Ebrahim Yazdi;
Emad-e'Din Baghi
Morteza Hadji, minister of educaion during Khatami's reform era.
Leila Tavassoli, daughter of Mohammad Tavassoli
Seyed Hosein Mousvi Tabrizi (Head of the clerical Association of Ghom's Teachers and Researchers)
Alireza Beheshti Shirazi (Editor in Chief of Mousavi's newspaper, Kalameh Sabz)
Ghorban Behzadian Nejad (Mousavi consultant)
Mohamad Bagherian (Mousavi consultant)
Rasouli (deputy of President Khatami's Baran Foundation)
Forouzandeh (Manager of Mousavi's office)
Monday, December 28, 2009
New Wave of Arrests: Human Right Activists, National-Religious leaders and Mousavi/Khatami associates
Mardom Chera Neshastin? Iran Shodeh Felestin! (People, why are you sitting? Iran's become Palestine!)
Sunday, December 27, 2009
More Deaths On Tape ...
In addition, Mousavi's 35 years old nephew, father of two was shot in the chest and died in the clashes. Mousavi and his family are now with his body in Sina Hospital.
The idiots of Rajanews (which is Ahmadinejad's news agency) are already blaming it on "terrorist attempt" by the members of Mousavi's "cult of conspiracy"! Of course all these deaths like Neda's are all carried out by "terrorists" and the IRI has no clue who the terrorists are!!!!!! Yah! Sure!
Aand, the official Iranian news agencies give us CONFIRMED report that people had conquered the city!
Well, now the FalseNews and the IRNA are confirming that the people (to whom they refer as the "unlawful cult of Mousavi") had captured Tehran's main streets; that the police were unleashed on the people to recapture the city! They even have posted some pictures! Of course, Farcenews soon moves to the topic of soccer-coaching!
These reports are historical; especially since Ahmadinejad keeps denying that anyone is opposed to the regime in Iran: (pictures on the left are from here)
اراذل و اوباش با سوء استفاده از حضور مردم در مراسم عزاداري اباعبدالله الحسين دست به آشوب و خسارت به اموال مردم (موتور سيكلت، خانه، سطل هاي زباله،خودروي شخصي مردم) زدند. افراد فريب خورده شعار مرگ بر جمهوري اسلامي سر مي دادند، ولي با حضور مردم در صحنه پا به فرار گذاشته و متواري شدند.
The thugs (FarceNews means the Greens) attempted chaos and damaging people's property (motor bikes, house, garbage bins, and personal cars were set on fire). The deceived individuals were chanting "death to Islamic Republic" slogans; but they were dispersed and ran away with the appearance of the people [by people they mean basiji thugs].
According to IRNA:
يروهاي انتظامي که از صبح امروز با آگاهي از تحرکات بقاياي فرقه موسوي در خيابان انقلاب تهران مستقر شده بودند، اقدام به متفرق کردن سوءاستفاده کنندگان کردند و ساعتي پس از ظهر عاشورا اغلب مسيرهاي اصلي را تحت کنترل درآورده و اوضاع در خيابان هاي تهران به حالت عادي بازگشت.
The security forces, who were aware of the movements of the remainders of the Mousavi cult, were instaled in Enghelab Street, and dispersed the abusers [mean Greens] and in an hour after Ashura noon regained control of most of main road [that means there are some non-main roads still out of control; and that they had lost control of main roads to start with] and that Tehran is back to Normal now!
If Khamenei is air-lifted to a military base (as Mehdi SaharKhiz reports), then ... I am nervous ... I feel these riotous burnings and beatings are DESIGNED by IRGC to call for martial law ...
People carrying one of the martyrs: Mikosham Mikosham ankeh baradaram kosht!
This chant I remember well from my childhood. "I will kill, I will kill, that who killed my brother."
In this video, people are carrying a wounded (dead) body. I read elsewhere that an ambulance let a wounded body remain on the ground for 30 minutes; perhaps this is why people are carrying their dead themselves ...
Those who were older than me in 1979 revolution times tell me that this reminds them of those days; but they, genuine shah-haters, also tell me that Pahlavi regime was not even half as brutal and savage as these goons are!
They are now attacking people with knives and chains ... this day has JUST begun! Ashura "ceremonies" usually begin around noon ... Ashura is the day when "martyrdom to stand up to tyranny" is celebrated ...
So far, 5 people have been killed (with reportedly direct gun fire) ... the blood of these five will flood the sand castle of Ahmadinejad and Khamenei ... Amen!
==========================================
But this video is a scene that I HATE! It is purposeless violence; it is hooliganism; it is just getting caught in an atmosphere of adrenaline and fear and momentary emotionalism; it is like stuff people do when their favorite hockey team looses. I HATE these scenes emerging. I HATE them ...
But, I cannot help enjoying the defensive posture the heavily armored riot police is forced into in the below picture! I hear that some embassies have opened their doors to the injured; but that the hospitals are overwhelmed by the number of the wounded and chances are many will lose life due to lack of care. I also read that the guards are refusing to open fire--which I think is also obvious in this picture below; I doubt the stone the man is throwing would stand a chance if the armoured police raised guns ...
==========================================
And this picture above (where the woman is standing between people's anger and security's defeat) and the video below are what gives me comfort that Iran's greens are not blood thirsty; that Iran will not succumb to civil war ... no matter how hard the IRGC and the Iraqi commander of Basij try ... In this video a riot guard is arrested by people, apparently someone wants to beat him; and other people are trying to stop that ... they chant (towards the end of the video) "velesh kon, velesh kon, velesh kon" which means: let him go, let him go ...
If anyone is killed on Ashura day; the regime will have signed its own death sentence ...
It seems three people have been killed in downtown Tehran--(Hafiz Bridge; in front of Amir Kabir University) ... things are escalating out of hand and I strongly think this escalation is "designed" by the IRGC/Basij ... they are trying to create an atmosphere of fear and are angry that people don't seem to be really scared! (4:30 AM Eastern time zone)
This film is from Taleghani-three way; not too far from Hafiz Bridge. In this video I like to draw your attention to the attendance of children. What the regime should be REALLY scared of is that in the pat 30 years they fed us so many movies and TV series about the bravery and the tactics employed by revolutionaries of 1979 to topple Shah. So, the IRI has been the best school for these kind of movements; no matter how much they want to blame it on BBC!!!!
Clashes are reported in the following cities:(4:54 AM; Estern)
- Qom: Iran's vatican!
- Isfahan: Iran's cradle of shiite art and culture
- NajafAbad: a city in the province of Isfahan, where Ayatollah Montazeri was from
- Shiraz: the capital of Perspolis.
- Ardabil: In so many ways, the birthplace of Iran's Shiite State
- Babol: The Northeren site of Mithraism
- Tabriz: The front-line of Iran's revolutions and resistance.
- Mashhad: The holy city.
And, what are the OFFICIAL IRI news agencies reporting?
-Tasou'a in Kuwait!
-Ashura in Japan!!
-And the glory of an IRI-approved attendance in a village!! (Damn they removed the link after I commented on it; and have now replaced it with some blabber about magnificent attendace in Ghazvin, Semnan, Mashhad, Yazd) This is the moment that the noon prayer has ended in Iran; and that means things are going to get worse from here!
Latest death (martyr) toll 5 ... 5:37 AM, EST.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Happy holidays from airplane ... Yes Iran is in smoke and scream again
They seem to have ordered martial law [My husband informs me that Martial Law in Iran can only be established with parliamentary approval--of course I argue with him that Ahmadinejad's IRGC has been breaking every other parliamenatry rule so far!] ... But it may just be fear tactic since khatami is going to give a speech re ashura tonight. [which I now know was broken into!]
Fascists are waving batons and hitting anyone and any thing that seems to be protesting.
And busloads of people are being arrested again.
A very merry Christmas
I should turn this off now for take off
back in a few hours
Fascists are waving batons and hitting anyone and any thing that seems to be protesting.
And busloads of people are being arrested again.
A very merry Christmas
I should turn this off now for take off
back in a few hours
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Mohammad-Ali Moalem Damghani: Sha'ere Kharaky (Donkey poet) replaces Mousavi at the helm of Art Academy
I decided to google who this dude who is appointed to the presidency of the Art Academy (whose founder, Architect and painter Mousavi was sacked today, after Ahmadinejad made a rush trip from Shiraz--where he was coldly greeted). and I came across this website whose snapshot I provide below!Forgive me my non-persian visitors; there is no way on the face of this planet I would spend a millisecond translating any of this; but take my word, and show it to your Persian speaking friends and watch them gag on banality of the stuff this "so-called" poet puts out there! Yuck!
We call this kind of a poetry: She're Kharaki [Donkeyish Poem].
Ali Moalem Damghani: Sha'ere Kharaky (Donkey poet)
I decided to google who this dude who is appointed to the presidency of the Art Academy (whose founder, Architect and painter Mousavi was sacked today, after Ahmadinejad made a rush trip from Shiraz--where he was coldly greeted). and I came across this website whose snapshot I provide below!Forgive me my non-persian visitors; there is no way on the face of this planet I would spend a millisecond translating any of this; but take my word, and show it to your Persian speaking friends and watch them gag on banality of the stuff this "so-called" poet puts out there! Yuck!
We call this kind of a poetry: She're Kharaki [Donkeyish Poem].
I reposted this with corrected spelling of donkey :) But will keep this for the sake of comments! :)
Monday, December 21, 2009
The Age of Postcharisma ...
This post is inspired by a conversation I had with my sister, following a beautiful obituary I found in one of the best Persian blogs around: Seebestan.Last night my sister and I watched a little informal interview of Emad-E'Din Baghi (A human right activist and journalist in Iran) with Ayatollah Montazeri. Persian BBC broadcast the interview. We had grown up with the cartoonish image of Montazeri az "Gorbeh Nareh"--the character of a little clumsy cat, who tagged along a mean and scheming fox, in a Japanese adaptation of the Pinoccio story. We had grown up making fun of Montazeri's Najafabadi accent. Perhaps this is why when he was dismissed from being the deputy leader on the charges of "naivitee and ignorance" we weren't shocked. When we grew up, we managed to forgive him for being a mullah, as he had paid his dues to history by standing up to a regime that he had played an essential role in establishing. (Mullahs has disrupted our happy childhood, had caused our parents hardship, had stolen our future.) But, we still didn't take him seriously enough; he was there, saying things so blunt, so simple, so direct, that we could not interpret in any other way than calling "gullible naivitee" ... the IRI was clever in "containing" Montazeri; they had trained us to laugh Montazeri's statements off ...
