News

on pro-democracy student leaders

hamsade jaan,

Thank you for providing the links on Fakhravar. I watched both the videos.

I agree with Ali Afshari on Fakhravar. Afshari was one of the top leaders of Daftar Tahkim Vahdat. DTV’s early years should be 100% condemned. But in the later years (after 1997), DTV strongly supported reformists and then even became radical reformist. And still later many in DTV held democratic positions. I disagree with a lot of DTV activities (even during their reformist and semi-democratic phase in the post 1997 period), but they had a lot of actual supporters when they used their official status and used it for pushing for reforms. Afshari (despite a lot of criticisms of him) did a lot pushing for reforms, radical reforms, and many positive policies. Whether one agrees or disagrees with Afshari, he is one of the student leaders in Iran with many followers.

And of course Batebi is an icon and that is why he has been the victim of sooooooo many vicious personal attacks.

These pro-democracy secular student leaders – Ahmad Batebi, Koroush Sehati, Manuchehr Mohammadi, Reza Mohajerinejad – are the actual REAL student leaders in Iran. They have real massive support inside Iran.

The reformist student leaders – Ali Afshari – also played a significant role and their role should be appreciated and supported. DTV has a lot of support in recent years. A lot of students who are not reformist joined it so that they have some protection and then struggle for freedom.

Fakhravar is a very very minor player.

In my opinion, it should be a no brainer that pro-democracy forces should support the secular democratic student leaders (Batebi, Sehati, Mohammadi, Mohajerinejad) and the radical reformists in DTV instead of those like Fakhravar and NIAC.

Best,

Masoud

  here's fakhravar's

here's fakhravar's claim to lead the second most influential opposition group in iran (min 6:30).  he seems very sleazy especially in his confession in his opportunism (right after he says "i'm a conservative in u.s. and a liberal democrat in europe." does he even know what he said?):

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Wn8G3JLCsY

also afshari's pissing contest with fakhravar on v.o.a. (min 4:20)

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=-465mCcJdSA&feature=related

on Fakhravar and VOA

Hamsade jaan,

1. It is really laughable if Fakhravar said that he or his organization is the second most important organization after the Green Movement among the opposition. There are a loooooot of organizations that are zillion times more significant than his org.  My guess is that some wealthy folks close to Perle and some neo-cons might wish to use Fakhravar and provide funds for him.

2. One can name many organizations that are a zillion times more powerful than Fakhravar or his org. For example, JM, Reza Pahlavi, PMOI, Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdestan, Komeleh, Melli Mazhabis, Communist Party of Iran, Daftar Tahim Vahdat, etc. ANY of these groups or individuals is like an elephant next to an ant (Fakhravar).

3. Batebi alone is a zillion times more credible than Fakhravar. One might also add the names of individuals like Manuchehr Mohammadi, or Koroush Sehati, each of whom has a zillion times more credibility than Fakhravar.

4. My view is that the State Department is really out of touch with Iranian politics and is getting terrible advice.   It is also my opinion that Asgari is harming VOA and U.S. relations to the democratic opposition.

5. I do not foresee a situation that Fakhravar would get on NIAC. They are pursuing different agendas.

6. In my opinion, if the State Department was smart, they would:

a. fire Asgari

b. hire a very competent person to head the VOA

c. distance themselves from NIAC

d. get people like Batebi, Sehati, and Mojtaba Vahidi to provide advice to them; these are individuals who KNOW Iran very well, represent significant and pivotal sectors of Iranian society, and are willing to help the U.S. get its policy toward Iran correctly

e. ....

I do not understand WHY the U.S. government keeps making huge mistakes in regards to Iran again and again and again. I hope the U.S. government would begin to make wise decisions on Iran.

My 2 cents,

Masoud

it's still confusing to me

it's still confusing to me especially the role of fakhravar who seems to be a pivotal character.  according to fakhravar, he (and his organization?, i don't even know the name of his org) is the second most important opposition element to iri after the green movement.  meanwhile, all the iran experts and activists that i know (some of them being active as long as there has been an iri) have not even heard of him or have minimal knowledge of him.  by no means, he's a batebi or a tavakoli or a number of iranian student protesters who've earned respect amongst the opposition.

furthermore, the connection of asgari, fakhravar, niac, and the neocons is even more baffling.  either the state department is really out of touch or this is one clever and complicated plot to oppose iri by the u.s.  nothing in between.  at any rate, i can see fakhravar getting on the niac's board real soon.

My views on the purges at VOA

Dear hamsadeh ghadimi,

1. I wish this news item was posted, so that we could get more opinions and reactions.

2. Sehati’s explanation makes sense to me.

It appears to me that the dismissal of Batebi, Sehati, Chalangi, and Rudi Bakhtiar by Mr. Ramin Asgar is POLITICAL. Mr. Asgar is close to NIAC; he attended their meetings recently.

