Karroubbi pledges to do all he can to get Mousavi Khoeni Freed

Mahdi Karroubbi has pledged to do all he can to puruse getting Mousavi Khoeni freed.
Zahra Islami, Mousavi Khoeni's wife, Abdollah Momeni and Mahdi Amini-Zadeh visited Mahdi Karroubi today. Mohammad Sharif, Mousavi Khoeni's lawyer asked Karoubbi to see what he can do in regards to him being able to see his client and learn about the charges against him.

read Gooya News article here

Mousavi Khoeni: I am being tortured in Iran's Jail

Mr. Mousavi Khoeni who was attending his father's 40th day after his father's funeral ceremony, told the guests that he is being tortured in Iran's jail. "Every night I am to sleep with hand and ankle cuffs. I am visited by interegators five times a day and pressure is put on me to sign a confession where I renege everything that I had done and said prior to my arrest."

Read Gooya article here

Iranian Government Conducts More Arrests and Punishments

According to Gooya news, the Iranian police are so busy trying to arrest people and create an atmosphere of fear that they are grabbing everybody and anybody in sight. Now they are arresting
Pouriya Nejad-Visi, a reporter and producer of Programs for the Islamic Republic of Iran's controlled television. It seems that they must be reaching for arresting this person.
read Gooya news article

Meanwhile, one of the members of the University Students "Tahkim Vahdat" organization stated that these new waves of arrests and student expellings will backfire. He said that this would just move the efforts for change in Iran from the University to elsewhere, and he thought such a move could be to the students' benefit too. He continued by stating that today's university students are different from the past and will not tolerate this unfairness or quiet down just because the government has ramped up their punishments

read Gooya news article

Anousheh Ansari's Blog

Anousheh Ansari has launched a blog about her experiences in space. It's pretty interesting and exciting.

read her blog

If Palestine and Israel have Peace, How Will Iran's Barbaric Mullahs Survive?

Palestenian president Mahmoud Abbas told the U.N general assembly that the National Unity Government plans to recognize Israel. Apparantly, the lack of funds due to the boycott of various countries has put Hamas under enough pressure to unify with Abbas' Fatah.
rea d AP article

After blowing off so much of Iran's money on the Hezbollah movement to destroy Israel, one of Ahmadinejad's main platform issues will be gone. What can he do to survive if he cannot divert Iranians' attentions from internal problems?

Please sign petition to Save Kobra Rahmanpour's Life

Please sign this petition to save Kobra Rahmanpour's life.

Read her father's letter to the UN
here

sign petition here

The Campaign for 1 Million Signatures has extended to Tabriz

The training committee for the 1 million signatures to change discrimination against women campaign has started to hold training sessions in Tabriz on the 24th and 25th of Shahrivar (16th and 17th of September). 23 of the Tabrizi women activisits from various private organizations wre present.

The workshop was intended to familiarize the volunteers with the collection of signatures with legal women's rights issues, the goals of the campaign and various ways to collect the face to face signatures.

read article here

University Students expelled from school due to their political activism

Following suit from the firing of the "secular" professors in Iranian Universities, the University students that do not give the Islamic Republic of Iran's government a nod of approval, are being expelled.

Hasn't the Iranian government figured out by now that if they have to resort to so many drastic extremes to stay in power, that their downfall is inevitable? How can a minority possibly fool themselves into believing that they could oppress a majority? Throughout history, no dictatorhsip has lasted, the Islamic Republic of Iran is no exception. They should step down now before the public gets even angrier. Oh well, you reap what you sow....

read rooz online article

Islamic Republic of Iran shut down Shargh newspaper

The IRI couldn't stand for any of its critics to be in existence. It forced Shargh to close down yesterday.

According to the New York Times' article:

"It seems that the government is limiting the freedom at home as the international pressure is increasing on Iran over its nuclear program," said Mohsen Kadivar, a dissident cleric and an Islamic philosopher in Tehran. "Now that the threat of sanctions looms, the government does not want to hear any protest at home."

read full article

Reflections of 9/11

I remember when 9/11 occcured I was very shocked. I realized that the muslim fundementalists have gotten so comfortable with abusing muslims themselves, that they think nothing about crossing over and extending their violence to nonmuslims. Also after 9/11 all Middle Easterners were deemed as suspicious. I believe that the doors to immigrating to other countries are closing. We are running out of places to immigrate to that will welcome us as a consequence of the acts of the muslim fundementalists. Perhaps the remaining option of turning around and facing those demons in our countries of origin is becoming inevitable.

Laywer Representing Akbar Mohammadi and Ahmad Batebi Summoned to Iranian Court

Khaleel Bahramian, the laywer that was representing the two famous political prisoners, has been summoned to court for representing his clients. Apparantly his efforts to represent his courts does not bode well for the Islamic Republic. "The reason why I fight is for the precious concept of Humanity. It is what separates animals from human beings." He stated. Mr. Bahramian added:" I will fight for the rights of my clients as long as I am alive." read Gooya news article

Thoughts: Whose side is God on?

Often the brutal mullahs in Iran kill, torture and abuse because they believe they are doing God's bidding. But in light of the fact that they have no direct confirmation from God that their interpretation of religion are correct, how is it that they are so sure that God is on their side?

Azadeh Moaveni's New "Lipstick Jihad" column in Time.com

Just recently Azadeh Moaveni has started a regular column titled "Lipstick Jihad" covering topics in Iran for Time magazine in the "Analysis and Opinions" section. I really like her insight about current Iran. Her latest article is about Iranian first ladies and the scandal that the wife of one of the hardliner politician's has caused by calling for the defrocking of Khatami.