In his BBC interview, down to earth, simple yet acutely sharp and clever, he made us laugh again, bitter sweet this time ... he even knew we made fun of him as Gorbeh Nareh (male cat); he didn't care. He didn't care about title, power, or being taken seriously by the institutes of power ... he meant to be taken seriously only before his duty to God, to Islam and to nation--none of which were to be tyrannical.
His Islam was not blood thirsty; was not suffering grandiosity complexes; he was not megalomanic or nationalistic; he was not fanatic. Simply put, he was NOT charismatic.
Montazeri was charismaless, in an age that the left and the right exaggerated charisma. To become a persona demanded charisma. Taleghani, Shariai and Khomeini had charisma, just as Golsorkhi and the martyrs of Mojahedin and Fadayees. Our age was age of charisma. Montazeri had come from the post-charisma age. He was not representative of our present. He was representative of our future. A future which we reached 30 years later. And then he became the spiritual leader of our movement.In the Islamic Republic of Iran, which Montazeri founded in the dream of establishing a system of justice and fairness, where people go to jail for "insulting" the head of judiciary--insult being a criticism of his political posturing that violates his oath of impartiality; where images of a tearing a dead person's photo lead to an uproar of security and judiciary dogs; one of the highest priests of the Shiite establishment dies in absolute media silence; and after his burial, thugs attack his home, tear his pictures, and fill up the mosque with Basijis to force his family to cancel the reception.
When he was alive, Ayatollah Montazeri had said: "These house arrests and pressures are nothing, even if they erect a gallows in front of my door, will I not be deterred from speaking justice."
Let the turkey of Velayate Faghih gobble gobble. We shall have a festive a thanksgiving.
Funeral pictures that Iranian media seems forbidden to show!
Strangely enough, some of these pictures are from Mehr News agency, but I cannot find them on their site any longer! I found them on this Arabic site. There are some on parlemannews too; but this web site--which belongs to the reformist minority in the Parliament is filtered and thus not accessible to Iranians!
ILNA has gotten a warning to not broadcast anything about Ayatollah Montazeri; and other front pages of IRanian press seem mute about the funeral that is underway ...
This is why I think this a ghost that will haunt Khamenei to grave; no matter how hard he tries to undermine him!
The Ghost That Will Haunt Khamenei to Grave
Strangely enough, we are not sad! If anything, we are invigorated ...
I can see them shaking ... the fear of the massive crowds who want to mourn today is making them arrest bus loads of people who are heading to Qom for the funeral.
I am not much into clerical qualifications, so I didn't know this before that, not only was he the soul defender of Human Rights in the entire Islamic Republic regime; not only was he the only one to stand up to Khomeini to prevent him from massive execution of men and women whose party was responsible for killing of Montazeri's son in a terrorist attack; not only was he the only one to stand up to Khamenei and call to question his religious qualifications for the job he was handed in; no only was he the first cleric to stand up together with people whose vote was rigged and whose sons and daughters were dragged to blood, but also he was a genius and one of a kind in leading authority in Shiite and Sunni political and theological theories ...
Today, Khamenei has dared to play god, and wish Montazeri's sin of getting into cross hair with the regime be forgiven before god!!! I was not the only one to shake my head in disgust ... The least Khamenei's thugs have achieved is to have instilled enough curiosity and care in people like me to LEARN who the "bad guys" of the Islamic Revolution were ...
Here, I leave a video of his interview with Radio Zamaaneh. I hope someone will translate this. If not, I hope I find the time to. This is why Shirin Ebadi, Iran's leading Human Right's activist and Nobel Laureate mourns Montazeri, the Father of Human Rights in Iran.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Mourning women chant: Montazeri, Montazeri, Happy Freedom!
Mourning women chant:
Montazeri Montazeri Azadiyat Mobarak (Montazeri, happy freedom--He was under house arrest for the past 20 years)
Montazeri-e Mazloom; Rahat Edameh Darat (Montazeri, viictim of oppression, we will continue your path)
The Green Godfather Passes Away
This is a bit of a shock to me ... I am inclined to think conspiracy ... he was providing the starkest and also the most sincere opposition to the regime:
- He questioned Khamenei's qualification as Vali-E-Faghih
- He protested to atrocities to which the judiciary is partially admitting (i.e. to those killings whose photographs are distributed)
- He protested to the concept of religious monarchy
- He was the only cleric, the only founder of the IRI who stood to khomeini AGAINST the prison abuse and killings of political dissidents
- He was supposed to be the supreme leader, until he began protesting to IRI's atrocities--for which he was humiliated and put under house arrest.
...But he was 87 ...
But he was in good health ... apparently his son says so ......
- He protested to atrocities to which the judiciary is partially admitting (i.e. to those killings whose photographs are distributed)- He protested to the concept of religious monarchy
- He was the only cleric, the only founder of the IRI who stood to khomeini AGAINST the prison abuse and killings of political dissidents
- He was supposed to be the supreme leader, until he began protesting to IRI's atrocities--for which he was humiliated and put under house arrest.
...But he was 87 ...
But he was in good health ... apparently his son says so ......
This is a loss the Greens will mourn in all their courageous glories ... And this is perhaps a death that Khamenei and his ilk should fear most ... without people like Montazeri, the entire religious establishment becomes vulnerable to the Greens fed-upness with clerical rule.
I will add more info as they become available.
Yes ... Khamenei better be shaking in his robe ... already large crowds of his followers from several cities are heading to his home Ayatollah Montazeri's followers are real Shiites ... and Ashura-day will coincide with Ayatollah Montazeri's 7th day of mourning; an important day in Iranian mourning tradition ... no Basiji, no thug, no fascist will be able to hold people back from this funeral ...
This snapshot of Farlse News front page is an indication of HOW afraid of Montazeri this regime is:
Titles in order of appearance
Already, university students are canceling classes and gathering in Qoran-reading groups to mourn Ayatollah's departure. On Montazeri's facebook, there are plenty of moving testimonials of people who remember how Montazeri was the only official who showed care and sympathy when they sought help with the arest of their children in the 80s; people are remembering how he was ridiculed because he cried on TV the loss of his son in a terrorist attack in 1981 ...
I will add more info as they become available.
Yes ... Khamenei better be shaking in his robe ... already large crowds of his followers from several cities are heading to his home Ayatollah Montazeri's followers are real Shiites ... and Ashura-day will coincide with Ayatollah Montazeri's 7th day of mourning; an important day in Iranian mourning tradition ... no Basiji, no thug, no fascist will be able to hold people back from this funeral ...This snapshot of Farlse News front page is an indication of HOW afraid of Montazeri this regime is:
Titles in order of appearance
- 93% of Iranians are pro-nuclear development!
- A young Afgan boy died under an American tank!
- Salahshoor [Some asshole pretending to be a cinematographer]: Our filmmakers are not familiar with Ashura Epic!
- Hojjatol-Eslam-Val-Moslemin [a religious title for people who have not reached the rank of Ayatollah yet]: If someone disagrees with the supreme leader, god punishes him!
- Salimi responds to Hashemi's second response!
- [and then finally] Hosseinali Montazeri passed away at the age of 87! [No mention of his title: Ayatollah Ozma, which means GRAND ayatollah; no mention of his being the senior mojtahed of ghom, no mention of hhis being the CO-founder of the IRI, no mention of his being the theoretician of "Velayat-e Faghih"--something he regretted later for the abuse of power it unleashed, and against which he spoke bravely ... the fear of Farce news, the Gobblesian mouthpiece of Ahmadinejad's lies, is apparent in the ommission of Ayatollah Montazeri's religious titles ... these people seem intent on shooting themselves in the foot ... we shall show them ...]
Already, university students are canceling classes and gathering in Qoran-reading groups to mourn Ayatollah's departure. On Montazeri's facebook, there are plenty of moving testimonials of people who remember how Montazeri was the only official who showed care and sympathy when they sought help with the arest of their children in the 80s; people are remembering how he was ridiculed because he cried on TV the loss of his son in a terrorist attack in 1981 ...
Despite disrespectful behavior of Iran's state media, NajafAbad, Ayatollah's birthplace comes to a total halt:
(See more pictures here)
===============================================
Mousavi's message calls to the religious leaders to fill in Montazeri's shoes, and to not let the youth render them totally useless. He is not this explicit, but he is explicitly asking the religious leaders to "respond to the calls and needs of the youth", like Montazeri did, to keep religion a relevant part of teh Iranian life.
Karoubi, Khatami have also issued sad and graceful condolence messages. Khamenei has issued a double-edged one; where first he praises the grandness of the ayatollah and then prays for him to be forgiven for the "sin" of opposing Imam Khomeini
(when i say these people are intent on shooting themselves on the foot, this is what i mean: Khamenei is even INCREASING the worth of Montazeri by bringing up his disagreement with Khomeini). Hashemi has also issued a statement.
Many of IRI's who's who will be attending the funeral tomorrow.
============================================
Just in: The Intelligence [or dumbness] ministry has threatened Green leaders, activists and journalists who plan to participate in Ayatollah's funeral, that they will be arrested as soon as they arrive in Qom
The Press-Butchers have already pulled their knives and issued a memo to newspapers FORBIDDING them to write ANYTHING other than the condolence message of the Soupreem leader!!!!!
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Friday, December 18, 2009
The Magic Flute
The reporter asks the the blind "street performer" in Isfahan: What are you waiting for?
-Waiting? Waiting for What? I am not waiting for anything! Az di ke gozasht hich az oo yaad makon (When it's yesterday, don't recall it ...), Wating for what? Just live your life!
This is the Iran that will not crush under sanctions; that will not disappear under bombs.
This is the Iran that will not succumb to fascists; that will not become a country of consuming cadavers.
This is the Iran that grandmother left for us.
This is the Iran that we will leave for our grandchildren.
This is the country of wind, water, fire and dust.
This is where people dance to Rumi and sing with Khayam; where they stare into stars with Biruni and into earth with Avecinna; where they settle with Hafiz and travel with Sa'di; where they dive into the past with Ferdowsi and fly onto the future with Attar.
Last time I was in Isfahan, I was with my British boss ... walking under the cloudy December sky. Music played afar. Night was mild. A group of young boys were dancing in one of the vaults of the bridge (33 Pol). We went to Iran to prove Bush wrong that Iran was the country of fanatics that deserved bombing and sanctions. He stopped; sighed, stared into zayandeh rud and said: "I will go back; smack them all colleagues of mine and tell them get off of their asses, get their visas and come here to see it for themselves ... Iran defies all imagination."
It does ...
Sunday, December 13, 2009
The Red Violine
I am going to ignore all these popping news about who is protesting where, burning what, threatening whom. I am going to think of the man in this video, who plays a red violin, quite awfully if I may say so, but quite beautifully i shall say so, in the ruins of perhaps an abandoned village, in a mountain in north of Tehran which in most likelihood awaits the ugly monsters of developers to wreak havoc to it and turn it into stunningly beautiful marble floored and granite facaded apartment complexes, that are to be occupied by a new-rich of lowest intellects and highest complicity, who has perhaps ascended through a thick rope of connection to the ruling elite in Iran, while acting like a poor populist stinky bearded tuna melt in the oven of the grand leader!