In my opinion, Mr. Asgar has harmed the VOA. I hope the higher-ups fire Mr. Ramin Asgar before he does more damage to the U.S. and the VOA.

3. I do not personally know Mr. Fakhravar. From what I have seen, my opinion is that he is very self-serving. From what I have heard, he has virtually no support among the students and activists in Iran.

4. My guess is that Mr. Asgar is "close" to Fakhravar because Fakhravar is close to Richard Perle. This association would give Asgar the "explanation" that he is not solely with NIAC, but also with neo-cons. My guess is that Asgar is using the Fakhravar as "cover" (from criticisms from neo-cons) so that he could pursue his connections with NIAC. If my guess is right, this would provide Asgar with the image that he is ok with both neo-cons and NIAC.

5. Those purged are thoughtful voices for democracy (Batebi and Sehati), human rights (Rudi Bakhtiar), and strong and intelligent opposition to vf regime (Chalangi). These purges really harm the pro-democracy movement. If the U.S. government wishes to have a dialogue with Iranian youth and democrats, it needs precisely people like Batebi, and Sehati.

6. In my opinion, Fakhravar is not a credible person, and does NOT bring credibility to VOA. People like Fakhravar do not present a real threat to the IRI. But people like Batebi, Sehati, both of whom do represent the vast and powerful pro-democracy student movement inside Iran do. It is utterly amazing that the VOA would go with someone like Fakhravar instead of the true heros like Batebi and Sehati.

In conclusion, in my opinion, Mr. Asgar’s policies of dismissing Batebi, Sehati, Chalangi, and Bakhtiar and instead getting close to Fakhravar and NIAC helps the vf regime and seriously harms the pro-democracy movement in Iran and American stated desire to get close to Iranian democrats. In my view, it is shocking that Ramin Asgar has done this, and that the higher-ups are silent.

Best,

Masoud

interesting blog by sehati

interesting blog by sehati and thanks for the post.  it puts the hate blog on rudi bakhtiar (a few days ago) in perspective.  mk, what is your thought on fakhravar?  i've heard many things about him from some active and notable iran activists.  none of the comments are flattering.  i also saw him on parazit and he seemed sleazy.  don't know much about asgari.

purges appear to be political

 از اعلام این موضوع من با آقای رامین عسگرد مدیر جدید بخش فارسی صدای آمریکا صحبت کردم و از او خواستم که دلیل این امر را برایم توضیح دهد. وی اعلام کرد که تنها کمبود بودجه باعث اتخاذ این تصمیم بوده است . جوابی که البته برای من قانع کننده نبود، چرا که در ماههای پس از روی کار آمدن آقای عسگرد ، صدای آمریکا شاهد استخدامهای متعددی بوده. البته این استخدامها اکثرا از میان جوانان ایرانی- آمریکایی است که تسلطی به زبان فارسی ندارند، از اوضاع و احوال ایران بی خبرند و تنها پس از گرفتن مدارک تحصیلی خود توسط آقای عسگرد به مجموعه صدای آمریکا و با دریافت حقوقهای بالا افزوده می شوند.

این جوانان البته نزدیکی هایی با گروههایی چون نایاک و پایا هم دارند. نایاک، گروهی که عمده شهرتش را از اینکه مخالفانش آن را به لابی گری برای جمهوری اسلامی در آمریکا متهم می کنند بدست آورده و پایا گروهی از ایرانی – آمریکاییهایی که تمرکز خود را بر روی مسائل نسل دوم ایرانیان در آمریکا گذاشته و خود را وارد مسائل داخل ایران بویژه سیاست نمی کند.

اما نکته مهم در ارتباط با سیاستهای جدید صدای آمریکا این است که اساسا انتخاب رامین عسگرد بعنوان مدیر بخش فارسی این شبکه با علامتهای سوال بزرگی روبرواست. آقای عسگرد یک دیپلمات وزارت امور خارجه آمریکا است، در تکلم و فهم زبان فارسی دچار مشکل است و سابقه هیچ گونه کار رسانه ای و ژورنالیستی هم ندارد.

باندبازی و تبعیض و ایجاد محیط یأس و نا امیدی و ترس از دست دادن شغل در میان همکاران از نکته های بارز در زمان مدیریت وی است. اما مهمتر از این مسائل ، بحث فشارهای سیاسی خارج از مجموعه برای ایجاد تغییرات در بخش فارسی صدای آمریکا است.

رامین عسگرد که همزمان با گروههایی چون نایاک و پایا هم دارای روابط نزدیکی است