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Articles 2006
(in chronological order, most recent articles on top)
Saturday, December 30, 2006Risks, Perils and Potential Disasters of 2007From the worsening of the Middle East to the worsening in the horn of Africa; from the potential of an Israeli-American attack on Iran to the overarching anarchy from a lack of global leaders with vision and influence, Patrick Seale offers a dire look at the problems in the New Year. By Patrick Seale.
Wounded But Alive: Could Ahmadi Nezhad Become More Dangerous?Sunday, December 24, 2006 With the results of the twin elections held in Iran last week officially established, it is clear that the electorate have dealt the ultra-radical President Ahmadi Nezhad his first significant political defeat. Despite some attempt at spinning the results, it is clear that the electorate wanted to serve notice on Ahmadi Nezhad about its concerns over his populist domestic policy and poker-like foreign strategy. By Amir Taheri.
Shadow Of SanctionsSaturday, December 23, 2006 We, as freedom-loving Iranians, can imagine that atom technology could be a task of a democratic regime in Iran, but we cannot come to the conclusion to end up creeping on the side of the undemocratic IRI. By Jahanshah Rashidian.
The Reformers Are BackFriday, December 22, 2006 The vote in Iran for local posts and for the Assembly of Experts was the first ballot-box test for President Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad. He did not receive high marks, Iranian-born member of German parliament Omid Nouripour told SPIEGEL ONLINE. By Omid Nouripour.
What The Muslim Nations Should Learn From The HolocaustWednesday, December 20, 2006 One day of 1994, I lived then in Ede, a small Dutch city, my stepsister came to pay a visit to me. She and I had both asked for asylum in Holland. I got it, not her. The obtaining of the right of sanctuary provided me the luck to be able to study. My stepsister didn't have this opportunity. In order to be admitted to study in the institute of higher education for which I applied for, I had to succeed three exams, one of language, one of civic education and one of history. It is during the session of preparation to the test of history that I have, for the first time, heard about the holocaust. I was 24 years old at that time, and my stepsister 21 years. By Ayaan Hirsi Ali..
Circus Of Hate: The Holocaust Conference Shames IraniansSaturday, December 16, 2006 We have been telling the world that the present clique of Islamofascists ruling Iran is not Iranian in the world-view. And with each passing day fresh evidence supports our claim. The recent gathering of some of the world's fascists in Tehran, at the invitation of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Islamofascist President Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad, provides further support to our claim. By Amil Imani.
In Iran, All Politics Is LocalThursday, December 14, 2006 When Iranians vote on Friday to elect more than 110,000 members to city and village councils across the country and also choose the 86 members of the powerful Experts Assembly, they may well be deciding the future course of Iran. By Kimia Sanati.
Double StandardsTuesday, December 12, 2006 Ever since the West began criticizing Iran’s nuclear program and its human rights records, officials of the Islamic Republic have used the above sentence more than any other to defend themselves. Very well! The West has double standards, but what about the Iranian regime? By Ahmad Zeydabadi.
“Dictator, Symbol of Discrimination, Get Lost” Students Told Ahmadi NezhadMonday, December 11, 2006 Hundreds of pro-reforms students burned pictures of hard line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad, booed him with chants of “Ahmadi Nezhad, symbol of discrimination and dictatorship” and threw firecrackers in an effort to disrupt his speech at a university on Monday, according to eyewitnesses and reports from several Iranian independent news agencies.
Don't Count On IranSunday, December 10, 2006 The real questions are these: What do we Americans say to the Iranians if we can get them to the table? What can they do in Iraq? What would they be willing to do in Iraq? And what will they want in return? By Kenneth M. Pollack.
New terror-fatwaFriday, December 8, 2006 It started in Tabriz and Tehran with the organised demonstrations of the followers of the Islamic Republic of Iran against an Azeri writer, Rafiq Tagi, who wrote an article, “humiliating” Prophet Mohammad. The Azeri writer is accused of portraying Christianity and Europe as superior to Islam as and the Middle East. The fatwa calls for the death of the writer and also the person responsible for publishing his article. Another Iranian Mollah offers his house as a reward to anyone who executes the writer. By Jahanshah Rashidian.
How Israel Lost to the IraniansThursday, December 7, 2006 In spite of the belligerent declarations of Iran's leaders - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeated his mantra this week that he expects the Zionist entity to collapse in the near future - Iranian representatives are holding negotiations with Israeli representatives. These are not only indirect negotiations, but real meetings. These meetings have been going on for about two decades, and concern laborious international arbitration regarding the debts between the two nations. By Yossi Melman.
The Father of Iranian Modern Journalism DiedSunday, November 26, 2006 Iran’s last press giant, Dr Mostafa Mesbahzadeh, better known as “The Father of modern Iranian journalism” died on Friday 24 November 2006 in San Diego, California, after a long suffering. He was 97. By Safa Haeri.
