As I contemplate the loss of life, I can’t help but also mourn the loss of so many things that meant so much in this old, exhausted city: the death of art, music, books, … Everything that lived on so strongly, despite the crusades. They are not dead, but buried deep within, and will be, [...]
Read Full Post »
The Iranian political libido is going berserk. Ahmadinejad has just openly used the word “boob” in a speech: He made the remarks in a meeting with Iranian expats when declaring that the West’s tactics for scaring Iran will never work; that they are but “empty threats”. But who are these ”expats”? Scroll to 2:23 to get [...]
Read Full Post »
Mousavi in parliament. The banners behind him say: “jangh, jangh ta pirouzi” [war, war until victory] And “dirouz Khoramshah, emrou Karbala” [Yesterday (we freed Iranian) Khoramshahr. Today, (we capture Iraqi) Karbala]. ———————————— The Iran-Iraq war began on September 22nd, 1980 when formations of Iraqi MiG-23s and MiG21s attacked Iran’s air bases at Mehrabad and Doshen-Tappen (both near [...]
Read Full Post »
Mohammad Nourizad is a writer, producer and journalist. He began his work for IRIB with the late Morteza Avini’s Revayateh Fath [Tales of Resistance] – a documentary series on the Iran-Iraq war. Prior to the election, he wrote for the hardline newspaper Keyhan, but what made him a household name was his support of the [...]
Read Full Post »
Here you can see Esmaiel Ahmadi Moghadam talking about the need to “prepare for the new year festivities”. I’ve previously written about the new year festivities and protests here: Why Chaharshanbeh Suri is a REALLY BAD idea Sizdah Bedar, a day of renewal … a day of protest? The opening remarks sound innocent enough about [...]
Read Full Post »
Javad Larijani is the head of the Human Rights Council in the judiciary and a top adviser to the supreme leader. Additionally Larijani has been the Director of Institute for Studies in Theoretical Physics and Mathematics in Tehran. His two brothers, Ali Larijani and Sadeq Larijani are heads of parliament and the judiciary, respectively. He [...]
Read Full Post »
How this: created this: What TV show will it be next? Friends? I Love Lucy? I first covered Mr. Hassan Abbasi on July 3rd: Meet Mr. Abbasi He had been missing for some time, and when he reemerged, I had this post: He’s Baaaaaaaaaaack And this is the translation of a speech he gave in [...]
Read Full Post »
I don’t know why, but everything about the life – and even death – of Kordan, the Ahmadinejad minister with a fake “honorary degree from Oxford” has to have a kick or a laugh to it. Remember Mohammad Ali Ramin? He was at a funeral service for the late Kordan, and apparently his shoes were [...]
Read Full Post »
The New Yorker this week features an interactive portfolio of forty nine world leaders and a short commentary by the photographer, Platon. The photos were taken in September, when all the world leaders were at the U.N. I found the photographer’s comments on each of the leaders fascinating, but most especially his words about Ahmadinejad. [...]
Read Full Post »
On the night of October 22nd, police raided the home of Shahabeddin Tabatabaie’s parents who were holding a prayer for their son and arrested almost everyone there. Among others, they once again arrested Mohammad Reza Jalaiepour, the 24 year old son of Hamid Reza Jalaiepour, and a central figure in Mousavi’s youth campaign. His wife, [...]
Read Full Post »
… it is with a lot of politicians at large, and IRI officials specifically. You do remember Ali Motahari? He’s come out in support of teenage temporary marriage in an interview with Kalemeh. Now before I go any further in discussing what I believe to be very questionable comments, I will give him (and many [...]
Read Full Post »
The Leged of Siyavash – jumping over the fire. ——————————– I’ve lost my motivation to blog. Not just blog, but to talk. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe I need to shut up for a while. More than ever, I think the student movement needs new platforms, needs to carve a new space, needs to [...]
Read Full Post »
Saffar Harandi was at YET another university this weekend – he’s doing his rounds, countrywide. He was at the University of Geelan (northern Iran) yesterday. Here is a video of his visit. The students were shouting: Ghatel boro ghom sho [get lost you murderer] Dictator-e bichareh, nehzat edameh dareh [you poor dictator, this movement will [...]
Read Full Post »
The late Ahmad Bourghani was deputy minister of culture under the Khatami administration. He was once the U.N correspondent for IRIB. During the war, he oversaw the War Information Press. Jahanshah Javid remembers him as the gentle giant. He was one prominent example of the life and times of a young, raging revolutionary who had [...]
Read Full Post »
I was outraged after reading Safar Harandi’s speech yesterday. He’s been making his rounds across universities in Tehran. This is beyond making a political statement, this is plain child abuse. They are doing whatever they can, poking, provoking and harassing the students. Handing out leaflet after leaflet, now many universities are equipped with video cameras [...]
Read Full Post »
Here is a video of the gathering. And here’s another (the students are chanting: basijiyeh Russiyeh, digar asar nadarad (Russian basijis are no longer going to be able to silence us) WTF?! ———- Dolmeh refers to stuffed vegetables – tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, etc. I miss my mom’s dolmeh I don’t know why this person has [...]
Read Full Post »
The students’ banner says: Happy Student Day to you the student who is: a hooligan! naive! an agent of foreign adversary! a threat to public safety! a spy! a fake intellectual! a traitor! (2008) —————– Saffar Harandi, the ex-minister of culture was at University of Tehran today, at the faculty of engineering. According to the [...]
Read Full Post »