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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Late Fiat Loner Becomes 'Islamic Martyr' |
| 2005-11-15 |
| Tehran, 15 Nov. (AKI) - A demonstration in front of the Italian embassy in Tehran, more than 100 university events marking the anniversary of his death and a 'documentary' about his life to be aired on Iranian state television. The subject of such obsessive interest in Iran is the late Edoardo Agnelli, heir to Italy's most famous industrial family, the Agnellis, who own the FIAT motoring empire. Under an Iranian urban myth, recently resuscitated and embellished, Edoardo Agnelli's suicide five years ago was 'a Zionist plot' to rob him of his inheritance because he had 'converted to Islam'. State television is broadcasting a 'documentary' which accredits the thesis of a "Zionist plot" to get their hands on FIAT wealth by killing Edoardo Agnelli. The programme is also being shown on the Sahar satellite channel, translated into Russian, English, Arabic, Urdu and Azeri. For the record, Edoardo, 46, parked his car on a high bridge near Turin on 15 November 2000 and threw himself to his death. A sensitive and reclusive figure, with a keen interest in religion and some past problems with drug use and depression, Edoardo - only son of patriarch Giovanni Agnelli - had long been excluded from any business role in FIAT. The attempt to make the late Agnelli a Muslim martyr and portray him as persecuted by Jewish business interests is also part of a wider campaign to discredit Italy - one of Iran's biggest trading partners - in a moment of tension betwen Iran and the international community over its nuclear ambitions. Rome and Tehran have been at loggerheads since Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's comments last month that Israel should be "wiped off the map". The Italian government immediately summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest against the remarks, while the Tehran did likewise once news broke of a pro-Israel rally organised by a Italian daily newspaper outside the Iranian embassy in Rome. The main orator at a demonstration outside the Italian embassy on Tuesday was Hassan Ghadiri Abianeh, an architect who studied in Florence and served briefly at the Iranian embassy in Rome just after the Islamic Revolution. Ghadiri is the author of the urban myth which portrays Edoardo Agnelli as a fervent Shiite who had chosen the name Mahdi, like the 12th imam whose reappearance is awaited by all Shiites. Ghadiri is also the author of the 'Zionist plot' theory, and argues that Edoardo, whom he claims was a "friend" confided to him shortly before his death "that he had learnt about a plot to eliminate him and pass it off as suicide with the aim of opening the path for the takeover by Zionists of the management of FIAT". Iran's foreign ministry has in the past tried to contain Ghadiri Abianeh wild proclamations, but with the victory of hardline elements from the Revolutionary Guard in recent elections and the coming to power of Ahmadinejad, this 'urban myth' has become a key instrument of pressure by Iran on Italy. The al-Zahra university in Tehran has decided to 'honour' Edoardo Agnelli dedicating the Aula Magna to him. Radical student associations say they will make a formal application to the court in Turin, the northern city where FIAT has its headquarters, for the inquiry into his death be opened. The news agencies close to the government, such as Fars and Mehr, have given unprecedented coverage to any form of protest against the Rome government. Iranian press coverage of a candlelit rally in Rome Thursday - to show solidarity with Israel after the Iranian president's recent statements that it should be 'wiped off the map' - has focused on the decisions by two government ministers not to attend the event. The demonstration was organised by the small Rome-based daily, Il Foglio, close to prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, but drew support from across the political spectrum, and from Italy's Jewish community. One Italian Muslim group also rallied for Israel's 'right to exist". |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #1 FIAT = |
| Posted by: Zenster 2005-11-15 17:16 |