Jihadis and WhoresFriday, November 24, 2006 Wars are won by destroying the enemy's will to fight. A nation is never really beaten until it sells its women. By Spengler .
Islamic Republic Has No Claims to Morality or DemocracyTuesday, November 21, 2006 As the election for the Assembly of Experts gets closer, a former leader of Iranian students contests the necessity of such a body and this despite the importance it should have for the Iranians. By Safa Haeri - Barbod Kaveh.
Learn From The UnexperiencedMonday, November 6, 2006 RoozOnline In response to a question about what he wants to be when he grows up, one of the characters in Abbas Kia-Rostami’s film "Mashghe Shab" (Homework) responds: a Committee member (i.e. local militias). His reasoning was that his elder step brother beat up his mother. The child dreams of stopping his mother from being beaten up and saw no other way to do this than to join the local militias. By Masoud Behnoud.
The West May Save Iran's PresidentMonday, October 30, 2006 Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad is about to face the first serious challenge to his strategy of turning the Islamic Republic into the vanguard of a global opposition to the United States. To meet that challenge, Ahmadi Nezhad may provoke a clash with America by heating things up in Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon before the end of the year. By Amir Taheri.
Intolerence Of Dissidence Covers Iranian ClericsFriday, October 27, 2006 Iran's notoriously harsh treatment of dissidents seems to have reached a point where Tehran's popular police chief, Brig. Gen. Morteza Tala’i, has resigned in protest over the arrest of a well-known religious leader. By Kimia Sanati.
Give Iranians A Strong Signal And They Might Change The RegimeWednesday, October 25, 2006 A president that wanted to be popular and at the service of the poor, a man who had reached the office on promises of justice, equality for all, love, fighting corruption, price rise, aiming at poor people’s basic needs, fighting nepotism, almost one year after reaching office, have become synonymous of brutality, ruthless crackdown on the limited freedoms that existed in the country, gross lies, repeated threats and belligerency in foreign relations. By Safa Haeri.
Amidst Public Indifference, The Battle Rages For the Experts AssemblyMonday, October 16, 2006 activites, it is the forthcoming elections of the 86 members Experts Assembly that is becoming the major ground floor of battle between the tow major wings of the theocratic regime's leadership, the so-called hard liners and the so-called pragmatists. By Safa Haeri.
The Khomeini letter: Is Rafsanjani warning the hardliners?Friday, October 13, 2006 A written correspondence between the late Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini and the then commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), Mohsen Reza’i, has given some insight into why Iran accepted a ceasefire with Iraq in 1988. By Rasool Nafisi.
Failing To Tame North Korea Would Embolden Iran's Pursue of a Nuclear ArmWednesday, October 11, 2006 As the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany gathered on Wednesday to discuss the case of Iranian nuclear activities they want to stop, political analysts in Tehran and outside Iran said the recent atomic experience carried out by North Korea could present the international community with a more complicated situation. By Safa Haeri.
Arrest of a High Ranking Cleric is a Return to Revolutionary TimesTuesday, October 10, 2006 “I am in a situation where Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and the Special Court for the Clergy have begun the countdown for killing me and those who oppose the politicization of religion”, a dissident Iranian arrested last week claimed.
Official Confidential Survey: 65% Unhappy with Iran's President Ahmad NezhadSaturday, October 7, 2006 A recent survey operated by the Iran,ian State-owned and conservatives-controlled Radio and Television showed that the majority of Iranians are unhappy with their messianic President, Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad.
Iran Proposes to France the Creation of an Uranium Enriching FirmTuesday, October 3, 2006 Iran has proposed Tuesday to France to enrich uranium for Iran on Iranian soil, a dramatic effort to solve the three years-old nuclear crisis. By Safa Haeri.
Voices From IranMonday, October 2, 2006 “Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) stipulates a most fundamental right of human beings: the right of free expression: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers. By Hussein Baqerzadeh.
Iran's Setbacks In Nuclear Mean More Time To TalkSaturday, September 30, 2006 Intelligence analysts believe that Iran is encountering technical difficulties in mastering the complex process of uranium enrichment. That means the West may have a bit more time than previously expected to pursue a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear standoff. By David Ignatius.
Anousheh Ansari And The Crew Return To EarthFriday, September 29, 2006 Anousheh Ansari, the world's first female paying space tourist, returned to Earth on Friday after an 11-day sojourn in space capped by the bone-jarring journey from the international space station. By Safa Haeri.
"Westerners Are Perfidious”, Says Iranian PresidentThursday, September 28, 2006 As Iran and the European Union, backed by the United States, Russia and China, resumed a second round of nuclear talks in Berlin on Thursday 28 September 2006, Iranian hard line and fundamentalist President Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad hinted that Iran’s next step could be enriching uranium for military use and reiterated that access to nuclear energy and by that way, enriching uranium is a “legitimate” right of the Iranians. By Safa Haeri.
