Who is The Parliament Speaker Seeking Death Penalty For?

Please watch to the end of this video.
The protesters are just marching and holding their arms up in the air! Then suddenly, mayhem ...



Tomorrow, the government is forcing its employees and school students to attend a rally to CONDEMN "insults launched by the greens"! Holding arms up in the air and marching is an INSULT that deserves one day of governmental closure to make the ego of the freaking supreme leader heal!

Yesterday, some goon on the parliament floor or somewhere has said that if the judiciary won't punish the leaders of green then the "people", i.e. goons and thugs and ex-criminals out of Ahmadinejad Rehab, will do so to defend Islam and Imam Hussein!!!!! Fear's mounting that this is a pretext for unleashing their dogs at Mousavi.

The security forces have already lifted guard from Karoubi, prompting his wife to write a public letter that they live without any protection and should they be killed, the IRI is directly responsible, and better not look for foreign bullets!!

And as I am writing this, at least 1000 individuals are herded to prison in Tehran (and same number in the provinces) ... horror stories are emerging from EshratAbad Prison; seems as notorious as Kahrizak was. (By the way, did you know Ahmadinejad has PROMOTED the criminal Tehran prosecutor, Ghazi Mortazavi, a man who was DEMOTED by the head of judiciary because of his bloody hands in crimes commited in Iran's abu-gharib, Kahrizak?

And today, Larijani, the asskisser hypocrite has called for maximum penalty for people who have INSULTED Imam Hossein!!!!!

Oh I almost forgot: Khamenei was promoted to "God" today!

How is Ahmadinejad provoking violence?

The police truck runs over the man, 3 times ...

It is now clear that scenes of fire and vandalism were part of the Basiji-Play to complete the second phase of coup d'etat ...

They sought violence; were overwhelmed by people's number and resolve; but they sought violence ...

In early hours of Sunday, Mousavi's nephew gets assassinated--in hope of stirring emotions and a fired statements from Mousavi! This plot fails. Mousavi says that his nephew is just one of the many who have been killed and not different than others. The news of his shooting is still fresh that the farcenews and the IRNA rush to announce that he was assassinated by the bullets that were used to assassinate Neda too! This is when the body is in the Ebn-Sina Hospital, attended to by the family of the victim--including his uncle Mousavi. The day after, when family presents itself to receive and bury the body, they find it missing! Almost half a day later Tehran's prosecutor issues a statement that the body is not missing but is in the forensic unit! (how the Farce news knew about the bullet type when the body was still warm and prior to autopsy is a mystery!!!). The body is still "missing" but Keyhan, Khamenei and thug's mouthpiece has declared that it was Mousavi who had plotted his nephew's assassination!!

In all videos I watched, I found it peculiar that in scenes of people beating the security, it was the uniformed people (many may be duty soldiers) who were beaten by a minority; while a large number of greens are trying to prevent the beating ... How come there are no scenes of (ununiformed) basijis being beaten? From eyewitness accounts, the ones who are SCARY, violent, harassing, and violating are the Basijis ...

They have hired thugs ...

Those who have heard them confirm that they speak thug's lingo ...

They look like rapists, sadists, mentally sick psychos ... they are out of "criminal's rehabilitation" program that Mr Ahmadinejad prides himself in! Ahmadinejad, a man who promotes cheaters to his cabinet and dopers to lifetime positions at the helm of the country's sports. Ahmadinejad, who lies, who cheats, who lectures Europeans on freedom of speech, who sees a halo of light surround him when he utters his nonsense at the UN. If criminals with proven plagiarism can become ministers of science; why can't criminals with proven rape and theft become Police?!

To them, the opponent is an animal ... they herd them as animals; and kill them by driving over them thrice ... and then give each other high-five: shouting: Eyval, Eyval, Eyval ... the word used by subclasses of culture and civility ... these words do not even belong to religious fanatics ... I shriek ... people of faith do not say ey-val; do not give each other thumbs up for beating fellow humans with batons ... and Geen kids get themselves in between to STOP the beating of their enemy, their sworn enemy ...

I am proud that the Green leadership (which is by no means one person, one party or one unit) has come from different corners to loudly and clearly state that the Green movement is committed to peace; that it is not a violent movement; that it shall not raise arms ... but the way I imagine the dogs who are unleashed on people, I cannot envision how one can avoid getting violent in self-defense. But I know one thing: these dogs get their energy from the "ability" to confront the beautiful opponent; how can we strip them of that source while still remaining on the scene?