Last time I was in one of such super luxe apartments--with a 270-degree view down Tehran--the host, the Basiji-looking director of some important research center in Iran (who embarrassed us when he exhibited his scientific inadequacy to our foreign academic guest) greeted us with bare feet (no socks) ... We were offered a great dinner while listening to his wife talking about the great sacrifice they made to leave Europe to go back and serve Iran; and then we learned the purpose of the dinner was not to discuss futures of scientific collaboration, but to guide his child (a semi-drop out with miserable GPA) get admission to a Western University ...
For now, I am going to ignore all that and just keep this image in my head, this moving painting, as my friend describes it.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Media Wedgy: Why is Ahmadinejad's media burning Khomeini's photos?
See the end for updates.
I was planning to ignore this one. After all, one cannot get too serious about every stupid interaction the Coup D'etat thugs force on the protesters in Iran. But then I thought the IRIB's pulled on Greens underwear, trying to give them a wedgy!
Again, it seems like the IRIB has resorted to the very Russian device of Montage: they have intercut images of a burning picture of Khomeini with green protester. There is no continuity of image here; and for majority of people (who are IRIB watchers) it is the continuity of narrative that precedes the filmic sequence. After this video, that is shown to a bunch of fossils in the "holy!" city of Ghom, mayhem has begun; everyone on the left and the right sides of the spectrum is going whoohaaa! The Ahmadinejadists are accusing Greens of Khomeini-burning and the Greens are accusing Ahmadinejadists of news falsification and media provocation.
Truth is, with pulling this latest trick, Ahmadinejad's trying to expose the private crack of the movement.
First I should say that it is virtually impossible that anyone in the Green side will have ignited Khomeini's picture. This is not because all who are on the green side are Khomeini devotees. Au contrair, many are not. Many of those who are now joining and cheering the Greens are victims of Khomeini's order of mass executions in the 80s. Many are war-refugees who were forced to exile because they didn't want to fight a war on the premise of "Jerusalem's path goes through Karbala". Many of them are monarchists who have had their lives shattered and their relatives pierced with "revolutionary bullets" of the 10-minutes long revolutionary courts resided by 20 year old fanatics that have turned into Ahmadinejad-like characters. However, these groups have been disciplined in staying in the background. Their discipline has not come from their own good judgement. To borrow from our great poet Shamlou, that generation--who has suffered IRI perils long before these Green kids were born--"doesn't have a good historical memory; they are in a slumber leaning on one arm, and when that arm gets tingly they roll over the other one"--instead of getting up. Therefore, much of their staying in the background is an outcome of the decisive will of the new Greens to not give them the front-lines, and insist on the line of "the past is past, we are going to live present differently to built a future that you failed at building." The Greens will not have ignited Khomeini's picture because Karoubi and Mousavi, their elected leaders, were closest associates of Khomeini, much closer to the revolution leader than Ahmadinejad or Larijani's would have ever dreamed of. Out of respect for the spirit of unity of the Green camp, to which they have been so consistently devoted, they will not have done this.
But, this is precisely what Ahmadinejadists know and aim at breaking. Increasingly, different pro-Khomeini institutions, including the centre for publication of his his works, is blaming this on the IRIB and suggests this is a propaganda that falsifies truth. But Ahmadinejad's agenda is to draw a wedge between the pro-Khomeini Greens (i.e Mousavi and Karoubi) and the other ones--perhaps even the majority of greens, who cannot forgive IRI's crimes under Khomeini's rule. This is putting Mousavi and Karoubi and many other opponents of the IRI at odds with eachother. Mousavi and Karoubi cannot come out and "apologize" for crimes that took place when Khomeini was alive and they were at the helm of power. This doesn't mean they don't regret it, nor does it mean that they had much control over the megalomanic in chief. But, they CANNOT come out and side with those who denounce Khomeini.
On the other hand, those who are opponents of the concept of "velayat-e faghih" are in stark opposition to Khomeini--who AFTER holding a referendum to ask people if they wanted an Islamic REPUBLIC, tricked the nation into "absolute juriprudence" by modifying the constitution. So far, the Greens have been able to keep united by pointing the arrow in the direction of Khamenei; keeping the dead one alone and voicing their opposition against the killings that took place under this new supreme leader's watch. But the coup d'etat camp has now done a clever deflection of hatred (the undergarment of the Green movement) from Khamenei onto Khomeini.
Of course, Ahmadinejad has another objective too: showing Khomeini picture ablaze is a BIG taboo. In a country where burning flags of America and Israel has been used as symbolic propaganda, to suddenly show Khomeini pictures burning is a "cultural shock." It is a declaration of war, so to say. It is a promise that they are intent on using this as an excuse to oppress the opposition even more violently. In fact, today one of these savages has said: "If Agha [supreme leader] suggests, I will chew their [greens] throats." These kind of provocations fit Ahmadinejad's schizophrenic prophecy of the "proximity of the return of Imam-e Zaman" and the ensuing apocalypse.
But, that is not all!
Ahmadinejad has been long aiming to position himself on the same platform of "grandness" as Khomeini. (Khamenei's sticking to Ahmadinejad because in the image of Ahmadinejad he sees projection of HIS power, but this is not the case. It is now clear that Khamanei is the puppet of Ahmadinejad's camp) What best way to get on Time and Newsweek covers almost as frequently as Sarah Palin than to make outlandish claims such as "wiping zionism off of the map", "having proof that the US's presence in Iraq is to prevent the return of the messiah", "having a halo of light surround him when he mesmerized his UN audience", and of course "showing off his yellow cake"? These days, they have become even more explicit in claiming their "global leadership" and superseding Khomeini's "fame"--or infamy, if you will. I stumbled on a vide last week, where one of IRGC's commanders was speaking to university students (of Ahmadinejad ilk) and telling them how when he goes abroad and talks to Muslims no one knows Khamenei or Khomeini and that everyone talks about Ahmadinejad![video in Persian] (Actually, in some of those Imam-Zaman awaiting mosques, books have been circulating that describe a man "in the physical appearance of Ahmadinejad" that will be accompanying Imam Zaman!
It seems to me that the bully is trying all of his tricks; first pulling a scarf over the head of a male movement leader and next pulling the underpants of the Greens up their neck ...
What have they up their sleeves next? ... shooting Columbine?
- Larijani, an ultra-conservative (and from the opportunist Larijani clan) used to run the IRIB; he was also the nuclear negotiator of Ahmadinejad who resigned after a rather public disagreement with Ahmadinejad over the nuclear issue. Last week, Larijani also criticized "certain movements that were trying to eliminate Hashemi Rafsanjani from the political scene".
- Ahmadinejad's efforts to make backdoor deals with the 5+1 powers over the nuclear issue (such that they can all save face by sticking to their lines, but in private soften up their positions) is becoming a liability for the hardliners. In these situations, the best way to save Ahmadinejad's ass is to create a crisis and distraction.
- Dr Soleimani-pour, the CEO of the financial group that bought 50% of Iranian Telecom Organization (the controversial deal of Iran's economic history) was found dead with his wife in his house. This man was overseeing the most powerful of the IRGC's cartels at the time of death, but also used to be a high ranking member of IRGC with focused participation in communication security and information. Investigations about the cause their death has not concluded.
- Speaking of telecommunications, yesterday this organization issued a statement that they will be upgrading one of the BSC centers that services several Tehran regions (the heart of conflict, I would say!) and that mobile networks will be disconnected for three days!
- The Guardian Council dumps the proposed resolution to spend 20 million dollars to expose America's human rights abuses. The parliament, on the other hand has decided to not make public the results of an inquiry made into the violations of human right abuses in Iran after the June election. If you remember, when this endeavor began, they were gun ho about what a liar Karoubi was. That they have decided to discuss the report in private is a proof that they have found stinking rats amongst themselves!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Mousavi and Karoubi warn that following fake statements attributed to the army, new crackdowns are underway.
در صورت قطع اینترنت و آغاز حرکات احمقانه رژیم ، منتظر خبر نباشیم . وعده ما انقلاب تا آزادی شاید در پی بیانیه مشکوک دیروز ارتش ، طرح خنثی سازی یک کودتای فرضی مطرح است . حکومت
نظامی و بازداشتهای گسترده . شاید اطلاع رسانی را قطع کنند. آماده باشیم و در صورت قطع ارتباطاتمان ، منتظر رسیدن خبر از آسمان نمانیم
This was just posted on both Karoubi and Mousavi's facebook. They are announcing rally paths, IN CASE leaders of the movement are arrested. It seems, following a suspicious statement attributed to the Iranian army (but it is fake by all means or at least there is no evidence that it is real) the IRGC is gearing up for widespread arrests to put down the "imaginary" coup d'etat!
See this post; it is the prelude to the frontal assault.
ُTHIS POST WAS MADE ON SATURDAY 23:56 PM, Tehran time.
نظامی و بازداشتهای گسترده . شاید اطلاع رسانی را قطع کنند. آماده باشیم و در صورت قطع ارتباطاتمان ، منتظر رسیدن خبر از آسمان نمانیم
This was just posted on both Karoubi and Mousavi's facebook. They are announcing rally paths, IN CASE leaders of the movement are arrested. It seems, following a suspicious statement attributed to the Iranian army (but it is fake by all means or at least there is no evidence that it is real) the IRGC is gearing up for widespread arrests to put down the "imaginary" coup d'etat!
See this post; it is the prelude to the frontal assault.
ُTHIS POST WAS MADE ON SATURDAY 23:56 PM, Tehran time.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Men in Veils: Ahmadinejad's latest media charade backfires.
One of the areas that Ahmadinejad wishes to follow in the footsteps of Hitler is the domain of propaganda. He has been long after media sensationalism; and because he is not good looking, charming or charismatic, he has opted for the grotesque to attract his audiences.
The first exhibition of his "media" war was the staged trials; where over hundred reformists, previous ministers and bankers and journalists were brought together with younger protesters and some occasional hooligans to a televised court (In pajamas and plastic slippers, without socks--something that is highly rude in the Iranian culture) and forced them to "confess" and "regret" their having been naive and under western influence. When the new judiciary head took over, and fired the butcher prosecutor, Ghazi Mortazavi, these show trials stopped; and I heard that prisoners were given the option to file a complaint against the court and the judiciary. Of course, this is perhaps another media-trick because nothing in the condition of many of these prisoners has changed, and following their forced confessions (and even without succumbing to confessions) the prisoners have been given a minimum of 5 years of jail term--those with lower profiles or minority status are also given death sentence.
