“Digital hooligans” from Iran bombarded thousands [1] of insulting [2] and threatening comments in Persian on the Facebook page of Argentinian football player Lionel Messi [3] as the World Cup groups were determined [4] on Saturday. Argentina, Iran, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Nigeria were polled together.
Many of the comments use very foul language [5].
Many Iranians published comments and tweets calling the cyberattack shameful.
Kargadan tweeted [6] [fa]:
به نظر من دولت ایران و مارک زاکربرگ باید دست به دست هم بدن و فیسبوک رو از هموطنان عزیز پاکسازی کنن که این وسط آبروی بقیه ملت نره! #مسی [7]
— ـكرگـ ـدنـ (@Rhino_x) December 7, 2013 [8]
Zuckerberg [Facebook's founder] and the Iranian government, should hand in hand clean out Facebook's page of Iranians to save our honor.
Sooskak tweeted [9] [fa]:
همون بهتر فیسبوک فیلتره
#مسی [7]
— سوسکِ قاچاقچی (@Sooskak) December 7, 2013 [10]
It's good that Facebook is filtered [in Iran].
Baridya tweeted [11] [fa]:
اگر همین فردا هم جمهوری اسلامی سقوط کنه خیلی سریع یه حکومت عالی جایگزین بشه باز هم 15-20سال طول میکشه تا فرهنگ این مردم درست بشه!
#مسی [7]
— Bardiya (@1Bardiya) December 7, 2013 [12]
If the Islamic Republic collapsed today, it would take 15-20 years for this people's culture to improve.
Blogger 5Char published [13] [fa] a screen shot of insulting comments and says it is typical of a generation that grew up under Islamic Republic.
Another blogger, Andarbab says [14] [fa]:
These people try to make up for their inadequacy with slogans and insults. They are the same people who chant “Down with the USA” yet wish to get a US Green Card. They insult Messi, yet wish to get a souvenir fan photo taken with him.