Update: It isn’t terrorism if you are a white guy with a plane or … pretty much anyone else who happens to be killing people in countries the US government doesn’t like.
Latest Updates: iran RSS
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midwinterspring
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aziz
worth repeating: a nuclear Iran is inevitable. Also, Ahmadinejad would LOVE it if Israel bombed Iran.
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aziz
Full text of Secretary Clinton’s remarks at the US-Islamic World Forum in Doha. To be honest I don’t think she was hawkish on Iran at all. But neither do I think that sanctions will make much difference – a nuclear Iran is inevitable.
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midwinterspring
Hillary Clinton has been using her trip to Qatar to turn up the volume on fear-mongering against Iran. This probably shouldn’t be too surprising given the organizers of the US-Islamic World Forum, which Clinton attended.
Clinton told the forum, which is jointly organised by the Qatari foreign ministry and the US-based Brookings Institution, that “evidence is accumulating” that Iran is trying to build a nuclear weapon.
Of course, the evidence is quite clear about one regime in the Middle East that already has nuclear weapons and has shown it has no qualms at least using conventional weapons against civilian populations.
“We see the government of Iran, the supreme leader, the president, the parliament is being supplanted and Iran is moving toward a military dictatorship.”
… she warned while speaking in a state run by an absolute monarchy while trying to get backing from other various and sundry anti-democratic regimes for US aggression against Iran.
All in all, it’s reassuring to see the US maintaining its outstanding track record of principled foreign policy. Keep talking Hillary, while I take off my shoe…
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johnpi
Iran hanged two men at end of January.
…whatever their earthly crimes were, the two men executed last month were also accused of another offense far more serious than simply protesting against a government.
They were convicted of being “mohareb,” enemies of God.
That is the worst possible crime in Shiite Muslim law, according to Abbas Milani, the director of Iranian studies at Stanford University.
The legal implications are clear, he said.“A mohareb, according to Shiite law, is executed,” he said.
That the regime is labeling its opponents enemies of God is a sign of how rattled it is by the protests, he said.
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aziz
Today is the anniversary of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and its being marked in Iran by celebrations and protests. It’s critical to emphasize that the Green Revolution isn’t about western style democracy, but reclaiming the religious mantle of 1979 from the present regime. In that sense its less a revolution and more a reform.
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thabet
Not finking straight:
@Dannythefink (who rarely shows much ‘finking’) proves that when you’re a down and out warmongering bastard, just invoke Munich, 1940, Hitler and Churchill.
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aziz
Daniel Pipes only has Obama’s best interests at heart when he advises bombing Iran, you see.
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johnpi
Daniel Pipes: Obama can ‘save’ his presidency by bombing Iran.
Neoconservative scholar-activist Daniel Pipes has a new article on the leading conservative website National Review Online, in which he suggests that President Obama can “save” his presidency…by bombing Iran.
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johnpi
Iranian Hackers attack Dutch Persian website.
Hackers calling themselves the Iranian Cyber Army hijacked the website of a Dutch-based Persian language radio station at the weekend, weeks after doing the same to China’s Baidu Inc search engine and Twitter.com.
Since early Saturday, visitors to the website of Dutch government-funded Radio Zamaneh, which reports on human rights and unrest in Iran, have seen the message “this web site has been hacked by Iranian Cyber Army” followed by a warning in Persian:
“Iranian Cyber Army warns all treasonous mercenaries that it will not leave them at peace even in the bosom of their masters.”
The radio station is trying to regain control of the site and expects to be back online on Monday, editor-in-chief Farid Haerinejad told Reuters.
….Radio Zamaneh is an independent foundation which describes itself at the “unheard voice of young Iran”. It broadcasts news and analysis of topics such as gender issues and religious minorities in Iran, along with music and entertainment.
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johnpi
Iranians celebrate ancient Persian fire fest.
Thousands of Iranians gathered at dusk against a snowy mountain backdrop to light giant bonfires in an ancient mid-winter festival dating back to Iran’s pre-Islamic past that is drawing new interest from Muslims.
Saturday’s celebration was the first in which the dwindling remnants of Iran’s once plentiful Zoroastrian religious minority were joined by thousands of Muslims, reflecting a growing interest in the strict Islamic society for the country’s ancient traditions.
The festival, known as Sadeh, celebrates the discovery of fire and its ability to banish the cold and dark, and it is held in the frigid depths of winter.
Sadeh was the national festival of ancient Persia when Zoroastrianism was the dominant religion, before the conquest of Islam in the 7th century. Now it is mostly celebrated just in the homes and temples of Iran’s 60,000 remaining Zoroastrians.
Recently, however, there has been an upsurge of interest among Iranian Muslims — 90 percent of the population — in their ancient heritage, when vast Persian empires held sway over much of central Asia and fought Greek warriors and Roman legions.
“I’m proud of Sadeh because it is part of Iran’s cultural heritage,” said Mohammed Saleh Khalili, a Muslim Iranian who traveled from Meibod, a town in central Iran, to join the celebrations. “Once it was a national festival and for centuries it has been restricted to Zoroastrians but there is no reason why Muslim Iranians shouldn’t celebrate the event.”
