Mehr News: "Ahmadinejad’s advisor rebuffs Stone’s request calling him 'part of the Great Satan'"

I was going to do a post based on the recent appearance of Chavez, Castro, and Mugabe in the Iranian Press, but who needs heads of state when you can blog about Oliver Stone?

President Mahmud Ahmadinejad’s media advisor has rejected Oliver Stone’s request for making a biopic on the president at the same time calling him a part of the Great Satan.

“I sent Dr. Ahmadinejad’s negative response to Oliver Stone. It is true that he is known as a dissident in the U.S., but he is still part of the Great Satan,” Mehdi Kalhor told the Persian service of Fars News Agency on Sunday.

This is a family-oriented blog, so we won't tell you which part of the Great Satan.

“The sources of the report on Stone’s request for making a film on Ahmadinejad are several well-known (Iranian) filmmakers who perhaps intended to improve Stone’s chances through spreading rumors and creating a specific atmosphere,” he added.

The report was published on June 29 by the Iranian producer Alireza Sajjadpur, who is regularly consulted by the president’s art and cultural advisors.

Sajjadpur had described Stone’s request as a “good proposal”, adding, “I would like the request to be accepted.”

On June 30, Ahmadinejad’s art advisor Javad Shamaqdari said that a positive response from President Mahmud Ahmadinejad’s office for Oliver Stone to make a documentary about him depends on a positive response on the part of President George Bush’s office allowing an Iranian director to make a film about President Bush.

They were thinking of giving the assignment to Michael-Haddad Mooristani

“If Mr. Oliver Stone can generate the conditions for an Iranian director to make a film on Bush, the likelihood that he will be allowed to make a documentary on the president of the Islamic Republic, Dr. Ahmadinejad, will increase,” he noted.

However, he added that Stone’s request was being investigated.

Kalhor announced on July 1 that he sent a negative response from Ahmadinejad at the very beginning of proceedings.

“I should say that Ahmadinejad was personally opposed to the issue and when I sent the negative response of Ahmadinejad to Stone, much effort was made to change circumstances in favor of the U.S. filmmaker, but we believe that the U.S. cinema is devoid of culture and that their art is only a stratagem,” Kalhor said.

“Global arrogance has made many attempts over the past two years to portray its desired image of Ahmadinejad, rather than an authentic one, but such tactics are old tricks which have been repeatedly used by the U.S. media on various occasions over the past 50 years,” he added.

Don't worry, Juan Cole won't let them get away with it.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Tags: Ahmadinejad, Oliver Stone, slime-buckets