After the student protests of December 7th, a new wave of arrests and harassments has begun. But this time, the IRI has made a serious media faux-pas! They arrested an engineering student from Amir Kabir University, who for many years has been a highly vocal and leading advocate of democracy and proponent of the dictatorship to which Ahmadinejad clings--i.e. velayat-e faghih. (He has also suffered multiple disciplinary actions). On the day of protests, this student gave an impassioned speech. You can see the video of his speech at the bottom of this post.
Following the protest, he was beaten, injured and savagely arrested. The IRI's media gurus decided to humiliate him so they published pictured of Majid Tavakoli, wearing female hijab. The IRI mocked Tavakoli for being a "chicken" and trying to escape in female attire. About 28 years ago, the IRI pulled this same trick on Abulhasan Banisadr, the democratically elected president who was ousted from office because he did not wish to prolong the Iran-Iraq war. Pictures of Banisadr appeared that showed he escaped in female clothing.
in_hijab.jpg)
This time however, the IRI is facing a new generation. This generation does not see masculinity as a form of power; rather it is ashamed of all the discrimination the gender disparities causes. This generation of green men has been going to school with women, and often overpowered in numbers and university ranking by their female peers. This generation has fought alongside the women movement in Iran. This generation has forced the conservative Mousavi to hold his wife's hand when walking to the pre-election rallies. This generation of men is SERIOUS about gender equality and perhaps--from what I have seen--more progressive in their demand for such equalities than elsewhere in the world.
Today, more and more of these men are making a statement by photographing themselves wearing a veil. You can see an example in this blog.
This last charade of the IRI media not only exposes the superficiality of Ahmadinejad's fascists in their understanding of media politics; but it is also illustrating HOW clueless they are. I presume these images are for the consumption of their "so called" rural supporters who run after trucks of free potatos; or humiliate themselves to get their personal letters to be read by Ahmadinejad, in home of a 100$ handout--coming from the oil revenue that have been going missing without parliamentary consent from the monetary reserves of the country.
But, no matter who the audience, Ahmadinejad is shooting himself and his "claim" that he respects women, that Iranian women are special and free, that Iranian women are worthy of entering his cabinet for the first time in the history of the IRI. Ahmadinejad is contradicting himself, as a schizophrenic that he is.
To photoshop a BRAVE student activist in female clothing suggest that he was COWARD raises important questions (these questions have been frequently asked across Persian media today):
1) WHAT is so scary in Iranian prisons that would make a student who is brave enough to stand on a car and give a speech, cross dress to escape? (That is in case he was, actually dressed as female at the time of arrest--a claim protested by his friends)
2) Is the IRI trying to humiliate a "man" by making him dress as a woman? Is being a woman a shameful thing? Is masculinity the sign of power? (That is in case the IRI has photoshoped, or forced him into this costume)
Today, many Iranian men and women have been asking this:
If WOMEN are "cowards", and forcingthem into Hijab strips power from a person, then how come these women who were forced into Hijab have stood up to IRI's Talibanism for the past 30 years; and have emerged more empowered and focused on their goals.
Of course Ahmadinejad's kissing an older woman's hand, claiming a teenager girl has "discovered nuclear energy in her basement, and appointing women to his cabinet are charades. As I am writing this, the parliament is examining a proposal to remove the clause that a man's right to re-marry (polygamy is permitted in Iran) depends on the consent of the first wife.
Ahmadinejad's destroyed all the foundations of the IRI ... of the Superpower Islamic Nation remains a cartoonish image! All the better, we can do without his comics' V for Vendetta!
New video denouncing fars-news' latest blunder, and in support of Majid Tavakoli
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Mousavi to fascists who are assigned to harassing him daily: Beat me, Kill me, Threaten me, you are doing your job .
This is a moving story. Apparently, in the past few days a band of bikers (Lebas shakhsi, aka Basiji) have been trying to intimidate Mir Hossein Mousavi; by harassing him and preventing his car to move out of the Art Academy—where he works. Today, as the fascist scene repeated, Mousavi got out of his car; away from his protectors; and walked towards the bikers; stood amongst them and said:
Beat me!
Kill me!
Threaten me!
You are just doing your job ...
This apparently moved many of the bikers into shame and regret and made them disperse.
Yesterday, Mousavi’s wife was attacked by the female version of these fascist mercenaries. She too had repeated: If you kill me, or cut me alive into pieces, will I not retract from my demand for justice and freedome.
Beat me!
Kill me!
Threaten me!
You are just doing your job ...
This apparently moved many of the bikers into shame and regret and made them disperse.
Yesterday, Mousavi’s wife was attacked by the female version of these fascist mercenaries. She too had repeated: If you kill me, or cut me alive into pieces, will I not retract from my demand for justice and freedome.
Monday, December 7, 2009
This is no longer about election fraud and Ahmadinejad's incompetence; this is a direct challenge to the concept of Velayat-e Faghih
There are so many videos out there that I don't know which to post now. My jaw is literally on the floor! There is no return now; and this is no longer about Ahmadinejad. This is a challenge to the supremacy of the leader!
They have been arresting students.
They have been video taping them, to intimidate them with future disciplinary action.
They have sent Basijis in the ranks of protesters to start beating them up as soon as they opened mouth to chant slogans.
They have pepper sprayed the high-profile protesters: Faezeh Hashemi and Zahra Rahnavard.
They have thrown stones at them.
They have tear gassed people.
I cannot believe slogans these kids are singing:
Torture, Crime, Death to this Velayat!
We say we don't want a king, they change his name to leader!
...
I keep updating pictures and videos here.
Today, day of student, ... (16 Azar, December 7th)
And kids are out ...
First Set: Elm O San'at University. This gathering is PARTICULARLY important because Elm-O-Sanat is Ahmadinejad's stronghold. He was a professor there and most of his ministers are (faked-PhDs) from the professors mafia of Elm O San'at.
This must be Tehran U or AmirKabi U. What I like is the sign the girl in the black veil is holding:
This vide is also brilliant! Students are each holding some money, extending it towards the Basijis, suggesting that they are confronting the people because they are on Ahmadinejad's payroll. In fact, this is not an outlandish suggestion. After the post-election oppression, the basijis had received bonuses and thanks for their participation. I think the salary for joining the band of biker-beaters was around 200$ per day. (Which reminds me that the parliament has vowed to investigate (again) the 1 billion dollar that went missing from the government coffers during Ahmadinejad's first term.)
This picture is chilling. The boy in white shirt is held by two Taliban-looking Al-quaeda-attired thugs. What is fascinating is the posture of the police. The men in dark green in the foreground. They are standing passively. By and large the police has not been bruitalizing--although some of the special guards are caught on video hitting little girls in the head. But in this picture, you see the BRUTALITY of the savages who are by all means foreigner to the rest of us Iranians!
More tear Gas! Imagine Tehran is a city of > 12 million people at night, only! Unless they carpet bomb the city, they will not be able to contain it. 30 years ago, the shah couldn't win over these people.
I loved one particular slogan: Polise zedde[anti] shooresh[riot]; Ahmadi ro beshooresh[wash ahmadinejad] :))
I was the first person to click on this on You Tube! This is Ilam University. Ilam is a little impoverished province in the South West of Iran. This is defying the notion that it is only a minority of Tehrani students who are acting chaotically.
And this is Kermanshah, one of Iran's Kurdish provinces and one of the most dangerous places to have a political profile. Recently, Ehsan Fatahian was hanged for his participation in Kurdish politics.
:)) this one is hilarious: In front of Tehran U, kids sing: Nang-e maa Nange Maa, Rahbare Aldange maa [our shame , our shame, our leader (is) lame]
And these are fresh images of protest in Kerman. Kerman is the hometown of Hashemi Rafsanjani 9rafsanjan is a city in province of Kerman.) Kerman has a long history of political participation, but it is also reputed for being one of the calmest provinces of Iran--its people famous for being lazy :) At the end of the 18th century, Kerman came under siege by Agha Mohammad Khan. The city was giving refuge to Lotfalikhan, the king from Zand dynasty, perhaps one of the best and most fair dynasties of Iran. Mohammad khan punished Kermanis for their loyalty to Zandiye by balling 210 kilos of eyes!! This painful defeat is believed to have paid a significant role in Kermani's rather conservative and passive roles in the history.Nevetheless, it is one of the ancient Iranian cities, rich with culture and architecture. The students of the "lazy" city are ALSO OUT. Notice they chant a little less forcefully than Tehranis or Kurds :)
And these are my favorite Xena pictures.
A little feisty girl teaching the guy a lesson! :)
The girls holding a V are standing in front of the engineering department (I think this is Mashad U).
This is what they mean by Lebas-shakhsi (plain clothes; or Basiji). Click on the picture to see the faces up close. What is the average age, you think? What is the motivation? I have seen real Basijis; they are shy; introvert; and quiet. These are hired thugs; or pre-Talibanized psychos, who need brain-washing in the clock-work-orange style!
And this is Ghazvin protests. Ghazvin's population is famous for their "chutzpa". :) They chant: "we are children of war, fight and we will fight you back!"
brave
brave
brave
...
for those who don't know, today is "National Day of Daneshjoo".
55 years ago (1953) on this day, the Engineering students of Tehran University, staged a protest against the appearance of Richard Nixon in Iran (after the American assisted coup d'etat of 1953). The shah's General, Fazlollah Zahedi opened fire on students and three were killed.
Today, Iranian students vowed to defy the orders and threats, and to flood streets. They have been chanting Allah-o Akbar last night, as loud as they could, as passionately as they could; in isolated dark pockets on the not-so safe roofs of Tehran. And today, they are chanting:
I will add photos and videos; once I have decided on the best of them--and finished work.
brave
brave
...
for those who don't know, today is "National Day of Daneshjoo".
55 years ago (1953) on this day, the Engineering students of Tehran University, staged a protest against the appearance of Richard Nixon in Iran (after the American assisted coup d'etat of 1953). The shah's General, Fazlollah Zahedi opened fire on students and three were killed.
Today, Iranian students vowed to defy the orders and threats, and to flood streets. They have been chanting Allah-o Akbar last night, as loud as they could, as passionately as they could; in isolated dark pockets on the not-so safe roofs of Tehran. And today, they are chanting:
Down With dictator!
...
I will add photos and videos; once I have decided on the best of them--and finished work.
First Set: Elm O San'at University. This gathering is PARTICULARLY important because Elm-O-Sanat is Ahmadinejad's stronghold. He was a professor there and most of his ministers are (faked-PhDs) from the professors mafia of Elm O San'at.
This must be Tehran U or AmirKabi U. What I like is the sign the girl in the black veil is holding:
Man be tang aamadeh-am az hameh chiz
begozaarid havaari bezanam
(I am fed up with every thing, let me scream ...)
