News

A few comments, /Mehrnaz

First of all, Mehrnaz, sorry for the delay in reply you requested. I thought I left a comment here yesterday and it was quite long but apparently I forgot to do the final submission. Occasionally I forget to, just leave on preview and move on So I am re-working it here a bit and re-posting it today.

1) I posted the news item on Taraneh from huffpost the day before this one we're on  It made a big hoopla but did NOT say she was dead. On the contrary, it stated the anonymous sources they received as being reliable but did not state the girl's current whereabouts or condition (even if alive or dead). NIAC to date has not picked it up EVEN to mention a controversy going on, so obviously they do not want to attract ANY attention to it. The only source considered generally fairly reliable that has picked it up in English is the Daily Kos but they got it from huffpost.

In absence of acknowledgement from NIAC or picking up by any of the major press (NYT, EINS news, Reuters, etc. etc.) it must be at very best put on the backest back burner, as Azarin and I already discussed elsewhere yesterday. Okay so by now pretty much everyone knows that, just telling my own experience and also to state it was very traumatic for me to be all alone with that knowledge here but I did assume it was true because Huffpost did not put it as a blog item but as a prominently featured independent article, I do not know why they have not published a retraction or at least explanation. I am very disappointed in them. They are supposed to be the gold standard for the current events in Iran (at least the 'Western' perspective. So disappointing. (Acknowledgement here to Mehrnaz's concerns about lack of retractions and/or clarifications from prominent 'Western' sources).

2) Following the submission and featuring of the item we're on an Iranian of the Day went up submitted by Azarin. Almost immediately Jahanshah published a disclaimer on it saying sources were being questioned, with link, and shortly after removed the Iranian of the Day from the homepage. This was very responsible, however keepting this item we're on featured was not, and also I shouldn't've been the one to have to put the disclaimer here, imho. Actuallly I didn't mind until yesterday when I saw that there is now a blog featured with a video poem going around the Net about the girl since yesterday at the same time as more and more substantiation comes in about the item at BEST being highly questionable. Very frustrated. I do not know what iranian.com is supposed to be right now at this crucial time, something considered at least a third-tier reliable news source like say Daily Kos or just for fun. My guess is the publisher would rather the former but in that case there must be a certain meticulousness, regardless of how overwhelmed one is doing one's very best. If over-extended, responsibilities should be delegated for certain things.

You know, free speech is very easy in an arts or bla bla forum, but when you have such a forum simultaneous to a hard news and news commentary one, you have to look at things from a certain perspective and be a little consistent.

3) In my post I forgot to fully submit yesterday I did talk about the advantages and disadvantages of the new "tweet-driven" media and how it will take some time for us to get our footing (as a 'species' I mean not just on i.c.). I briefly analyzed the phenomenon but won't bother to do it again, actually it's obvious to everyone and the Taraneh story just underscores the issue.

4) Which brings us back to Mernaz's photo of the shot pregnant woman, my comment requested by her. Yes, very serious problems in this new journalism/new media. Fortunately within the deluge opened up and accelerated astronomically by the current situation in Iran, there are also many people with very good memory and even archives, like people like Mehrnaz on this very thread.

The same thing happened last week when an item was put on the top of the homepage from Ghormeh Sabzi with a possible throwing out the window of someone during one of the riots.  Fortunately it was posted as questionable, however several people on that thread REMEMBERED it as Iraqi from a few years ago. One person did not REMEMBER it as Iraqi but did point out that one of the uniforms was definitely Iraqi. That was a good lesson for everyone in the problems of the new media, but I still thought the item should be removed from the homepage. Particularly because some people would probably NOT want to watch such a gruesome video and would not click on it, just read the title and move on. It wasn't.

Which once again brings up the question of what is this site supposed to...well I guess ultimately that's not my choice but getting back to you, Mehraz, yes very very serious questions raised.  We have to deal with them as a 'species' as it were...good memory and archiving on the part of the more meticulous will serve us well.