Read Azadeh Moaveni on Time.com

Opinions

Iran's government claims that it is the west that is an obstacle to Iran's obtaining of nuclear energy. I beg to differ. Why should the west not feel uneasy about having a government full of mass murderers to have access to nuclear technology? Rather it is the keeping of an undemocratic government in Iran that is the real obstacle for Iran to have access to nuclear technology.

As Iran's Stalling Tactics Become clear, Countries see Sanctions more and more Likely

It seems that no matter how hard Europe tries, Iran finds another way to thumb its nose to them. This time Iran cancelled its meetings abruptly with the EU. Read article Russia states that it is against war with Iran, and Germany had the same position. A poll taken indicated that 53% of Americans and 43% of Europeans were for a war with Iran to stop its nuclear activitiy. Condeleeza Rice is reported to be adamant on taking some sort of action "within weeks, not within months."read article

On a personal note, a friend of mine stepped up her desire to flee Iran. She wanted all sorts of demands, such as "I want to know that a professor will support us in all aspects and get us a visa." I can't promise that! You get a professor, you work hard, you be proactive in your visa/work permit issues and chances are you'll be fine. She was saying she doesn't want to leave Iran, only to have to do "garconi" or working at a pizza shop. I wanted to tell her that American brain surgeons work menial part time jobs to make ends meet and then they get their degree and get jobs. Are you better than regular Americans? My friend does not have a realistic view of the outside world at all. She has all these demands, yet she still has not sent me resume or report card. What am I supposed to do? Do a breakdance in front of the professor to get him to take some unknown student with an unknown background and give her Queen Elizabeth treatment?

Ahmadinejad to replace Iran's University Professors with his own Sycophants

Ahmadinejad wants to replace the "secular" and "liberal" University professors with other "Islamic" professors that will be obedient yes-men to the Islamic Republic.

read MSNBC report here.

First Anniversary of the Islamic Republic's 1988 Mass Murder Campaign

According to Sharzad News, approximately 500 of family members and friends went to the Khavaran grave. The authorities did not open the doors, but the family and friends went climbed over the walls and crawled underneath small bridges to get to the graves. Rumor is whenever family and friends would try to mark their loved one's graves, the authorities would go and bulldoze the ground.

The following websites have some postings on this topic.

A glinting glimpse from above the wall

Shahrzad News

First Iranian-Americain Women to be a Space Tourist

photo taken from CNN.com website

Anoosheh Ansari will be the first Iranian-American entrepreneur to be a Space tourist. She grew up in Iran untill she was 16, then she moved over to the United States. Her Space uniform has an American flag on one arm, and an Iranian flag on another, MINUS the Islamic Revolutionary emblem.

You go girl! The first Iranian to go to space is.... A WOMAN! Take that you crusty sexist Akhoonds...

read CBS article here

Article by Karl Vick from the Washington Post

Karl Vick from the Washington Post wrote a fantastic article about Iranian religious people voicing their dissatisfaction with the Islamic Republic.

read article here

I find it very interesting that the dissatisfaction with the Iranian regime is not for the wealthy, latte-drinking, perceived morally loose elite anymore. This gathering was one of the financially strapped religious base. They were obviously angry at the poor economy, the Iranian government's neglect for the desires of the public, as well as a frustration with the lies that the government officials progagate. When Koochakzadeh saw how the audience was piping out negative opinions of the government, he tried to twist the situation to his advantage:" See how democratic we are? When a person wants to go and make a speach, he can go to an Ansar meeting!" Koochakzadeh was immediately put in his place with the following comment:" I was beaten up by Ansar, myself. They broke a tooth"

The Islamic Republic must have completely forgotten about the political concept of keeping the base happy. They beat up their own support!!!!!

"Do you want to buy gas from people who are trying to kill you?" Todd Snell, Snell Motors

This was a quote that I saw from an article in the August 21, 2006 issue of Automotive news. The article is about using fuel that is utilized in the midwest of America that has 85% ethanol and 15% fuel. I hope that this does catch on, I am all for the decrease of fuel consumption.

Many may argue that decrease in oil sales would be bad news for the Iranian people. I beg to differ. I think the average Iranian that does not obtain privledges and benefits from Iran in exchange for support for the mullahs does not see any of the oil money. According to many Industrial plant owners, often the government does not pay them for two or three months at at time. As a result, the factory workers have to go without pay. " I had to dip into my own savings to pay for my workers' salary", says the manager fo a large business in Iran. "I send my assistant to go collect the money the government owes us for our work. The individual that cuts the checks for the plants is a former prison guard/employee who does not have an education but has everyone call him with the title "Dr." If my assistant does as little as look at him wrong, he will not give our check and will delay our pay for weeks."

As I understand it, Iran seems to be tiered with layers of people with influence. People with strong connections get freebee oil money from the government. People with some clout, but less strong connections will not get money. Instead, to shut them up, the government gives them benefits and/or privlidges. For example, Iran is planning to build a highway that connects Tehran to the very popular vacation area south of the Caspian Sea. Although many experienced firms had submitted bids to build the road, the winner suspiciously was the "Sepah Pasdaran", or the government's own thugs. The government conveniently tips the people with "some clout, but less srong connections" to purchase the land along the highway. Obviously if they are told in advance where the highway is to be built, they can purchase the land along the highway cheap, and sell it at a higher price later.

I do hope that the West masters the technology to decrease dependency on oil. The oil money is only lining Iran's criminals' pockets. The average individual is still struggling and scraping as best as he can.