Man sets self ablaze in Iranian opposition rally

Msnbc ^ | 06/17/2003 | Reuters

[thierrya]

Man sets self ablaze in Iranian opposition rally

LONDON, June 17 — A man set himself alight outside the French consulate in London on Tuesday, as protesters voiced anger over the arrest in France of an Iranian opposition leader.        The protest came after hundreds of French police stormed homes and offices of the Iranian opposition People's Mujahideen early on Tuesday morning, detaining 167 sympathisers.        Iran's clerical rulers are facing some of the most fervent protests on the streets of Tehran since the 1979 Islamic revolution.        In London, demonstrators moved on the French embassy early in the day. ''It was a peaceful demonstration until one man tried to put himself on fire,'' embassy employee Stephane Gompertz told Reuters.        ''Security guards and diplomatic police moved quickly to put a blanket on him,'' he added. London police said the 38-year-old's injuries were critical but not life-threatening.        ''Other demonstrators were treated for slight burns and one police officer was treated for smoke inhalation,'' said a spokesman. He estimated the demonstrators numbered only 50, while an eyewitness put the number at 300.        Among those seized by French police in Tuesday's raids was Maryam Rajavi, wife of Mujahideen founder Massoud Rajavi and head of the exile umbrella group National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).        ''This is a dirty deal between France and Iran,'' said London protester Laila Jazayeri, 40. ''Our leaders have been arrested. We cannot tolerate this any more.''        She said police had prevented a woman from setting fire to herself earlier in the day.        The NCRI, a coalition of moderate and left-wing opponents of Islamic rule in Iran, has offices in Washington and many European countries, and presents itself as a potential replacement for Islamic rule.        The European Union put the the Mujahideen, the NCRI's military arm, on its list of banned ''terrorist'' organisations in May 2002 but did not include the NCRI.

[DannyTN]

Do you get any virgins for that?

[Flyer]

after hundreds of French police stormed homes and offices of the Iranian opposition

I'm curious as to why they raided these places. France again puts itself on the wrong side. Oh well, they don't have much left to lose.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Nothing symbolic about it.

[Starstruck]

French fries?

[AdmSmith]

The NCRI, a coalition of moderate and left-wing opponents of Islamic rule in Iran, has offices in Washington and many European countries, and presents itself as a potential replacement for Islamic rule.

This group is islamist AND marxist, with connections to KGB and Saddam. It is also known as MUJAHEDIN-E KHALQ ORGANIZATION, MEK, MKO, National Council of Resistance (NCR), People’s Mujahedin Organization or Iran (PMOI), Mujahedin-e Khalq, Organization of the People’s Holy Warriors of Iran, Sazeman-E Mujahedin-e Khalq-E Iran, or the National Liberation Army of Iran (NLA)

[dixiechick2000]

"She said police had prevented a woman from setting fire to herself earlier in the day."

Bummer...

[X-FID]

Do you get any virgins for that?

Of course, you get the 'hottest babes'

[DannyTN]

Kind of makes you wonder when they said "Blackeyed beauty" if they didn't mean "Blackened beauty" instead.

[sistergoldenhair]

I'm curious as to why they raided these places

The raids were by anti-terrorism squads.
The People's Mujahideen is considered a terrorist organization.

[4mycountry]

I think this deserves a HMBAWT ping.

[mhking]

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.

[jocon307]

"Nothing is worth symbolic self-immolation"

Well, I hope you're serious, and if you are I agree. I think these are always unfortunate people who are very mentally ill. I really was disturbed by the buddist monks who did this to protest the vietnam war. I was only a kid, but it seemed to me they were violating some of the most crucial tenenants of their religion, and that commiting suicide for peace was pretty much like, oh well, you know the rest of that old saying.

I remember there was some young woman who burned herself up in Philadelphia a couple few years ago. I read about it after it happened. She too was supposedly doing this to advance "good". What good, I can't remember. But it seemed pretty clear to me from the article that she was a very troubled person, who in the end, just self-destructed, and didn't do any good for anybody.

[AdmSmith]

I guess you could say he's "fired".

We better stop this Flame War.

[mware]

France backing the wrong horse again.

[Frank_Discussion]

You've hit on my feelings as well.

Regarding setting yourself ablaze in protest: Go down fighting instead, you'll make a better impression on your oppressors. If you burn yourself alive, they'll make the proper assumption that you don't think you can effectively resist.

As a religious issue, the people in charge againt whom you burn, they aren't there for actual piety, but rather for much more earthly reasons. (Witness the Mullahs stockpiling cash for a quick getaway right now.)

They're liable to view your horrible death more pragmatically than you will: "Ah! One less stupid bastard to fight!"

[TigerTale]

Maybe he just couldn't take living in France anymore...

[TigerTale]

Oh, sorry...I see this was in London.

[dead]

Does this shirt make me look hot?

[Frank_Discussion]

OH Man...

[reagan_fanatic]

LOL! I guess that's a 'Hunk-a-Hunk a Burnin' Love'

(Sorry, Elvis..)