. If Barack uses the books Republicans have written he could make the case for a special prosecutor.

    • 3 years ago
  • JohnA
    • 0
      JohnA  
    • Conniepae:

      If you wanted leadership, you should have voted for Hillary and put a proven leader like Bill Clinton in the White House. There are no facts about Obama because the media that created him did whitewash them all. We don't know anything about him thanks to the worthless media. You think you've seen whitewash, with the way the media and his worshipers dote on him, we'll never get the truth about him.

    • 3 years ago
  • JohnA
    • 0
      JohnA  

    • I thought the whole world would love us and there would be a renewed respect and warm and fuzzy feelings for America across the globe if only we elect The Great Obama, wasn't that the hype? The Messiah was going to bring peace and joy to the whole world, what happened to that, Obama groupies?

    • 3 years ago
  • cybexg
    • 0
      cybexg  

    • ah...I can't think of a time when there hasn't been Iranian demonstrators burning photographs of various Americans.

    • 3 years ago
  • bkrall4
  • xmay
  • timcat_blues
    • 0
      timcat_blues  
    • bkrall4:

      Pictures, he said, pictures. I'm a cat person. Cats are never tamed you just make a bargain with them. Dogs are too dependent, too groveling. I don't need an animal to prostrate itself to me to make me feel loved. Cats are the only "domesticated" species who can return to the wild if abandoned. Heard that on National Geographic last week.

    • 3 years ago
  • Leonidis
  • aswift1
  • Leonidis
  • aswift1
  • petarro
    • 0
      petarro  

    • Why do people post these type of things? Current.com members love Islamic Extremists and don't care for a US President. At the end, is some pig that is against the Legalization of the drugs you want so much. Right?

      The moment that Iranian people will stop burning the American flag is once a Muslim is the US President and by then, it won't be called United States of America.

    • 3 years ago
  • anikhanj
  • aswift1
  • anikhanj
    • 0
      anikhanj  
    • petarro:

      I would imagine the international consensus on politics is generally more liberal than conservative (just through empirical observation)...hence the international community's elated reaction when Obama got elected.

    • 3 years ago
  • Liberal_Extinction
    • 0
      Liberal_Extinction  
    • petarro:

      lol, WTF? The political leaning of current.com isn't even REMOTELY questionable. By and large it's a far left hack hangout & conspiracy theory trading post. Unless you're new to this site (say less than 15 minutes on it) there is no question which way it leans (more like drastic slopes).

    • 3 years ago
  • wintermadness90
    • 0
      wintermadness90  
    • petarro:

      "Current.com members love Islamic Extremists and don't care for a US President. At the end, is some pig that is against the Legalization of the drugs you want so much. Right?"

      I don't think anybody here loves Islamic extremists, people just sympathize for the innocent lives that are being lost it just happens that most of the lives being lost are Palestinian. Stop making hasty generalizations, fallacies never get a point across.

    • 3 years ago
  • anikhanj
  • navider
    • 0
      navider  

    • Librelover:

      It's Israel that blew up their water supplies in 2001 and infrastructure that made them dependant of Israel. Israel needs the Palestinians to be completely dependant of them so they can bully and oppress them.

      Israel does not want an independent Palestine. That's why every few years they systematically destroy the palestinian infrastructure and try to limit all aid.

    • 3 years ago
  • MoonLoon
  • navider
    • 0
      navider  
    • navider:

      MoonLoom since you have no sense, let me give an idea of how this game is played:

      It’s easier for Israel to blow people up and call them terrorists than to cut water off to Gaza and let the rest of the world slowly watch them die.

      This would show their true colors and make it impossible for even the us to support them.

    • 3 years ago
  • hinkgods
    • 0
      hinkgods  

    • WOW! did you people forget the debates with Obama and McCain??? Obama said clearing we need to pull out of Afghanistan and go after Palestinian Terrorists...Holy Cow we all forget???? this was planned months ago..I'm not a Arab nor a Jew but whats going on there is screwed up..I guess Bush was running around with one eye Obama most likely has no eyes just worryin about the money..remember thats what we asked for..a better economy so he will focus on that and every1 over there can get away with what they want...maybe a year later or so we will have guilt and make a national day for the suffering over there...just like what we do with every1 else...lets chant together for the big change OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA

    • 3 years ago
  • JohnA
  • Matchlessman
    • 0
      Matchlessman  
    • hinkgods:

      He NEVER said withdrawl from Afghanistan and you're a fool for thinking you are so correct. He specifically said a number of times that we need to withdrawl from IRAQ and FOCUS on Afghanistan.... Pay more attention yo!

    • 3 years ago
  • asherp
    • 0
      asherp  
    • hinkgods:

      Of course we forget. We have food in our bellies and water flowing from out tap.

      The lights go on when we hit a switch.

      We simply cannot be bothered to care about anybody else in this world.

