Shifteh Ansari

Some related video

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgnpaGxGi1g

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppr56Lpz-sM&feature...

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP_ygVnFllA&feature...

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZztfPM39FlU&feature...

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=smJWD0tLNrg&feature...

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELFPIYCUHJQ&feature...

Very interesting analysis by Dr. Muhammad Sahimi

Were the Greens Defeated?

//iranian.com/main/news/2010/02/13/were-g...

Vildemose Jan

My pleasure!  And thank YOU for all that you do.  I would also like to command you on your grace and style when under attack.  We must all be challenged about what we say and think--this is the only way we can grow, whether we like it or not.  Many Iranians can benefit from debate and rebuttal manners, however.  I am increasingly impressed with Iranians on Iranian.com who know how to debate without calling each other names and making personal attacks.  Thank you.

Shifteh Jan: Great article

Shifteh Jan: Great article in LA times. Thank you so much for all you do..

تماشای نشست بررسی وضعیت حقوق بشر ایران از طریق اینترنت

Monday, 15 February 2010

//www.un.org/webcast/unhrc/index.asp

A good review of what happened on 22 Bahman

//iranian.com/main/news/2010/02/13/iran-2...

...

FIDH and LDDHI express their deepest concern regarding the ongoing repression against the Baha’i community in Iran(Here)

...

بازداشت سه تن از فروشندگان سرویس وی پی ان به اتهام همکاری جهت اقدامات اغتشاشگرایانه در فضای مجازی

اگر هم که سرگرد خان فارسی نداند، نوچه های ایشان فراوانند

دوستان،
اگر هم که سرگرد خان فارسی نداند، نوچه های ایشان فراوانند که برایش ترجمه کنند.

Arthimis and Fair

Fekr mikonam keh een hayvaani keh khodesh ra sargord seda mikoneh aslan farsi sohbat nemikoneh. Esm-e khanevadegish pirooz ast va esm-e koochikesh mark hast. As rah-e veb mitavanid paydash konid. Rooz khosh.

Arthimis

Een afsare sarkoubgar-e- mardom va havadare estebdade deenee nemayangare zede Irani tareen mojoodat-e rooye korehye zaminand. Een afrad-e- bee vatan va bee sharaf va bee gheirat, hazerand khahar-e- khodeshoon ro beforooshand baraye hefze nezame bee vataneshoon. Az tajavoz va adamkoshe va har jenayate deegaree bename hefze nezam hemayat meekonad, va be mardome Iran posht meekonad.

Motasefaneh ma dar tarikheman az een khaenha zeeyad dashteem. Yek Irani-e-khaen mesle hameen agha bood keh eskandar ra komak kard keh Iran ra shekast dahad. Va emrooz cheneen aghayoone vatan forooshi hastand khe baese baghaye tajavozgaran va adamkoshhaye tehran va ghom hastand. Albateh jaleb ast keh chenin adamhaye doroo va past, nemedoonam chera entekhab kardand dar amrikaye jahankhar, haman sheitan -e- bozorg mostaghar bashand.

Kholaseh khejalat khoob cheezieh. Een ha ham hata yek zarreh ham nadarand. Cheh meesheh kard. Adam neestand.

-Fair

JJ- That'll be the day

the day that you have to take lessons in "integrity" from IRI trash like Jahelo (no misspell).  No sweat, though.  She's just tickled pink knowing that after mass arrests, after putting hundreds of thousands of heavily armed thugs on the streets and after closing off the entire capital, its pathetic regime could finally put on a dog and pony show in peace so that its o Boston residing, Kool-Aid drinking out of touch Kamikaze supporters can gloat for a while.  

But we should think about all this as charity.  After all, this will be a morale boost to Jahelo and its friends and will alleviate the need for them to visit their therapists for a while. :-))   

Amnesty International

12 February 2010 

An Amnesty International paper (pdf) responding to Iran's own submission to the UN ahead of the Human Rights Council review of the country, illustrates Iran's failure to uphold human rights >>>

Mona

Sargord Pirouz

If you speak, read and write Persian (Farsi) just say YES!

