OBSERVER
The Lebanese will go to the polls on Sunday, June 7, to elect 128 members of parliament, divided equally between the country’s Christian and Moslem communities, each of which include a variety of sects. The Speaker of Parliament is a Shia Moslem, while the President is a Christian and the Prime Minister a Sunni Moslem. The cabinet is also meant to reflect the country’s diversity, which may appear to be religious, but is in fact based on a more complex set of factors, including ethnicity, geographic location, local economy and ties with other countries in the region and beyond. This year, for the first time, elections will be held on one day
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OBSERVER
Photo essay: Elections in Lebanon
by
Hossein Shahidi >>>
ELECTIONS
Taking a trip through Iran in May, 2009.
by
Scott Bohlinger >>>
Four Years ago Iran's Former Crown Prince spent the Persian New Year in the company of Iranian refugees in London. (circa 2005)
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Kaweh's latest recording, "Live in San Francisco" is a perfectly balanced DVD/CD set
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Queen Soraya on cover of US People Magazine TEMPO. Presented as the New Queen of Sheba. 7/27 1953
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روش دسترسی ایران اسلامی به یک رتبه ممتاز دیگر
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VIEW
On June 3, Iran marked the twentieth anniversary of Ali Khamenei's appointment as the leader of Iran. While international attention is focused on the June 12 presidential elections, the winner of that contest will remain subordinate to Khamenei in power and importance, despite the latter's low profile. Lacking the charisma and religious credentials of his predecessor, Khamenei has managed to attain his powerful position by taking control of key government agencies and building a robust bureaucracy under his direction. Understanding Khamenei's role in Iran's complicated governmental system and how he wields his understated power will be key for the United States as it undertakes a new strategy for dealing with Tehran
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LETTER
یکی از بزرگترین مشکلات اندیشمندان ما این است که اصولا معضل اصلی اجتماع ایران را نفهمیده اند و یا اینکه فهمیده اند ولی ترجیح میدهند چشم خود را به روی آن ببندند و همچنان بر طبلی که سالها است کوبیده اند باز هم مصرانه بکوبند! حرفها و استدلالهای نخ نما شده ای که از فرط تکرار به شدت مبتذل شده اند از هر سو بیرحمانه بر سر مردم آوار می شوند. اپوزیسیون به غایت روشنفکر ما! تمام درد را در وجود پدیدهء شومی به نام جمهوری اسلامی می بیند و بدون اینکه هیچ آلترناتیوی برای آن ارائه دهد فقط آن را و انتخاباتش را بایکوت می کند. ریشهء همهء مشکلات در نظام ولایت فقیه جستجو شده و تنها راه رهایی در سرکوبی سلطهء فقیه خلاصه می شود. در داخل کشور هم اصلاح طلبان نوک تیز پیکان حمله را به سمت اصول گرایان می گیرند و بر عکس اصول گرایان نیر همهء فتنه ها را زیر سر اصلاح طلبان می دانند. خلاصه آش شوله قلمکاری شده که نگو و نپرس
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