This gives me goose bumps ...
This vide is also brilliant! Students are each holding some money, extending it towards the Basijis, suggesting that they are confronting the people because they are on Ahmadinejad's payroll. In fact, this is not an outlandish suggestion. After the post-election oppression, the basijis had received bonuses and thanks for their participation. I think the salary for joining the band of biker-beaters was around 200$ per day. (Which reminds me that the parliament has vowed to investigate (again) the 1 billion dollar that went missing from the government coffers during Ahmadinejad's first term.)
This picture is chilling. The boy in white shirt is held by two Taliban-looking Al-quaeda-attired thugs. What is fascinating is the posture of the police. The men in dark green in the foreground. They are standing passively. By and large the police has not been bruitalizing--although some of the special guards are caught on video hitting little girls in the head. But in this picture, you see the BRUTALITY of the savages who are by all means foreigner to the rest of us Iranians!
More tear Gas! Imagine Tehran is a city of > 12 million people at night, only! Unless they carpet bomb the city, they will not be able to contain it. 30 years ago, the shah couldn't win over these people.
I loved one particular slogan: Polise zedde[anti] shooresh[riot]; Ahmadi ro beshooresh[wash ahmadinejad] :))
I was the first person to click on this on You Tube! This is Ilam University. Ilam is a little impoverished province in the South West of Iran. This is defying the notion that it is only a minority of Tehrani students who are acting chaotically.
And this is Kermanshah, one of Iran's Kurdish provinces and one of the most dangerous places to have a political profile. Recently, Ehsan Fatahian was hanged for his participation in Kurdish politics.
:)) this one is hilarious: In front of Tehran U, kids sing: Nang-e maa Nange Maa, Rahbare Aldange maa [our shame , our shame, our leader (is) lame]
And these are fresh images of protest in Kerman. Kerman is the hometown of Hashemi Rafsanjani 9rafsanjan is a city in province of Kerman.) Kerman has a long history of political participation, but it is also reputed for being one of the calmest provinces of Iran--its people famous for being lazy :) At the end of the 18th century, Kerman came under siege by Agha Mohammad Khan. The city was giving refuge to Lotfalikhan, the king from Zand dynasty, perhaps one of the best and most fair dynasties of Iran. Mohammad khan punished Kermanis for their loyalty to Zandiye by balling 210 kilos of eyes!! This painful defeat is believed to have paid a significant role in Kermani's rather conservative and passive roles in the history.Nevetheless, it is one of the ancient Iranian cities, rich with culture and architecture. The students of the "lazy" city are ALSO OUT. Notice they chant a little less forcefully than Tehranis or Kurds :)
And these are my favorite Xena pictures.
A little feisty girl teaching the guy a lesson! :)
The girls holding a V are standing in front of the engineering department (I think this is Mashad U).
This is what they mean by Lebas-shakhsi (plain clothes; or Basiji). Click on the picture to see the faces up close. What is the average age, you think? What is the motivation? I have seen real Basijis; they are shy; introvert; and quiet. These are hired thugs; or pre-Talibanized psychos, who need brain-washing in the clock-work-orange style!
And this is Ghazvin protests. Ghazvin's population is famous for their "chutzpa". :) They chant: "we are children of war, fight and we will fight you back!"
General Petraeus: Ahmadinejad is best US recruiter in [PERSIAN] Gulf
General David Petraeus said on Fox News:
President Ahmadinejad and the Irani (Iranian) leaders continue to be the best recruiters for Central Command as we embark on our partnership plans. They've caused enormous worry and concern by those on the western side of the Gulf," said Petraeus, the head of US Central Command.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Mir Hossein Mousavi: the Architect
The commentaries (by the photographer, Kamran Adl, are in Persian). But you can get a glimpse of the the man the Green Movement has chosen as a leader for now.
Adl describes Mousavi as an artist, who merges the traditional and modern, with special focus on flow, light, glasswork, and two shiite colours, red and green.
Adl describes Mousavi as an artist, who merges the traditional and modern, with special focus on flow, light, glasswork, and two shiite colours, red and green.
Warning to Ahmadinejad: Manifesto
I don’t sing for love of singing
or to show off my voice
but for the statements
made by my honest guitar
for its heart is of the earth
and like the dove it goes flying....
endlessly as holy water
blessing the brave and the dying
so my song has found a purpose
as Violet Parra would say.
Yes, my guitar is a worker
shining and smelling of spring
my guitar is not for killers
greedy for money and power
but for the people who labour
so that the future may flower.
For a song takes on a meaning
when its own heart beat is strong
sung by a man who will die singing
truthfully singing his song.
I don’t care for adulation
or so that strangers may weep.
I sing for a far strip of country
narrow but endlessly deep.
Yes we have, thanks to Iran's 1979 revolution, learned ALL about resistance, with the myth that Jara died because he refused to stop singing ...
When were seeds of conspiracy planted? (Part 1)
For those LIBERALS who are intent on believing that Iran's Green Revolution is a little baby of USRael conspiracy, a colour revolution to undermine the wonderful socialist anti-imperialist anti-zionist Ahmadinejad, you will find below a translation of some statements oozing out of Ahmadinejad-Khamenei supporters, who are going to be the "generals" of Ahmadinejad's promised media-war.
These statements were made in 1999; I trust you are intelligent enough to recognize that the June 2009 Coup D'etat has been planned since a while ago--yes as far back as in 1979; but it is only in 1997 that the devil declared its profound hatred for anything that could resemble humane in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
I stumbled on these statements from Masood Deh-Namaki. Be warned, in his wikipedia profile, his promoters are making him sound like an intelligent modernist muslim in search of a progressive Islamic nation! He is not; he is an ooportunist! He is a member of Ansar Hezbollah, the Basiji groups in charge of derailing and intimidating Khatami's reformist government. His fame and unprecedented fortune came as he turned from Basiji to filmmaker. As a filmmaker he is painfully trivial. His films, and the amount of attention and publicity he gets from teh IRI is a slab in the face of Iran's 100-years long cinema tradition. I FORCED me to fork out about 3 dollars to go see his film in an Iranian cinema; I could hardly contain my nausea. With much governmental support, he made the first war-comedy, which is now turning into a sequel. The comedy is about a group of criminals who end up in the front-lines of Iran-Iraq war; and "slowly" become transformed into bravehearts (a la Basiji style.) The theme of the film resembles the dynamics of social-political shifts in the IRI. The thugs of Dehnamaki's "Ekhrajiha" portrays new-comers who resemble many of the post-Ahmadinejad popping figures in the political and economic scenes of Iran (you have surely read elsewhere about their faked credentials and their financial grayness). These individuals are street-smart and ruthless, as are the characters of Dehnamaki's film. Similar to Ahmadinejad's team, Dehnamaki's thugs are not trusted by the clerical establishment. Similar to all the incompetent individuals who are now at the helm of Iran's ruling class, it is only the "transformation" and hearty "loyalty" of these con men that white wash their lack of intelligence or ideological grounding. Their hooliganism is what "saves" the war; because of fight the enemy headlessly, they are called heros!
Well, so where do Mr Dehnamaki's cinematic ideas stem from?
Jebheh [frontline] Magazine, No 50, 7- Esfand, 1378 (28 Dec, 1999):
Stubbornness and political revenge is characteristic of Tehran's votes. Voting in Tehran is not entirely a political act. Sometimes it has psychological, social and cultural aspects. These things don't deserve much attention. Voting for new figures is a protest not a political choice. ... On the vote day, I saw many Tehranis who came out with their dogs to vote. These [people] are creatures whose support of a candidate doesn't go beyond their ballots. We have to change the game such taht these people go hide in their houses ... Of course, violence should not become a daily affair, but in certain days, we have to apply it strongly and swiftly."
In support of Dehnamaki's idea, another Basiji from the notorious Ansar Hezbollah, adds:
Around the formation of the new parliament, Basiji brothers and the security forces should increase pressure on cultural, social and moral aspects [meaning freedoms of dress and press], such that with vigilant execution of Islamic penal code, the superficial middle class become disillusioned, and feel that the reformists are ineffective. We are living in an oriental country, thus proving what the popular belief considers incompetence and ineffectiveness, is important.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
The Romantic (President ... cough cough) Ahmadinejad!
But this is THE true love:
He is blushing here, but we all know he doesn't like Robed men!
Except this robed man !
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Meet an Iranian painter: Iran Darroudi
Iran Darroudi was born in the culturally wealthy Iranian city of Mashhad, in the evening of September 2nd, 1936. Her father came from a renowned family of traders from Khorasan and her mother from a family of Caucasian merchants who had migrated to Iran and settled in Mashhad in the wake of the October Revolution.(Read more on her official web site; also available in Persian and French).
Darroudi studied at Ecole Superier des Beaux-Arts in Paris, history of art at the École du Louvre in Paris, stained glass at the Royal Academy of Brussels, and television direction and production at the R.C.A. Institute in New York.
Darroudi, an international artist, in acquaintance of Artists such as Dali and Jean Cocteau, wrote her autobiography, entitled In The Distance Between Two Points…! (1997, Persian), in which she humbly and respectfully spoke of her love for the most eminent figures in her life: master Poor-Davood, Parviz Natel Khanlari, Ahmad Shamlu, Mehdi Akhavan Saless, Forugh Farrokhzad, Bijan Mofid, and others.
She writes:
My glance, searching the identity and culture of my own land stops at specific images and perspectives: my history, Persepolis, my birth place, Mashhad, the city with numerous minarets and… a summer resort village near Mashhad, which during the Second World War constituted the hiding place for our family members, and my paintings always continued portraying those impressions.An absolute silence dominates the space and the vitreous walls of the village, such walls without shadow; a silence as eternity and full of secrecy and ambiguity, with no oscillation.The sky of my land is sunny, streams of light flowing thereunto. The falling of light has the reverberation of thunder. A rustic road towards the village, and other roads quite similar to furrows on the surface body of the burning land lead to the eternity, and veins and streaks of the soil, with invisible relations, lead me to very far and inaccessible routes.Such invisible relations are in fact the same unions which later I have interpreted in my painting as my eternal relationship to my land. I have been born from such soil and will be buried in that, with such tranquility that the prevailing calmness will envy me.I have roots in this land, not for the cultural and traditional beliefs, but for such dear individuals who have joined the eternity in it. For my predecessors have lived in a land as vast as the frontiers of Iran; and they rest throughout it in places as elevated as befits their tall statures.
Dumped!
This is when they say a picture is worth a thousand words.
A high Russian official has recently stated that they will not isolate Russia by standing against the rest of the world community, protecting Iran from sanctions anymore.
