Current Events

Crushed under stones

As protests against the stoning of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani arose amongst the public and western officials, the IRI embassy in London announced that the verdict would not be stoned to death. On the contrary, the Secretary of Judiciary Commission of Human Rights declared that death by stoning does exist in the law of the country and that it would be implemented. Now, it is feared that the Islamic Republic of Iran may decide to suddenly execute all those sentenced to stoning>>>

Awakening Cyrus the Great

Iranians called him the father, Babylonians called him the protector, Jews called him the messiah and Greeks called him the law giver. The outstanding leader, Cyrus embraced the known world and established security for the oppressed and became one of the most important figures of ancient history. He is also mentioned in the Quran known as Zulqarnain. For the first time, a national film will be made about Koorosh-e-Kabir, also known as Cyrus the Great in the English speaking world>>>

انتخابات آزاد

جنبش سبز از دو نقیصه مرتبط به هم رنج می‌برد. یکی، فقدان یک رهبری منسجم و جامع الاطراف بوده که بتواند اعتماد و حمایت اکثریت قاطع فعالان جنبش سبز را جلب کند، و دیگری ابهام در آرمان‌های جنبش سبز که از جامعیت لازم برای تأمین خواست‌های مشترک نیروهای فعال آن برخوردار باشد. سخنان و اظهارات رهبران «به واقع» (دو فاکتو)ی جنبش در گذشته غالبا مبهم، چندپهلو، متناقض، بحث‌انگیز و تفسیرپذیر بوده است>>>

Why should we care?

When we visited the Iranian Interest Section in Washington, D.C., as part of a delegation with spokespersons from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to protest the arrest and illegal imprisonment of an Iranian-Canadian scholar, one of the Iranian officials -- a Khatami supporter -- thanked us for taking on the noble cause of defending political prisoners. As I left the premises, I told him, “God forbid, if you end up in jail one day, we will defend you as well.” He smiled. I smiled too. But I meant it.>>>

Let Sakineh Go Free!

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani is 43 years old. A prisoner in Tabriz, she has been sentenced to death by lapidation (stoning) for the crime of zena mohassaneh. What the fuck is that, do you ask? Well, as far I can figure out it means that she had sex with a married woman! If that is true, then Mahmood the Motor-Mouth may want to revisit his statement at Columbia University a few years ago as to the absence of homosexuality in the Islamic Republic! But seriously, folks - I do know if zena is good or bad – I suppose that depends on the cuntext! >>>

شرمندگی با صدای بلند

از بهایی‌ها چندان چیزی نمی‌دانم و برخورد زیادی هم با آنها نداشته‌ام. شاید بارزترین آنها مربوط به پژمان باشد. پسری که در کوچه پشتی ما زندگی می‌کرد و بر خلاف اکثر ما مشهدی‌ها لهجه “تهرونی” داشت. قصه‌گوی نمایش بود. بعد از چندی او و چند تا از بچه‌ها از گروه کنار گذاشته شدند و نقش قصه‌گو را به من دادند. حذف پژمان دلیلی نداشت جز آنچه که سال‌ها بعد فهمیدم: پژمان “بهایی” بود>>>

All Smiles

If any issue hovered over the Obama-Netanyahu tete-a-tete, it was the question of prioritization. For Netanyahu, the issue seems clear: as he said at the outset of his public remarks at the White House, "The greatest new threat on the horizon, the single most dominant issue for many of us, is the prospect that Iran would acquire nuclear weapons," and the rest of his comments flowed from that opening statement. These words suggest that Iran is, without doubt, the most important issue for Israeli security, though not necessarily the most urgent; Netanyahu did not imply that decisions on assessing the efficacy of sanctions need to be made very soon, nor that decisions on preventive military action are imminent>>>

The fight continues

This time of year, every year, I remember. On the evening of July 8, 1999, I slept in the dormitories of Tehran University when it was attacked. We woke to the sounds of the Basiji as they screamed at us in the name of a god who was merciless. They beat us to a pulp. The sounds of that night have never faded from my memory. Students were battered, their bones literally broken like branches pulled from a tree. There were shots fired and the sound of breaking glass filled the night air. Students screamed in disbelief and horror as their sense of security was forever shaken>>>

جدال بر سر دانشگاه آزاد

کشمکش برسر تصاحب و کنترل دانشگاه آزاد و ارزش افسانه‌ای مایملک آن که طرفداران احمدی‌نژاد آن را ۲۵۰ هزار میلیارد تومان برآورد می‌کنند، در هفته‌های اخیر شدت گرفت و سرانجام با دخالت شخص خامنه‌ای موقتا آرام شد. طرفداران احمدی‌نژاد عزم کرده بودند به هر بهایی شده این دانشگاه را از چنگ هاشمی رفسنجانی و عوامل او بیرون بکشند و در این راه از همه اهرم‌های ممکن کمک گرفتند>>>

Going after the Guards

Over the years IRGC expanded its enterprise to other opportunities along the lines of telecommunications, energy, logistics and services, and automobile. They also build dams, bridges, and tunnels underground for railways. Ghorb’s director is IRGC General Rostam Qasemi, and its chief executive is IRGC’s commander and chief, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari. Ghorb’s military projects extend to the Nuclear and Ballistic missile programs. Smuggling contraband of sorts, electrical appliances and gasoline is another>>>

حق حيات

نمي دانم از چه زماني و براي چه موضوعي حكايت هابيل و قابيل بين ما درگرفت و نمي دانم چه كسي تخم فتنه و فساد را بين ما پاشيد كه هر چه كرديم و به طريقي اثبات نمائيم كه برادر هم هستيم و با اتحاد مي توانيم رشد كنيم و با اتفاق مي توانيم بسازيم و آباد نمائيم نشد كه نشد. و تا اين كه تجربه اخراج از ايول به سال 1362 شد باورمان نمي شود ... فقط و فقط يك مطلب را از شما انتظار دارم كه در اين آخرين ايام حيات خويش متوجه شوم كه حق حيات داشتم كه زاده شدم و يا نه؟>>>