Three out of the five candidates on Labour’s final shortlist in Manchester Gorton have attended Khomeinist rallies backing the Iranian regime, Guido can reveal. Afzal Khan and Yasmine Dar spoke last month at a rally held to celebrate the “38th anniversary of the Islamic revolution in Iran“. The event took place in the Manchester Islamic Centre in a room adorned with giant Iranian flags and a banner emblazoned with the face of Ayatollah Khomeini…

A video shot during the rally appears to show the room was at least partially segregated, with women and children sitting at the back:

Khan and Dar shared the platform with controversial economist Professor Rodney Shakespeare who has previously described Britain and the US as “countries controlled by Zionism”. In a 2012 interview with Iran Review – conducted by a journalist from Iranian state broadcaster Press TV – Shakespeare said:

“All Western foreign policy is highly influenced, or controlled, by Zionism… countries [are] controlled by Zionism e.g., the USA and the UK… The UN and Security Council are essentially controlled by the USA and its cronies all of whose foreign policy is controlled by Zionism. All the American intelligence agencies, MI6 and even Mossad know that Iran is not building a bomb but there are Zionist cliques in the governments and these cliques are determined to keep the nuclear fears continuing as they try to organise an attack on Iran.”

Last month Shakespeare told Press TV:

“The UK is supporting Saudi Arabia’s regime as part of supporting what is going to be a coming war in the Middle East, essentially to forward the interests of the Zionist Israel… UK politics is controlled by Zionism.”

Gorton candidate Afzal Khan said at the rally:

“It’s a pleasure to be here, I was a young man when the revolution actually happened, one of those who was excited… almost everything has been thrown towards Iran, even the kitchen sink, but what we’ve seen is that despite this long period, despite all these different challenges, that Iran has systematically been moving forward, getting stronger… may Allah bless Iran…” 

Fellow candidate Yasmine Dar said in her speech:

“It’s an absolute honour… honourable guests here today thank you so much for this opportunity… we’re here for a celebration, a happy time, 38 years of the Iranian Islamic revolution so I’m absolutely happy, it’s the third year that I’ve been coming… I keep it in my diary and make sure that I’m here… I feel I am absolutely proud when I hear the stories about Iran was based on diplomacy…”

A third name on the Gorton shortlist, Nasrin Ali, has attended a similar rally in the past. A tweet from her personal twitter account – now deleted – shows her “at the celebration if [sic] the 36th anniversary of the Islamic Republic of Iran“. Afzal Khan and Yasmine Dar are also listed as attending…

Quite remarkable: three out of five Gorton candidates openly back the Iranian regime and its Islamic revolution…