Last night, I saw a clip of Ahmadinejad on an Iranian Talk show. He was ANGRY, literally spitting anger, calling IAEA stupid and huffing and puffing that he will start his new nuclear sites and reduce collaborations and blah blah blah. But in his tone was this MISERABLE agony of being dumped!
Russia's (and France's) track record is full of BETRAYAL and BACKSTABBING. Ahmadinejadists who didn't like the chants of "Down with Russia" in recent student protests, and insisted in changing them to "Down with Israel", Ahmadinejad who bragged about his lovely relations to Russia and China and South America is getting the SAME screw Fathalishah got a couple of hundred years ago; when France suddenly and unilaterally ended its alliance with Tehran (treaty of 1795), and threw it in front of the Anglo-Russian wolves, and left it no choice but to give in to the demands of the "imperialist" powers! (e.g. See Russia and Iran: 1780-1828; Muuriel Atkin, Page 132 to see the parallels.)
Sunday, November 29, 2009
What are Neo-Cons up to these days, vis a vis Iran?
They think they are "cheering on Iranians to topple the regime!" They come up with little pep talk of "fight on the good courageous people of Iran" and they perhaps think that beyond our little polite smiles we do not read their intentions. Perhaps they cannot even recognize that our silence is in the spirit of unity and in the interest of our country. At the same time they seem to be trying to silence, or make non-credible, voices for Iran who preach peace and engagement. This is how ....
At the same time, the Iranian authority should know that their little nuclear bluffs are NOT going to rally us behind them; that putting Iran in antagonistic situations, which will only underline and highlight the Western hypocrisies, WILL NOT make us align with them!
Also, see:
- Iran's Nuclear Program. Part I: Its History
- Iran's Nuclear Program. Part II: Are Nuclear Reactors Necessary?
- Iran's Nuclear Program. Part III: The Emerging Crisis
- Iran's Nuclear Energy Program. Part IV: Economic Analysis of the Program
- Iran's Nuclear Energy Program. Part V: From the United States Offering Iran Uranium Enrichment Technology to Suggestions for Creating Catastrophic Industrial Failure
- Iran's Nuclear Energy Program. Part VII: Are Referral of Iran's Nuclear Dossier to the Security Council and Resolutions 1696, 1737, and 1747 Legal?
At the same time, the Iranian authority should know that their little nuclear bluffs are NOT going to rally us behind them; that putting Iran in antagonistic situations, which will only underline and highlight the Western hypocrisies, WILL NOT make us align with them!
We will handle hypocrisies of Iran and Israel and the 5+1 SEPARATELY; each in its own context! The "imperialist" project is no longer an excuse for IRI's atrocities. And IRI's atrocities are no longer an excuse for the military industry complexes of USrael, and their colonial vendetta of anti-terrorism.
Ahmadinejad VS. Academia
Approaching 16-Azar (Rooz-e Daneshjoo; day of university students), the coup d'etat regime has intensified arresting students with the slightest inclination for reforms. Increasing reports suggest Ahmadinejad's regime is gearing for massive lay-off of university professors that do not fit the regime's bill of fundamentalism!! Of course, students are also gearing for massive protest, should their professors be forced to retirement or be banned from academic practice.
The "cleansing" of universities began 3 years ago; when in a controversial speech amongst university students, Ahmadinejad stated: "Today, students must shout scorns at a president who allows liberal and secular professors be present in universities." After this radical statement, conditions for firing and retiring prominent university professors was set. After this speech the following professors were banned from teaching in Tarbiyat-Modaress university (a post-graduate university in Tehran, with particularly strong philosophy and humanity programs).
I have not been able to find links to academic activities of all, but notice the fields of research from which these individuals are purged. It seems that Ahmadinejad is intent on getting rid of anyone who will hold him accountable to political history of the middle east, challenge his revolutionary claims, or raise issues with his illegal practices on the international and domestic fronts (labour, human rights, trade ... and criminal justice)
(This list is by no means complete, there are many more ...)
- Saeed Hajarian; Philosophy
- Mohsen Kadivar; Philosophy
- Mohamad-Taghi Ahmadi; fired because he protested to the firing of other colleagues
- Abolfazl Shakoori; Political Sciences
- Hashem Aghajari; head of History department
- Masood Ghaffari
- Hatam Ghaderi
The following were forced to retirement with the excuse of "low performance", or accused of spreading "velvet-revolution theories":
- Mohammad Mojtahed Shabestari
- Mohammad Ashoori, professor of criminal justice
- Hasan-Ali Doroodian, professor of civil rights
- Iraj Goldozian, professor of criminal justice
- Amir-Naser Katoozian, professor of civil rights
- Mahmoud Erfani, professor of contract laws
- Abulghasem Gorji, professor of Islamic laws
- Hosein Bashiriyeh, Political science
- Hadi Semati, international relations (see his views on nuclear issue [Persian], his positions seems very similar to what was proposed and agreed to by Iran in the recent Geneva meetings.)
- Homayoon Elahi, professor of Middle East and Persian Gulf
- Ahmad Sayee Safayee, Third-World politics
- Mir Jalal-Kazzazi, Classical literature (!!)
- Reza Reis-toosi, political science, specializing in history of petroleum economics
- Ezatullah Araghi, professor of labor law
Now the second wave of forced retirements has begun. In the first months of the illegitimate government, the following prominent professors of law are let go and BANNED from academic jobs:
- Mohammad-Reza Ziyayee Beygdeli, emeritus professor of international law, head of the department of law and political science in Alameh University
- Ai Azmayesh, Professor of international penal law, and criminologist
- Hossein Sharifi Taraz-Kouhi: professor of human rights
- Mohammad Mohammadi Gorgani: head of the department of human rights in Alameh Tabatabayee University was let go last year!
- Morteza Mardiha: professor of law and political sciences of that university was let go last year too.
(See Dr Soroush's report on militarization of Tarbiyat Modarres, after Ahmadinejad's first election and and older report from Sarmayeh, before it was banned)[Persian]
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Behzad Nabavi: 10 day off from prison on 800K bail
Before being given a mini-vacation (on over 800,000 dollars bail, the 68 year old Behzad Nabavi--one of the first revolutionaries and companions of Khomeini--was given 6 years of jail for his role in "instigating unrest". It is funny that he was arrested a few days after the coup d'etat. Even if he wanted, he didn't get the opportunity to provoke unrest!
You might want to consider that the bail for one of the most notorious drug-traffickers of Iran was set to 200K.
Nabavi is scheduled to undergo a coronary artery surgery upon return to prison. (He also underwent another operation while in prison.)
Cut 1: He is saying that his only concern was for his wife; because she is not political. He says that when he was young and in prison, he was single, so he had little care, he was in prison for 20 months and no worries, but now ...
You might want to consider that the bail for one of the most notorious drug-traffickers of Iran was set to 200K.
Nabavi is scheduled to undergo a coronary artery surgery upon return to prison. (He also underwent another operation while in prison.)
Cut 1: He is saying that his only concern was for his wife; because she is not political. He says that when he was young and in prison, he was single, so he had little care, he was in prison for 20 months and no worries, but now ...
Cut 2: Then he says when they were moving her in the car (after court session) he sees his wife yell from afar behind the gates: Behhzaaaaaaaad; he sends her an air kiss and gets in the car.
Cut 3: Then when the car passes by, he sees her (who was not political) run in front of the car and show him the V and yell, don't worry, we will win! This surprises him tremendously, but also that she starts pointing finger at guards that "If one strain of hair is lost from his head", he then laughs that he has got no more hair to loose, "she will interview with every single media channel" ...
This is a GREAT video; in this joking family session, Nabavi's making it abundantly clear that he is not planning to give up--that his only concern, his family is now in this with him and fearlessly behind him. He is poking fun at the dictators whose chain of 6-year jail term sentences to these leaders of reform is aimed at deterring people from activism. Nabavi is giving a personal example of how the least political housewives are now radicalized into action, and have learned their ways of modern-resistance: neo-resistance ... Media is the Message!
Kurd student ranks first in Iran's university entrance exam
Entering the Iranian public universities is a prestigious event, especially if you rank #1 amongst over a million participants in a 6 hour (that's how long it was in my days) race to give correct answers to a multiple-choice questionnaire, testing you for every minute detail of what you have had to learn during 4 years of high-school.
In my days, 1989, we would start preparing for this at the beginning of the last year of highschool. Preparation meant taking "concours" classes, private tutors, and practicing a gzillion multiple-choice tests. (I was never a very disciplined and studious kid, so I hardly did any of that; but this is what my rich friends did. I was lucky to not be studious or else I would have envied their financial means; because there was no way in hell my parents would hire me a teacher to practice Modern Math or Literature! I was allowed to 10 sessions of tutoring (for my whole last year); and that was only to ask them questions that I could not solve myself. (I learned many years later that the tutors respected me for this and thought I would succeed academically, despite my poor performance in school!)
The year of my concours, 1989, is what makes this story particularly and personally significant for me. The story is of a boy (Rastegar Rahmani-Tanha), in a rural city (Javanroud) in one of the kurdish provinces of Iran (Kermanshah). It seems he was born in the same year that I graduated from highschool. Technically, he could be my son; since I have friends, classmates, whose children were participating in this year's concours. But it is none of the children of my wealthy fussy friends who have been developing ulcer over how their kids will rank, but this rural boy who has ranked #1. He has his highschool diploma in Math & Physics and has now ranked #1 in the Life Science competition. He has also ranked #1 in the foreign languages. He wants to become a doctor and serve his people. He attributes his success to hard work: 12-hour long study days and incessantly practicing test books.
I wish to put cynicism aside for a minute, and ignore the fact that IRNA has run this story, and ignore the possibility that this is another one of Ahmadinejadist's propaganda games. I wish to ignore the story on Tabnak, that is very different from IRNA's version as well.
According to Tabnak, Rastegar graduated from highschool 6 years ago (in this case, he cannot have been born in 1989); did not participate in concours for 3 years (Rahmani refuses to talk about his reasons); participated and ranked #30 in the Math and Engineering competition (still a very high honour) but could not go to university as he had to do his military service; and that his record-breaking performance in this years concours made the Organization of Evaluation of Education (the organization that holds concours) suspicious--because he had a low highschool GPA--and made him repeat the exam. He performed well in the second exam as well, thus granted full honors.
The Kurdish bloggers are jubilant. I too want to be happy for the triumph of this boy and share the joy this news is spreading in Iran's Kurdestan--where the ghost of Ehsan Fattahian is still hovering; where Zeynab Jalalian, a 27 years old woman, is scheduled to be killed one of these days.
Truth is, Iran's rural and poor regions often produce some of the most resilient and best talented citizens of the country--this is why despite the brain-drain which has been happening for at least a thousand years--Iran never depletes of creativity and intelligence.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Hilarious: Ahmadinejad's greeted with the Shah's anthem!