Iran Warns Moscow On Boushehr Atomic PlantMonday, September 25, 2006 Iran warned Russia on Monday that if it did not complete the Boushehr nuclear plant soon, it would think doing it by itself.
Children of "The Resistance"Sunday, September 24, 2006 A National Post investigation has found the banned terrorist group Mujahedin-e Khalq recruited teens in Canada and sent them abroad to overthrow the Iranian government by force. Today, we begin a five-part series about a Canadian family that got deeply involved with the guerrillas -- and now regrets it. By Stewart Bell.
Our Rulers Do Not Represent The Iranian PeopleSaturday, September 23, 2006 My brief journey to your beautiful and amazing country began in New York City with a symbolic hunger strike in front of United Nations headquarters. Its purpose was to bring to the world's attention the plight of political prisoners in my country, Iran. We demand that all political prisoners in Iran be freed. I am certain that you appreciate our desire for freedom; it was, after all, the main principle upon which your country was founded. By Akbar Ganji.
Iran May Fall Victim to Law of Unintended ConsequencesWednesday, September 20, 2006 “We are putting up the sandbags and erecting the barbed wire fences,” says Dahbashi. “We expect the siege to start at any moment.” Dahbashi (not his real name) is a chubby wheeler-dealer with contacts all over the world. He is currently in Europe to find ways and means of helping the Islamic Republic of Iran escape the worst consequences of any sanctions that the United Nations might choose to impose on Iran over alleged secret nuclear plans. By Amir Taheri.
Pope's Speech Again Demonstrated The Fragility of IslamTuesday, September 19, 2006 If he wanted, and it was not his aim, the Pope Benedict XVI could not perform in a better way to demonstrate the irrationality, the intolerance and the violence of the Muslims when he spoke about relationship between Islam and violence in Germany last week.
Americans Saddened Anousheh's Space OdysseyMonday, September 18, 2006 Almost three years after Mrs. Shirin Ebadi, a lawyer and human rights activist who be came the first Iranian to receive the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize, Mrs. Anousheh Ansari became the first Iranian to go into space with a Russian Soyuz spacecraft that took off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday 18 September 2006. By Safa Haeri.
Iranian Music With Norwegian Radio-Television Symphony OrchestraSaturday, September 16, 2006 For the first time, an Iranian orchestra conductor, Mr. Javid Afsari Rad performed some of his composed pieces with the collaboration of the Norwegian Radio-Television Symphony Orchestra on 14th and 15th of September 2006 in Oslo. By Khateren Norouzi.
IAEA Slams US Senate For "Incorrect, Dishonest" Report On Iran NukeSaturday, September 16, 2006 In a sign of displeasure with the United States Senate, experts and inspectors from the United Nations nuclear watchdog protested to some parts of a Congressional report on Iran's controversial nuclear programmes, saying the report contains "erroneous, misleading and unsubstantiated information".
One Last Nail To The Coffin Of Independent Media in IranTuesday, September 12, 2006 In one of its latest and most dramatic act of pressure against Iranian independent media, the authorities in the Islamic Republic closed down the country’s most influential and popular newspaper “Sharq” (Orient) on Monday. By Safa Haeri.
Khatami in The US: A Mission Impossible Half AccomplishedSunday, September 10, 2006 As the controversial visit of former Iranian president Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Khatami to the United States comes to its end, political analysts in Iran and elsewhere were not sure about the aim of the trip and above all, to whom the moderate, intellectual Iranian cleric was talking to and whether he had any mission, if not impossible, for the Bush Administration? By Safa Haeri.
Voluntary Interviews Instead Of Forced TV ConfessionsMonday, September 4, 2006 In a dramatic change of methods, the Islamic Republic has replaced the decades-long humiliating, shameful, degrading but above all unproductive broadcast on radio and televisions of confessions obtained from dissidents in prisons by “voluntary interviews”, as seen by the interview “offered voluntarily” by Mr. Ramin Jahanbaglou, the prominent Iranian scholar, philosopher and researcher to the semi-official ISNA news agency on 31 July 2006. By Safa Haeri.
In the War in Lebanon, Hezbollah Might Have Won, but Iran Has LostWednesday, August 30, 2006 With one day before the United Nations Security Council meeting on Iran’s nuclear issue, and as the Lebanese Army has started confiscating arms destined to the Iran-backed Hezbollah organization, the clerical led leadership in Tehran is wondering if the devastating 31 day war that opposed Israel to the Hezbollah left them as the biggest loser? By Safa Haeri.
Why Would the Bald Man Fight for a Comb?Saturday, August 26, 2006 Why would a bald man fight tooth and nail to get a comb? The question fits the situation in which the Islamic Republic of Iran finds itself regarding its controversial nuclear programme. By Amir Taheri.
