- Title: IRAN: Rally to oppose presence of Saudi troops in Bahrain
- Date: 20th April 2011
- Summary: TEHRAN, IRAN (APRIL 20, 2011) (REUTERS - NO ACCESS BBC PERSIAN TV/ VOA PERSIAN NEWS NETWORK (RESTRICTION IMPOSED LOCALLY BY IRANIAN AUTHORITIES) VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING ALONG STREET/CHANTING: (Farsi) "Death to Israel/Death to England" EXTERIOR OF SAUDI EMBASSY RIOT POLICE STANDING GUARD OUTSIDE SAUDI EMBASSY PROTESTERS HOLDING FLAGS AND CHANTING/HOLDING BANNER READING: (Farsi) "They brought the Muslims and Shi'ites of Bahrain to the ground and spilt their blood" (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) CLERICAL STUDENT ALI MOHAMMADI, SAYING: "In the same way that the Jews believed that in World War two, a Holocaust happened, now a Holocaust is happening in Bahrain. Why is the international community keeping silent? Why is the international community not complaining?" CLERICAL STUDENT ALI MOHAMMADI HOLDING UP COPY OF THE KORAN RALLY IN PROGRESS/CLERIC HOLDING POSTER/READING: (English) "Stop killing Human Rights in Bahrain" PROTESTER WAVING FLAG OF BAHRAIN IN AIR (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) UNNAMED IRANIAN CLERIC, SAYING: "Very soon what is supposed to happen, will happen; Saudi Arabia, America and Israel and all the Wahhabi (Muslims), and oppressors will be destroyed." RIOT POLICE LOOKING ON RALLY IN PROGRESS A PIECE OF PAPER BEING HELD UP BY PROTESTER WHICH READS: (English) "Saudi: Stop racial religion discrimination in Bahrain" CLERIC HOLDING PIECE OF PAPER WHICH READS: (English) "U.S.A = Boss of Dictator Khalifs"
- Embargoed: 5th May 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Iran, Islamic Republic of
- Country: Iran, Islamic Republic of
- Reuters ID: LVA6A0EL6FL7B3ZXOHLXMV7KI1LI
- Story Text: Hundreds of Iranian clerics flocked to the Saudi embassy in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Wednesday (April 20) to protest against the presence of Saudi troops in Bahrain.
The two-hundred strong crowd chanted "death to Saudi" and "death to America" slogans, while carrying posters that read: "Stop killing human rights in Bahrain."
Waving the flag of Bahrain in the air, the protesters urged the international community to step in.
"In the same way that the Jews believed that in World War Two, a Holocaust happened, now a Holocaust is happening in Bahrain. Why is the international community keeping silent? Why is the international community not complaining?" said a religious scholar of Islam, Ali Mohammadi.
An unnamed cleric said: "Very soon what is supposed to happen, will happen; Saudi Arabia, America and Israel and all the Wahhabi (Sunni Muslims), and oppressors will be destroyed."
Iran's population is mainly Shi'ite, while most Saudi Arabians follow the austere Wahhabi version of Sunni Islam.
Tension between Saudi Arabia and other Sunni-led Gulf Arab states and Shi'ite Iran intensified after Bahrain's Shi'ite majority began street protests in February against the Sunni-led Khalifa dynasty which rules the country.
In March Saudi Arabia sent about 1,000 soldiers to Bahrain to protect government facilities at the request of Bahrain's rulers, who have quelled the anti-government protests. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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