Iran: Syrians Protest “Neither Iran Nor Hezbollah!”

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

Several Iranian bloggers reacted to a slogan of Syrian protesters during Wednesday's march where people chanted “Neither Iran, nor Hezbollah!” Syria is an ally of Iran and is also friendly with the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

While Iranian state media continue their silence on Syria, Iranian bloggers have raised their voices about the persistent protest movement there.

On the popular link-sharing site Balatarin, several people posted links to a film of Syrian protesters chanting against the Iranian regime.

Referring to news that Iran had issued a statement “in support of the Bahraini” people calling on Saudi Arabian troops to leave the country, and internet rumors [we have no evidence of this] that Iran would send its own troops to support the Syrian regime, Iranian blogger Iranesabz writes [fa]:

I was surprised. Iran complains about Saudi forces of repression in Bahrain but it sends its own forces to repress people in Syria.

The Islamic regime has also voiced support for protests in Libya and elsewhere. Irancnn says [fa]:

The Islamic Republic considers it good when people around the world go to the streets and protest, except when it comes to Iranians, Lebanese, Syrians and Venezuelans. Yesterday Iranian protesters were considered rioters, today it is the turn of Syrians.

The Siah o Sefid blog (means white and black) asks [fa] why the official television channels of the Islamic Republic do not report any news about the Syrian protest movement and the people who were killed.

Dolatemeli writes [fa] that if the dictator is overthrown in Syria, the Islamic Republic's foreign policy will be in very serious trouble. The Iranian regime will do all it can to help keep the Syrian regime in power.

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011.

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