Let Me Be Your Firecracker
As Michele says there's a lot of "missing news" right now. And as I mentioned just 2 hours ago (and a bunch of other times recently) a lot a crap is going down in both Syria and Iran.
I may have spoke to soon earlier when I said CNN didn't have anything on what's going on in Iran right now. Found in the comments of Roger's post was this CNN story.
Iranians celebrate fire festivalTEHRAN, Iran (Reuters) -- Iranians danced in the street, threw firecrackers and jumped over bonfires Tuesday night as authorities openly tolerated an ancient fire festival for the first time in 25 years.
Halted each year since the 1979 Islamic revolution because hardliners considered it un-Islamic, the Chaharshanbeh Suri, or Red Wednesday, festival was officially recognized in Tehran where the city council set aside dozens of parks for people to enjoy the boisterous celebrations.
Tens of thousands packed the streets of the capital hurling firecrackers into the air to mark the eve of the last Wednesday of the Iranian calendar year.
The festival dates back centuries to pre-Islamic times and is thought to be derived from Zoroastrian traditions which accord special properties to fire.
The Iranian New Year, which falls on March 20 this year, coincides with the spring equinox. Unlike previous years, when riot police blocked off streets and hardline Islamic vigilantes beat and arrested many trying to enjoy the festivities, security forces were virtually absent.
Old and young reveled in the new-found freedom.
Since this story came from Reuters maybe I shouldn't hold it against CNN but come on. This is absolutely ridiculous. There's a twisted irony after reading about a weeks worth of riots by pro-democracy students who are getting their clocks cleaned by the mullahs' thugs as fires rage in towns across the country only to be confronted with stories about firecrackers and a previously mullah-banned Iranian New Year's celebration as "Old and young reveled in the new-found freedom." Ack!
Maybe this is a sign of the mullahs losing their grip but if the Reuter/CNN reporter can tell me this crap, he/she should let me know that Iran ain't one big Grucci Brothers gig.
Well, everybody wants to go on foreverI just wanna burn up hard and bright
I just wanna be your firecracker
And maybe be your baby tonight
Maybe be your baby tonight
New found freedom? What was that reporter smoking?
Posted by: michele | Tuesday, March 16, 2004 at 10:11 PM
Good question.
Wow, '#5' checks out F?WF?
Posted by: Rob A. | Tuesday, March 16, 2004 at 10:12 PM