Amidst the killing of a 46-year-old African-American man named George Floyd by a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, the Foreign Affairs Minister of Iran, Javad Zarif, decided to take a dig at US Secretary Mike Pompeo and Trump administration on Saturday.
Referring to the United States, he wrote, “Some don’t think #Black Lives matter.” Zarif then urged the entire world to ‘wage war’ against racism. The Iranian Foreign Minister had altered a press statement released by the United States’ Secretary Mike Pompeo in June 2018 about the home-grown protests in Iran against the autocratic regime. In the alternate press release, Zarif had struck out the word ‘Iran’ and replaced it with ‘US’ and ‘America’ to contextualise with respect to recent rioting.
Some don’t think #BlackLivesMatter.
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) May 30, 2020
To those of us who do: it is long overdue for the entire world to wage war against racism.
Time for a #WorldAgainstRacism. pic.twitter.com/06p1LmmwgF
The tweaked press release read, “The US Government is squandering its citizens’ resources, whether its adventurism in Asia, Africa or Latin America, its support for countless dictators, or its ambitions for wastefully expanding its nuclear arms program, it will only add to the suffering of the people of America. As I have said before, it should surprise no one that protests continue in America. The American people are demanding their leaders share their country’s wealth and response to their legitimate needs. We condemn the government’s same futile tactics of suppression, imprisonment of protestors, and the denial of Americans’ frustrations. The people of America are tired of racism, corruption, injustice, and incompetence from their leaders. The world hears their voice.”
Responding to Javad Zarif, Mike Pompeo wrote, “You hang homosexuals, stone women and exterminate Jews.”
You hang homosexuals, stone women and exterminate Jews. pic.twitter.com/eip0bu8RIL
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) May 30, 2020
It must be remembered that while racism is not the State Policy of the United States, execution of homosexuals and suppression of women rights have been the governmental policy in the Islamic Republic of Iran since it is governed by Sharia. Moreover, Iranian has an official and declared policy to destroy Israel and hence antisemitism is state-sponsored, institutional, and an instrument of the regime.
The Killing of George Floyd and subsequent riots
On May 25, a 46-year-old ‘black’ man, George Floyd was reportedly murdered by a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, who knelt on the former’s neck for 7 long minutes until his body became unresponsive. Despite the victim complaining about not being able to breathe, coupled with verbal protest from onlookers, the said officer was unmoved. A shopkeeper had called the cops on Floyd for allegedly trying to pass a ‘potential counterfeit bill’.
On Wednesday night, Police cars were vandalised and pelted with rocks. To pacify the situation, the cops resorted to firing tear gas and rubber bullets at the frenzied mob. Shops were raided and looted, all in the garb of a peaceful protest. The mob also breached the security and reached for the police precinct in the neighbourhood where Floyd died. The building was set of fire by the unruly mob, amidst slogans demanding justice for the victim.
