Iranian Composer Sattar Oraki After Receiving Film Festival Award: Death To The Incompetent And Inadequate Officials Who Brought Iran To This State

Iranian composer Sattar Oraki made a rare public protest when he declared his support for the youths of Khuzestan upon receiving the best soundtrack award at an independent documentary film festival that was held in Tehran. Oraki said that although people are expected to chant "death" to America, Israel, England, Russia, and China, his chant is "death to that group of incompetent and inadequate officials who brought our country to this state!" He then added: "I hope that the bullets that they aim and shoot at the chests of our youths will soon (become) a spear that will turn against them." He concluded by saying that he dedicates the award to Khuzestan. Khuzestan was the center of public protest over the lack of water and electricity blackout since mid-July. The film festival award was held on August 5, 2021 and the video was posted on various YouTube channels.

Sattar Oraki: "I do not attend the Friday prayers, but on this occasion, I am supposed to chant some slogans, and say: Death to America, Israel, the USSR – or rather, Russia – China, cunning England... But we have already shouted these death slogans many times. Death to that group of incompetent and inadequate officials who brought our country to this state! Death to those officials! Death! I hope that the bullets that they aim and shoot at the chests of our youths will soon [become] a spear that will turn against them, [as punishment] for the youths who seek water, food, and work, and are killed in this way – precious youths from Khuzestan and everywhere else in this dear country. Ultimately, only Iran and the Iranians will be left. I dedicate my award to dear Khuzestan."