Exiled Prince Commends Dissident Football Legends Amid Continued Protests

Massoud Pezeshkian, a member of the Iranian Parliament from Tabriz told Didban Iran website that "a large number of people are protesting to the problems in the Iranian society." He added, "These are real problems and that government had better listen to the people's grievances and attend to their demands." Meanwhile he called on the Iranian government to treat the nation compassionately.

He added that the difficulties Iranians are currently facing stem from the government, the Judiciary and the behavior of Iranian clerics. Pezeshkian said, "some 98 percent of Iranians voted for the Islamic Republic in 1979. What have we done in the meantime that so many people have turned away from it?"

In another development of Tuesday, which showed Iran's top officials are still in denial of the country's problems, Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi claimed that everything is in good shape and the country has had eye-catching progress, angering the enemies who instigated the protests in Iran.

Not only the president denied the country is facing a multi-faceted crisis, he also vowed not to have any mercy on protesters and those who stand against the government.

Meanwhile, in an interview with ISNA, which was also carried by several other media outlets in Iran, centrist politician Hossein Marashi said that an association of top clerics who have called for the execution of protesters and amputation of their fingers and toes should apologize to the nation.

Marashi, who is the deputy chief of Iran's Reform Front, hoped that the Association of Seminary Teachers would deny the contents of the statement that called for violent treatment of protesters and prisoners. He said the statement came as a surprise, adding that if this approach continues, it will lead to a form of Talebanism in Iran. Marashi reiterated that statements like this are an insult to Islam.

Referring to previous calls by some officials about holding dialogue with reform-minded individuals, Marashi said that "there is no reason to continue the dialogue under the current circumstances although we generally support the idea of dialogue."

Meanwhile, referring to the statements made by several Friday prayers imams who have accused government's critics of apostasy, Marashi called on the imams to apologize to the nation and pay attention to what the critics say in order to find out a way out of the country's crisis.

In another development, in an article on Etemad Online website, reformist commentator Abbas Abdi warned that a full-fledged economic crisis is going to hit Iranians soon.

Abdi referred to a forecast by the Raisi administration at the beginning of its term in the summer of 2021 about economic growth by 2027. The forecast said that if US sanctions remain in force at the end of the period economic growth will be just 1.7 percent, inflation rate will reach 54 percent and the Iranian rial will fall by 50 percent.

All these have already happened, and it is just 2022.

The forecast, which was generally ignored and was forgotten by even some experts. At the time, the authors of the forecast were accused of portraying a bleak image to force the government to accept to return to the JCPOA, Abdi said.

Abdi noted that the situation is even worse as the government has currently forgotten about its promises to create millions of jobs and build millions of homes. He added that in the best-case scenario, even if Iran returns to the JCPOA, although the situation will look slightly better, overall the future Iranian economy does not look good.

Iranian state media reported Monday that Khademalsharieh had competed at the World Rapid Chess Championships without wearing the hijab which under Iran’s Islamic dress codes is compulsory.

The twenty-five-year-old International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM) since 2013 is yet to comment on her move. Khademalsharieh, 25, ranks 804 in the world, according to the International Chess Federation (FIDE) website.

Khademalsharieh is the latest of several Iranian female athletes such as sport climber Elnaz Rekabi to appear at competitions unveiled since the nationwide uprising sparked by the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa (Jina) Amini who was arrested by morality police for what authorities deemed as “improper hijab”.

The protests mark one of the boldest challenges to Iran's leadership since its 1979 revolution and have drawn in Iranians from all walks of life. Women have played a prominent role in the uprising. Many among them have removed their headscarves, and in some cases burned them, and inspired both men and women to be brave.

Iran's female chess players have been defying hijab rules for several years. Dorsa Derakhshani, International Master and Woman Grandmaster since 2016, was barred from the national team after refusing to wear a headscarf in 2017 Gibraltar Chess Festival when she was a temporary resident of Spain. The 19-year-old chess player then moved to the United States where she attended Saint Louis University to officially represent the United States.

In 2020, Iran Chess Federation expelled veteran chess player Mitra Hejazipour, also a Woman Grandmaster since 2015, for removing her hijab during the World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship in Moscow in 2019. The 27-year-old Iranian athlete was sacked after superbly playing for her home country for eighteen years. She is playing for France now.

Female athletes defy the hijab rules receive great support and even called heroes by people but endure much pressure from the authorities.

