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NEWS > EVERYONE ELSE > IRANIANS BEGIN TRADITIONAL SUMMER GRAVE DIGGING FESTIVAL
IRANIANS BEGIN TRADITIONAL SUMMER GRAVE DIGGING FESTIVAL
August 11 2010
Tehran, Iran – There is perhaps no country in the world that displays such stark discrepancies than does Iran. A modernized, educated, and sophisticated population that is ruled by religious extremists bent on converting the nation into a full-fledged 
Theocracy. The fanatic ravings of the President and the extreme conservatism of the Mullahs are in complete contrast to the people of the nation most of whom crave true democracy, watch western television, and truly want to engage in the world in a positive and energetic way no matter what their government seems bent on doing.
However the rhetoric from those in charge has made the nation, and the people, a pariah and an outcast that seems constantly on the brink of war. Whether or not Iran will ultimately be the harbinger of death that could destabilize their entire region, or turn things around and become the forefront of a cultural and social revolution is something for history to decide. For now the country will have to be what it is and that includes maintaining the traditions of that people have enjoyed for centuries. One of those, the annual grave digging festival, kicked off earlier this week with parties and parades throughout the nation as they prepare for the long and dreadful winter ahead, as well as the possibility of a few new visitors.
“The mass graves that used to be for burying Saddam's soldiers have now been prepared again for U.S. soldiers, and this is the reason for digging this big number of graves. The heavy costs of such a war will not be just on the Islamic Republic of Iran. America and other countries should accept that this would be the start of an extensive war in the region,” said General Hossein Kan'ani Moghadam. “Normally we would dig far fewer graves but we do want to make sure that we are adequately prepared for any new traffic. We in Iran are a people that are always prepared and we wanted to ensure that we maintained that reputations during this celebratory time.”
The largest number of graves were dug at a cemetery just outside of Tehran, a parcel of land that is thought to be where the first graves in the world were dug.
“I’ve actually seen the grave digging ceremonies in person. It’s quite an impressive thing to see actually. The Iranian people are really remarkable in many ways and one of those is putting on a show. Whatever hardship they have to endure day-to-day they put that aside and celebrate as a people,” said Scrape TV International analyst Gustav Hander. “People carrying shovels and pushing wheelbarrows through the street all over the country is really an impressive sight. Actually seeing the grave digging is out of bounds for foreigners but I visited a few of the locations afterwards and it’s just empty holes in the ground for as far as you can see. It’s really something to see.”
It is not believed that many American bodies will be buried in Iranian graves should an attack come in the future.
“The American military has always prided itself on taking care of its people even when they are dead and so I’m sure that any Americans who do die will be taken back stateside. I guess they could use the graves for Iraqis, they are sure to kill of few them along the way,” continued Hander. “I mean hopefully war can be avoided and people should take this festival as an indicator that they are preparing for anything major. This is a tried and true celebration and shouldn’t be taken too far out of context.”
Three people were killed in the southern city of Zahedan during the festivities. They were quickly buried.
Emil Uliya, International Correspondent
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