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thabet
This is Tony Blair:
And there should never be any doubt that he is a warmongering bastard:
It is doubtful whether this criminal will ever be brought to justice in this world, but it is worth supporting efforts to have Blair harassed wherever he goes for the rest of his life.
And on the topic of Blair, I am not at all surprised to see Martin Bright agreeing with Mad Mel.
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johnpi
Idiot South Carolina congressman proposes deporting all Iranian visa holders from the US. Trita Parsi takes him on:
Under the vision you offer, such important and inspiring figures as Christiane Amanpour, tennis great Andre Agassi, and eBay founder Pierre Omidyar would have never called the United States home, nor would the United States benefit from the innumerable contributions to medicine, engineering, science, and academia that Iranian-Americans made in the last half-century.
Many Iranian-Americans came to this country to escape repression at home. We left the country we called home in search of a better, more secure future free from social, political, and religious repression. In the years that have ensued, we have established ourselves and our families in communities across the country and built new connections between Iranians and Americans. Now, thirty years later, Iranians face a new wave of repression at home, and people all over the world have witnessed Iranians stand up for their rights against a brutal government.
Perhaps you are unaware of all of this. Because if your bill were to pass, it would expel innocent people who came here on valid visas and deny opportunities for Iranians to seek refuge in the US at a time when the rest of the free world is asking themselves how they best can help the people of Iran.
And, of course, your bill would do nothing to help secure America.
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aziz
Even a majority of admitted Mousavi supporters believe the Iranian election was legitimate and Ahmadinejad is the rightful president of Iran!
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johnpi
Top news photo of 2009. The image of Neda Soltan at the moment of death was criticized by some bloggers, Muslim and otherwise, but it’s currently ranking as the best news image of 2009 over at Huffpo in their readers’ opinion.
It will be interesting to watch how the professional journalism organizations rate the image.
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Shams al-Nahar
A friend sent me this link …..Secrets of Khamenei.
On the Basij–Khamenei was the head of the Islamic Republic Party (NB Created 1979, disbanded 1987). He believes that the Basij can be his party, a party which is also an army. Critics who speak of a ‘barracks party’ are referring to this issue. [Khamenei] has built himself a military party with the government and people’s money.
I especially liked the parts about horses.
There are about 100 horses, whose estimated total value is $40 million. The most expensive horse is worth $7 million and is called Zuljanah (NB The white stallion of Imam Hossein. Imam Hossein’s martyrdom in 680 AD is commemorated on Ashura.) Mojtaba’s horse is called Sahand. The horses are kept in two stables, one in the Malek Abad estate in Mashhad which measures 10,000 square meters and houses 70 horses, and another in Lavasanat (NB North of Tehran), measuring 3,000 square meters and housing 30 horses.
In 1999, Khamenei fell from a horse because he rides with only one hand and broke his hand. (NB Khamenei’s right hand has been disabled since an assassination attempt in 1981. A bomb hidden inside a tape recorder blew up as he gave a Friday Prayer sermon.) On long trips within Iran, for example to Mashhad, Khamenei and Mojtaba’s personal horses are taken to the destination inside an A330 airplane. Three specially-equipped trucks are used for transporting horses on shorter hauls. -
Shams al-Nahar
The leviathan stirs in the Sea of Green.
The events of Ashura have become a fulcrum point.
However…Captain Stupid is quite wrong about the outcome.
My prediction? The office of Supreme Leader will be split among a council. This is Rafi’s design from long ago.
Iran will absolutely remain a theocracy, and…..an Islamic state.
A “mullahcracy” like Captain Stupid puts it.
Just like Iraq is an Islamic state with islamic law (shariah law) written into its constitution.The government has already collapsed. There’s going to be big changes very soon. Believe me, it will happen soon. I can promise you that I will meet you for the next interview in Teheran very soon. However, I am afraid that the transition won’t be peaceful. You see what has happened during the religious ceremony called Ashura a few days ago.
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Shams al-Nahar
Hitch and Captain Stupid are dead wrong.
The Iranians are not seeking a return to the bad old days when the American Tyrant-Puppet Shah’s SS slaughtered students to supress protests in advance of Nixon’s visit.
They seek to restore the rule of law.
Islamic LAW in an Islamic REPUBLIC.
no “democracy” or “freedom” involved.
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thabet
A Guardian investigation finds Iran may have been behind the kidnapping of five Britons. Four of them, ‘bodyguards’, were killed by the captors and only one survived — Peter Moore, who was released last week after over two years in captivity:
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johnpi
Iran, Turkey rule out ‘military solution’ for Afghanistan.
That’s a commendable change of heart for Iran, considering that 12 years ago it had over a quarter million troops massed on its border with Afghanistan, and the UN and the rest of the world were working hard to head off the perceived threat of an invasion of Afghanistan.
