Notes from Iran #2: Hail the shoe thrower Rashid S.

Rashid S., a recently sacked textile worker in his 40s, threw his shoe at Ahmadinejad at a meeting in the northern province of Mazandaran on Tuesday, 13 December. Rashid S. was protesting the fact that he had been sacked, but more importantly that he had not been paid for the last year of working in the factory.

This is of course is common practice in Iran. There are thousands upon thousands of workers in Iran who do their daily work without being paid for it by the state or private owners for months on end.

You might ask why they keep working? They hope they will get paid in the future as promised by their bosses and more importantly, there is no other work around, neither is there unemployment benefit. That of course under a regime that made 40 billion US Dollars between March and August this year alone from oil exports. The same regime whose members are transferring their 'accumulated' monies abroad, especially through their family members. High on the list are investments like the purchase of expensive properties (they can afford it of course) which guarantees few questions and a preferential residential status by the host country; the higher the investment the warmer the welcome. And with all the riches that are to be made exploiting Iran's natural resources and the labour force, a warm welcome they get.

Rashid S. missed. He was thrown to the floor and beaten up. It is unclear whether he was arrested and taken away. His act of civil outrage is to be applauded.