Iran Feels Underappreciated, Needs Love

Tehran Bureau reports that Iranian hardliners are disappointed that the uprising in Egypt isn't more Islamalicious, despite their repeated claims to the contrary:

Ahmad Khatami, hardline Imam of Friday Prayers in Tehran claimed that the revolution in Tunisia represents the "aftershock" of the 1979 Revolution in Iran, but did not identify the new movement's leader. In another speech, Khatami expressed his hope that Islamic leaders will soon emerge in Tunisia and Egypt and "alleviate our concerns."

By "concerns" Khatami means that if the uprising isn't an echo of 1979 as he'd like it to be, that would mean the uprising is more like Iran's 2009 post-rigged-election democratic "Green Movement" revolt which the hardliners were forced to brutally crush. As one conservative Iranian analyst noted, Tehran's claims that the uprisings are religious in nature are little more than wishful thinking:

"What have we done for such countries that we expect their revolution to be Islamic? What is going on in Tunisia and Egypt is the result of people being tired of dictatorship, poverty, and corruption."

Yeah, people do hate that stuff.

Leaders of the opposition movement in Iran have cleverly asked for a permit to hold a demonstration in support of the Egyptian uprising. This presents a serious quandary for the Iranian government:

If they deny the permit to support the Egyptians, they are effectively admitting that the Cairo uprising is not an Islamic one. If they allow the permit, they know full well that it will breathe new life into Iran's Green Movement - which would love to show Ahmadinejad the door. The demonstrations would be held on February 14th.

Happy Valentine's Day!

via Tehran Bureau: Egypt's Revolution Terrifies Iran's Hardliners