Tempers flare against Islamic Republic in Bam, Iran

Iranmania ^ | 12/27/03 | Iranmania

[freedom44]

BAM, Iran, Dec 27 (AFP) - The man stares blankly at what was once his home and hardly flinches as his cigarette stub burns into his fingertips. As the extent of his personal tradegy sinks in, Mahmoud Galandari feels anger welling up inside.

Anger at a government he says has been too slow to mobilise. And anger that a bulldozer, and not the delicate hands of rescue teams, is searching for his 17 relatives buried beneath a pile of broken bricks, cracked concrete and twisted metal.

"I live in Shiraz. After hearing about the earthquake, I got on a bus and within hours I was here," recounted the 47-year-old as he stared at the collapsed home and coughed at another puff of diesel smoke mixed with the stench of death.

Under the rubble, he says, are the remains of his brothers, sisters, their spouses and children. Seventeen people in all, mercifully probably fast asleep when the quake struck Bam early on Friday.

"They're all dead," he muttered, as another body was hauled from under the rubble, wrapped in a blanket and neatly laid out on the street by Iranian Red Crescent workers who appear happy to let the bulldozer do the digging.

"And if they're not dead, they will be when that machine gets to them."

It may be an all too common complaint from disaster victims the world over that their respective governments react too slowly, but Galandari and the other desperate souls scouring this particular backstreet of Bam feel they have good reason to complain.

"We asked for help to clear the rubble. And all they did was send a bulldozer," he said, clearly seeing the use of such heavy digging equipment as a sign that there was no real effort to find survivors.

That slim hope of a miracle, in effect, was being denied by officials whose primary concern appears to be the aversion of a public health disaster associated with rotting corpses.

In Bam, the grim priority now appears to be finding dead bodies, loading them into pick-up trucks and driving them out of town for quick burial.

But the Iranian government's refusal to publicly acknowledge any need for foreign search teams has also fueled anger in a region that is one of Iran's poorest.

The leagues of volunteers also appear to be lacking in organisation. After all, organising the work of various government ministries, the army, air force, Revolutionary Guards and Basij volunteer militia is no simple task, even if the Islamic republic has been working on it for near-on 25 years.

That was highlighted earlier Saturday, when Iranian Health Minister Massoud Pezeshkian called on international donors not to send volunteer workers, but send drugs and equipment.

"We don't really need them (foreign volunteers). We have a lot of volunteers coming in from all over Iran, in fact so many that we are having difficulties coordinating," Pezeshkian said.

Hassan Salehi, a 32-year-old computer engineer who sped down from Tehran in his beat-up old car, wondered what was holding the aid effort up.

"The Red Crescent are slow. Even I beat them in getting here," he complained, saying relief teams only began to appear on the streets around where his parents and sister lived hours after he completed his 15-hour drive from the capital to the other end of the country.

"I've lost my family. It would be too simple to blame the government, but I am certainly not going to thank them for anything."

Homayoun Majd, a local labourer, chips into the increasingly heated conversation: "The government gives aid to Afghanistan and Iraq, and they can't even help their own people."

Furious nods of agreement all round, and tempers rise as the Red Crescent and their bulldozer declare the find of yet another "martyr".

But the tears and screams of a nearby young girl staring at muddied remains of what could be her father brings with it some calm to the crowd of angry, powerless onlookers.

[freedom44]

ping

[txhurl]

This is so awful...

[farmfriend]

sad bump

[vladog]

Allah's will, peace be upon his name. (End sarcasm)

[prairiebreeze]

There may well be much larger (and more sinister) reasons that the mullahs don't want international search teams and request only medical supplies and equipment.

That said, it's a horrific tragedy for these poor Iranian people.

Prairie

[meanie monster]

This is so sad. May God bless the freedom seekers in Iran. I feel this event will strengthen their resolve for their freedom from their evil government.

[RaceBannon]

Many of these people are Zoroastrian, not Muslim.

[freedom44]

You're right. Many people would come to visit the Zoroastrian Temples when Iran was an actual 'country' before 1979.

[Sparta]

Sad news.

What's even sicker is the fact that earlier in the day Iran told Israel that will not even accept any help they offer.

I hope this earthquake helps seals the lid on the ayatollahs' coffin.

[11B3]

The mullahs will have their day of reckoning. Soon. Very soon.

