More protests? From Gooya News

I don't know how accurate Gooya news is.

From Gooya news articles, it looks like the Islamic Republic of Iran has fallen into a cycle. The more protestors the regime tries to arrest to snuff them out, the angrier the people get and the more the demonstrations grow.

here is a link to some more demonstrations.

here

and

here

The IRI regime is arresting the protestors

The Basiji are posting pictures of protestors around the university and want them to be turned in. (why don't the other students just throw those fliers in the trash?) According to the following blog
the regime is arresting the protesters. Some students have been freed, some are still in jail. The regime's substandard Keyhan newspaper claims the demonstrations are a plot from foreign enemies. rooz online has a good article of what has been happening.

Azeris protest in front of parlament Today, May 28th, 2006

Apparantly the protests in regards to the ethnically insulting cartoon is still ongoing. Azaeris were protesting in front of the parliment today, demanding support of Azeris and releasing of people imprisoned for protesting earlier last week. Of course Khamenei blamed "foreign enemies", because Khamenei never makes mistakes.

read article

Massive unrest around Iran

Apparantly there is a lot of unrest in Iran. Students are protesting in Tehran University, Amir Kabir University, the Law school, as well as in Tabriz. The protests range from unhappienss in regards to the regime trying to place unfair limitations on the Universities to insulting ethinic minorities.

You go!!! I support. I just wish I knew what I could do to help. :)

check out more here: http://blogersinjail.blogspot.com/

Ahmadinejad blames the unrest of Azaris on U.S., oh please

Ahamdinejad has decided that it is the fault of the U.S. that an Iranian newspaper
has printed a controversial cartoon and mass protests resulted. He stated that the U.S. is trying to stir unrest amongst the minorities in Iran. I beg to differ. I think the minorities in Iran don't want to be associated with Iran because the Islamic Republic is such an embarrassement to all of its people.

I assume Ahmadinejad is going to blame his stupidity on the U.S. too. It is completely unbecoming of a president to be cowardly running away from the problems of his country by placing blame of an internal ethinic unrest on another country without proof.

read article

Iran Newspaper Insults Azaris, people take to the streets

According to Reuters, the "Iran" magazine insulted people of Azari ethnicity with a cartoon. Approximately 360 miles of people demonstrating was reported.

read more

Prominent Dissidents demanding the release of Ramin Jahanbegloo

AFP reports that in Iran 132 signatories demanded the release of Ramin Jahanbegloo, including Mohammad Reza Khatami, Mohammad Ali Abtahi, Hasehm Aghajeri and Ebrahim Yazdi.
read more

Please Sign the Petiton for a Referendum for Human Rights and Democracy in Iran

Please consider signing the petition below :

Referendum for Human Rights and Democracy in Iran petition

Maturity in exercising Democracy and Freedom of Speech

Before I go back to my desk to study, I would like to make some comments about some of the activity going on with the other Iranians speaking up for freedom, Human Rights, democracy, freedom of speech, etc. Yes, I know this entry isn’t quite as polished as I would like, and a little long, but I have to study.

In my opinion, it seems that we have not quite obtained maturity in the practice of the above concepts. While freedom means the right to express your thoughts, slander is against the law. Bloggers have been accusing other bloggers of being associated with the CIA, communists, Khamenei’s best Islamic Facists, and other undesireable groups. Just because one hears an opinion of how to get to democracy in Iran that he/she doesn’t like, that doesn’t necessarily mean the person making the comment is part of some complex conspiracy with a secret political party and having intricate capabilities like Jason Bourne, the assassin from the movie the “Bourne Identity”!

The point of freedom of speech is so that different ideas can be voiced. One of the reasons that the United States is the best country for its own citizens is that different creative and innovative ideas are allowed to be presented and flourish, and that’s how the country stays strong. If we want to win our struggle for Human Rights, Democracy and freedom, we have to be tolerant of other’s ideas. If we don’t like other’s ideas, we can respectfully disagree, but wanting to sue them, or accuse them of horrible associations is wrong. I think people have the misconception that a democracy means you get everything that you want. That’s not true! The last two presidential elections I voted, and I didn’t get the candidate I voted for. However, the two presidential elections prior, I got what I wanted. Democracy means you have a say in what will happen, but still the will of the majority rules.

If one thinks that with a democracy he/she gets whatever he/she wants, that person is mistaken! By slandering/suing/bullying others that don’t have opinions exactly like one individual’s, (yes even your opinion), then we might as well not try for a regime change, because the new government will be forcing your opinion on others, rather than a forcing of Khamenei’s opinion on others! A democracy means you don’t get your way all the time, but you get it some of the time, rather then always getting your way because you are the bully, or never getting your way because you are the oppressed.

I personally think that all people wanting human rights, democracy and freedom for Iran should stand united and not accuse each other of ugly associations with out concrete proof. In the end, we all want the same thing, we just have different ideas on how to get there. That difference should not separate us, it should make us stronger. In think constructive criticism goes a long way.

One Hectic Week

I had an exam this week and I wasn't able to tend to my blog. Actually the next couple of weeks are going to be busy as I wrap up this class, so that would be why i'm not doing much on the blog (I say as if I have masses of readers waiting with abated breath......!).

I need to figure out how I'm going to handle the petition snafu. Please be patient.

Please Sign the Petiton for a Referendum for Human Rights and Democracy in Iran

Please consider signing the petition below :

Referendum for Human Rights and Democracy in Iran petition

Save Valiollah Feiz-Mahdavi from Execution

Please sign this petition to stop this man from being executed by the IRI.


sign petition

Here is his letter to the World:

Warmest greetings to my dear compatriots in Iran and other countries!My name is Valiollah Feiz Mahdavi.

