Iran Video of Week: Ahmadinejad 0, Tractor 1

At the President's recent speech in Tabriz in Iran's East Azerbaijan, the crowd was asked to shout, "Ahmadinejad, Ahmadinejad". Apparently they responded, "Tractor, Tractor".

(It should also be noted that Persian Azari for Tractor is "Tiraxtur" and Tiraxtur Tabriz is a professional football team. So this response may not be as surreal as befits a Video of the Week.)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3BAEw3CXEE[/youtube]

The Latest from Iran (2 January): The Ripples of the Mousavi Statement

Comments

[Jashar]

Scott,

The Persian word for tractor is "Teraktor"! "Tiraxtur" or "Tirakhtur" is azari. :-)

[Barry]

There is not much that is amusing coming out of Iran - so I found this to be delightful

I notice that the person with the microphone continued his efforts as though nothing was happening - but I wonder how long that would go on for. There is not much worse than being laughed at or ridiculed in public. Perhaps the protestors could develop this a bit further. Some cultures have a tradition of turning their backs to those of whom they are contemptuous.

Barry

[Scott Lucas]

Jashar,

Thank you for the correction....

S.

[Mike]

My mother in-law is from Baku so Azari is the second language in our house, and we were all laughing our butts off. Please leave it up as the the video of the week, it's a much needed relief for all the tension.

[observer]

i wonder if the crowd is playing with words - dictator / tiructor (the way they pronounce it - sounds close to dictator with azari way of saying tractor)

[onlymeandmyideas]

@mike :
here is where i found it:
http://greenrevolutioniran.blogspot.com/2010/01/blog-post_02.html
you also can download the video using download helper or something similar

[whereismyvote]

This is what happens when you have gone to every Kharabeh and every corner of the city and rounded up the young, kids and the people to come to your protest with promise of a fist full of money and a piece of cake and some sunkist drink container....

They have more passion for their local football team than your president. If you attend one Green protest you understand the difference. I have seen people who have written their will, they have sorted their life and are ready for anything even death. I have seen mothers with 1 year old kids, and when I told them to leave their kids at home they said to me, we want them to be witness to history. We want them to have the memory of this moment for their future. I have seen far more passionate, determined people. All of the AN supporters will disappear in a minute, while the greens are there because of the conviction of their hearts and minds. They are driven by passion forward. Even if you kill them they will multiply with their grieving mothers taking up their spot.

Who is now on the losing side? We had lost the momentum by mid October, but it is now reversed. Today you can say that we are of high morale and have occupied the high moral.

[Amir in Tel Aviv]

I don't know what about you, I hear the audience shout "dictator, dictator"
with an unidentified accent.
And many are smiling. That is really telling. This and the growing disobedience
in Ashura events show that The Iranians aren't afraid any more. Quite impressive.
.