Iran football team face mass protest

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,1794953,00.html

Iran's Football team will be met with a series of protests across Germany during their World Cup campaign as anger mounts against the country's viciously anti-semitic President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Senior politicians, Jewish groups and a prominent German TV host will join a demonstration today in Nuremberg hours before Iran play their opening match of the tournament against Mexico in the city. They are furious that Ahmadinejad's deputy, Mohammad Aliabadi, has been allowed into the country after the Iranian President called the Holocaust 'a fairytale' and called for the destruction of Israel.

'Aliabadi has not distanced himself in any way from the statements that his President has made,' said Sacha Stawski of pro-Israel group Honestly Concerned, who are helping to organise today's rally. 'It's highly unlikely he thinks any differently. Until he distances himself from the regime we will protest against him.' Aliabadi went to Friday's opening ceremony and first game in Munich and is due to watch his countrymen in their opening fixture in Group D in Nuremberg at 5pm.

A cross-party group of German politicians is due to speak at the protest, including Gunter Beckstein, Bavaria's right-wing Interior Minister, and Claudia Roth, the co-leader of Germany's Green Party. The country's most famous Jewish TV personality, Michel Friedman, will also attend. He has threatened to take legal action against Ahmadinejad if he comes to Germany, where Holocaust denial is a criminal offence.

The fact that his comments were not interpreted correctly is one thing, but to cowardly protest athletes for something they had nothing to do with is another.

If these protestors had any balls, they would receive visas to Iran and protest directly to the president.

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are psychopaths and terrorists. Leave the soccer team alone.

South African groups of many kinds, including sports teams, were denied participation in international events during Apartheid days.

aliabadi being there in representation of Ahmandinejad... I don't think they are protesting the players. They are not the one's being protested.

against our leader ~ huuum.

Pathetic to see the tunnel vision and the racism from a German Jew, Michel Friedman, who apparently fails to see the irony of attacking the Iranian team who have as much to do with Ahmadinejad's anti-Semitism as American athletes have to do with Bush's Judeo-Christian crusades in the Middle East.

Thankfully, most of the world no longer listens to America or to Europe, and their double standards when it comes to human rights.

Let me enjoy the World's Cup and the hell with the rest of these whiners! I was happy that Mexico beat Iran 3-1 because I want Mexico to win, not because some idiot on TV told me to hate Iran.

I am done with hating just because I am told to hate!

With a strong Portuguese team also in the group I suspect it will not be long before the Iranians are returning home so the 'window' for protests is not going to be open for very long.

by giving flowers to the Mexican goalie who is mourning the death of his father. Both teams conducted themselves professionally throughout the match. It was fun to watch.

I couldn't stand the Freeper anti-Iran commentary by one of the ABC presenters. Being bi-lingual comes in handy at times like this.