Khamenei Secrets

This was just made available by Mohsen Makhmalbaf.

I have all sorts of reservations about Makhmalbaf's tactical wisdom, but I do not doubt his credibility. I sense this document has been in his possession for long; but that he has chosen to release it now--being genuinely disturbed by IRI's violence on Ashura day.

The document is very long and detailed, but I translate the most catchy headlines. If I see a rebuttal to any of these claims I will update the post with comments. I appreciate corrections and discussions.

Despite all pretense to modesty, Khamenei loves luxurious lifestyle; he is wealthy from oils and arms; and he is a hypocrite in his religious zeal:

• He loves Caviar!
• He loves horses, rides them and takes his favorite horses along his "vacation trips". He owns 100 horses which he keeps in his resorts in Khorasan.
• He owns an invaluable collection of pipes (200 of them) the most expensive a 300 year old antique valued at 250,000--these are state gifts presented to him by foreign visitors.
• He also has a collection of expensive rings (300 of them) and canes (170) and robes (120).
• He is not addicted to opium as rumors suggest.
• He loves vulgar jokes that he exchanges with his close clerical associates in highly private sessions
• He is a fan of Naser-alddin Shah (Qajar) and has read all of Pahlavi-related biographies.
• He used to be a womanizer and a smoker in his younger days and he had two concubines when Khomeini was still alive (Married muslim men are allowed to have temporary marriages!)
• He loves poetry; but his liking of music has been slowly fading! He does not play any musical instruments.
• He suffers depression, presumably due to nightly listening to wiretaps of his opponents (both people and government officials).
• He is heavily influenced by his 67 year old wife and his second son Mojtaba
• His ruling style seems to be based on "do it, as long as people won't know about it"
• His protection guard is 10,000 body strong--1000 of which are women. His security management is conducted by: Khosravi-Vafa (Head of amputee war veterans)Asghar-Zadeh (parliament member)Motevallian (IRGC)Ramezani (IRGC intelligence)Nejat (Security council)Chizari (Head of guards)

• His permanent residence is a 1200 square meter house with underground anti-nuclear bunker in Tehran downtown; but he uses many of the Shah's palaces that are not turned to museusm.
• 8 airplanes, 5 helicopters and 17 bulletproof cars are available to Khamenei and his family.
• He has his hands in importation of sugar, rice, BMWs and real estate business; but most of his wealth (>36 billion dollars) comes from oil and military sales commissions. His relatives dominate communication and electronic markets. Most of his wealth is n Syrian, South African, Venezuela, China and even London banks [2 billion dollars were blocked by the UK in June; but London and Khamenei seem to have re-established their amicable relations!!!]
• After June election, the liquid portion was this wealth (22 Billion dollars) that was headed to Syria was seized in Turkey.
• Khamenei's daughters and wife like vanity fairs; they dress fashionably, have private masseurs, hair dressers and estheticians who pay them home visits.
• Their marriages of Khamenei's children are highly controlled and arranged to ensure coagulation of power.

His first son Mostafa is married to the daughter of Ayatollah Khoshvaght--who together with Mohseni Ejehi sanctioned the chain murders.

His second son, Mojtaba is married to the daughter of previous parliament speaker, Haddad Adel's.

His third son, Mas'oud is married to Sousan Kharazi, daughter of Ayatollah Kharazi; but the marriage seems to be falling apart after political rifts.

His forth son, Meysam, married to a Bazari's daughter (by name of Lowlachiyan)

His Daughter Bashri, married to the son of his Office head, Mohammadi Golpaygani.

His youngest daughter, Hoda, is married to teh nephew of Mahdavi Kani.

Intellectuals worry: Ahmadinejad's Government is trying to radicalize the Green Movement!

I have been staring at the pictures coming out yesterday--and posting those that narrated themselves. I have been in "shock and awe"; wondering where this movement is heading to. We are all fully aware of the savagery with which the regime is trying to push people to self-defense--that apparently needs to be violent and extreme to be proportional to governmental attacks!

How provocative the regime has been?

