Archive for the ‘Iran & Iranians’ Category
On Hoder’s Disappearance and Possible Detention
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Statement by Iranian bloggers on Hossein Derakhshan
We, the undersigned, view the circumstances surrounding the Iranian authorities’ arrest of Hossein Derakhshan aka Hoder, one of the most prominent Iranian bloggers, as extremely worrying. Derakhshan’s disappearance, detention at an unknown location, lack of access to his family and attorneys, and the authorities’ failure to provide clear information about his potential charges is a source of concern for us.
The Iranian blogging community is one of the largest and most vibrant in the world. From ordinary citizens to the President, a diverse and large number of Iranians are engaged in blogging. These bloggers encompass a wide spectrum of views and perspectives, and they play a vital role in open discussions of social, cultural and political affairs.
Unfortunately, in recent years, numerous websites and blogs have been routinely blocked by the authorities, and some bloggers have been harassed or detained. Derakhshan’s detention is but the latest episode in this ongoing saga and is being viewed as an attempt to silence and intimidate the blogging community as a whole.
Derakhshan’s own position regarding a number of prisoners of conscience in Iran has been a source of contention among the blogging community and has caused many to distance themselves from him. This, however, doesn’t change the fact that the freedom of expression is sacred for all not just the ones with whom we agree.
We therefore categorically condemn the circumstances surrounding Derakhshan’s arrest and detention and demand his immediate release.
Signed, in alphabetical order:
Generation Tehran
Highly recommended and a must-watch short documentary (about 24 minutes.) Please share your comments.
“Less Taxes, More War”
Revolution & Superman
Been watching this unedited and unfinished video on youtube for the past half hour or so. At 11, I was too young to attend all those demonstrations but along with my young uncle, we managed to escape the watchful eyes of my grandfather or mother enough times to still see plenty of similar scenes. I more particularly remember the smells, feel of winter clothes in close proximity of large crowds, the rush of people backwards and down as the sound of bullets picked up in unison to warn of an incoming barrage.
My most vivid memories prior to the final days involve inadvertently stepping in a pool of human blood, where an injured protester had just been removed. I am not sure if he survived, but he had lost plenty of blood in a rather short time.
I also remember another day when we had a third partner. Shahram was really a friend of my uncles’ with a great gift. He could draw really well. His talent, along with my own interest in drawing and calligraphy had made us friends also. But his art was very different than mine. He was great at drawing detailed cars, but I liked flowing animals. He drew exact copies of superheros in action, particularly Aquaman and Superman, while I experimented with abstract cubes penetrating spheres.
On this particular day, I had brought Shahram a surprise; a genuine American Superman magazine I can not recall where I had gotten from. He was beyond excited, of course, watching page after page of action shots and explaining how he could do it better or more likely; how it was already done so perfectly. All three of us where doing this right in the middle of a walking group of demonstrators that were chanting and carrying signs, going north from what was Fooziyeh square.
There was the occasional sound of shooting, not unusual for 1978 in Tehran, but for most part the demonstration had moved along uneventful with little interruption from soldiers based at the square who just watched as we passed them.
As the three of us were getting really into the Superman action, I suddenly looked up and it looked as if the three of us were standing in the middle of the street by ourselves. I then looked up and can still clearly remember the reflection of the sun off the helmet of a soldier on top of a personnel carrier with a mounted heavy machine gun pointed towards our general direction. There was also a caravan of other personnel carriers, jeeps, and tanks following them.
It turns out that everyone else had seen them coming and also noticed the soldiers at the square (now behind us) closing the road to trap everyone within a two or three blocked area. Many had sought shelter in stores on either side and a large number were trying to get inside a large hospital when the shooting began and the three of us were still frozen in the middle.
I don’t know which one of us started running and pulled the other two but it sure wasn’t me. We must have ran at full speed for about half an hour until we reached Shahram’s home on Gorgan avenue, way out of the danger zone.
We then sat on their front door step, watching the cars, people busying themselves on the small sidewalks and finishing our discussion on Superman.
Just another day during the last great revolution.