Instability and Violence in the Middle East: The Iranian FactorThursday, August 24, 2006 The ongoing hostilities between Hizbollah and Israel have shed light on a new reality concerning the inseparable links that exists between issues and players in the Middle East. By Mehrdad Khonsari.
Lebanon: Prelude to a Bigger, Longer, Costlier, and Deadlier StruggleMonday, August 21, 2006 With the mini war between Israel and the Lebanese branch of the Hezbollah halted, at least temporarily, the usual "who-won-who-lost" debate is raging in the media. By Amir Taheri.
Arab Media Accuses Iran and Syria of Direct Involvement in Lebanon WarFriday, August 18, 2006 As pro democracy groups in Lebanon, known as the “Forces of 14 March” went into attack against what they call “a coup” by the Iran and Syria-backed Hezbollah in the one hand and “a call for sedition from the Syrian president Bashar Asad”, Arab media, except in Syria, strongly came out, accusing Damascus and Tehran on direct involvement in the Lebanon War.
For Iranian Radicals, The Fighting In Lebanon Was An Exercise in Self-RestraintThursday, August 17, 2006 For the radical conservatives calling the shots in Iran, the fighting in Lebanon marked an exercise in self-restraint. And now that a ceasefire is taking hold in the conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah militia, Tehran’s restraint stands to bring it significant geopolitical benefits. By Kamal Nazer Yasin.
Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir To Der Spiegel: "We Don't Want a Proxy War in Lebanon"Tuesday, August 15, 2006 As more and more Christians are leaving Lebanon, Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, patriarch of the Maronite Church in Lebanon, in an interview with the SPIEGEL ONLINE, talked about the on-going Christian exodus, the future of Hezbollah and the influence of Iran and Syria on his country, stating that “Hezbollah has become a state within a state, with help from Iran. We can not accept”. By Der Spiegel Online.
Iran Does Need Nuclear EnergySaturday, August 12, 2006 As leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran are insisting on their nuclear projects, including the highly controversial activity of enriching uranium, a respected professor on economy said Iran does need atomic energy. By Safa Haeri.
The Reformists And The HezbollahMonday, August 7, 2006 The reformists -- or at least a great part of them -- do not think it necessary to correct their opinions and views about Israel and terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, because the debate in Iran about Israel and Palestine is a harmless debate that has no price tag in the one hand and on the other even the reformist not in the line of the Imam – like members of the Iran Freedom Movement --, because of the long presence of some of their leaders with some Arab military organizations – are seriously afraid of a non partisan debate about Middle East problems. By Nima Rashedan.
France Playing Iran Against Syria, A “Risky Diplomatic Game”Saturday, August 5, 2006 France's idea of involving Iran directly in talks to end the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is a risky venture but may well prove inevitable, French analysts said Tuesday.
Iran's Government Urged for Independent Autopsy of Akbar MohammadiThursday, August 3, 2006 Hundreds of leading Iranian personalities and groups joined their voices in urging the Iranian government to “immediately” allow an independent investigation into the suspicious death in prison of student activist Akbar Mohammadi. By Safa Haeri.
There Would Be No Peace In the Middle East Without A Regime Change In IranTuesday, August 1, 2006 Three weeks after attacking Lebanon massively with the aim of destroying Hezbollah and make the Lebanese people hate the leader of the Iran-backed organisation, Hasan Nasrallah, Israel has made him the Arabs and Muslim’s number one hero, replacing the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezjad, increased Hezbollah’s public standing, reinforced its military machine, replenished its financial coffers in the one hand and on the other, helped Iran to become the region’s major actor instead of being isolated, another aim of the Tel Aviv’s latest adventure. By Safa Haeri.
The bigots at workFriday, July 28, 2006 Hezbollah conscience and Hamas's political pragmatism should take lessons from 1948, 1967 and 1973. All wars have only helped in making Israel a bigger and stronger nation and left them to live in squalid conditions. Palestinians and Lebanese do not deserve it. And what does Iran have to do with it? Iran is only using the Palestinians and the Shiites in Southern Lebanon for harboring their own agenda in the Persian Gulf. By Iqbal Latif.
God's Army Has Plans to Run the Whole Middle EastWednesday, July 26, 2006 ‘You are the sun of Islam, shining on the universe!” This is how Muhammad Khatami, the mullah who was president of Iran until last year, described Hezbollah last week. It would be no exaggeration to describe Hezbollah — the Lebanese Shi’ite militia — as Tehran’s regional trump card. Each time Tehran has played it, it has won. As war rages between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Tehran policymakers think that this time, too, they can win. By Amir Taheri.
Journalist Speaks Out Against “One Man Rule” in Islamic RepublicMonday, July 24, 2006 In one of the strongest attack on the system of the Islamic Republic of Iran, an influential Iranian journalist said the problems the nation face have their roots in the “centralization of all powers in one hand”, a direct reference to the leader of he regime, Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’i.
