“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…”

From here.

The Weekly Worker states today,

Yasmine Dar is now primarily known for being one of the main speakers at an event in February 2017 in Manchester which “celebrated” the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, her hair modestly covered by a hijab.

This celebration of a far-right Islamist regime which is at present repressing protestors – our comrades – in Iran is bad enough, but there is more.

Labour NEC vote winner condemns anti-Zionist comments by economist she shared a platform with

The Jewish Chronicle writes (17th of January 2018).

Momentum-backed Yasmine Dar condemns “reprehensible comments” made by Professor Rodney Shakespeare at pro-Iran rally.

The Labour activist elected onto the party’s governing body with the largest overall vote has condemned comments made by a notorious anti-Zionist academic who she appeared with at a rally to celebrate the 38th anniversary of the Iranian Islamic revolution.

Yasmine Dar, one of three Momentum-backed candidates to be elected on to Labour’s national executive committee, (NEC), told the JC: “I strongly condemn the reprehensible comments made by Rodney Shakespeare, and antisemitism in all its forms.”

Ms Dar issued her response on Wednesday after the JC revealed how the Jewish Labour Movement had written to her last November asking her to explain her presence at the event in Manchester at which Professor Shakespeare, an economist spoke.

JLM claimed Prof Shakespeare had previously backed anti-Zionist conspiracy theories.

Ms Dar failed to respond to the JLM letter. But she now insists that she was unaware of Prof Shakespeare’s previous statements.

She told the JC: “I attended because I think it’s important to maintain strong links with all of our communities across Greater Manchester.

“I didn’t expect to speak, having been asked at the last minute to step in after I arrived at the event. I was entirely unaware of the identity of the other speakers.”

Ms Dar – who had stood for the Labour parliamentary nomination in the Manchester Gorton constituency last year – also emphasised her past record working with inter-faith community organisations.

She said: ”I have been long active in many interfaith and community cohesion organisations, including the Challenging Hate Forum based at Manchester Cathedral and the Nisa-Nisham Jewish-Muslim Women’s Network. I am myself a multi-faith prison chaplain. “

On Tuesday the JC revealed how the JLM letter asked Ms Dar to clarify her position on the hard-line Iranian regime, on antisemitism, and whether she regretted appearing at the same event as Prof Shakespeare.

In the past Prof Shakespeare has claimed 9/11 was a Zionist plot while discussing a United Nations report on climate change.