Thank you

Indeed you don't understand

waffen SS major.

The Leverets can pursue US interests as much as they want. The problem is misinformation. The assertion that the Shah gunned down thousands of people in the street is just false, and the Shah never clamped down on the capital of Iran and the whole country the way the Islamic Fuehrer did. Furtheremore, the notion that "this was not Tienanmen" is a complete lie. This has been Tienanmen big time, with mass arrests intimidation torutre rape imprisonment destruction of the press and mass arrest of reporters- all of which you fascists support.

Mousavi had no choice but to declare fraud because there was blatant fraud and everybody knew it. Unlike the Islamic Fuehrer, he actually cares about his credibility.

The one who made the big error is the Islamic Fuehrer and your fascist masters for standing against the people blatantly in broad daylight in front of the whole world. For the first time in 31 years, the government had to build a fortress and celebrate its own existence inside that fortress while beating people outside the walls. The only thing in ruins is any semblance of support for the regime and any claim it has to legitimacy by any measure- even its own. Look how the world media is covering this, the protestors could not be hidden.

But there is a sad outcome like you say, except as usual you twist it like all fascists do. The sad outcome is the murder and beating and rape and assault on the Iranian people by the Islamic Fuehrer's terrorists so that the Islamic fuehrer can continue to usurp power. You are an anti Iran traitor and a stateless terrorist for supporting such criminals and all of you will be held accountable for your crimes and the cost you have forced the Iranian people to pay. Shame on you for betraying the Iranian people.

-Fair

yes Vildemouse

His wife is even more of a neocon than him.  What made me suspicious was the Leverretts' insistence in marginalizing a movement that is sweeping the nation in the past columns and interviews.  This rhetoric may work with the average American public who normally does not follow the Iranian politics, but with us, we have to ask "what is the hidden agenda here?".

World Press Photo Awards 2010‎ ...

World Press Photo Awards 2010‎ : Italian Pietro Masturzo won the top prize with his picture of the rooftops of Tehran taken in June 2009

Mona 

Mammad

"A system that receives 63% of the vote should not need to saturate Tehran just to prevent peaceful expression of opposition from the Greens."

Mammad, there is no reason to assume people would have expressed themselves peacefully, had the regime not saturated Tehran.  Don't get me wrong, by that I am not saying Mousavi/Karroubi advocate violence. I also don't judge those Iranians who live in Iran and resort to violence against the regime harshly, although I think resorting to violence (at least at this juncture) will have grave consequences for everyone.

Mrs.: Great Summary

Considering the limitations. people were victorious again both who despite all the odds still went to streets and also those who left the cities and went to Shomal etc to let IR thugs have their day using guns, buses, juice, cake and money to create a high security fenced event!

delete

delete

I don't understand this

I don't understand this fixation with the Leverrets here at IC.

The Leverrets are advocating policy they feel is in the interst of the US- and the US only. They are in no way trying to represent themselves as speaking on behalf of Iran or Iranian-Americans, or Iranian-based related interests. 

Anyway, let's hope the reformist end of Iran's political establishment can someday soon bring itself up from the shattered remains of post-June 2009 election and 22 Bahman. 

Mousavi should have never declared fraud when he did, and he compounded his error in grave fashion when he urged people to take to the streets in an attempted color coup. Big mistake. Now this element of the Islamic Republic's political spectrum has become both ostracized and irrelevent, which is really a sad outcome.