Hezbollah or Israel, "Doomsday" For Which One?Friday, July 21, 2006 With the Israeli military operations against the Lebanese organization Hezbollah in its second week, most analysts, including Iranians, have reached the conclusion that not only it was Tehran that orchestrated the present Israeli-Lebanese conflict, but also inadvertently and unwillingly gas brought its end”. By Safa Haeri.
Playing The Israel CardWednesday, July 19, 2006 ”When nothing else works, there is always Israel!" This is how the late Egyptian journalist Lutfi al-Khuli liked to describe the motto of Arab radicalism decades ago. The analysis was apt because the Arab obsession with Israel did work on countless occasions. By Amir Taheri.
“We Want Freedom And Democracy Replacing Authoritarism”, Akbar GanjiSunday, July 16, 2006 Iran’s leading dissident Akbar Ganji continued his symbolic hunger strike in front of the United Nations head quarters in New York on Sunday, with a strong pledge to replace the present Iranian “authoritarian” theocracy with a “democratic and free regime”. By Safa Haeri.
Hunger Strike Actions For Human Rights in IranThursday, July 13, 2006 As hundreds of thousands of Iranians are preparing for a three day hunger strike to protest the deteriorations of human rights situation and conditions in the Islamic Republic of in Iran, Mr. Akbar Ganji, Iran's most famous opposition figure, is due to arrive in New York on Saturday to lead a hunger strike in front of the United Nations. By Safa Haeri.
Iran: Resurgence Of Religio-Political Society Raises ConcernsTuesday, July 11, 2006 The recent announcement by a former Iranian vice president of the arrest of members of a banned and clandestine religio-political group probably caught many observers by surprise. The secretive Hojjatieh Society is unlikely to have many remaining members. And allegations in the past five years of Hojjatieh activism have generally appeared in connection with political disputes or to explain sectarian strife. But statements by President Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad, who reportedly is inclined toward Shi'ite millennialism, have contributed to speculation that the Hojjatieh Society is making a comeback. Could that include a run for Iran's supreme leadership? By Bill Samii.
Iran: Tentative Moves toward a Broad Anti-Regime PlatformSaturday, July 8, 2006 Since the election of President Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad last summer, efforts have been made to bring together opponents of the Islamic republic with a plan for action on specific issues. It now seems that those efforts have met with some success, enabling the opposition to coordinate tactics against the Ahamdi Nezhad administration. By Amir Taheri.
“Israel Must Be Removed”Says Iran’s PresidentSaturday, July 8, 2006 In one of his yet strongest strident, Iran’s fundamentalist President Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad again repeated that Israel must be “removed” from the region and called on all Arab and Muslim nations to help “isolating” the artificial product of Islam’s enemies”. By Safa Haeri.
Iranian Intelligence Ministry Warns Against “Velvet Revolution”Wednesday, July 5, 2006 For the first time, Iranian authorities acknowledged the existence of new type of revolutions, colourful and non violent, as the “orange” or “velvet” revolutions that occurred in Kiev or Bishkek. By Safa Haeri.
Iran Enters The Liberalism EraMonday, July 3, 2006 In a move that surprised most Iranian and foreign experts, the Iranian Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’i ordered the government of fundamentalist, anti-western Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezjad to cede 80 percent of the shares of major state-owned enterprises to the private sector, the cooperatives and the people.
Iran, US In New Cultural BattleSunday, July 2, 2006 Iran and the United States are engaged in a new confrontation, this time on cultural and juristical level, as Tehran has threatened to retaliate if Washington moves to auction off invaluable ancient Persian artefacts to compensate victims of a Hamas bombing in Israel. By Safa Haeri.
Akbar Ganji Invites All Iranian Democratic Opponents To Organise, Get LeadershipThursday, June 29, 2006 During a four weeks trip that took him to Moscow. Florence, Rome, Paris and Berlin, Akbar Ganji, an Iranian freedom activist repeated many times that what Iranian freedom and democracy lovers need is “structure and leadership”. By Safa Haeri.
One Year After Election, Ahmadi Nezhad is WeakerTuesday, June 27, 2006 One year after his election as Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad is in trouble. On the domestic front, Iran's economy has not recovered and the president's promise to re-distribute among the population part of the country's oil revenues has not been fulfilled. The Iranian government's international strategy to challenge the international community has on the other hand not given the expected results and the failure of Tehran's foreign policy has greatly contributed to deepen domestic rifts. By Ahmad Rafat.
Fanatic Friends, MKO Tricks US Progressives, Gains LegitimacyFriday, June 23, 2006 On May 26, 2006, a representative of the violent Iranian fugitives based in Iraq, known as MKO, addressed a forum – an anti-war forum – sponsored by the liberal Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists in Berkeley, California, as he had done the year before. Introduced as Ali Mirardal, the speaker lamented human rights abuses in Iran and offered the National Council of Resistance, a Paris-based front group for MKO, as the best hope for a democratic Iran. The US state Department has listed both as terrorist organizations. By Rostam Pourzal.