___________________

It was very unusual for Gormeh Sabzi to make a choice like that posting such a questionable video. It was very unusual for ME to make a choice like that posting a questionable story, but it wasn't my fault, I trusted huffpost. Now I don't know. It's not so much their story I mind as their failure to follow up with a disclaimer or explanation, at least on the blog section. That's a very serious matter. MKO website like huffpo still features Taraneh with no disclaimer or explanation. Very discouraging. Where does i.c.  want to be, with mko or with the gold standard, and far more so where does huffpost want to be--I don't know what to say.

Very disappointed especially with huffpost.

Take care,

r.

Why fabrication?!

Dear Azarin, you call the fabrication that a photo from Israeli bombing of Beirut in the summer of 2006 is from Tehran in June 09, as belonging to "the Arab-Israeli conflict", as "distraction" and "old news"?!  If this is "old news", so is Neda's which goes back to the same alleged time!  Do you consider that story old too?

Are the links that Irandokht and myself have provided not evidence for you that there is indeed fabrication of news and lies going on? You go figure by who .. The evidence is however undeniable.  Just look at the dates.  That photo is a well known photo.  You speak of reliability of Huffington Post.  The story of the 'shot baby' as I have said in my previous comment, appeared in Le Figaro!

Exposure of these fabrications and lies, do not take away from the truth and validity of the death and arrests of others.  I suggest that you follow on the question you raised yourself:  Why should anyone want to fabricate news and make stories? Whose purpose does it serve?  

Since Christine Amanpour left Iran...

Since Christine Amanpour left Iran...well, there is no more serious journalist left , then all we have are these blogs! Anyway, until two weeks ago, blogs and twitter and facebook were valid sources of news about Iran. 

(Now I remember following some fishy people I didn't know like dokhtarirooooni, mamany1358 and never thought they were liars, ...:-))

Anyway, kidding aside, I saw the news about Taraneh first on Nazanin Afshin jam's page and that's why I believed it.  For me she is a reliable source and has valid contacts (human rights advocats) in Iran. Besides I don't see why people should make up these stories anyway. There is no reason at all. Because the valid victims are all over the news...for example Shadi Sadr who was kidnapped today. Right?

Azarin

Thank you IranDokht & Mehrnaz

this story is from very fishy source

I agree with Irandokht. here is a site that argues why this taraneh story is false. //newsbaan.com/blog/3239 It was spread from a source I know and that I have come to find as fishy and as propagandist. It in-authenticity was discussed first on balatrin which is a site of iranian bloggers and brought to my attention by a journalist friend who covered the election from Iran. Too much sensationalism kills the movement. things are bad enough we don't need to make up lies. Especially when they are this twisted. Many get raped and tortured and killed no need to make up fake ones or to pass on stories that come from a fishy source. so many who pass as objective journalists are really ideologues from left or right.

Sorry Azarin jan but you're missing the point of the old picture

The "old news" was brought up to show that sometimes there are pictures and stories online that are not accurate as the links provided can prove. Nobody here is attacking Israel at this time, lets not worry about that now ;-)

Huffington post article is a blog, referring to another blog as its source. What I am surprised about, is that there have been many similar stories that can be proven, one is even mentioned in that same article. Why pick this one and insist on it? why let go of other more reliable stories with names and references, but hold on to this one so much?

When I look at that angelic face in the picture I hope from deep in my heart that the story is not true. I hope that she's safe somewhere. 

IRANdokht

We shouldn't get distracted by old news!

I prefer to concentrate on new news! Let Arabs and Israel handle their own problems...:-)

I did a search about Taraneh and she is all over the net:

//www.huffingtonpost.com/shirin-sadeghi/the-rape-of-taraneh-priso_b_233063.html

I guess huffingtonpost should be pretty reliable..but I saw the news through facebook and Nazanin Afshin jam's page. So I truested the news. Plus, i'm not surprised by the family's silence. Rape brings shame to a religious islamic family and it seems that Taraneh's family is pretty religious. Or they could have been threatened by the regime. 

I'm interested. I just haven't had time to get back to you yet.