This was taken very seriously at the time, as this Iranian writer communicates:
I don’t want another war, no matter what the excuse. I don’t want us to march on Herat or further afield. No reason that has been stated by the Iranian government is good enough basis for an invasion of Afghanistan. I was devastated when I read the Amnesty International report stating that the 11 Iranian diplomats in Mazar-e-Sharif were killed after the fall of the city. The image of the bodies left in the Consulate for two days without burial shattered me. I thought of the rubble, I thought of the sound of artillery in the background and of rivers of blood. But even this atrocity and the humiliation attendant to it is not a reason good enough for a war. Nor is the Iranian government’s crying foul of the brand of Islam practiced by the Taleban. It is NONE of their business.
That was during the time that the Taliban had taken control of the major city of Herat – predominantly Shiite and Farsi-speaking – and were engaged in their now infamous acts of ‘forced reIslamization.’ There was a concern that if Iran engaged with the Taliban it could draw in Pakistan (Iran had believed the 11 murdered diplomats had the protection of ISI personnel who were traveling as military advisors with the Taliban).
One way for Americans to look at this is that withdrawing troops from Afghanistan to let some other military power step up that is convinced it cannot live with a Taliban government such as Iran or Russia would be just fine.
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thabet
Tomb of Imam al-Ghazali discovered in Iran:
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johnpi
Top 10 good news stories from the Muslim world in the last year, according to Juan Cole.
10. Saudi Arabia opened its first coeducational college campus, the King Abdullah Science and Technology University.
9. Qatar is on track to average 7.5 percent per annum growth for the next few years.
8. A Pew Forum on Religion and Life poll finds that American Muslims are unusual in the degree to which they are integrated into mainstream American society and demonstrate moderate attitudes, condemning religious extremism and violence.
7. The information revolution is making strides in the Arab world.
6. Albania has averaged 10 percent a year growth for each of the last four years, and was the fastest-growing economy in Europe in 2009.
5. The small Gulf oil monarchy of Kuwait took steps toward greater democracy and rule of law.
4. Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country in the world at about 230 mn., had successful parliamentary elections in 2009, further consolidating the country’s decade-old democracy.
3. Turkey, which averaged 5.8 percent a year economic growth between 2002 and 2008, was slowed but not devastated by the world’s financial crisis.
2. Stability returned to Lebanon.
1. The greatest political awakening in Iran for 30 years.
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Shams al-Nahar
Aziz denigrates the martyrdom of Ali Mousavi as not as important as it appears at first blush. The reason it is important is that it deligitimizes the regime for the pious rural poor……for these people.
This is a meme translated to language the pious can all understand…..the language of the Holy Qur’an and the language of the Battle of Karbala. -
thabet
This might upset British fans of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who champion him as a man striving for Iran’s poor:
Ahmadinejad [has] done relatively little for the working class.
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aziz
I take vigorous exception to the idea that Ali Moussavi’s death in Iran is symbolic of Imam Husain’s martyrdom or that there’s any parallel between the Green Revolution and the events at Karbala.
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johnpi
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Shams al-Nahar
The Tyrant Khamenei and his stooge ‘Nejad pour gasoline on the fires of Islamic revolution. Because that is stone brilliant (not) move– killing one of the line of the Imam (a seyyad) on Ashura.
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johnpi
Reports of Iranian police disobeying orders, refuse to shoot protestors.
An Iranian opposition website said police forces were refusing orders to shoot at opposition protesters during clashes on Sunday in central Tehran, where it was reported earlier that at least four demonstrators had been killed.
“Police forces are refusing their commanders’ orders to shoot at demonstrators in central Tehran … some of them try to shoot into air when pressured by their commanders,” the Jaras website said.
Four protesters have been killed by police elsewhere though.
“Three of our compatriots were martyred and two were injured in clashes. The (website) reporter who was on the scene said these three were directly shot at by military forces,” Rahesabz.net reported.
Rahesabz said a fourth protester was later killed near Vali Asr intersection on Enghelab.
“The people are carrying the body of this martyr and are shouting slogans,” it said citing eyewitnesses.
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johnpi
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johnpi
State of Mississippi partners with Republic of Iran for healthcare program.
The healthcare situation in the US state of Mississippi has become so desperate that it rivals third world conditions, and so state planners are looking to a model developed in Iran to save lives where community ‘health houses’ are established.
[Dr Aaron] Shirley and [James] Miller visited Iran in May and were astonished to be welcomed with open arms. When they went to remote villages to see the health houses, the Iranians were equally amazed.
“They told us this is a miracle,” said Miller. “Not only were Americans coming here, but also they were learning from us rather than telling us what to do.”
One villager exclaimed: “We always knew rain fell down but never knew it could fall up.”
They signed an agreement with Shiraz University to form the Mississippi/Islamic Republic of Iran rural health project and applied to the US Treasury for a special licence for “Iranian transactions”.
….“The Iranians are a proud people with 5,000 years of history and huge contributions to science and medicine,” said a State Department official.
“A project like the Mississippi one is incredibly powerful as it appeals to that Iranian concept of history. It’s a great way to keep the door open between the two countries.”
(via)