“The Butcher of the Press” in UN Human Rights CouncilWednesday, June 21, 2006 Iranian dissidents and human rights activists denounced the participation of one of Iran’s most dreaded violators of human rights at the newly created United Nations Human Rights Council, stating that the presence of Mr. Sa’id Mortazavi at the Council was a “sad augur” for a body that Mr. Kofi Annan had hoped would not repeat the short coming of the defunct Hunan Rights Commission. By Safa Haeri.
In Iran, All Roads To Democracy Are ClosedMonday, June 19, 2006 Akbar Ganji, the imprisoned Iranian journalist who was released last month and who is currently on a European trip told an audience in Italy that under the current political structure in Iran it was not possible to implement any reforms. By Ebrahim Nabavi-Safa Haeri.
A Palace Coup in the MakingSaturday, June 17, 2006 Ever since Aayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was defeated in his last bid to become president of the Islamic Republic (again) in June last year, observers have speculated on his future in the establishment and his likely next moves. He bitterly complained about the election that saw his unassuming rival Mahmood Ahmadi Nezhad sweeping to powerEver since Aayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was defeated in his last bid to become president of the Islamic Republic (again) in June last year, observers have speculated on his future in the establishment and his likely next moves. He bitterly complained about the election that saw his unassuming rival Mahmood Ahmadi Nezhad sweeping to power. By Hossein Bagher Zadeh.
Hundreds Leading Iranian Personalities Protests Against Police BrutalitiesWednesday, June 14, 2006 The peaceful rally by Iranian women on 13 June to protest gender discrimination was suppressed, in the words of a journalist, “by unprecedented violence”. The following is a report by Dana Shahsavari, a journalist who witnessed to the event and the accompanying violence. By Dana Shahsavari-Safa Haeri.
Touraj Farazmand Passed AwaySunday, June 11, 2006 Touraj Farazmand, one of Iran’s leading and most popular journalist, political analyst, radio progammes producer, translator, intellectual and the last General Director of Iranian National Radio and Television died Friday 9 June of cancer in a Los Angeles hospital at the age of 82. By Safa Haeri.
Akbar Ganji Urges Accountability At Home, Restraint AbroadFriday, June 9, 2006 Iranian journalist and rights activist Akbar Ganji continued his current international tour with an appeal for greater openness and accountability from officials in Tehran. But while he vowed to maintain his battle against abuses at home, he warned international critics that they should not seek to impose their will on Iran. By Golnaz Esfandiari.
In Search of Heaven…A Brief Book reviewThursday, June 8, 2006 In this year of 2006 A.D., Iran’s first Constitution of 1906 was 100 years old. By Nader Sadighi.
Akbar Ganji Receives Press Freedom Award In MoscowMonday, June 5, 2006 And in this category, more than anyone the prize should go to those who fought for freedom and human rights and were as punishment slaughtered during what came to be known as “Serial Murders.” By Safa Haeri with report from WAN.
Iran-US: Talking With The Object of HateSunday, June 4, 2006 The mere fact that the announcement by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, that the US government is willing to talk to the Iranian regime, was received around the world as great news is indicative of the enormity of the crisis between the two countries. By Hossein Bagher Zadeh.
"We Are Determined"Wednesday, May 31, 2006 In a wide range interview with the influential German magazine Der SPIEGEL, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad confirmed his negation of Holocaust, his rejection of the state of Israel and reiterated his determination to acquire nuclear technology. By Stefan Aust-Gerhard Spörl and Dieter Bednarz.
Iranian Students And Minorities Opposed to Ahmadi NezhadMonday, May 29, 2006 In a major uprising against the policies of the new fundamentalist President, Iranian students renewed with their protest movement, dealing Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad his major blow. By Safa Haeri.
The Lesson Authoritarian Leaders Should LearnFriday, May 26, 2006 The case of Iranian Majles, or Parliament, having adopted a law requiring minorities wearing special badges on their dress aimed at facilitating the Muslims to immediately identify them should serve as a very good lesson not only to the ruling Iranian theocracy, but all authoritarian regimes, proving their vulnerabilities towards information and its twin, disinformation. By Safa Haeri.
Letter To The Wrong AddressFriday, May 19, 2006 Anybody who has taken a letter-writing course even at the high school level would know that there are two issues that must be clear in the mind of a person intending to write a letter to someone, regardless of whether the letter is for business or a personal one. The first is who does he wish to write to and the second is why is he writing, i.e. what does he want to achieve. Not being clear on these two would take a writer onto serious fantasies. By Masoud Behnoud.
The United States And Iran’s SecurityWednesday, May 17, 2006 More and more domestic and international personalities are calling on George Bush’s government to hold talks with Iran. By Ahmad Zeidabadi.