You wrote a very complex post and it requires a lot of concentration and thought, and I need more quiet. A little later. Thx.

Kaveh Parsa (and Rosie if interested)

Here is the image and the news:

//kajkool.blogspot.com/2009/06/blog-post_19.html  

Spreading the unconfirmed news is damaging to the movement

In the absence of proof and confirmation from any reliable source about such devastating news, my instinctual reaction is not to believe it.  I am not saying these crimes don't happen, I am not condoning anyone's unfair arrest and mistreatment at any level. But my wish for humanity is that this event is not true and factual.

It's easier for me to handle a sick mind fabricating this than to think there are animals who'd do such thing. Maybe I don't need to justify my opposition to this regime bad enough to just take any rumor at face value, or maybe I am worried about discrediting other sources and other information if I repeat something that was not proven factual.

If/when this news is confirmed and khoday nakardeh if such a beautiful and innocent girl was brutalized, then I will definitely spread the word about this atrocity (with proof or testimony). 

IRANdokht

Thank you Irandokht

Yes, I saw the picture on this link near the end, which is attributed here to 19.1.09!!  As you say, it precedes that date too.  In my archive it is dated July 2006.   

Kaveh Parsa

Please click on this link and scroll down through the pictures, you'll find the same baby picture. 

//pakalert.wordpress.com/2009/01/06/gaza-horr...

I am not claiming the picture was taken during Gaza's ordeal but what's obvious is this picture had been used at least in Jan 09 which is before Iran's elections dispute.

IRANdokht

Kaveh Parsa

When I saw the photo which appeared in several websites and also emailed to me several times, I immediately recognised it first time.  Initially, I thought it was from 2003 invasion of Iraq, because I had seen it in the past, I think in the Guardian newspaper, had been very perturbed by it and kept it in my archive.  I therefore checked my archive and found a scan of it, the date on my scan is July 2006 which I assume it to be in relation to 2006 Israeli bombardment of Lebanon.

In relation to substantiation, it is up to you whether or not you believe this information, I PERSONALLY HAVE NO DOUBT.  Although I have informed many people, I have not had the time to check the original source.  It is a famous picture for those who were following news at the time and several people informed me that they had seen the photo before.  Now that you are raising the question, I will follow through the source and let you know.  It may take a few days but I will find it.  Having said that, I am not saying people have not been killed in Tehran, what I am saying is that one ought to have concern for accuracy and substantiated evidence if one is concerned about truth, because lies and fabrications abound, as the example of the photo demonstrated to me.  

Oh I see...

I really didn't know it was that common. But I have to tell you, ever since right before the election I've been folliowing the news to such a point that I've had to develop my own strategies...just to cope with it..

just to cope with it.

Writing's great. I think it'll help/.

Take care,

r.ps oh yeah, when I read THIS version (as opposed to my huffpost version tfrom the day before, which hadn't said she'd died...) I did a google image search for her...and there was only one. And the Net being what it is these days I found that strange. There WERE other Taraneh Mousavis, though..

Good suggestion Roshan!

Yes...you're right! I should go to my business as usual (but my business is writing now...) Plus, the name is not very strange, because Mousavi in Iran is as common as Smith or Jones. I have personally known many people with this last name and they haven't been related at all...I even know one Taraneh Mousavi myself (a different one).

Azarin, think NOTHING.

Just hope. And wait.

And try to go about your business as best you can.

For all we know, she's dead. FOr all we know she's not. For all we know..she never existed. The name is strange, isn't it?...Mousavi?

Feel something. Think something. And get a massage.

Her family could be hiding the news

Rape might be seen like something shameful by islamic families and they might have been hiding this news.  Plus, her family could have been threatened to keep their mouths shut.

So I'm not sure what to think...

Mehrnaz.......

please substantiate what you say about the "shot baby" picture being from the israeli bombing of beirut in 2006.

 I am just asking........

How many?

How many more?

This is horrific...

I can't believe what they've done to her...it's worse than Neda. I'm speechless...