The Islamic Republic of Iran is gearing up for its first ever “International Hourglass Festival”, celebrating what organizers call the “imminent collapse” of the Jewish state.
The symbol chosen to represent the event features an hourglass with a Star of David disintegrating above the words “25 Years” – an apparent reference to the predictions made by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 2016 and reiterated by Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi in 2017.
According to Iran Front Page, festival organizer and aide to the Speaker of Iran’s Parliament, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the event is intended as a celebration of the imminent collapse of the “Zionist regime of Israel”.
“The Islamic Republic won’t allow the Zionists to play with the security of the sensitive region of Middle East. Iran and its allies in the region, who defeated terrorists, will never allow the Zionists to endanger the region’s security,” said Amir-Abdollahian.
Organizers announced at a press conference Tuesday that the festival would be held in Tehran in April. Some 2,400 anti-Israel NGOS around the world have agreed to promote the event globally, executive organizer of the festival, Mahdi Qomi, claimed.
The festival not only targets Israel, but also the United States over its support of Israel, and even the Saudi government, referencing what organizers called “damned Wahabism”.
According to the festival’s official website, the event “was formed with the aim of collecting and introducing anti- Zionism productions of justice supporters, monotheists and Muslims all over the world in order to disclose the beastly and anti-human rights measures of Zionist occupier regime and its supporters particularly USA and damned Wahabism.”
In 2006, Iran drew criticism after it hosted the International Holocaust Cartoon Competition, sponsored by the Hamshahri newspaper, owned by the city of Tehran. A decade later, two state-sponsored organizations held a second International Holocaust Cartoon Competition in Tehran.