They will not

go peacefully!! They have said it again and again. Khamenei was kind of right in saying just because people shout allah o akbar etc, will not make them hand the government on a platter. We know now that the so called green movement leaders can only go as far as their conviction(velayat e fagih) and more importantly their networks(business/political). Telling their followers to tie a green ribbon like the ones we see in emamzadehs, marks them out for the repressive forces. From day one of this regime, it was evident that only violence, the language that they understand, can remove them. I am all for peaceful protests and regime change but this can serve us for a limited time only. The members of this regime must be harrassed at every opportunity just the same way it was done during last year of the monarchy. We can no longer wait for anniversaries to voice our opposition. People are poorer compared to the Shah's time and can not afford strikes and layoff, no wonder they can sell their souls for a drink and a sandwich. This movement needs a leader(whoever it may turn out to be) who will against all his or her convictions must unite all opposition parties under one umbrella. We face a formidable adversary and need all support everyone can give, be it toudehei, saltanati, mujahed etc. Hard part is convincing these varied groups to join the struggle as one entity.

MM jan: Thank you. I got it.

MM jan: Thank you. I got it. So Leverettes are actually neocons in disguise, right??

voldemouse

Both choices makes the Obama administrations to deal with Iran, but #2 has a hidden agenda.

No, #2 forces Obama to deal with Iran (just like #1), but if the history of Iran is any indication, the negociations will be a stalemate which may force Obama to agree with the neocons to deal with Iran forcefully, just like the neocons have been pushing the past administrations to do so.

I could be wrong here.

Dear MM: #2 forces the

Dear MM:

#2 forces the Obama administration into a corner with the neocons that are ready to deal with Iran like the Iraq invasion.

So, the Leverettes are afraid that Obama might actually listen to the neocons and attack Iran??

Marhoum Kharmagas

Perhaps we differ on whether today's events represent a victory or defeat or something in between for the hardliners.

I see it as a defeat, simply because of all the claims that the hardliners make. Fars has said that 50 million pro-AN people participated in the demonstrations! That is more than twice the number of votes that is claimed AN received last june!

But, let's just say the 24 million votes is correct. A system that receives 63% of the vote should not need to saturate Tehran just to prevent peaceful expression of opposition from the Greens.

The fact is, the hardliners are terrified. They know that they are not wanted, and do not know what to do. They recall the Shah's experience of Fall of 1978, and believe that if they retreat just a bit, an avalanch will start. On the other hand, they also know that they cannot win a war of attrition. The military side always loses such a war.

So, it is in this sense that I consider today's events a defeat for the hardliners. After 8 months, thousands of people arrested and jailed, tens of them killed, two assassinations, many raped and sodomized, etc., the Greens are still standing. That means they are not going to disappear.

Again, this is a Marathon and a war of attrition. With patience, hard work, correct analyses, and realistic goals the Greens will prevail.

As for whether Sazegara and the likes lost, I agree with you. These people were opposed to voting last June, but now want to ride the  Green waves to power. And they are not alone. We have many of the "Latter Day Greens!"

Mammad

Vildemouse -

Mr Leverrett somehow seems to sideline the whole green movement and suggests that Obama needs to deal with AN government on a strategic level (6:30-7:40 and concluding minutes from the video). 

Leverretts "may" genuinely believe that we have a hard line government, w/ no opposition, w/ nuclear ambitions!  However, I am not seeing the next layer of the onion easily in the video 1. Deal with it, and make something of it; 2. if they do not cooperate then make it the next Iraq.

#1 sounds like a genuine desire to make AN government the one to deal with, and get it over with, vis-a-vis a head-to-head talks between the two governments.

#2 forces the Obama administration into a corner with the neocons that are ready to deal with Iran like the Iraq invasion.

However, not being able to see through thousands of people who demonstrated despite the heavily armed thugs of the regime, over and over again during the past 8 months, I am leaning towards #2. 

Dark "greens" lost (to Mammad)

Mammad, regime controlled today's events with minimal violence. For a regime that is under so much external/internal pressure and sabotage, keeping things under control is not exactly a victory but it is definitely not a failure (for them ....'az een soton be oon soton faraj ast'). I do however believe that the progressive patriotic greens (people such as Q Dr. Sahimi, ....) won, as the dark "greens" the ones that later became green and turned greener that the original greens (likes of Sazegara, monarchists, right wing "radical" greens...) lost.