Rekabi was greeted by a cheering crowd when she returned home from the competitions in October. Shortly after her arrival at the airport, the state media published a video interview of her at the arrival hall in which, seemingly under pressure and threat, she had to call her hijab had “inadvertent” dropped. At the time of the interview, she looked distressed and was surrounded by officials and plainclothes security agents.

Niloufar Madani, a member of the national Iranian speed skating team stepped on a podium in Turkey on November 6 to receive the top award while not wearing a headscarf.

She was arrested by the Islamic Republic’s agents after returning to Iran and later a statement attributed to her was published in which she said she appeared unveiled in public by mistake. Most Iranians believe that such statements are made under the pressure of regime agents.

In November, Parmida Qasemi, a member of Iran’s archery national team, also removed her hijab during the awards ceremony of Persian Gulf Cup in Tehran before the unbelieving eyes of Iranian sport officials. However, she also claimed she had not noticed her hijab drop during the ceremony.

Iran’s deputy sports minister, Maryam Kazemipour, in November accused female athletes of acting “against Islamic norms” and said she regretted that they had chosen to show defiance.

Before drowning himself in the Rhone River in Lyon, Moradi, 38, posted a video on social media in which with the river in the background he said his suicide was not prompted by personal issues. He had taken the decision to take his own life in protest because life meant nothing to him when the clerical regime continued to suppress his people.

Divers pulled out his body around 6:30 pm from the river but he could not be resuscitated despite emergency services’ many efforts.

The video in which he also said farewell to the people of Lyon where he used to live with his wife has shocked many.

“Now in my country there is a very big movement against government violence. We have an Islamic regime that tries to drill things into people’s heads. The police attack people very violently during the demonstrations. Sadly, we have lost many young daughters, sons, teenagers and even kids. We have to do something,” he said in his message.

“It’s like a challenge to show that the Iranians are so tired of this situation. We want to change our country to a democratic country with equal rights for women and men.”

“When you watch this video, I will be dead. But I am happy because I chose this path without any stress. I’m not sad. I decided to do this to show everyone that we Iranians need help,” concluded the tragic video.

“We will show no mercy to the hostile opponents,” President Ebrahim Raisi said in a speech to members of the Revolutionary Guards Basij militia and supporters of the regime in Tehran Tuesday,

Raisi also accused the exiled Mujahedeen-e Khalq Organization (MEK), which he referred to as hypocrites, as well as monarchists and “all anti-revolutionary currents” of being behind the current protests which began in mid-September following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.

The regime has already shown an iron feast in dealing with peaceful protesters two among whom it has executed while dozens of others face a risk of being hanged after unfair trials without due process.

Security forces have cracked down heavily on protesters, killed over 500 hundred and arrested over 18,000 so far.

Raisi once again claimed that the protesting youths have been“deceived” by those who are hostile to the Islamic Republic. “The nation’s arms are open to embrace all those who were lured [to protest],” he said while reiterating that the people on the streets are rioters. “The recent riots were [similar to] the Battle of Trench [fought by the Prophet Muhammad against his foe Abu Sufyan] with everyone joining in [with the enemy].”

Raisi stated that the Islamic Republic will not back down from its position as it is determined only to “move forward” under the leadership of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Within the past couple of months Iranians have been calling for the downfall of the Islamic regime, blaming the Supreme Leader as the main culprit behind the killing of hundreds of innocent demonstrators.

Alicia Kearns, chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said Monday that the Iranian regime had shown it would “happily” arrest people as it seeks to blame foreign countries for escalating anti-government protests.

In a statement on Monday, the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said that it had arrested seven people with “direct links” to Britain in the central Kerman province including some dual nationals. The IRGC also alleged that the network, which called itself ‘Zagros’, acted under the direct guidance of elements in Britain to organize and carry out “subversive conspiracies” during the ongoing protests.

Iranian state media claim that the seven people who were apprehended were arrested while trying to escape the country.

“If I was a British foreign national in Iran, I would absolutely be leaving, because there is evidence that they will use them in any game of chess they can and they will face brutal repression. I would encourage anyone who is Western to try to leave Iran as safely as they can,” added Kearns.

Iran’s foreign ministry has alleged the arrests of citizens linked to Britain proved that London has played a “destructive role” in recent protests in Iran.

The British foreign ministry said it was seeking further information from Iranian officials on reports that British-Iranian dual nationals had been detained.

Following Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s lead, Iranian officials claim that the ongoing antigovernment protests across Iran – ignited by death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini -- are instigated by foreign enemies.