International reactions to Iran elections – 19 June

Washington, 19 June (WashingtonTV)

Authorities in Dubai yesterday prohibited Iranians residing there to rally in protests at the disputed results of Iran’s presidential elections, fearing violence.

"We don't want the power struggle between the two conflicting parties to be fought over here. We need to keep in mind that Ahmadinejad's supporters want to show their support too, which increases the possibility of a clash between the two protesting groups," Lieutenant-General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Chief of Dubai Police told Gulf News.

"The Iranian ambassador here asked us to break the protest, even if by force, but we refused. We said that we will always deal with such matters in a civilized manner," he added.

Supporters of opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi staged protests in front of the Iranian consulate in Dubai for four consecutive days following the election last Friday, 12 June, but were dispersed peacefully yesterday.

About 100,000 Iranian citizens live in the UAE, according to UAE government figures. The Iranian consulate in Dubai puts that number at 500,000.

Iranians in the heartland of the United States gathered outside of an Oklahoma mosque yesterday to protest against post-election violence in Iran this week.

One protester, Arash Jamsedy, held a sign in Persian that read: “Day and night, I pray for the day when my country is free,” The Oklahoman newspaper website reported.

"Change comes with facing the change. You have to face the problem, and the problem right now is, in my opinion, that whole regime. ... You want something in your life, you’ve got to go get it. Nobody’s going to hand it to you. You have to go and make sure you fight for it, and this right here is definitely worth fighting for,” Jamsedy said.

Iranian expatriates in Michigan protesting against Iran’s election results yesterday disagreed about the role that US President Barack Obama’s administration should play with regards to the crisis in Iran.

Soroor Soltani, a 25-year old Iranian doctoral student at Michigan State University, told the local Lansing State Journal newspaper that Obama should not be seen interfering in Iranian affairs, and is quoted as saying by the paper: “I don’t think he has to do anything more.”

But Matthew Sanders, an Iranian American and professor at Kettering University, disagreed, saying: "Obama should support the people. Iranians love American people. We need your support."

The Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said yesterday that irrespective of who emerges as the next president of Iran, Israel is seeking a change in Iran’s policy.

In response to a question by Israel’s Channel 10 television asking which candidate Israel would prefer, Lieberman replied: "What is preferable for Israel is for there to be a change in Iranian policy."

He added: "Iran is much more dangerous" than North Korea.

Although opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi has been billed as a “moderate”, Israel points out that Iran’s nuclear program was began under his leadership as prime minister in the 1980s.

Sources: Gulf News, The Oklahoman, Lansing State Journal, Reuters

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