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CHANGE
05-Apr-2008 (25 comments)
The Islamic Republic is not our entire problem. I would argue that with or without the IR, little or no significant difference would be felt by those who truly dream of a free and independent Iran. The major part of the equation I believe has not been fixed. The people of Iran need to define what are acceptable social norms in the Iranian society. The simplest solution is what the IR is enforcing. To take the Rights of all so no one would argue for the acceptable norms. IR agrees that we need to go back to Islam to find a common ground.>>>
SOROUSH
05-Apr-2008 (2 comments)
نوانديشی های آقای سروش نه بر ضد يا در رد تشيع امامی که در جهت تقويت مبانی آن است. با اين همه، بنظر می رسد که در حوزهء انديشهء تشيع امامی عارف و عامی، هر دو، حقی برای اين سرباز فداکار دين، و نوانديشی که اغلب نوانديشان ديگر امامی خود را به او منتسب می دارند، قائل نيست که در مورد دين خود بيانديشد و راهی برای انسانی تر کردن آن بيابد. يعنی، در واقع، اين «خودی بودن» اوست که کار دست آقای سروش داده. مثلاً، آيت الله سبحانی همهء دردش آن است که: «او (يعنی سروش)، با آن چهره نوراني و بيان شيرين، روزگاري مدرس نهج‌البلاغه بود. خطبهء همام را به نحو دلپذيري تفسير مي‌كرد، چه شد كه از اين گروه اين همه فاصله گرفت؟>>>
STEREOTYPING
03-Apr-2008 (26 comments)
If I go around saying all Iranians are terrorists, I should not be surprised when Iranians respond by saying all Americans are backward, cultureless, ignorant rednecks. Stereotyping is a vicious cycle that feeds on itself. When the members of any two groups of people start seeing themselves as vastly different from one another it begins to impair their powers of perception, they gradually begin to see the other, through the blurring lens of intolerance, as inferior, and they fail to remember that we were all born with ten fingers and toes and that we all bleed red when we’re cut. Weren’t we all innocent at one point in our lives before we learned how to hate, for hating is surely a learned skill?>>>
FITNA
03-Apr-2008 (19 comments)
Okay, I like the Dutch as much as the next person, or actually I like them more than most people I know. I like their language, despite all the “ch” sounds (that is KH, a hard, laryngeal sound not dissimilar to one cleaning one’s throat), I like their country, and I like their penchant for the provocative and the controversial. Recently, I dragged my girlfriend through the streets of Amsterdam during a five hour stop-over in Schipol on my way from Athens to Los Angeles. She hated it, and it was cold, and all the stores were closed (we got there at 9am), but I loved it. I even want to live there, if possible, but apparently I will not be really welcome, looking at the way Mr. Wilders is warning his fellow Netherlanders. Why?>>>
VIEW
02-Apr-2008 (14 comments)
Thus far, the so called war on terrorism has not produced the ideal outcome the Bush Administration had hoped for. Administration officials believe that any back down such as the partial withdrawal of US troops out of Iraq may be construed as defeat and will embolden the extremists. Therefore, the US has to continue for as long as necessary at whatever cost. In his speech in 9/07, Bush stated that further terrorist attacks are invited by the perception of weakness; a show of force is needed to minimize such attacks. I believe such argument is fallacious at best. The terrorists do not attack the US because they think the US is weak or strong. On the contrary this mentality may provoke more attacks.
