Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Alarming deforestation of Iran in the past 5 years

The news of Ahmadinejad's violation of environmental policies (not the international ones, but the ones set by the Governmental Organization of Environmental Protection) are reaching alarming frequency. If this trend continues, Iran will be fully deforested in the next 30 years. Most endangered are 400 ancient trees, one as old as 3000 years. Often these ancient trees are sites of pilgrim by villagers who believe in their healing power or divinity. I read in one of the links below that such trees run the risk of being cut in the name of "opposing superstition."! Of course this is ironic, given Iran's president has spent 17 million dollars building a mosque in "Jamkaran", where his Imam-Zaman resides in the bottom of a well. Yes Ahmadinejad is a highly superstitious man, and he is caught on video describing to some mullahs how he was surrounded with a halo of light (minute 1:06), mesmerising the audience when he delivered his speech in NY. (here's an audio report on it, in English).

Some of recent headlines:

9 comments:

Pedestrian said...

This is terrible. If I wasn't worn out crying over Behnoud and the 17 year prison sentence, I would sit here and cry an ocean over this.

In Khuzestan, when my grandfather was growing up, there were lions and tigers. He has pictures of them, and Jane Dieulafoy the archeologist writes about their "piercing eyes".

Of course, they are just a myth now, long extinct.

And this extinction is only rapidly increasing. We're killing our people and the earth at the same time.

Naj said...

Ped, remember that fanatic idiot Pen Name; who used to think that "god has given us natural resources" so we are going to use them up to improve our infrastructure or some crap ...

They think in the same kind of silly way that the bush crowd did!

Which reminds me, did you see that video of Ahmadinejad where he was talking about how the reason why USA attacked Iraq was because they knew Imam-Zaman will emerge from this region soon?! (I am paraphrasing!)

Pedestrian said...

Naj, I have!

Crazy, miserable #$#%!

Pedestrian said...

Naj, I know we spoke about this yesterday: about Iranians making their own decisions and using opportunities to their advantage.

But as ONLY a PERSONAL opinion, I wasn't happy about Mohajerani going to the Washington Institute. Sure, let's hope that somewhere down the line we'll be at a place where we can talk to everybody. But as someone who openly supports the green movement from the outside, only 4 months after it officially began, why visit a hawkish think tank? How many think tanks has he visited? (he probably hasn't had that many invitations, and WI invited him, but still ...)

I don't know ... I don't like it.

Naj said...

Huh, he's gone to WI?!

LEt me read on it a bit. I just cannot take Mohajerani very seriously; he somehow falls through my attention cracks. Listening to him a few times, he didn't strike me as someone with a strong character or strong vision; and he looks and sounds like a hypocrite; so I don't follow him :)

Naj said...

Okey Ped; I managed to get a hold of Mohajerani's report ... i don't see a particular problem with saying what he has:

1) this is not a quick result movement
2) we need to all move individually towards a common goal to lift our net
3) we do not need american support what so ever

I don't see any problem with the "location" of his speech, or the host of his speech either.

What i do take issue with is if he, or Sazegara, or Makhmalbaf, or Mousavi, or X, or Y or Z are endorsed and promoted by any particular institute, such as WI.

Pedestrian said...

Naj, I know it's not a "reasonable" thing to say. But I personally (and note, this is just a personal opinion, it's not something I expect others to agree with!) would not want Mohajerani (whom I don't like, but like it or not, he has presented himself as one of the voices of the opposition inside Iran) going to the WI. I mean, they're a warmongering thinktank. Sure, the asshold Javad Larijani was the one who said "we must talk to our enemies" ... but it's only been four months, is he touring a bunch of think tanks? if not, why only go to a pro-war organization who has promoted regime change and even war with Iran? (I'm not making this stuff up, I've read their reports.)

I mean, what's the use? Maybe exactly b/c they're such warmoners, he wanted to make the position of the green movement clear?

I still don't like it.

123 said...

This is so sad:-(
They are not only killing our Sohran, Ashkan, Taraneh and neda ... also the trees!

Naj said...

Ped,

I know; I know! Therefore, we shall ignore him :)

هزاردستان چمن

They are modeling Iran after china! I wonder if china's run by corrupts people as well! (i know so shamefully little about china :( ... )