Keep the pot boiling as long as it takes. NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE!

DEMONSTRATIONS ALONE WON'T SUFFICE

They play a useful role but there is a growing need for alternative ways of attacking and demoralizing this regime, stirring up chaos and giving the rulers no space to breathe securely. 

--Putting down demontrations requires expensive resources.   How long can the dictatorship afford such expenditures?  

--Each time the government reacts brutality, it loses supporers at home and recertifies its pariah status among civilized countries abroad.  

--Continued demonstrations create an atmosphere of chaos that makes it difficult to function and wears the ruling thugs down psychologically.

--Endless demonstrations keep up an atmosphere of endless instability that scares off foreign investiment (down 94 percent recently).   That's no loss to the average Iranian since the money would only end up in the usual pockets (hardline mullahs, IRCG and Basilj officers).

AN IDEAL GRAND STRATEGY

The greens must take much stronger steps to ally themselvers with the grievances of workers who are now near the boiling point.  That--plus an unfixable economy--will prepare the ground for a prolonged general strike, hard to counter with clubs, will bring down this regime.

The Greens must emphasize the wealth accumulated (stolen) by the mullahs, using mind-bobbling statisticsa.  At the same time they must contrast the life of luxury enjoyed by these high-living thugs with the economic situation with that of the average Iranian ( banks collapse, the currency plummets, unemployment is 46 percent and half of those who work go payless).   Finally, the workers need to understand that there is zero hope things can get better so long as the mullahs and IRCG mafia rules in an Islamic Republic

STRATEGIES FOR THE RADICALIZED 

HOW THE TIMID CAN CONTRIBUTE

1. JOIN THE GRAFFITI CAMPAIGN: A great way to wear down the regime psychologically.  If everyone in the opposition "contributed," they'd way outnumber the number of people the regime can hire to clean up.  THe latter also becomes expensive. 

Aside from the psychological pleasures involved in freely expressing oneself, there is also the teeth-grinding effect of frustrating a regime that will do anything to control information.

Is there any reason why the quantity of writers and the amount of politicval graffiti should not multiply 100 fold?   Why not even more biting more biting sarcasm ("the Supreme Billionaire" should have resonance in this economy)?.  Write on rocks, roads, pavements.  Write on mountains.  Write in cities and small villages.  Overwhelm the regime's cleaner-uppers.

Don't get caught.  Use only your closest friends as lookouts!

2. VANDALISM

Security devices such as cameras are essential targets.  Use rocks, air rifles, anything available.  Mask yourself. Strike at night.  Regime thugs can't be awake 24 hours a day and their eyes can't be everywhere.   Private vehicles owned by thugs, including cars and motorcycles also make fine targets.   Some may want to consider destruction of essential infrastructure. 

3. ACCERATING DEFACEMENT OF THE REGIME'S CURRENCY.

Writing protests on currency really enrages the regime, while I suspect a Khamenei or Taeb "gets off" physically watching videos of demonstrators being beaten or shot, or marched into show trials in their pajamas. 

Every Iranian who despises the regime can make a daily contribution here.  Take a vow: STRIKE BACK ANY WAY YOU CAN.

4. SOCIAL OSTRACISM: Man is a social animal.   Many of the Basilj and IRCG troops are young.  Shun them on every opportunity.  No words are needed.  If they walk into a room or a restaurant, get up and leave.  Avoid them as if they smell like a sewer.  This is especially important for young women. 

5. JOIN THE BRAIN DRAIN. Obviously the young have no future  under this regime.  So why stay at all?  When it comes to an outmigration of the educated and talented (the so-called "brain drain") Iran ranked#1 in the world before June 12th and its gotten substantially worse.  

