One of the Ayatollah’s may anti-America tweets. (Twitter/khamenei_ir)
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s tweet about Obama with a gun to his head isn’t the first time Iran’s supreme leader has used Twitter to express his disdain about the United States. He’s been posting for years, taking advantage of #BlackLivesMatter and even #YesAllWomen to express his dislike and disappointment in America. Although his Twitter account is not verified, it’s been widely believed for years to belong to the Ayatollah. Here are the top tweets you’ll likely want to share with your friends.
He Recently Made a Disturbing Obama Post
US president has said he could knock out Iran’s military. We welcome no war, nor do we initiate any war, but.. http://t.co/D4Co7fVuVg
The most recent Tweet to headline the news occurred on Saturday, July 26, when the Ayatollah shared a graphic showing a silhouette that strongly resembled Obama, holding a gun to his head. But this tweet was only the first in a long line of America-focused posts on his Twitter account.
He Has Frequently Shared #BlackLivesMatter Tweets
Yes, the Ayatollah has frequently defended the rights of minorities in the United States, including joining the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag.
It’s expected that followers of #Jesus follow him in his fight against arrogants and in his support for the oppressed. #BlackLivesMatter
He weighed in on Freddie Gray’s death too:
It’s ridiculous that even though US President is black, still such crimes agnst US blacks continue to occur. #BlackLivesMatter #FreddieGray
In February 2015, the Ayatollah embarked on a series of tweets with the hashtag #MalcomX (presumably meaning Malcolm X), including this one:
The Ayatolla Has Also Focused on Women’s Equality
Women’s Equality Day was another opportunity for the Ayatollah to share his distrust and anger at America.
US claims to support democracy but derides & ignores the votes of all Palestinian men & #women who elected #Hamas. 6/4/09 #WomensEqualityDay
The #YesAllWomen hashtag provided another opportunity:
Former US President Jimmy Carter’s published “A Call to Action” that talks abt widespread women’s rights violation in US… #YesAllWomen
He Doesn’t Forget About Police Brutality
The Ayatollah has also been quick to condemn America for allowing police brutality to continue, reminding his Twitter follows that this only breeds insecurity.
US Police kill people over any excuse; this type of power doesn’t ensure security but leads to insecurity. #Baltimore http://t.co/ClFrhhaJlH
Responses on Twitter were not too happy about his statement.
@khamenei_ir /And why do you look at the speck in American’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in Iran’s own eye.
He actually posted a series of tweets about police brutality on that day, including this one:
Power with cruelty isn’t favored by #Islam. #Police should embody justice and mercy while being potent. http://t.co/EAFn2ybpLm
He Found a Way to Connect Ferguson and Israel
In 2014, the Ayatollah found a way to connect Ferguson to Israel:
US govt has subjugated a great nation w/ massive resources to a criminal regime like #Israel.10/31/12
#Ferguson #Gaza http://t.co/XU3dJgkVsp
Which also did not elicit the best reactions:
He Has Tweeted About Freedom of Speech
The Ayatollah also used Twitter to express his strong belief in the freedom of speech, which he believes America does not uphold:
I believe #PressFreedom is a value & shouldn’t trample other values like national interests & people’s religious beliefs. 27/2/2001
#Iran
He had a series of these tweets on May 3, 2014:
#PressFreedom & #freedom of speech have never existed in the US. When the leftists were active in US, how did the US govt treat them?
The responses to his tweet didn’t take it too seriously:
His #HappyFriendshipDay Message Was Unique
Since1979 Revolution,arrogant powers have tried to scare our Muslim neighboring countries from Islamic Republic. #HappyFriendshipDay