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POLITICS
02-Apr-2008 (4 comments)
The most noteworthy aspect of the “election game” of the 8th parliament of the Islamic Republic of Iran, was the endeavor of those persons and groups who were active players , to appear as if each possessed an optimal plan. Among those laying claim to power, each faction sought to use any means, including character assassination, in order to present their choices as the most effective. But in fact neither the option of participation, nor that of boycott could be considered intelligent and true options for the Iranian society, and the promoters of none of these options, even should those backing participation win some of the coveted seats , had an effective program for the day after the elections.>>>
FITNA
01-Apr-2008 (34 comments)
A new film entitled Fitna, the Arabic word for ‘dissension’, by Geert Wilders, a rightwing Dutch parliamentarian, shouldn't be suppressed and should be made widely available for all to see. Not because it has anything valuable or insightful to offer in the debates and discussions surrounding Islam, modernity or the convulsions wracking much of the Middle East. Quite the contrary, it must be seen so that it can be openly criticized and shown up for the insipid propaganda video it is. To suppress the film in the name of political correctness has been a gross miscalculation, which has only gone to underscore the seductive mystery its creators have cleverly cultivated>>>
OBAMA
01-Apr-2008 (12 comments)
The U.S. is a global power, and it can remain powerful basically through fair mutual relationships with other nations. While we influence many events in the world, our economic prosperity is also partially rooted in other nations, and in the age of globalization American interests ultimately cannot be protected by militarization of foreign policy. In global relations, America has helped the people of some nations to achieve better lives, but at the same time it has also recognized and supported some of the most brutal regimes in the world. In recent years, because of abuses at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, the U.S. has lost much of its credibility as an advocate of human rights and democracy>>>
MEDIA
31-Mar-2008 (67 comments)
When it was reported in May 2007 that Rupert Murdoch's "surprise" $5 billion bid for the nation’s largest financial newspaper, the prestigious Wall Street Journal, it was received with great apprehension lest this paper of record for the U.S. economy lend itself to Murdoch's conservative leanings. The anxiety felt was not misplaced. Murdoch now has The Wall street Journal from which to propagate misinformation to the public; the latest such scandal being an opinion piece by Amir Taheri. What prompts Murdoch to allow such an incredulous opinion piece to be published in his paper? >>>
COMMENTS
31-Mar-2008 (43 comments)
With the switchover to a more bloggy style format, and the ease by which readers can comment on articles, I figure enough experimentation has gone by, to spend this piece defining a code of conduct that I think we can all agree on and hopefully abide by. It's probably not perfect, but it'll do, for me anyways. As I am sure you have by now seen, there are several problems. First, the sniper comments have exploded. These are those pointless, harm intending, vicious, often personal attacks on the site, by those tortured souls in our midst, who feel the inexorable urge to express what is obviously their own deep demonic torment. Except that they do it with comfortable glee>>>
MIDDLE EAST
30-Mar-2008 (11 comments)