Mahmoud On A MissionMonday, May 15, 2006 The letter by President Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad to President George W. Bush generated a lot of speculations both inside Iran and in the outside world. It was the first time that a president of the Islamic Republic had directly written to the leader of the “Great Satan”, and used polite terminologies in addressing them. By Hosein Bagher Zadeh.
Hello To The "Great Satan"Saturday, May 13, 2006 One week after the historic decision of the messianic Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad to write directly to his American counterpart, Iranian and foreign analysts continue deciphering the reasons behind the unprecedented move in the one hand and the real meanings of its content on the other. By Safa Haeri.
Getting To Know A Poet…Thursday, May 11, 2006 Artists come and go quickly in the music business and many unfortunately tread the same ground covered by many others before them. But there are other artists who make a strong effort to break out of the rut with music that's more thoughtful and significant. By Nicole Sadighi.
Iran Confirms The Arrest Of Prominent Iranian-Canadian IntellectualMonday, May 8, 2006 Iranian authorities confirmed on Monday the arrest of Mr. Ramin Jahanbaglou, one of Iran’s most prominent scholars, on charges of “contacts with foreigners, including the Monarchists”, according to the Intelligence Minister Hojjatoleslam Qolamhoseyn Ezjeh’i. By Safa Haeri.
Iran's President Writes to US President BushMonday, May 8, 2006 Iran's "surprise" President Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad went down into history when he created yet another surprise by writing a letter to his American counterpart George W. Bush. By Safa Haeri.
Iran-American Direct Contacts - Only Way Out Of Nuclear And Other CrisesMonday, May 8, 2006 "Where is the logic of not talking (to the Iranians) if the Americans can talk to North Korea”, the British news agency “Reuters” quoted a senior diplomat in Vienna, not authorized to speak on the record. By Safa Haeri.
The Way To Beat Iran's ConfrontationistsSaturday, May 6, 2006 As the international community wrestles with Iran's nuclear ambitions, a longstanding debate on the nuclear issue rages in Tehran, and Western policymakers and analysts should not ignore it. By Karim Sadjadpour.
Iran, Hizballah Counter U.S. Accusations Of Supporting TerrorismThursday, May 4, 2006 Tehran has responded to an annual U.S. State Department report fingering Iran as "the most active state sponsor of terrorism" by suggesting that the United States is not qualified to pass such a judgment. By Bill SAmii.
The international community is set to punish whom, the Iranian regime or Iranian people?Tuesday, May 2, 2006 The stage is set for a showdown between the western powers and the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). The leaders of the IRI have made sure by their rhetoric in the last few days that the report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the UN Security Council will be negative and give enough ammunition to western governments to call for action by the Council. By Hosein Bagherzadeh.
Rivalries Heat Up Among Iran's ConservativesFriday, April 28, 2006 As the United Nations Security Council is expected to decide over Iran’s controversial nuclear issue, a senior political analyst at the United States-sponsored Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty says “an intense rivalry among Iran's conservative parties is being overshadowed by the nuclear issue, as well as by global concerns over the country's support for terrorism and its interference in other countries' affairs”. By Bill SAmii.
The Madness of Bombing IranWednesday, April 26, 2006 There is no doubt that Western opinion is being softened up for a US or Israeli strike against the Iranian centrifuges at Natanz. “Can anyone within range of Iran’s missiles feel safe?”, screams a full-page advertisement in the International Herald Tribune, displaying a map of the Eurasian land mass with Iran at its centre. By Robert Skidelsky.
Khameneh'i Enters the Iran-American War of IntimidationWednesday, April 26, 2006 The Iran-America war of verbal menaces and intimidation escalated to new heights on Wednesday after Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’i warned that America would “receive twice for each blow to Iran”. By Safa Haeri.
Choice is in Hands of the Iranian GovernmentTuesday, April 25, 2006 As Iran threatened for the first time to take all its nuclear works underground if attacked, the French Foreign Affairs minister once again called on Iran to resume talks and foster confidence with the international community about its nuclear ambitions. By Maryam Kashani-Hosein Bastani.
Why The Islamic Republic Wants Nuclear Arms?Sunday, April 23, 2006 "Unhelpful": So British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw described Iran's announcement that it has now joined the “nuclear club." Straw's French and German colleagues did no better. One saw Iran's provocative move as "regrettable the other preferred "disappointing." The European trio was echoing earlier comments from Washington that had chosen "unacceptable." By Amir Taheri.
Iran To Start Crackdown on Women’s “Bad Islamic Behaviour”Saturday, April 22, 2006 Iran will increase police patrols to enforce women's skirt lengths, proper head scarves and even curtail dog-walking during the summer. By Safa Haeri-Delphine Minoui.