• The regime that announced a public mourning for tearing the picture of Khomeini on video also ATTACKed the home of Khomeini where President Khatami was delivering a Tasou'a sermon.
• The regime who claims leadership of the Shiite cause also opened fire and unleashed batons and tear gas on the citizens of the Shiite country--a deed that has been carefully avoided by the most tyrannical of Iran's rulers who have been fully aware of the sanctity of "moharram", a month in which violence is forbidden (inherited by Muslims from prophet Abraham's times.)
• The same regime whose Basiji's consider "Seyed" Ali Khamenei the representative of God on earth on the credit of his "Seyed-ness" (i.e descendent of Imam Ali & Prophet Mohammad) also assassinates Mousavi's nephew, a "seyed" himself.
• The regime operators has targeted which people to hit yesterday: relatives and children of reformists (Moin, Mousavi, Abdollah Nouri) seem to have been singled out.
• They have now arrested many of the voices of reason, promoters of PEACEFUL protest; and they are setting the stage for arresting Khatami, Karoubi and Mousavi.

And to Ahmadinejad's aid come cheerleaders; some staunch Iran-Bombers, who have suddenly become so pro-green; whose support is aiming to further radicalize a movement out of its path and out of credibility.

There are also individuals like the internationally renowned filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf who is calling for general strikes, fanning the flames with writing and reciting a hateful letter to Khamenei. Considering this gentleman's revolutionary past; his "artistic" tendency for emotional outbursts--of the cheapest, most superficial sort, and his radical tendencies that he best described in his self-reflexive film "A Moment of Innocence", I conclude he is a mercurial figure of good intentions but little wisdom and patience; and he also likes the spotlight a little too much! This kind of "leadership" is dangerous!

Of course, there are all sorts of genuine IRI haters; they are Iranian monarch-lovers whose radio and TV stations are quite useful in acting as laxative; plus the ex-communists who helped bring about Khomeini; who were jailed and tortured and their friends were killed before their eyes; who are vengeful and who think "they know how to do a revolution" and are eager to pass on their failed methods on to this new generation! (These sorts often attack me on other blogs if I call for pragmatic brainstorming about Iran, they want Khamenei's head; and tomorrow's to late; they want it yesterday!)

So, yes, there are all sorts of elements that seem a little too cheerful about the magnitude of the protocol that was broken yesterday: killing on Ashura! This is no small deed; and whoever is pulling the strings of violence is full aware of the sparkle it has set in this dynamite box.

But; many who have spend their lifetime for democratization of Iran are worried. All these individuals have been critical of the regime and in odds with it before the Green Movement took shape.

Mehrangiz Kaar: Human/Women rights activist lawyer.

اما حکومتی که با ادعای دین محوری سوار کار است و مردمی که با ادعای حضور مسالمت آمیز و اعتراضی در کار اعلام نظرات خود هستند در یک چنین شرایط خاص که تحریک پذیری عادت است، بهتر آنکه با یکدیگررویارو نشوند و از آن بیش، جنبش مدنی و مسالمت آمیز که از ثمرات تجدد خواهی است و در بر گیرنده مفاهیم و مضامین مدرن و حقوق بشری است ، چنانچه به بهانه مبارزه مدنی بخواهد درگیری تاریخی و اسطوره ای امام حسین و یزیدیان را باز سازی کند، ویژگی مدرن و حقوق بشری را یکباره از دست می دهد . در یک ظرف پر تلاطم تاریخی که با خود زنی در آمیخته است ، جنبش چگونه می تواند بر ضد خشونت شعار بدهد و از ظلم و جور ستمگران بر سر و سینه بکوبد . اینکه می شود نقض غرض !

It is best if a government that is religious-centric and a people who believe in peaceful protest to claim its rights do not confront each other in such provocable ground [Ashura]. Furthermore, a civil movement that is peaceful and stems from a modernist discourse that encompasses modern human right issues do not get entangled in the historical mythology of Imam Hossein and Yazid as it will lose its modern objective. In a turmoiled historical context that is intertwined with self-flagellation, how can a movement chant against violence but beat himself in protest to oppressor? This is an oxymoron!

Masoud Behnoud:(Journalist)

یک بار نسل پیشین با شعار و در خیابان و با آتش زدن خواست سعادت را بخرد، گذارش به بهشت نیفتاد. آیا قرارست نسل امروز، نسل روزگار شفافیت، نسل روزگار خبر، روزگار آبی و سبز باید از همان راه بگذرد. راست بگویم دلهره دارم.