What is going to happen in Iraq will be the turning page of history for what is going to happen with a very large chunk of the Muslim world, especially Iran, and Iranians, inside or outside of the homeland. Whoever becomes the next president of the US will take decisions regarding Iraq that will be crucial for the future of the security of the Middle East and the wider world. America witnessed one of the results of the radicalisation of Islam on 11th of September 2001 and that radicalisation is still there waiting to harm freedom and democracy, not so much potently in the West, but more believably and practically in the Muslim world>>>
VIEW
30-Mar-2008 (75 comments)
Some may argue that all religions at one point in time have committed crimes against humanity. That may be so, but none of the existing world religions' foundation has been based upon shedding the blood of its innocent conquered. Islam lives, breathes and grows on blood. Once we take away this red element from Islam, Islam will vanish completely. Islam cannot possibly live in the hearts and minds of its believers. Islam needs to shed the blood of the infidels, meaning all non-Muslims. Islam is about world domination. Fear of pain and punishment for non-conformism is part of being a Muslim>>>
ADAMIYAT
28-Mar-2008 (2 comments)
مشروطیت برای نخستین بار آگاهی ایرانیان نسبت به حقوق لاینفک انسانی، سیاسی و اجتماعی شان را به منصه ظهور حافظه ی ملی رساند و نهال آن را در ذهن و فکر اجتماعی ملت کاشت و زان پس دایماً در بستر تحولات زمانه آبیاری و تنومندش کرد. با استقرار و تداوم حکومت های مشروطه بین سال های ١٢٨٦ تا ١٢٩٩ و سپس جلوۀ درخشان آن در دوره حکومت دو سال و اندی دکتر مصدق، مردم ایران این گنجینۀ گرانبها را در حافظۀ تاریخی خود، یعنی در جایی امن و به دوراز دسترس عُمال و داروغه های شاهنشاهان و حزب اللهی ها و بسیجی های ملایان، گرامی داشته اند. اما چه کسانی پرچمدار ملازمت و توسعه بخشی این گنجینه تاریخی بوده اند؟ کدامین روشنفکران، متفکران و نویسندگان این گنجینه را از گزند حوادث و ویرانگری نظرات گذرا و متعصبانه حفظ کرده اند و همچنان در ذهن ما درخشنده اش داشته اند؟>>>
MOSQUE & STATE
28-Mar-2008 (7 comments)
اکنون، پس از گذشت سه دهه از «خلافت» آقای خمينی (لفظی که خود ايشان در اين کتاب برای «فقيه ولی» يا «امام» بکار می برد)، ما همهء مراحل پيروزی «حکومت اسلامی» بر «حاکميت ملی» را گذرانده ايم و دستگاه مقننه، قضائيه و اجرائی حکومت اسلامی مستقر در ايران دقيقاً بر اساس الگوی مورد نظر آقای خمينی بخود شکل گرفته و دربست در اختيار ولی فقيه قرار دارند. در عين حال، وقتی به اين سه دهه می نگريم متوجه می شويم که تنها عدهء معدودی از مفسران سياسی متوجه اين تعارض شده اند و اکثريت ما، آنچه را که در ايران پديد آمده با عينک «دولت ملی بين» و «مدرن» که دارای «قوای منفک و مستقل از هم و خدمتگزار منافع ملی است» ديده ايم و، دقيقاً به واسطهء همين «سوء تفاهم»، وقت خود را از طريق سخن گفتن بر بنياد چنين برداشتی تلف کرده ايم.>>>
27-Mar-2008 (21 comments)
در حقیقت اصلاح طلبی پارلمانتاریستی باید یا آرزوی خود برای رسیدن به حکومت دمکراتیک توسعه گرا را به سطل زباله انداخته با اسم فریبنده اصلاح طلبی در پی بازی های سیاسی برآید یا این واقعیت را که قانون اساسی ما قدرت نهادهای انتصابی را بر نهادهای انتخاباتی افزون تر قرار داده است بپذیرد. تازه در این صورت نیز اصلاح طلبان امروز یک گروه بدون اعتبار سیاسی محسوب می شوند. در حقیقت سرمایه سیاسی این گروه امروز بسیار اندک است و این گروه هم اعبتار خود را در نزد رهبری از دست داده و عمال خودخواسته یا ناخواسته آمریکا تلقی می شوند.>>>
RECENT COMMENTS
IRANIANS OF THE DAY
| Person | About | Day |
|---|---|---|
| نسرین ستوده: زندانی روز | Dec 04 | |
| Saeed Malekpour: Prisoner of the day | Lawyer says death sentence suspended | Dec 03 |
| Majid Tavakoli: Prisoner of the day | Iterview with mother | Dec 02 |
| احسان نراقی: جامعه شناس و نویسنده ۱۳۰۵-۱۳۹۱ | Dec 02 | |
| Nasrin Sotoudeh: Prisoner of the day | 46 days on hunger strike | Dec 01 |
| Nasrin Sotoudeh: Graffiti | In Barcelona | Nov 30 |
| گوهر عشقی: مادر ستار بهشتی | Nov 30 | |
| Abdollah Momeni: Prisoner of the day | Activist denied leave and family visits for 1.5 years | Nov 30 |
| محمد کلالی: یکی از حمله کنندگان به سفارت ایران در برلین | Nov 29 | |
| Habibollah Golparipour: Prisoner of the day | Kurdish Activist on Death Row | Nov 28 |