This is the official report from IRI's TV.
shaahanshaahe ma zende bada ... I don't remember the rest of it; I hardly had time to learn it in school, then revolution happened!:))
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Shirin Ebadi's Nobel Peace Prize: CONFISCATED by Ahmadinejad's government.
Times:"Iran’s hardline regime has confiscated the Nobel peace medal and diploma of Shirin Ebadi, the human rights lawyer who is one of its most potent and outspoken critics. Her bank account has also been frozen on the pretext that she owes $410,000 in tax.
The seizure of the award, unprecedented in its108-year-old history, caused outrage in Olso where the Nobel peace committee is based. The Norwegian Government summoned the Iranian envoy to protest, and the committee said it too would be registering a formal complaint.
“Such an act leaves us feeling shock and disbelief,” said Jonas Gahr Stoere, Norway’s Foreign Minister.
Iran’s action was unacceptable, said Geir Lundestad, the committee’s secretary. “A laureate has never been treated like that. Even political dissidents such as [Andrei] Sakharov and [Lech] Walesa were better treated in their countries,” he added, referring to the Russian dissident and Polish trade union leader who won the prize while living in the Soviet bloc." (read the rest)
Here's an interview of Ebadi with the Persian Deutsche-Welle. The news has outraged not only the Norwegians but also the Iranian community. Ebadi's life has bean threatened for a long time, but the Iranian regime has been tightening the screws by making those threats more explicitely and also putting Ebadi's family (her husband and sister who are in Iran) under tremendous pressure. What makes this case even more disturbing is that the coup d'etat regime has confiscated her property out of her safe box in the bank! This mounts to bank robbery. Once again, Iran is witnessing a violation of property rights, on top of all violations of privacy. Thieves, Crooks and Liars ... sums up Iran's rulers!
Who is Iran's envoy to IAEA Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh (PhD)?
Reportedly, Soltanieh is a former nuclear scientist (I don't know how one can become a former scientist) from Utah State University (none of whose faculty is doing Nuclear physics). A mini resume of his past and present responsibilities is available from United Nations Industrial Development Organization.Soltaniyeh was appointed as a senior member of the nuclear negotiation team in December 2005, and introduced as Iran's representative to to IAEA at that time. About a year ago, he was interviewed by LA Times. In this interview he did not ooz out any deviation from the official line presumably dictated by the supreme leader's estate. As far as I can recall, he has only recently emerged as the front-man for Iran's nuclear negotiations.
I cannot find ANY other information on this gentleman, neither by English nor by Persian key words. I am specifically interested in knowing that as a "nuclear scientist" who has apparently supervised a few theses, what field of research he has specialized in. As a US-educated "scientist", former or current, one would expect to see a clear CV of this gentleman or some form of electronic foot print. At least you would want to know when he graduated, who was his PhD supervisor, what his credentials are. Could he be one of those many fake PhD cronies of Ahmadinejad? After all, if someone survives Ahmadinejad's administration for almost 5 years, then he must have exemplary obedient character.
If you have any information about this gentleman (other than his "secretly talking to Israel"--which was reported by Haa'retz), please share.
==================
I have to make it clear that I AGREE with Iran's government's stance, to NOT TRUST Russia and France about their commitment to providing Iran with nuclear fuel. I think the compromise of keeping the fuel on an Iranian Island, in possession and under surveillance of the IAEA, was a great one. Iran has also agreed to send away some of its uranium, but not all of it; and that exchange be done on Iranian soil--to be sure the replacement (20% enriched uranium) IS delivered to Iran before they export theirs (5% enriched uranium). Considering that El Baradei HAS pulled the rug from under Iranian negotiations BEFORE, leaving Khatami's administration (the reformists that Ahmadinejadists have been trying to get rid of) in cold, I cannot trust him--despite all his apparent "defense" of Iran's right to nuclear energy. The 5+1 is treating Iran in the same way that the Iranian regime is treating its citizens; assume guilty unless proven otherwise! And this is why I am finding it so hard to blog these days ... as an Iranian, I feel caught between TWO enemies: my government, and the 5+1+Israel!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Now that Maziyar Bahari is free, let's see what kind of reports he did
The funniest quote: I could smell them before I could see them.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Mohammad Mokhtari: Martyr of Words
This is the resume of Mohammad Mokhtari, the Iranian poet and writer, and one of the 80 victims of the rouge messianic employees of the IRI's intelligence ministry who claimed their murders justified under the "necessity" of defending the Islamic regime! His resume is rich of literary contributions; and rather free of politics. This is why his death highlights the nature of the beast that is running Iran today.Translated from his official website.
1942 Birth in Mashhad
1969 Honor graduate of Persian Literature
1969-71 Military service
1971 Joined the Foundation of Ferdowsi's Epic of Kings
1972 Married thw painter, Maryam Hosseinzadeh (two sons, Sohrab & Siyavash)
1976 Published three poetry books (Dar Vahm-e Sandbad-in Sinbad's illusion; Ghasidehaye Haviyeh--Ballad of Haviye; and Bar Shaneh Falat--on the shoulder of the plateau.)
1967-79 Publishing poems in magazines Negin and Ferdowsi
1979-80 Published poetry collection She're 57--Poetry of 1979; Taught in Dramatic Arts of Tehran University; collaborated in publication of Literature collection Bidaaran.
1980-81 Editor of Kanoon-e Nevisandegan-e Iran; collaborated with Shamloo on Ketab-e Jom'eh; Edited poetry collection Bahar & Vaghe'eh--Spring and Event--which was destroyed at the time of his imprisonment in this year. In this year, he was prohibited from holding any governmental jobs--that includes academia.
1981-84 Composed poetry collection She're Zendan--Prison Poetry, which he had to memorize because he was denied pen and paper. These poems are still unpublished, except for a handful published in Karnameh magazine. During his imprisonment, his name was removed from the publications of research on Ferdowsi's Story of Siyavash.
1985-87 Composed Manzooneh Irani--Iranian Rhymes.
1986-89 Joined the editorial of the magazine Donyaye Sokhan; Composed and edited poetry collection of Khiyaban-e Bozorg--The big Street; Published Hemaseh Dar Ramz O Raze Meli--Epic of the mystery and secret of nation; and Ostooreh Zaal--Paradox and Unity in National Epic.
1992 Joined the editorial staff of magazine Takapoo; Edited the anthology of 70 years of Iranian contemporary love poems; published Zadeh Ezteraabe Jahan--Born in Global Anxiety (translation of 150 poems from 12 European poets)
1993 Published literature criticism Ensan dar She're ma'aaser--Man in Modern Poetry
1994 Published translation of Tsvetaeva's biography.
1992-95 Composed Majmooeh Vazne Donya
1995 Spent 9 months in Canada and the US and gave lecture series on Persian literature. Published Barge Goft O Shenid--a page of conversation in Canada.
1996 Published the biography of Akhmatova
1997 Published the biography of Mayakovsky; and the biography of Mandelstam; started preparing several anthologies of Iranian contemporary poets.
1998 December 2nd; kidnapped and brutally killed by operators of the political faction from whom Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was appointed to power.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
One Case, Two Murders: Niloofar Beizaie remembers Dariush and Parvaneh Forouhar
Tomorrow is the 11th anniversary of the brutal slaying of Dariush and Parvaneg Forouhar. Dariush Forouhar, a Mosaddeghist, Minister of Labour in the provisional government after 1979 revolution, and the leader of The Nation Party at the time of his assassination (22 Nov 1998), was confronted at his house by 18 fundamentalist renegades of the Intelligence Ministry (During the reformist government of Khatami). They entered the house to investigate the case of a theft involving their car. Then, they separated Dariush and his wife Parvaneh, and stabbed them to death! The killers, who were later interrogated, but never prosecuted, considered themselves the "obedient soldiers of Valiye Faghih (i.e. Khamenei); that carried out orders to eliminate these blasphemous enemies" thus claimed "innocence" ... The religious fatwas for elimination of these political opponents were issued by some of the most stern supporters of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Mesbah Yazdi; Jannati; Khaz'ali and via Mohseni Ejeh-i to Ali Fallahian (all mullahs!) ... Accounts of interrogations of this murder (as one case from the chain murders of Iranian writers and intellectuals) were made available by Khatami's ministry of intelligence that admitted to the involvement of its employees. However under pressure Khatami could not see the case through to thorough justice. Although those responsible for the killing were known, their sentence was commuted by a judiciary system that kills teenagers for accidental crimes they commited in self defense. A key witness by the name of Sayeed Emami was killed in prison, and his death blamed on suicide!
The play below that was staged in Germany (Frankfurt) on Nov 1, 2009 is an enactment of Foruhar's murder case. It was directed by Niloofar Beyzaie.
Persian Chicks Goin' International: Laleh PourKarim
I was listening to Radio and heard this song (Live Tomorrow), which struck a cord with my mood of the day; and then I realized the singer is Iranian (by birth). Laleh Pour-Karim is my new find. Potentially, she can become my Tori Amos! (as I am slightly bored with Tori)
Here's Laleh's official web site.
See other Iranian-Swede ladies introduced on this blog before.
Here's Laleh's official web site.
See other Iranian-Swede ladies introduced on this blog before.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Before "Neda"; Iran's female icon of resistance was born 193 years ago
Tahere Ghoratol-Eyn; born Zarin-Taj Ghazvini.
She was born in 1816; to a religious family where the father and grandfather were high-priests, with traditional respect and power bestowed on Iran's priests, for they were the systematically schooled ones; before the Quajars embarked on importing Western modernity to Iran, slowly shifting the Iranian education system from theoretical to practical, from theological to pragmatic.
She was "killed" at the age of 36 (1852); arrested for blasphemy and executed by the torturers of the Iranian court, by suffocation. She was not hanged. The executioners of Mahmud Khan the sheriff stuffed her mouth with cloth, chocking her to death and dumping her body in a well.
Tahereh was a poet--a published woman; a rarity for women in those days, when the Oxford colleges did not even tolerate cleaning women entering through the main enterance of the Gentleman's campus.
Tahere was BEAUTIFUL, and anecdotes suggest the king had an eye for her; but she refused joining Nasereddin's shah's Heram; she was an intellectual to the core.
Tahereh was well versed in texts and theories of Islam. A truly "academic" woman, perhaps the first of her kind, to separate from her husband over academic disagreements, and move to Iraq, at the age of 29, to pursue her research and education in presence of Seyed Kazem Rashti. (Here, I am not interested in, or going to discuss the religious sects to which she was connected; for they are irrelevant to the topic.)
