NUCLEAR

Chance for peace

UN should accept Iran’s offer to implement Additional Protocol

by CASMII
04-Mar-2008 (49 comments)
In the wake of the latest report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), clearing Iran of all the outstanding issues from its own work plan of August 2007, Iran has also agreed to accept and observe the Additional Protocol if its nuclear file is returned back to the IAEA jurisdiction from the UN Security Council. The Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII) appeals to the 5+1 group to positively consider Iran’s offer of implementing the Additional Protocol and enter into unconditional negotiations with Iran>>>

WOMEN

What we want

Answers to questions about One Million Signatures Campaign

by Sussan Tahmasebi
03-Mar-2008 (8 comments)
The One Million Signatures Campaign seeks to bring Iranian law addressing women’s status in line with international human rights standards, these demands are in no way in contradiction to Islam. Iranian law is based on interpretations of Sharia law, but these interpretations have been up for debate by religious scholars for some time, not only in Iran but around the Islamic world. Shiite Islam, on which the interpretations of Sharia rely with respect to Iranian law, claims to be dynamic and responsive to the specific needs of people and time. Iranian society has changed much since 1400 years ago, but the interpretations of Sharia on which the Iranian law is based remain rather conservative>>>

IRAN-U.S.

What should we talk about?

Tying improved relations to Iranian respect for human rights

by Trita Parsi
02-Mar-2008 (119 comments)
The human rights situation in Iran is getting drastically worse. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch report that executions in Iran - including instances of stoning - have sharply increased under in the last few years. In addition, using the Bush administration's Iran Democracy Fund as a pretext, Iranian authorities have clamped down on Iran's civil society with thousands of arrests. As Washington’s foreign policy elite is concluding that negotiations with Tehran lie in America’s strategic interest, it is also important to recognize that it lies in the US’s long-term interest to make any improvements in relations with Iran contingent upon Tehran’s adherence to the UN human rights deceleration.>>>

PERSIAN GULF

Money beats history

Boeing tries to get into the business of rewriting maps

by mahmoudg
01-Mar-2008 (15 comments)
This is an article I found on Boeing’s monthly employee newsletter in praise of their presence in Saudi Arabia. In of itself it is no more than a propaganda piece to appease their minuscule investment in the Arabian Peninsula. But what struck me odd was the fact that the author had mentioned “Arabian Gulf” in place of the “Persian Gulf”. This is a clear violation of the UN charter and I protested this act in a letter to the editor, author and a senior VP of the Boeing Company. Needless to say I have not heard back from any one>>>

FEAR

ترس آفرينی

تاريخ ترس محتسب خورده

by Esmail Nooriala
01-Mar-2008 (7 comments)
انتخابات دورهء نهم رياست جمهوری را می توان آغاز دورانی دانست که حکومت اسلامی مستقر در ايران به انتهای ديگر «مدرج حقانيت» می رسد و ديگر چيزی از حقانيت آن باقی نمی ماند و، بنا بر قوانين خلل ناپذير علم، از آن پس چاره ای ندارد تا، برای باقی ماندن بر سرير قدرت، راه سرکوب تمام عيار را در پيش گيرد. البته، از همان ابتدای تشکيل حکومت اسلامی، سرکوب جرء ذاتی سياست های اجتماعی اين حکومت بود، اما اگر در ابتدا می توانست اين سرکوب را متوجه آنها که «طاغوتی» و «استکباری» و «ضد انقلاب» خوانده می شدند نمايد، در طی زمان دامنهء اين سرکوب گسترده تر شد و، پس از پايان دورهء موسوم به «اصلاحات»، همهء جامعه را فرا گرفت. اکنون روزی نيست که خبری از اعدام و سنگسار و دست و پا بريدن و از کوه پائين انداختن نباشد.>>>

POINT

Transsexuals in Iran

Another anti-Iranian propaganda that doesn't exactly work how it should

by hoder
29-Feb-2008 (45 comments)
If you are a Jewish Iranian, living in the U.S. from the age of 6, it is very likely you don't like Ahmadinejad. So of course you would like to show how you hate him and how he is such a liar and how evil the entire government he represents is, in any way you can. So you decide to attack one of the only positive angles Iran has been reported: Sex-change. And why not connect it to Ahmadinejad's speech in your city's university, Columbia, where he said in Iran homosexuality doesn't exist the same way it does in the U.S. (We all know the united Republican>>>

NUCLEAR

Bad news

All-important question of Iran's ongoing enrichment activities

by Ephraim Asculai
29-Feb-2008 (16 comments)
The newest and much-anticipated International Atomic Energy Agency report on safeguards activities in Iran was sent to the IAEA Member States on February 22, 2008 and almost immediately leaked to the press. As usual, no one was completely satisfied by it but everyone could find in it something that upholds his or her particular point of view. And as usual, the most important part of the report – that dealing with Iran's ongoing uranium enrichment program, with the potential to provide the material for a nuclear explosive device -- was relegated to the end of the report>>>

VIEW

Obama's life in danger?

Don’t claim that no one warned you

by Amil Imani
29-Feb-2008 (74 comments)
In eloquent speeches presidential candidate Obama has made copious promises, understandably to attract voters. He talks about “change,” without really spelling out change from what to what. It just sounds good: “change.” A great sound bite, indeed. Change is exciting, while status quo is viewed as stagnant and boring. It is all part of the political game of telling people what they want to hear, getting elected, and worrying about delivering later. The electorates are both short on memory and long on forgiving. So, the farce of empty high-sounding promises fills the air at campaign times. But there are instances that a promise during vote-gathering can later haunt the person>>>

OBAMA

When does it end?