[freedumb2003]

Where the h*ll are the neighbors?

In every major quake, those alive have pulled together to put together "bucket brigades" to go through fallen buildings, etc. Witness Kobe, Northridge, even Los Robles.

What is wrong with these people? Why is this guy sitting grumling? If it was my familiy I'd be digging with my fingers!

[rageaholic]

Despite all the rhetoric, people everywhere ain't "just like us".

[Siamese Princess]

There may well be much larger (and more sinister) reasons that the mullahs don't want international search teams and request only medical supplies and equipment.

What do you mean?

[prairiebreeze]

International search teams might uncover evidence of persons that America would very much like to find. Said to quite possibly be hiding out in Iran. Just a thought.

Prairie

[SaucyCranberry]

This is so sad. May God bless the freedom seekers in Iran. I feel this event will strengthen their resolve for their freedom from their evil government.

Heartfelt Amen.

[freedom44]

It just shows that the Israelis are humane, rationale, and dignified, while the Mullahs in Iran once again prove themselves as irrational stoneage barbarians.

[stboz]

With all the comments/guesses of Yo-mama's whereabouts and rumors of him being in Iran....you don't suppose....well, it's a thought, anyway. (I hope he's rotting away under a pile of pig poop.)

May God's Mercy be on the rest of the innocents.

[Jorge]

International search teams might uncover evidence of persons that America would very much like to find. Said to quite possibly be hiding out in Iran. Just a thought.

You're just trying to cheer us up. Aren't you.

[tet68]

request only medical supplies and equipment.

They can be sold on the black market, that is what that request means, $$$ in some mullah's pocket.

Sad for the people of Bam, the Israelis have very good search teams, but they aren't really people don't ya know,
apes and monkeys, beneath Islam. Spit.

[Delta 21]

....sounds like a good place to start a revolution....

[Quix]

Obviously arrogant leadership sees it's continuance as the highest priority.

Life must be cheap there.

Idiots.

[freedom44]

Moshe Katsav, Iranian-Israeli--President of Israel


Shaul Mofaz, Iranian-Israeli-- Israeli Defense Minister

Iran's greatest minds left.. the Iranian Jews lived extremely well under the Shah, now some of Iran's greatest minds are in other countries. Bravo to both Katsav, and Mofaz for recently sending messages in Parsi to their Homeland.

[GOPJ]

The Iranian people have suffered enough. Sad bump.

[GOPJ]

The Iranian people have suffered enough. Sad bump.

[SedVictaCatoni]

Where the h*ll are the neighbors?

Dead, probably. Tens of thousands of dead means whole neighborhoods entombed together.

[Consort]

Red Crescent
Society

[ibtheman]

No they are just muslim! That is there teaching, there nature, to be cruel, cold, and harsh to there own people! Thank Islam for this!!!!

[dk/coro]

Ludicrous !! This tripe is not worthy of space on this page.
Get a life !

[freedom44]

Osama Bid laden, makes you look good right about now..

What a disgrace you are.

[elli1]

Where the h*ll are the neighbors?

The earthquake struck in the middle of the night. Most people were sleeping. 70% of the city was leveled. The neighbors are most probably underneath the pile of rubble next door. And if they're not dead, they're probably trying to dig out their family.

[F14 Pilot]

Good Message~!

[McGavin999]

There is no excuse for this. It's not like this was the first earthquake to hit Iran. The regime should have had effective teams ready to begin within hours. The Red Crecent should have been there immediately setting up information centers and field medical facilities.

The people of Iran are right to be outraged. How many corpses are they digging out who might have still been unearthed alive had an effective emergency response team been allowed in to help.

15 hours? The US Disaster team was ready to go and would have been there in approximately 12 hours all the way from the US.

[Siamese Princess]

They can be sold on the black market, that is what that request means, $$$ in some mullah's pocket.

That's what I was thinking. Horrible.

[junk3555]

The Iranians may be as freedom loving people as any other people in the planet but the odds are stacked against them. The Supreme Leader as final say over anything that happens in Iran. In addition to have the power to decide what goes on in Iran, he has a dedicated cadre of people willing to do anything legal or illegal to support him ( revolutionary guards) and access to almost illimited funds (diverted oil proceeds). There is no rallying figure opposing the system that i know of. Regrettably, a long time of oppression is ahead of the Iranians with little hope of changing the system.