Tahereh's biggest challenge to the religious patriarchy was to be so highly educated in religious matters and YET shock the gentleman's establishment, who had accepted her because of her high intellect, by unveiling herself in their presence (in 1848). The shock was particularly grand BECAUSE of Tahereh's high honors in religious sciences, that had elevated her to a quasi-saint state. On the day she became the first woman to publicly unveil, she called for celebration of the moment of liberation from the chains and restrictions of the past. She wasn't executed for her unveiling, of course. After all, the Quajars were not religious monarchs, but "modernist" ones; they brought to Iran Cinema, Gramaphone, and technical university (dar ol fonoon). They tolerated Tahereh and her followers until Babis, to whose movement she belonged in a leading role, rebelled and planned an assassination of the King (Naser al'ddin Shah) a few years later. It is then that executions of the Babis began, and Tahereh was amongst the "dangerous blasphemous" to go. Of course, religious in Iran is, and has always been, a political tool; excuse if you will, to oppress the other at will. Proof for Tahereh's blasphemy was abundant: she called for equality of men and women!
Listen to one of her poems in Persian:
A Beauty Mark - Sahba Motallebi
Endnote: poem link from this weblog (Persian).
And here, a nice essay by Niloofar Baizai (Persian).
Moving on
This was on the sidebar of Neo-Resistance since the beginning of Ahmadinejad's Coup D'etat.
I am now going to move on from this topic and start, again, looking for gems or stems under rocks or shadows.
Four years ago, I blogged to counter neo-Conservative's propaganda machine and open a window to the full half of Iran's glass. Today, I blog because the actions of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during and after the election have left little doubt in my mind that he seeks a fascist state. I oppose any military action or economic sanction against Iran. We must press Iran on its human rights record. The nuclear issue is a red herring.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
To all those who feel eternal victims of British plot
Some Anonymous visitor of my blog has left me an interesting link: The Corruption Perception Index. (CLick here to see the interactive map; the larger the number, the lower the perception of corruption-ranked index.)
Interestingly, this person also seems to blame the British for all perils of the world. For example, he started by commenting about how Khomeni's father was a Brit; and hence all the misery that ensued! The likes of him visiting my blog are common; and luckily they get bored after a couple of reject-ions. But this person left me a link to this map to illustrate how UAE's corruption index ranking (30) was lower than Israel (32) and Italy (68) and Iran (168).
Because of this person's I-am-a-victim-of-British-evil mentality; I started looking at the ranking of some British Colonies:
New Zealand 1
Singapore 3
Australia 8
Canada 8
Hong Kong 12
Ireland 14
UK 17
USA 18
Cyprus 27
It's an interesting map! But I hope the Anonymous commenter will take home the message that It is not the Brits who are responsible for all evil in the world. The sooner the Middle Easterners STOP their victim mentality, the sooner peace and prosperity will come to them.
Interestingly, this person also seems to blame the British for all perils of the world. For example, he started by commenting about how Khomeni's father was a Brit; and hence all the misery that ensued! The likes of him visiting my blog are common; and luckily they get bored after a couple of reject-ions. But this person left me a link to this map to illustrate how UAE's corruption index ranking (30) was lower than Israel (32) and Italy (68) and Iran (168).
Because of this person's I-am-a-victim-of-British-evil mentality; I started looking at the ranking of some British Colonies:
New Zealand 1
Singapore 3
Australia 8
Canada 8
Hong Kong 12
Ireland 14
UK 17
USA 18
Cyprus 27
It's an interesting map! But I hope the Anonymous commenter will take home the message that It is not the Brits who are responsible for all evil in the world. The sooner the Middle Easterners STOP their victim mentality, the sooner peace and prosperity will come to them.
Monday, November 16, 2009
IRNA reports: the out-closeted Ahmadinejad's First Lady is an "engineer"!
So her name is: A'zam OlSadate Farahi; and she is referred to as 'mohandes' Farahi; meaning that she is an engineer. Let's see what IRNA has to brag about:
They start the report by bragging about the "hot" treatment Italian press has given her appearnace in rome. First, they cite the coverage the RIGHT WING paper LaStampa has given Iran's First Lady: that she is a mechanical engineer and mother of two. Apparently she has delivered a letter from Ahmadinejad to the Italian government [Perhaps seeking their advise on ow to become a corrupt and industrially successful religiously crazed post-fascist society :) ]. According to IRNA, citing the Italian report, Farahi has spoken "energetically", but refusing to go to the podium. [From what I saw, she seemed to be reading very timidly and like a school child!] According to IRNA quoting the Italian right wing paper, she has spoken about how Iran can serve as model, that under religious guidance and traditions, has a higher immunity to hunger problems elsewhere. [True, Islamic culture is very food-friendly and has several guidelines for ensuring your neighbors are not hungry. People HAPPILY share food; and in fact to not share food is considered RUDE and repulsive. When I fist came to the West, I was shocked by the idea of pot-lock party; eat your own sandwich, pay for your own food culture.]
IRNA also quotes from Courier della Serra: "surprising appearance of the first veiled First Lady in Rome, where people are used to fashionable world First Ladies."
Then IRNA's report becomes hilarious, talking about how Italians have written that Farahi is a symbol of Iranian women, in a country where Marziye Dastgerdi can become a minister; that she is not just a shadw of her husband but a "political" personality because she has an engineering degree [I keep thinking about all fake PhDs Ahmadinejad's cronies had]; and then the bomb quotation from the Italian paper: "In Iran, 60% of university students are female, and Shirin Ebadi, the winner of Nobel Peace Prize is another symbol of this complex society". [so this citation makes me think: What the hell? IRNA and Iranian government have been harassing and threatening Ebadi for YEARS; and her life's under threat, now they are citing Italian press talking about her as a SYMBOL and equating Ahmadinejad's servant to Ebadi, who stands on podiums of the world to decry IRI's crimes?!!]
So, what has this "independent political figure with an engineering degree" has said? According to IRNA (citing the wife of Rome's mayor, Isabella Rauti) Mrs Farahi spoke 5 minutes which seemed within the framework of the summit's agenda; and in her speech she said that her husband has taken steps to help women claim their rights! Citing the Italian official news agency (ANSA): Farahi has said that Iran is piloting a project that strongly supports breast-feeding and within-family cooperations. She has emphasized women's rights and has stated that the husbands must guarantee food, clothing and housing for their wives.
(news code on IRNA 793603)
======= Thanks to Parvati, here's what the Italian Press has had to say About Ahmadinejad's wife.
LaStampa Headline: FAO - first ladies in Rome. Ahmadinejad's wife.
A short text and a few pictures of different first ladies including Ahmadinejad's wife with the following caption:
"Lady Ahmadinejad.
Mme Ahmadinejad during the summit of the First Ladies of the Non-Aligned Nations at the headquarters of the FAO (Food and Agricultural Organisation of the UN) on 15th November 2009 in Roma.
The wife of the Iranian president, in black chador and fumè glasses, launched an appeal to have food and medicines guaranteed in the Gaza Strip, then proposed Iran's example for food security in families and attacked «the mercantilist attitude to the exploitation of resources and the policy of occupation and arms-racing», declaring it responsible for poverty and hunger in the world.
Italian quasi-official press agency ADN-KRONOS:
IRAN: AHMADINEJAD'S WIFE IN ROME FOR FAO SUMMIT, HER FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE
Rome, 15 nov. (Adnkronos) - Signora Ahmadinejad, wife of the Iranian president, is in Rome to participate in the second summit of the first ladies of the Non-Aligned Nations movement which opened this afternoon at Fao. Mrs. Ahmadinejad, in dark glasses and black chador, is seated between the representative of Namibia and the empty chair of the Iraqi delegation. Since her husband was first elected president in 2005 Mrs. Ahmadinejad, who has a degree in engineering, three children and a very conservative political stance, had never before appeared on public occasions on her own.
3-line headline from big centre-rightish daily "il Corriere"
The wife of the Iranian president, in black chador and fumè glasses, launched an appeal to have food and medicines guaranteed in the Gaza Strip, then proposed Iran's example for food security in families and attacked «the mercantilist attitude to the exploitation of resources and the policy of occupation and arms-racing», declaring it responsible for poverty and hunger in the world.
Italian quasi-official press agency ADN-KRONOS:
IRAN: AHMADINEJAD'S WIFE IN ROME FOR FAO SUMMIT, HER FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE
Rome, 15 nov. (Adnkronos) - Signora Ahmadinejad, wife of the Iranian president, is in Rome to participate in the second summit of the first ladies of the Non-Aligned Nations movement which opened this afternoon at Fao. Mrs. Ahmadinejad, in dark glasses and black chador, is seated between the representative of Namibia and the empty chair of the Iraqi delegation. Since her husband was first elected president in 2005 Mrs. Ahmadinejad, who has a degree in engineering, three children and a very conservative political stance, had never before appeared on public occasions on her own.
3-line headline from big centre-rightish daily "il Corriere"
- Iranian political refugees in Italia protest: «the government should send her away»
- Ahmadinejad's wife to the first ladies «Capitalism is the cause of poverty»
- First public speech by Azam al-Sadat Farahi at the FAO summit, completely covered by a black chador
Thursday, November 12, 2009
So ... they started it with execution of a Kurdish prisoner
NUMBING D I S G U S T ...
Shame on IRI ... SHAME ...
Ehsan Fatahian becomes the FIRST political prisoner executed after Ahmadinejad's Coup D'etat
Read more on it in Kurdishrights.org
You know my stance on nuclear issue; now here's my take on minority issues:
1) My heartfelt condolences and solidarity with all my Kurdish and Baluchi friends and fellow countrymen. In their plight for equal rights I stand with them.
2) The charges of Kurdish or Baluchi separatism ARE RED HERRING TOO. As far as I know, the kurdish and Balushi activists are not seeking sectarian divide; just a little recognition of their rights; and a little attention from the central government that is WASTING away the wealth of that country, keeping these marginalized, border-dwelling people DEPRIVED of not only right to educate and develop in their own languages; but also of the slightest economic development that can assist them change their own human condition.
3) I CONDEMN any form of violence against ANY minority or faction who chooses to not belong to another country. Frankly, with this latest crime against the Kurds, I don't know why they should care to stay under the Iranian flag.
4) As a member of the Persian/Shiite majority of my country am UTTERLY ASHAMED of the crimes committed against the minorities of my country.
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Saturday, November 7, 2009
Googoosh
Clip from Dar Emtedaade Shab, 1978 (Along the night) ... things that led to the Islamic Republic of Iran ... pity! She, Faegheh Atashin, known as Googoosh, was/is a great star. I didn't know pre-revolutionary Iranian film had this much flesh! Here's her official web site with lots of cool pictures.
And this is for Iran, now, ... She still sounds GREAT after 30 years!
And this is for Iran, now, ... She still sounds GREAT after 30 years!
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