|
Press
Deaf & blind
Muzzling the press -- the eyes and ears of the people
By Hossein Bagher Zadeh
May 5, 2000
The Iranian
A major clampdown has started against the press in Iran. Just over a
week ago, sixteen publications, including twelve national dailies, were
shut down by the authorities. These include almost all the reformist press,
which started publication in the last three years. As a result, the whole
reform movement has been muzzled. More than 1,500 journalists and press
workers have been made jobless and newspaper circulation has been cut by
almost half...
As with any other act of political oppression, the free press is the
first to fall victim. And in a society like Iran where independent political
parties are virtually non-existent, the press has to take the major brunt
of the attack. Political oppression may only succeed if the society is
kept unaware of the words and deeds of the rulers >>>
GO TO FEATURE
Outlook
Expectations High for Iran Run-Offs
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iranian President Mohammad Khatami's pro-democracy
allies were expected to make a strong showing in Friday's parliamentary
run-off, despite a crackdown by hard-liners determined to clingto power.
Most voters randomly interviewed Friday in several constituencies said
they were voting for the moderates - bad news for hard-liners trying to
mitigate a humiliating defeat in the Feb. 18 first round. In that balloting,
reformists won some 70 percent of races for the 290-seat parliament, or
Majlis >>>
FULL TEXT
Left hook
May Day rallies in Iran
Communist Workers Party of Iran reports on May Day rallies in Tehran,
Ahvaz and Dasht-e Moghan FULL
TEXT IN PERSIAN
Anyway
Hmmm...
Accra, GHANA - The road, which descends from the Overhead Bridge towards
Accra, is lined on both sides with residential buildings and shops. One
of the buildings on the right hand side has terrazzo walls and is the most
beautiful and also the tallest on the line. But for the Iran Clinic inscribed
on it, one would have taken it for one of the many modern office buildings
in the city. This is the new-look Iran Clinic, which was temporarily closed
down for a face-lift >>>
FULL TEXT
Thanks to Anoosh Hosseini
More Letters
* Free expression, without getting beaten
Maziar Shirazi writes
in response to Murtaza
Sarwary:
It is so easy for you, living in Canada, halfway around the world from
Iran, to tell Iranians in Iran and worldwide that a bunch of insolent students
are trying to destroy all of what Khomeini and his regime fought for in
the Iran/Iraq war and in the struggle to put Islam in government. Maybe
it's because you never had a bit of exposure with the war and what went
on that you see things the way you do.
First of all, besides the fact that most Iranians only consider themselves
Muslims and don't really practice that much and that many Iranians are
also of different faiths, which makes a single-religion government totally
unrepresentative of the people, you forget that these newspapers are not
trying to destroy Islam; they focus instead on gaining the right to speak
out without getting beaten, being able to express ourselves freely in any
form, as our poets continued to do even after Islam >>>
FULL TEXT
* Filmmakers as role models
Faramarz Kaviani
writes in response to Banafsheh
Zand:
Thank you for your response and your respect to an Iranian artist which
was my general idea too. But needless to say, I have to diagree...
When somone rights a book or makes a movie, we are dealing with direct
ideas presented by the composer. How can the artist be exempt from ideas
that he himself is more or less presenting?
To make my point clearer, let's forget about Mehrjoui, whom I still
respect a lot, and consider another example. Let's consider a teacher who
is telling children in school to be honest, peaceful and not to be jealous.
Do you expect that teacher to follow his own words or not? Is this too
much ask? I don't think so >>>
FULL TEXT
TV: Iran on Travel Channel
Travel Channel in the U.S. will present its second special on Iran in
a program called "Journeys to the End of the Earth". The program
is called The People of the Flame. It premiers on the Travel Channel on
Tuesday, May 9th at 9:00 p.m. E/P time >>>
DETAILS HERE
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:
At first, with countless kindnesses, he played his song upon me.
Then he roasted me over a thousand sorrows' flames.
At the lash of his kindness, the spur of his love, I galloped.
When I became entirely him, he tossed me to the ground.
-- Rumi
Copyright © Abadan Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
May not be duplicated or distributed in any form
|
More
news
Run-off elections go ahead
Tehran, (BBC) -- Iranians have cast their votes in a crucial run-off
ballot for 66 seats which remained undecided after February's general election.
Reporters said the turn-out appeared low, but this was less important than
the fact that the second stage was being held at all >>> FULL TEXT
Voting overshadowed by disputes
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Voter turnout was active across Iran Friday
for runoff parliamentary polls overshadowed by disputes about first round
results and press freedom. Reformists backing President Mohammad Khatami
won more than 100 seats in February but were caught up in a series of annulments
and a wrangle with conservatives over the count in Tehran >>> FULL
TEXT
Activists and Intellectuals Detained in
Iran for Participating in a Conference
(Washington,
DC, May 3, 2000) -- Human Rights Watch today condemned the April 30 arrest
of six prominent Iranian activists for participating in a conference on
the future of Iran. The conference was held in Berlin on April, 7-8, 2000.