Such people are essential to carry out the routine tasks of any modern economy,  Why not let double or triple outmigration from its peresent high levels?  Hopefully some of those emigres will be the sons and daughters of high regime figures.  When you leave, cut off contact with such kin, the worst of enemies, and encourage others to migrate.

6. PROVIDE USEFUL INFORMATION FOR THE LESS TIMID TO ACT ON

Who are the regime's plainclothesmen, its interrogtors, its, prison guards, etc.?  Which policeman or IRCG showed enthusiasm in breaking the bones of demonstrators, especially women and the elderly?   Can you identify individual members of Khmenenei's roving vigilate squads?   Do you have a neighbor or classmate in the Basilj?  

Help make their lives miserable. Take their photos if you can do so without risk.  Supply their names and addresses.  Describe individual crimes where you can (much as concentration camp victims did after WW II). 

Place the material online for others to use as they see fit.  A regime that photographs peaceful demonstrators, sprays then with identifying paint and offers "can you identify this person" bribes surely cannot squak if the people choose to identify its own thugs in kind.

FOR THOSE WHO FEEL DRIVEN TO VIOLENCE 

Like it or not, growing radicalization will drive some to violence as a pocket-lining regime employs more and more horrific force against the people.  It is easy to lose patience with peaceful means of protest when continually beaten with clubs or worse.  Hopefully those who have decided violence is the only way now will act as indivuals and on their own.  When they do, secrecy and surprise are everything. 

Basilj and IRCG officers and hardline clerics, their homes, hangouts and vehicles are certain targets.   Regime big shots may get protection but can the regime can hardly place guards at the home of every captain, lieutenant or overenthusiasic club trooper?  Why not students at Mohammed Yazdi's seminary since they are prominent among plainclothes thugs who assault top reformers?  

The guilty must sleep sometime and when they do anything can happen. Do these monsters go to restaurants?  Do they play soccer and laugh with teammates while telling tales of those they've beaten?   

I wouldn't expect many suicide bombing attacks.  They tend to be a monopoly of religious fanatics.  However, we may begin to see a few under the present "monopoly of violence" circumstances. Individuals  who have been beaten, imprisoned, raped oir tortured by the regime or who have family or friends treated that way are likely candidates.  

After searing, hate-producing experiences some people feel they have nothing to lose and calculate on taking a few bad guys with them when they go.  Anyone who feels that way will have no problem finding "how to" tips online.   I'd hope that--unlike the Islamists--they'll avoid targeting the more innocent among civilians.  The latter obviously doesn't include any regime plainclothesmen or certain members of Khamenei's direct family (his venomous wife or that Caligula-like offspring of Khamenei's tainted loins: Murderous Mojtaba). 

Mammad: Two separate issues

In my view, there are two separate issues:

1) Should there be regime change in Iran? In my view, emphatically yes. The IRI has proven itself unreformable in any fundamental sense after 31 disastrous years in power. It is the most violent and repressive government in Iran's recent history (as measured by the numbers of Iranians it has killed).

2) Will there be regime change in Iran in the foreseeable future? Maybe, maybe not. No one knows for sure. After all, who can predict the future? After Moh'd Reza Pahlavi was in power for 31 years (1972), who could have predicted that his regime would collapse after 1 year of demonstrations several years later? Who could have predicted that the apartheid regime in S Africa, as well as the USSR and Eastern bloc countries would collapse as they did? On the other hand, tinpot dictatorships in Egypt, Syria, and N Korea appear to be going strong (and they've been in power quite a bit longer than the loathsome Tehran regime). I think that those Iranians who want to see regime change, myself included, have to be careful of not letting our perfectly justified desire to see a democratic polity established in Iran blind us to the fact that the current protest movement has weaknesses and the IRI has some cards to play. That being said, all is not rosy for the IRI either. The Iranian economy has some formidable problems, and unlike the people of Egypt, Syria, and N Korea, Iranians while certainly intimidated by the regime, have not been entirely cowed either. Moreover, Iran has a history of popular political upheavals in its modern history.