How far does a candidate have to go to prove his/her loyalty?

by hamidbak
28-Feb-2008 (33 comments)
Obama was asked two nights ago, in the debate in Ohio, about Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan’s endorsement of his campaign. He replied that he denounced the endorsement. He was then asked if he had rejected it. Obama replied that he doesn’t think there is a difference in the two. Tim Russert kept pushing it, “yeah you denounced it but do you reject it?” Ok, maybe it didn’t happen quite like this, but what the hell? The guy, Farrakhan, is goofy. He’s well on the other end of normalcy, especially when it comes to saying things. But why doesn’t denouncing him and his endorsement enough when it comes to the Jewish community?>>>

SATIRE

How do we know they were properly assimilated and wouldn't pose a threat to our authority?

by Saeed Tavakkol
28-Feb-2008 (10 comments)
First of all, this damnation only covers head of the family, spouse and children under 18 who live with parents. Children older than 18 years of age may be damned under different damnation policy through college, university or employment. Secondly, Only immediate family is damned. Family members who do not reside in the US are not covered. Proof of residency is required for the damn coverage. One might ask why should we provide such a damn costly coverage for damn aliens? Although this is a naïve question, it deserves a clever response. Let me explain.>>>

VIEW

Wholesale attack

The nemesis of civility, tolerance and human rights is not religion

by Mahmoud Sadri
27-Feb-2008 (59 comments)
My predicament: which one of the numerous half-truths and falsehoods packed in the brief speech should I address? Should I remind the audience that Coptic Christians of Egypt practice honor killing just as their Muslim neighbors? Would I have to reiterate the fact that genital mutilation predates both Islam and Christianity and, while not sanctioned by either religion, persists as a vestige of the earlier animistic practices? Would it be better to state that the nemesis of civility, tolerance and human rights is not religion as such, but the "illusion" of a literal reading of the scriptures that creates dangerous fundamentalists in every religion, with lurid dreams and plans of fiery holocausts to usher in the end of the world? >>>

IDEAS

Running out of time

Torture and theories of punishment

by Mahdiyeh Javid
27-Feb-2008 (3 comments)
When talking about torture and whether the practice could be morally justified the most common scenario that is offered is the example of the “ticking time bomb.” As the example goes, a number of bombs have been planted in a few populous areas. The authorities have the bomber in custody. They are certain about the facts that the bombs have been planted, the person in custody knows where the locations are, they have limited time before the bombs go off, and there is no possible way to find the locations of the bombs other than torturing him. The question now is whether in such circumstances, where the lives of thousands or (in the case of nuclear bombs) millions of people are in immanent danger torture could be a morally justified method for stopping this catastrophe?>>>

KHAMENEI

گل بی عیب!

تلاش های سانسور گرانه ی ولی فقیه ی" هنر پرور"

by mnoghrekar
26-Feb-2008 (15 comments)
ولی فقیه بحرالعلوم نیز هست , البته در اسلام (به ویژه درتشیع) چیزی که کم نداشته و نداریم بحر العلوم است , اینان در همه ی عرصه های علوم طبیعی (و ماوراء طبیعی و خفیه) و علوم اجتماعی , از فقه و سیاست و اقتصاد و حکمت و نجوم و ریاضیات و طب گرفته تا فرهنگ و انواع و اقسام هنرهای اسلامی و غیر اسلامی متخصص و صاحب نظر , و معلم و راهنما بوده و هستند. حال اگر نظرات , افاضات و فتاوی این بحر العلوم ها با علوم زمانه ی خود , و این زمانی , همخوانی نداشته و ندارد این مشگل علوم است نه عیب و ایراد اسلام و بحر العلوم های اش, چرا که مسلیمن می پندارند اسلام و بحرالعلوم های اش " گل بی عیب" اند و" به ذات خود ندارند عیبی", و اگر عیب و ایرادی هم گرفته می شود یا از نادانی نامسلمان هاست و یا از نامسلمانی ی مسلمان ها! >>>

OVERCROWDING

Room for millions

Iran is not overpopulated

by varjavand
25-Feb-2008 (4 comments)
When I argued about the benefits of having more children, I made it clear that having more children does not automatically benefit the society. It does so as long as the children do not grow up to become criminals and/or free riders. Generally speaking, I may add, more children may make society worse off because parents need to spend more time taking care of their kids and less time on other matters that can help elevate their standard of living. Society does benefit, though, with one caveat: the family must be able to provide for all children adequately>>>

CANDIDATE

Neither the best, nor the brightest

A McCain presidency would be no different from a Bush’s third term

by Ben Tanosborn
24-Feb-2008 (7 comments)
It must have been Harry S. Truman, the plainest amongst our plain presidents, who scared us all into having idiots running our government by saying: “Whenever you have an efficient government, you have a dictatorship.” Of course, he failed to acknowledge the possibility that we could have the worst of both worlds: inefficient government and dictatorship. And at this moment, we seem to be marching in step to get there soon. Are our nation’s best and brightest so repulsed by the bureaucracy in the public sector that decidedly prefer to take up arms running the predatory wing of the private sector?>>>
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