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Opinion
Reform in retreat
The movement for change has suffered a set back. But...
By Rasool Nafisi
April 27, 2000
The Iranian
The reform movement in Iran has had ebb and flows, but this time it
seems to have hit a major obstacle. Mohammnad Khatami is still the president
and the sixth Majlis will open soon, but the main vehicle of reform, i.e.
the independent reformist newspapers, have nearly all been banned and many
well known journalists have been imprisoned. The main architect of the
reform movement is still struggling for his life with a bullet lodged near
his spine, and the Vali-e Faqih has unabashedly lashed out against the
press. What can the reform movement expect in the future? >>>
GO TO FEATURE
Outlook
Hardliners in elite force 'plotting coup against Iranian
president'
Geneive Abdo in Tehran
The Guardian, London
Thursday April 27, 2000
Several commanders in Iran's Revolutionary Guards have mapped out a
strategy to force reformist foes to "stay silent or pull aside"
in a planning session which it is claimed could be described as a precursor
to a coup against President Mohammad Khatami.
Three senior officials of the Revolutionary Guards and their allies
outlined a three-stage plan to be carried out by a "crisis committee",
according to notes taken from a tape of the meeting two weeks ago, which
have been made available to the Guardian >>>
FULL TEXT
Four coups against the press
April 27, Ham-Mihan -- A look at the struggle between the press and
the government in nearly a century >>>
FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Banned for life
April 26, 2000, Teheran (dpa) - An Iranian football player has been
banned for life and fined after engaging in a wild dance during which he
pulled down his shorts to celebrate a goal, the Teheran Sports newspaper
reported Wednesday. Video clip here
Mohsen Rassuli, a young striker for the Teheran club Saypa, scored the
winning goal in last week's Nations Cup semi-final against the Teheran
Pas club in the 119th minute and, jumping for joy, not only took off his
shirt but also pulled down his shorts and ran around the field in his underwear
>>>
FULL TEXT
Thanks to Laleh Khalili
More Letters
April 27, 2000
* Shah's return in 1953
Farah Pahlavi writes to The New York Times: Your April 16 front-page
article ''How a Plot Convulsed Iran in '53 (and in '79)'' makes unjust
remarks about my late husband, Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi. It also gives
a partial account of the events of 1953.
My husband at first supported Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh in the
fight for the nationalization of Iran 's oil industry. Only when the shah
was convinced that political and economic deterioration was threatening
Iran 's independence and stability did he feel constitutionally obligated
to dismiss Dr. Mossadegh.
The shah returned to Iran because of the will of the majority of Iranians
>>>
FULL TEXT
* Brilliant not Buddha
Banafsheh Zand
writes: I read Mr.
Kaviani's letter regarding his disappointment with Mr. Mehrjui's manner.
With all due respect I frankly though it to be rather naive! Do you expect
Mr. Mehrjui to be Buddha just because he's a brilliant artist? An artist
is a mirror - hopefully reflecting his disgruntled or contented views of
life; many artists' mission is to create the work in order to transcend
the issues, objectify them or possibly even view them from another angle.
In any case it's a mystical process.
Come now, let's not get sentimental or maudlin over artists, Mr. Kaviani.
They're just as irritable or easy-going as everyone else, possibly even
more. When you put anyone, especially an artist on a pedestal you make
them responsible for YOUR expectations and that's simply not the function
of art. You don't have to love the man to love the work -- that's purism
and there's absolutely no room for that in art.
Poetry: Rumi concert in New York
A musical celebration of rumi titled RUMI: FIRE OF LOVE will be held
at St. Peter's Church 54th St. and Lexington Avenue in New York City on
April 29, 8:00 pm. Featuring: Shahram Shiva, Michael Harrison & Ensemble
with John Ragusa, John Funkhouser & RA Fish. Incantations of Rumi's
poetry with original music. For tickets/info call 1-800-275-4809.
Books & Music from Iran
Check our fourteen new books from Iran including an authoritative history
of the Achamenid empire, writings by leading reformists, Forough Farrokhzad's
complete works, exquisite books of classical poetry with miniatures, Manichaean
psalms and more! >>>
GO HERE
New music albums
* Taherzadeh, Manochehr: Aakharin
barg * Eyvazi, Mohammad Reza. : Rangin
kamaan * Banan.: Shaakh-e
gol (2) * Ta'rif, Sadiq: Maah
baanoo * Lachini, Fariborz: Paaeez-e
talaaee ... >>>
GO HERE
THE IRANIAN
Bookstore
Music store
Video
NEW: Champions:
Iranian national soccer team
Three hours of interviews, trainings, matches, Biographies, and fans
of Iranian National Soccer Team, covering Iran's soccer history from 1978-2000.
Premium quality. Produced by: Alireza AmirGhasemi & Behrouz Deravi.
THE IRANIAN
Video Store
Translation of today's poem by Zara Houshmand:
I'll hang your love in the nets of heaven.
I'll lay your cruel hands on my hurting heart.