I was born on 5/11/1358. In Mehr 1380 I was arrested by the Intelligence Ministry agents and charged with undermining national security and attempting to join the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran in Iraq.
They kept me in solitary confinement for 546 days, during which time I was interrogated and subjected to harshest physical and psychological tortures. I was kept in a little, dimly lit cell; and when moved for any purpose I was shackled, cuffed and blindfolded.These were the hardest days of my life.
On a number of occasions they woke me up from sleep in middle of the night, took me outside, and told me ‘say your last wishes.’ Then one of them would fire a shot. Thinking I was hit, I would spend a few minutes in state of shock before being led back to my cell.After this hellish period, they arranged a trial for me. I was sentenced to death in a summary court presided over by a judge named Haddad and held at the 26th branch of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran. At my sham trial I rejected all the charges and denounced the illegitimacy of the whole procedure where I had no legal representation and no jury was present. On the same day, as a punishment for my protests, I was transferred to a prison in Kermanshah (Dizelabad Prison), where I spent the next few months under harshest conditions.

In the last days of 1382, they returned me to Evin Prison in Tehran. But again, after a few months, because of an argument with Bakhtiari, the erstwhile head of the National Organization of Prisons, I was sent to a prison in Karaj (Rajai Shahr). I remember on my arrival the then head of the prison, Maleki, told me: ‘none of your protests would leave the walls of this prison’. From then to this day I have been a target of threats and even assaults by ordinary prisoners, instigated by prison officials. Calling my days here ‘living’ would be an outright abuse of this word. Of course, this is the situation of all political prisoners here, and thus has to be considered ‘normal’ for them.
A few days before the 1385 Norooz I was formally notified by the judiciary deputy of the prison that my death sentence will be carried out on Ordibehesht 26, 1385. But even before this official notice, both the head of the prison and the head of my section, Section 6, had on a number of occasions told me that my sentence would soon be carried out. Just last week the head of Section 6 summoned me to his office and, in an angry, threatening voice, told me: ‘why do you publicize your condition and sentence? It is not going to help you any more than it helped Hodjat Zamani’.

My dear compatriots and friends,In the course of my struggle I learned that for freedom fighters it is not all that important to personally see realized the ultimate aim of their efforts and sacrifice. What is paramount for them is steadfastness in struggle. I truly believe that freedom, democracy and justice are as vital to human life as the air one breathes. I thus permit myself to ask you not to abandon our just fight against the oppressive regime of the mullahs. I also have a few words for the leaders and minions of the regime: we will never resign ourselves to the ignominy of surrendering to your repressive dictatorship, even if it will cost us our lives.Long live an Iranian nation free from injustice, oppression and exploitation!

Valiollah Feiz Mahdavi (Rajai Shahr Prison)

Review of Shirin Ebadi's Book "The Awakening"

I read Shirin Ebadi's book and attended her book signing last wednesday at the downtown Washington D.C. bookstore "Politics and Prose". She spoke about how human rights and democracy is needed in Iran. Many asked her questions, which she generously answered. When asked if Sharia law is compatible with human rights and democracy, she stated that it is, and that the Islamic Republic of Iran manipulates the law for its own gain and disregards the law when it is in contrast to their benefits.

I asked if Iranians were ready for a referendum for human rights and democracy. She said that Iran has a democratic culture and as a result, Iran will eventually become one. She said that Iran cannot become democratic overnight. (granted, I disagree, I think we are ready now!!!!)

I read her book last weekend as well. I felt that it was an excellant book. She describes how she went to school and became a judge in pre Islamic Republic times, as well as the efforts of the revolution and her experience afterwards. She gave very detailed descriptions of events from the early 1980's in Iran, the murdurs of Darioush and Parastoo Forouhar, the suicide of the scapegoat the regime accused of their murders, she talked about Zahra Kazemi, Akbar Ganji, the protests in 1999, about Ahmad Batebi, as well as many other cases she took. She described her experience in prison as well as her impressions from president Khatami.

I realize that she does not have a separation of religion from state stance (which am for a separation of religion and state myself), but it sure makes me feel better that brave and courageous people like her are fighting the regime everyday in the courtroom and putting pressure on them constantly. I did not find her as a regime apologist, she was criticizing the regime both in her speech and in her book as well. As long as we are all fighting for Human Rights and Democracy, I am sure we will be free one day!!!

Thank you Shirin Ebadi!

Prominent Philospher Ramin Jahanbegloo Arrested

The Islamic Republic of Iran has arrested prominent philosopher Ramani Jahanbegloo.
He has dual Iranian and Canadadian citizenship and has been accused of spying. In my opinion, the Islamic Republic of Iran would charge Mother Teresa and the Pope of spying if they could get the slightest benefit for it. This could happen to any Iranian that sets foot outside of Iran.

The following quote of anti-Nazi pastor Martin Niemoller comes to mind:

"First they came for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up, because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me."

read Reuters article on this topic

read about the Canadian government's response

Top richest men/mullahs in Iran.

Recently there are a lot of articles writing about who are the richest men in Iran.
I figure if there are a lot of various sources saying some of the same things, than perhaps there is some accuracy.

Here is an article from Forbes.com as its source. Click on the middle section to get pictures of some of the Iranian millionaires.

Millionnaire Mullahs

This is from Iran Focus-News. It gives the top richest 8 men in Iran.
(No wonder why Yazdi gets his voice heard so easilty)

Exclusive: Iran’s rulers amass fortunes through sleaze


Here is an article from online al-jazeerah
Iran's rich and well-connected favor economic status quo

Shame on this so-called holy men that steel from the people.