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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| The disappearing and reappearing “Death to America!” graffiti |
| 2015-09-20 |
| In recent weeks, fresh “Death to America” graffiti has appeared on the walls of some Tehran streets. In order to show that the graffiti is not old, the artists have added the year to the bottom of their work: 2015, or 1394, the Iranian calendar year. A few days ago, the appearance of such graffiti on a brick wall of the former American embassy in Tehran — and its subsequent removal — hit the headlines, with several news sites publishing photographs. Certain media interpreted this event as a change in Iran’s attitude towards the United States. But the clean walls lasted no more than a few days; new “Death to America!” graffiti appeared at the same place and a second slogan was added a little further down the wall. Immediately after the news was published, the Student’s Mobilization Organization, which has its headquarters in the former US embassy, published a statement denying the reports. “This morning the media published reports about wiping out the ‘Death to America!’ slogans from the walls of the Spy Nest,” it said. It went on to accuse those who want to normalize relations with the US of fabricating news and promised that the slogan “will always decorate these walls.” Arguments over the “Death to America!” slogans and whether they should stay or be removed have been going on Iran for many years. Sadegh Zibakalam, an outspoken professor of political sciences at the University of Tehran known for taunting hardliners — or even President Rouhani for the promises he has not kept — has advocated the removal of the slogan from the walls of Tehran for quite a long time. While the optimism for solving the problems between the two countries has grown in Iran, not everyone is happy about it. The new spray-painted graffiti can only be seen as a reaction by those who want to prove to themselves and others that the improvement in relations is not going to happen. So the story of disappearing and reappearing “Death to America!” graffiti is bound to continue for some time. |
| Posted by:Pappy |
| #1 Shhhsh, I thought this was about Berkley. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2015-09-20 09:14 |