Iranian State media is using the “student” label to address the hooligans who stormed the UK embassy earlier today. I can’t help but laugh at the irony of the situation. Ever since the election in Iran, the protesters (many of them REAL students) were labelled “hooligans”, “thugs” and “goons” by state media and now those [...]
Read Full Post »
I have written of Mohammad Nourizad before. He was once again taken to prison (“called” to go to prison, as is customary these days), for writing a sixth, and according to him, final, letter to the leader. Here I have translated an interview he did before heading to Evin. This interview was published on his [...]
Read Full Post »
The Iran Participation Front has released a statement asking supporters of prisoners to go on hunger strike this Saturday “in solidarity with the political prisoners in Evin who are currently on hunger strike.” Jila Baniyaghoub, the wife of Bahman Ahmadi who is one of the prisoners currently on hunger strike in Evin said in an interview that when Ahmadi was [...]
Read Full Post »
As we and the imbecilic media laugh away at boobs, nukes and bizarre assassination plots, the state of Iranian prisoners is getting worse and worse. In a case more bizarre and macabre than the worst of them, Mohammad Mostafaie, the lawyer who represented minors on death row and recently, a woman sentenced to stoning, has [...]
Read Full Post »
Watch this fascinating, frightening video. Rafsanjani’s daughter, Faezeh Rafsanjani is in the car, she is fully veiled, in the traditional black chador. Apparently she was at the university for a talk. They, a group of men, are forcing asking her to come out of the car, the one in front throws out her belongings, they [...]
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 »
One of the most popular TV shows on IRIB after the revolution, was the Secret Army [1977], a join BBC/BRT [Belgian National Broadcasting] project about a Belgian/French resistance movement during the Second World War. The show originally aired in Iran in 1990. The reruns aired on IRIB for years, but somehow, I doubt they will [...]
Read Full Post »
… Looking at Agh Bahman’s Google Reader, I couldn’t help but stare a moment in awe. There was nothing there but news of new arrests. This is the sort of environment we’re living in: reports of daily arrests, torture, even death. How do we do it? How do we go on? With our jobs and [...]
Read Full Post »
I don’t think anything explains what I am about to say, better then the writing on the t-shirt above. Following the arrest and beating of Ali Karoubi, Mehdi Karoubi’s younger son, and his mother’s letter to the supreme leader which included a photo of her son’s bruised and beaten body, Dowlatabadi, the prosecutor-general of Tehran [...]
Read Full Post »
How this: helped create this: Seems our focus today is going to be nutty news agencies – we have too many of them in Iran. Now before I go on, I think there’s much, much to be said about the disastrous ways that television has influenced our society for the worse. I too think there [...]
Read Full Post »
I decided long ago not to put news items on here anymore. But this one was too good to ignore. JARAS reports that on the day of Ashura, the SON of Ali Larijani, current speaker of parliament, was among those arrested. Ali Larijani’s wife happens to be Farideh Motahari, the daughter of the late cleric, [...]
Read Full Post »
From FarceNews: photo of an Ahmadinejad campaign rally. Man holding up sign which says: “Best anti-theft device of 2009, guaranteed by the nation”. Referring to the fact that Ahmadinejad was perceived (by some in his own camp) as someone who would stand up against corruption. ————————————– [From AyandeNews] Even though 7 months have past from [...]
Read Full Post »
As promised, Beh Sooyeh Farda, the weekly debate program which first appeared four weeks ago with a focus on the election, was aired Thursday night. But it more resembled a petting zoo than a debate. Hosseiniyan, the foulmouthed, pro-government MP who openly referred to Mousavi as “saran-e fetneh” (the heads of devilry/sedition) and the protesters [...]
Read Full Post »
It has been rumored that this week on Beh Sooyeh Farda (Towards Tomorrow) – the weekly debate program now in its fourth week, that Hossein Marashi (on the right, ex-MP, spokesperson for the Kargozaran Party close to Rafasanjani) will go against Rouhollah Hosseiniyan (controversial MP who just resigned and took back his resignation, pro-government spokesperson, [...]
Read Full Post »
This is a report of the funeral of Professor Masoud Ali Mohammadi, the slain phycist, from Agh Bahman. What is really important to note is that the Islamic Association of the University of Tehran [pro-reformist], released a joint letter with the Basij of the University of Tehran [pro-government] not only condemning the death but the [...]
Read Full Post »
After a mind numbing few weeks, I am glad to say I’m back. I’m sorry I have been AWOL, and will hopefully get things going soon. But the rapid wave of terrible events that hits Iran doesn’t wait for anyone. Yesterday, a physics professor, a man who many of my friends know and have had [...]
Read Full Post »
I’m so worried for him. He’s only been home 2 days and already his home is a center of dissent, laughter and defiance. For all those things and more, what will they do to him after he has to go back in 10 days? Maybe he doesn’t care anymore now that he knows his family [...]
Read Full Post »