Where you walk, where your foot touches earth,
I'll secretly go just to lay eyes on that dirt. -- Rumi
Copyright © Abadan Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
May not be duplicated or distributed in any form
|
More
news
Student protests grow at press closures
TEHRAN,
April 27 (AFP) - Students held their biggest protest yet late Wednesday
at the closure of pro-reform newspapers by Iran's conservative press court,
press reports said Thursday. The daily Bayan, one of the few pro-reform
dailies to escape suspension, said 5,000 students demonstrated peacefully
at Ahvaz University in the south of the country in support of reformist
President Mohammad Khatami >>> FULL TEXT
Judiciary shuts last two reformist papers
TEHRAN
(Reuters) - Iran's hard-line judiciary shut down the last two major national
newspapers from the reformist camp Thursday, bringing to 16 the number of
publications banned this week. The two newspapers, including a leading daily
published by a brother of President Mohammad Khatami, were the last hit
in a wave of closures that began Sunday >>> FULL TEXT
Khamenei endorses media crackdown
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's supreme leader on Wednesday endorsed
the recent crackdown on reformist newspapers, describing the publications
as ``deviant'' and urging his supporters not to remain silent. Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei condemned what he called ``a deviant media movement that is
trying to shape public opinion and turn it against Islam, the revolution
and the Islamic Republic.'' >>> FULL TEXT
New ban on papers fuels Iran crisis
TEHRAN,
April 27 (AFP) - Iran's conservative judiciary stoked up tension again Thursday
by ordering the closure of the two most important reformist newspapers,
including that of President Mohammad Khatami's brother. The move, reported
by the official news agency IRNA, on top of previous suspensions left the
reformist camp without a voice for the second round of the parliamentary
elections on May 5 >>> FULL TEXT
Election campaign reopens in Iran as political
confusion persists
TEHRAN,
April 27 (AFP) - Campaigning opened for the second round of Iran's parliamentary
elections Thursday amid continued political uncertainty. But analysts said
the mere fact that the polls were taking place, coupled with a strong expression
of support for reformist President Mohammad Khatami from Iran's supreme
leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, had helped to calm the volatile situation
>>> FULL TEXT
Iran frees eight accused of serial killings
TEHRAN,
April 27 (AFP) - Iran Wednesday freed eight of the 22 people accused of
serial killings of opponents of the regime and intellectuals in late 1998
on "clear proof" they were not guilty, the justice department
said. The reason the case has gone so slowly up to present is precisely
because of the charges against the eight were baseless, the department said
in a statement quoted by the official IRNA news agency >>> FULL
TEXT
Golshiri in hospital
Tehran (Iran daily) - Novelist Houshang Golshiri has been hospitalized
in Tehran for an undisclosed lung ailment >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Western-style art re-emerges years after
going underground
April
9, 2000, TEHRAN, Iran (The Dallas Morning News) - Of course, after two decades
of cultural isolation, putting on display what was previously off-limits
does raise certain questions for Iran's patrons of the arts. For example:
Who is this Mick Jagger? >>> FULL TEXT
Two views on Afkhami's film
Tehran (Ham-Mihan) - Two views on Behrouz Afkhami's "Shoakaraan".
The reviews have been generally positive but it has been attacked by the
conservatives >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Asian Cup draw
Beirut
(Football Asia) - The draw for the finals of the 12th Asian Cup has pitted
together two of the region's superpowers, the defending champions Saudi
Arabia and Japan, in the same group... Iran, winners of the Asian Cup in
1968, 1972 and 1976, were the nation with most to smile about after avoiding
any of the big sides. They were drawn in Group A along with the hosts Lebanon
and two sides they faced in the last Asian Cup, Iraq and Thailand >>>
FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Al-Nasr does NOT want Karimi
Tehran
(Hamshahri) - Ali Karimi had to two practice sessions with the UAE's al-Nasr
but he was not able to impress the team's German coach >>> FULL
TEXT IN PERSIAN
Majidi scores
Tehran
(Ham-Mihan) - Farhad Majidi scores a goal in his Austrian's team's 4-0 victory.
Plus latest news about Mahdavi-Kia and Ali Daei >>> FULL TEXT IN
PERSIAN
BBC
Reformist papers closed
Following the closure of more than ten publications by the
Press Court in Tehran, Behrouz Parsa talks to Iranian jouranlists and lawyers,
probing into the nature of the allegations brought against them and discussing
what the consequences of the event may be for Iran's refomist movement.
He talks to Dr. Nemat Ahmadi, lawyer in Iran, Abdulkarim Lahiji, Paris based
lawyer, Saeed Laylaz, Tehran journalist and Azam Talequani, journalist.>>> LISTEN
HERE
BBC Persian
Service
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La Bastille
The biggest art installation ever to appear in the state
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Quote Unquote
On tape
Three senior officials of the Revolutionary Guards and their allies outlined
a three-stage plan to be carried out by a "crisis committee",
according to notes taken from a tape of the meeting two weeks ago, which
have been made available to the Guardian.
-- Geneive Abdo, reporter, The Guardian
April 27,
2000
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