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A Year On, Ahmadinejad's Popularity Is Soaring

(Guardian-UK) Ewen MacAskill and Simon Tisdall - The popularity of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is surging almost a year after he won a closely contested presidential election, Iranian officials and Western diplomats said Tuesday. The perception that he was standing up to the U.S. on the nuclear issue was seen as boosting his standing. His attacks on the privileges enjoyed by some of Iran's ruling clerical elite and his recent unsuccessful attempt to allow women to attend soccer matches have also made a big impact. Nasser Hadian-Jazy, a professor of political science at Tehran University, said Ahmadinejad had been surprised by reaction to his criticism of Israel and denial of the Holocaust. "But once he got the reaction, he realized it could establish him as a strong leader among Muslims. It was a calculated move." His anti-Israeli statements made a big impact in the Arab world, said Sayed Mohammad Adeli, Iran's former ambassador to Britain. "He has become a hero of the people on the street."
2006-06-22 00:00:00
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