The detainees, all prominent Iranian intellectuals, included Mehrangiz Kar,
a women's rights advocate; Shahla Lahiji, publisher of women's books; Akhbar
Ganji, a journalist; and Ali Afshari, a student leader. Ezzatollah Sahabi,
a former minister, and Hamid-Reza Jalai-Pur, an editor, were arrested and
later released on bail. The six are charged with "acting against the
internal security of the state and disparaging the holy order of the Islamic
Republic." >>> FULL TEXT
Scholars urge release of detainees
As
concerned scholars and human rights advocates, we feel compelled to express
our concern about the recent crackdown on the pro-democracy and reform movement
in Iran. We appeal to the world community and call on all international
human rights organizations, non-governmental as well as governmental bodies,
including the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch,
as well as individuals who are supportive of democracy, human rights, and
civil society to protest the most recent repression of reform and reformers
in Iran >>> FULL TEXT
Israel cautiously opposes Iran trial
JERUSALEM (AP) - The mother of a Jew accused of spying and on trial
in Iran pressed her hand on one of the massive stone blocks of the Western
Wall, Judaism's holiest site, and prayed. The woman came Thursday to a prayer
vigil here for her son, Dani Tefilin. She sobbed loudly as his name was
read aloud >>> FULL TEXT
Improved US-Iran ties face hurdles
WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's quest
for improved relations with Iran is being complicated by congressional moves
to make Iran pay for alleged involvement in terrorist activities against
Americans. Legislation under consideration would make it easier for terrorist
victims to collect multimillion-dollar judgments by seizing assets from
the nations that sponsored the activity >>> FULL TEXT
French bank signs credit deal for Tehran
to buy Alstom locomotives
TEHRAN,
May 5 (AFP) - French bank Credit Agricole Indosuez has signed a credit agreement
with Melli Bank, Iran's national bank, to finance the purchase by Tehran
of 100 Alstom locomotives for 192 million euros (171 million dollars), a
statement by the French bank here said. The credit line was signed by Credit
Agricole Indosuez and Melli Bank on April 29, with the French COFACE export
credit agency firm acting as guarantor >>> FULL TEXT
Iranian architechture: Pradise
Tehran,
(Hamshahri) - Architectural historian Mohsen Habibi talks about major concepts
in Iranian architecture, namely that it is an effort to recreate paradise
on earth >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
World Theater Day in Tehran
Tehran, (Hamshahri) - Some interesting observations from World
Theater Day celebratios in Tehran (towards bottom of report) >>>
FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
First Iranian video film fest in North
America
Tehran, (Hamshahri) - Plans are underway to hold the first Iranian
video-film festivals in Canada and the U.S. this year. If you would like
your film to be show you apply soon >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Under 17: Iran's rising stars
(Iran Sports Press) - Video clips of goals from matches between
Iran's under-17 soccer team and Brazil, Italy and Ghana >>> FULL
TEXT
International matches in Tehran
(Iran Sports Press) - The national soccer teams of Macedonia, South
Korea and Egypt will take part in a friendly tournament in Tehran next month
>>> FULL TEXT
Esteghlal topple Pass 3-0
(Iran Sports Press) - With video clip: Esteghlal played well today,
especially in the 1st half. The match kick off to a high speed game, with
Esteghlal taking the upper hand early in the match with several attempts
on goal >>> FULL TEXT
BBC
Election results in Tehran
In the Friday Prayer sermon today, May 5 2000,
Ayatollah Yazdi, a member of the Guardian Council talked about the reasons
behind the delay in announcing the final results of the Tehran constituencies
election and when they are expected to be announced. Saeed Yekta speaks
to Ghasem Sholesadi, former MP >>>
LISTEN HERE
BBC Persian
Service
Exchange rate
Updated May 4
Buying: 845-855 tomans per dollar
Selling: 859 tomans per dollar
CALL TOLL FREE: 877-SEHHATY (877-734-4289)
or 800-995-0264
Mention this code for a better rate:
FA 37 B
Business
news
The Web
Iran
Tehran Symphony Orchestra
Beautifully designed with lots of info and
music links.
Beyond Iran
Library
of Congress Bicentennial
Celebrating the oldest federal cultural institution
in the U.S.
More
web sites
Quote Unquote
Deaf & blind
In order to subjugate a society, it has to be made deaf
and blind. It has to be denied of its free and independent press.
-- Hossein Bagher Zadeh
"Deaf
& blind"
The Iranian
May 5, 2000
Photo of the Day
Run-off
elections
Music
Googoosh
Music
artists index
Art
Aria Eghbal
Untitled |
