Iranians Protest Renaming Street After Yahya Sinwar

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The Tehran city council recently decided to rename a main thoroughfare — Bisotun Street — after Yahya Sinwar. But there was an enormous outcry. Many Iranians didn’t want to honor Yahya Sinwar in this way — or in any way. Many are attached to the street’s original name, Bisotun, because of its cultural significance. Aside from the hardliners on the city council who suggested the new name, most Iranians are not enthusiastic about honoring the man who masterminded the attack carried out by Hamas on October 7, 2023, when 6,000 of its members raped, tortured, mutilated, and murdered 1,200 Israelis.

More on this story can be found here: “Public backlash stops plan to rename Tehran street after Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar,” by Maryam Sinaiee, Iran International, December 30, 2024:

Tehran’s city council has dropped plans to rename Bisotun Street after former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, following widespread protests from citizens who emphasized the deep historical and cultural significance of the street’s name.

Mehdi Chamran, chairman of the Tehran City Council, confirmed on Sunday that the council is now looking for an alternative location to honor the assassinated Hamas leader, killed by Israel amid the war in Gaza in October, with a street name.

The proposal to rename a section of Bisotun Street in central Tehran was introduced last week by councilor Narges Madanipour.

Her proposal was approved by other councilors, most of whom are ultra-hardliners supporting the Iran-backed Palestinian group, Hamas, which countries such as the UK and US designate a terrorist group.

The section in question is between a street named after the lead of Iran’s other Palestinian military ally, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Fathi Shaqaqi, and a nearby square called Jihad.

The City Council’s decision sparked an outcry from thousands of citizens, activists, and politicians who took to social media to voice their opposition. A petition was quickly launched, protesting what many perceived as an attempt to erase an important part of Iran’s heritage and identity….

Apparently Yahya Sinwar isn’t quite as admired by the Iranian people as he is by the hardliners on the city council who wanted to honor him. Following the popular outcry against the change in the street’s name, they’ve gone back to its original name — Bisotun Street. They’ll have to find some insignificant street somewhere in Tehran, where no one will miss the original name. The Iranians have in past protests made clear what they — as opposed to their government — think of the support given by Iran to the Palestinians: “No to Palestine! No to Lebanon! My life for Iran!” And now we can add “no to Yahya Sinwar!”

Some, perhaps many, of those who protested the street’s proposed name change were not only eager to retain its former name for its cultural significance, but also were appalled at the idea of honoring a Hamas mass-murderer. But since expressing that view could be dangerous as long as the mad mullahs are in power, they kept quiet about that.