The Spectre Of A Divided IranFriday, April 21, 2006 As the war of words between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the west intensifies, the Iranian community feels unease over the likelihood of military action against Iran and its consequences. By Hossein Bagher Zadeh.
Student Group Calls For Suspension Of Nuclear ActivitiesThursday, April 20, 2006 Iran's largest pro-reform student group, the Office To Consolidate Unity (OCU or Daftare Tahkime Vahdat), has expressed concern over Iran's political behavior in the crisis over its nuclear program and is calling for "a temporary suspension of all nuclear activities." The student group says in its statement that the tough line of Iranian officials in its nuclear dealings has put the country and the Iranian nation “in a dangerous position”. By Golnaz Esfandiari.
Premature CelebrationsWednesday, April 19, 2006 Obviously nobody told Ahmadinejad that with becoming a nuclear country also comes enormous responsibilities. By Give Mirfendereski.
Six Simple Propositions... to Solve the Iranian Nuclear CrisisMonday, April 17, 2006 No one can say with confidence what the Iranian leaders have in mind. Do they have ambitions to enrich weapons grade uranium or are they simply looking for a long-term plan for their energy needs? No one should or could accept the Iranian leaders’ assertions that they have no intention of developing a nuclear arsenal. No one should or could believe the Bush administration’s promises that it will pursue a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the current crisis, much of which is manufactured by the neo-conservative war machine. By Behrouz Ghamari.
The Disintegration of Iran and the USSunday, April 16, 2006 Some political activists and opponents of the Islamic Republic of Iran do not hide their fears that the United States may embark on a policy to disintegrate Iran. They suspect that the US intends to separate the oil rich province of Khouzestan from Iran and establish a small government in that region in its drive to control Middle-East oil. But is this fear realistic, or just part of the imagination of some Iranians? By Ahmad Zeydabadi.
When Is The Next ”Good News” Due?Friday, April 14, 2006 The announcement by the Iranian government that they have succeeded in producing the fuel-grade enrichment of uranium has taken the western world by surprise. This at the time that the UN Security Council had demanded a complete halt to enrichment program was particularly provocative. The Islamic Republic has declared, in the words of President Mahmood Ahmadinejad when it gave the “good news” to the nation on Tuesday 11th April 2006, that it had joined the “nuclear club” and that no power can stop it continuing on this path. Now, the question that everybody wants to know is: how long before the Iranian regime acquires the nuclear bomb? By Hossein Bagher Zadeh.
Iran Might Have Enriched Uranium To 3.5 Per Cent (URGENT)Monday, April 10, 2006 Iranian nuclear scientists might have enriched uranium up to 3.5 per cent, a level good enough for fueling nuclear reactors but specially meaning that the country has mastered the full nuclear cycle, a process the United States and Israel were determined to deny it to the Iranians. By Safa Haeri.
Ahmadi Nezhad Promised Iranians “A Very Happy News” By TomorrowMonday, April 10, 2006 Tomorrow night, God willing and thanks to imam Reza, a news would reach the Iranian people making everybody happy”, Iran’s mystical President Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad promised on Monday.
Iran's Naval Doctrine Stresses 'Area Denial'Sunday, April 9, 2006 Iran's testing of the new Fajr-3 missile, torpedoes, and other types of hardware during March 31-April 6 war games has overshadowed the exercises themselves. But the maneuvers, which are taking place in the Persian Gulf, the Straits of Hormuz, and the Sea of Oman, are significant because they highlight the role of naval power in Iran's military doctrine. By Bill Samii.
The US Wants to Reach to the Iranian People. But Whom Would They Talk To?Friday, April 7, 2006 Sa’di, the well-known 14th-century Persian poet and moralist, narrates the story of a benefactor who made a wish and vowed to donate 400 derhams to the ascetics if it came true. When his wish was fulfilled, he sent a servant to town with a pouch full of money and asked him to distribute them amongst the ascetics. In the evening, the servant returned with the money untouched. “Why didn’t you give away the money?” the benefactor asked. “Sir, those who were ascetics refused the offer”, the servant replied, “and those who were willing to accept the offer were not ascetics”. By Hussein Baqerzadeh.
U.S. Talks Unlikely to End Tehran's “Soft Power” in IraqThursday, April 6, 2006 The much-heralded Iran-U.S. talks on Iraq, to which Tehran agreed in mid-March, may result in an end to direct Iranian involvement in Iraqi affairs. But even if Iran ends its use of direct means -- such as the provision of arms and money to militias -- its use of indirect means, or "soft power," to influence Iraqi affairs seems likely to continue. By Bill Samii.
Iranian Newspaper Denounces Russia And China’s “Blackmailing”Monday, April 3, 2006 In the first reaction to the decision of the United Nations Security Council, a hard line Iranian newspaper strongly attacked the stand taken by Russia and China and at the same time opposed Iran’s acceptance of American invitation of talks on Iraq.
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