      And no, if people were paying attention during the primary season, Dennis Kucinich, Mike Gravel, or Ralph Nader would be president.

    • 3 years ago
  • NoGodsNoMasters
  • librelover
    • 0
      librelover  

    • I need help with this. Isn't Gaza supposed to be independent of Isreal? Did Isreali troops not leave Gaza and allow them their own sovereignty before the rocket fire began? So Isreal shutting off the power and water they provided to Gaza, while closing its own borders to Gaza is wrong how? Isn't it Gaza's own responsibility to acquire those things as an independent state?

    • 3 years ago
  • navider
    • 0
      navider  
    • librelover:

      It's Israel that blew up their water supplies in 2001 and infrastructure that made them dependant of Israel. Israel needs the Palestinians to be completely dependant of them so they can bully and oppress them.

      Israel does not want an independent Palestine. That's why every few years they systematically destroy the palestinian infrastructure and try to limit all aid.

    • 3 years ago
  • OncleLogan
  • gaiusfurius
  • chuckiebean
  • clownpuncher
  • uberdeft
    • 0
      uberdeft  

    • Is disgustingly ironic that they accuse the US of inaction while Iran themselves does nothing except from the shadows and under the table. These ridiculous displays do nothing more than multiply hate and misunderstanding.

    • 3 years ago
  • Grooverider
  • uberdeft
  • Grooverider
  • navider
    • 0
      navider  

    • It seems like the propaganda wars on all fronts is working prior Obama’s inauguration.

      1) Israel: to provoke Palestinians by shutting off water, electricity, food and humanitarian relief to fire a few small missiles and to retaliate with unimaginable force. All of this mind you before Obama becomes president where they could get away with killing as many people as they want and to totally level Gaza without the intervention of the US.

      2) Iran's right wing: Condemning the west and accusing Obama of being partly responsible by not condemning the war even though he is not president yet. By doing this Iran can make Obama seem like just another US president that doesn't care about Muslims.

      3) The American media: covering this war like Isreal is the only victim and showing that the Iranians are up to their usual madness of hating America.

      Well executed on all sides………

    • 3 years ago
  • JohnA
  • clownpuncher
  • cybexg
  • Ihatethemall
  • timcat_blues
    • 0
      timcat_blues  
    • clownpuncher:

      The burning of Our President-elects image is as an icon. It's not just Obama they hate, it's America. And if you are a tax paying citizen or the offspring of a tax paying citizen they would gladly burn you instead.

    • 3 years ago
  • rightbrain
    • 0
      rightbrain  

    • This has little to do with Obama, and more to do with rightwing Iranians hating the existence of Israel.

      The whole protest is staged like a movie anyway. They might as well be paid extras.

    • 3 years ago
  • JohnA
  • Grooverider
    • 0
      Grooverider  
    • rightbrain:

      Deepa, I honestly worry for the world when I see such clueless comments. I happened to be in the Sultanate of Oman on business when the WTC attacks took place and people were openly rejoicing in the streets. The Sultanate is a comparatively westernized nation with a prosperous economy and strong ties to the west. If you think that similar celebrations celebrations weren't taking place in Palestine, who blame the U.S directly for their predicament, you need a reality check. Anti-US sentiment was strong in the near east long before the Afghanistan or Iraq wars and can be attributed to decades of inadequate foreign policy.

    • 3 years ago
  • RCS
    • 0
      RCS  
    • rightbrain:

      Grooverider, I appreciate your well-written and insightful comment. It's nice to see someone writing who has been around the world a bit and seen the reality out there in it.

    • 3 years ago
  • McGaspa
  • JohnA
  • aswift1
  • escarondito
    • 0
      escarondito  
    • aswift1:

      yes he hasn't been sworn in yet. but the iranians already know what most americans in their delusions have yet to find out. that obama will have the same policy towards the middle east as bush...

      "meet your new boss, same as your old boss"

    • 3 years ago
  • iloveravi
  • aswift1
  • bluestranger
    • 0
      bluestranger  
    • aswift1:

      It does make me fell better knowing that my vote for Obama still pissed the extremist off. Hey it pissed the extremist in our country off too. Sorry, I don't do the little smiley face thing.

    • 3 years ago
  • Hostile
    • 0
      Hostile  
    • aswift1:

      aswift1: They've already burned all their Bush pictures. Besides, Obama's already promising to ignore the conflict, so they're justified in their distaste.

    • 3 years ago
  • pirho338
    • 0
      pirho338  
    • aswift1:

      well they wanted to get some attention and they did. I'm all about America stopping it's whole world police bullshit, like most of the world, but now others are expecting us to step in? Dont know much about the situation, maybe we sided with israel. Why dont they expect the UN to step in before us? Last sentence doesnt make sense..

    • 3 years ago
  • clownpuncher
  • FallenMorgan
  • gaiusfurius
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