Wallace interviewing Ahmadinejad
Tehran’s Crazy Traffic
I know we have all seen crazy driving. Heck, people new to Los Angeles always tell me how crazy it is to drive here and they are right. I have had the opportunity of driving in a few other super crazy cities also. Places like Rome and Milan where lanes become meaningless and you try to squeeze into every space you find orMumbai, where a cow blocks one side of the road while you get attacked by beggars and stray dogs on the other.
But I dare you to watch the piece below and maintain a steady heart beat. Ready? Go!
How are you doing? Wasn’t that just insane? That’s Tehran style traffic, in an ordinary day, in an ordinary but busy intersection. What was your favorite part? The “Oh my god, Oh my God! OH MY GOD! THE BUS IS GONNA GET HIM!” part? Mine too!
It’s just unbelievable that nobody dies in that 2+ minute clip. But of course, people do. And do often, unfortunately. When you risk it so often at doing every day stuff multiple times each and every day for year after year, is it any wonder that life becomes cheap after a while?
A few years back, one of my uncles hit a pedestrian while riding his motorcycle to work. It was a 12 year old boy and he hit the ground hard passing away on the spot from internal bleeding. My uncle was taken to the station where he posted bail, later accepted all responsibility, paid a fine and also paid some restitution to the family.
Then everything was back to normal, very quietly and quickly, as if nothing had happened. Except for the boy who never became 13. Hope his family has healed from his loss.
Thanks to Iran Affairs for the link.
Honkey-Tonk war protest in Nashville
Lost In Opposition
One of the many problems with the primarily “in-exile” opposition to the Iranian government is their choice to detach themselves from the day-to-day lives of their compatriots back home. I say choice, as with the state of today’s technology, distance is an almost non-existing barrier and they could certainly connect to current issues and hot topics within Iran if they wanted to.
The latest example is a piece of legislation that has already passed primary screening procedures of the appropriate committee and is about to be presented to the Iranian parliament, Majles. Introduced and backed by both the judiciary as well as cabinet and under the title of “Family Assistance Bill” [layehe-hamayat-az-khanevadeh], it will become law if passed by the greater chamber and then ratified by the Guardian Council to ensure its compatibility with the constitution as well as Islamic law and traditions.
Some of the most troublesome sections of the new bill further restrict the rights of women, in particular as it relates to various areas under family law. Proposed changes have set the alarms off already for many activists inside Iran, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi who is threatening to stage a sit-in in front of the Majles if it is passed.
Section 48 of the new legislation, for example, provides for a father that has already lost custody but refuses to hand over the child to the mother to avoid current penalty of a prison sentence by replacing it with a cash fine.
Section 23 not only validates polygamy, it also lifts the current restriction that requires men to obtain permission of their first wife to be able to marry again, as long as they are able to financially support the new family.
There are a number of other examples but I haven’t been able to find any serious attempt by any group opposing the Iranian regime to organize a campaign abroad to contradict the bill, resist its passage and certainly reach out and educate those inside Iran with its closed system of government that may not even be aware of the its impending passage.
There is little doubt they could do it if they wanted to. Presently, there are at least 12 television stations broadcasting 24/7 programming in Farsi to Iran from Southern California alone. Not to mention other TV and radio stations, plus thousands of webcasts, blogs and websites. So, why don’t they? That is when I need to stress again, how they have chosen to remove themselves from the realities of today’s Iran and Iranians.
The very few people who still run these groups as they always have been for the last 28+ years, like to busy themselves with grand visions, real or imagined. These supposed visionaries are too preoccupied with images of an “overthrow” and the glorious rescue of the beloved country to welcome them to her bosoms to worry too much about the women that will be affected immediately after this bill passes.
By continually refusing to address the most immediate but smaller issues, their message and attitude towards the Iranians who have had to deal with this regime for every day of the last (close to) three decades is condescending if not audacious and disrespectful. And as long as they decline to demonstrate more reverence for their people, they will generally be ignored, the way they have been this far.
For further information on the proposed legislation in Farsi, please visit here.
Meet Iran’s Basketball Team
Thanks FG.