Once, the previous generation tried to buy happiness by slogans and by bonfires, but it didn't find heaven. Is today's generation, generation of lucidity, genration of media, generation of water and Green, supposed to cross the same road? To tell the truth, I am worried.

Ezat Sahabi: (A leading nationalist politician)

ما که می‌دانيم خشونت را اين حاکميت دارد به مردم تحميل می‌کند. زور و فشار وارد می‌کند برای اين‌که مبارزات مردم برود به سمت راديکاليسم تا سرکوب‌شان کند. اما حرف ما اين است که اگر بنا بر خشونت گذاشته‌شود، اين حاکميت هيچ ابايی هم ندارد که يک ميليون نفر آدم را هم بکشد.

We know that the government is imposing this violence on people, in order to push the movement towards radicalism in order to oppress it. But, if we base ourselves on violence, this regime will not hesitate to kill one million people to keep itself.

Today, communication in Tehran is back to normal. The phone lines that went silent and unreachable are now easily connecting; chat lines and facebook access seems to have been restored to Iranians and the internet is operating at tolerable speeds. A friend tells me that yesterday morning, the guards who underestimated the size of crowds tried to intimidate people with extreme violence, but were caught off guard by people's reaction. However at night, things went to normal. People who were flying out of Iran are now safely on their ways home. People who have mortgages, projects and deadlines are working in their offices. Those who are teachers are preparing their lectures.

But I fear, Ahmadinejad will NOT stop escalation. As Sahabi notes:

ما بايد خواسته های مان را بر اساس توان مان مرحله بندی کنيم. اگر ما با آقای خامنه ای و رهبری کشور مسئله داريم، سوال داريم، اعتراض داريم ـ که خيلی هم داريم ـ اما مصلحت ما در اين نيست که پای آقای خامنه ای را به ميان کشيده و شعار عليه رهبر بدهيم. ما بايد به هر وسيله ای می توانيم تبليغ، ترويج، نوشتن، انتشار اسناد، نشان بدهيم که احمدی نژاد بلای جان ايران است. حضورش نابودی ايران است! آقای خامنه ای آيا می خواهد به سرنوشت کسی دچار شود که از يک چنين شخصيتی دفاع می کند؟ چون واقعيت اين است که احمدی نژاد ملاحظه آقای خامنه ای را هم نخواهد کرد از او هم گذر خواهد کرد. او نقشه ها دارد برای ايران و برای خودش. او می خواهد به عنوان سردار امام زمان ظهور کند. او نه تنها عليه آقای خامنه ای، اصلاً عليه روحانيت در خواهد آمد. ما بايد از اين موضع با آقای خامنه ای حرف بزنيم.

We have to categorize our demands according to our abilities. If we have a problem with Mr Khamenei and the leadership of the country, which we do, it is not in our advantage to pull him into the battle field and chant slogans against him. What we HAVE to do, is to use any tool: advertisement, publicity, writing, publishing documents and proof that Ahmadinejad is Iran's peril. His presence equates to destruction of Iran! Does Mr Khamenei want the destiny of a person who defends this man? Because the truth is Ahmadinejad will not stop at Mr Khamenei. He has grand plans for himself and for Iran. He wants to emerge as the lieutenant of Imam Zaman. He will turn not only against Mr Khamenei but against the whole clerical establishment. This is the position from which we have to dialogue with Mr Khamenei.

Post script: as I am finishing this note; new arrests are made. see earlier post for the growing! list ...

New Wave of Arrests: Human Right Activists, National-Religious leaders and Mousavi/Khatami associates

• Ebrahim Yazdi;
• Emad-e'Din Baghi
• Morteza Hadji, minister of educaion during Khatami's reform era.
• Leila Tavassoli, daughter of Mohammad Tavassoli
• Seyed Hosein Mousvi Tabrizi (Head of the clerical Association of Ghom's Teachers and Researchers)
• Alireza Beheshti Shirazi (Editor in Chief of Mousavi's online journal Kalameh Sabz)
• Ghorban Behzadian Nejad (Mousavi consultant)
• Mohamad Bagherian (Mousavi consultant)
• Rasouli (deputy of President Khatami's Baran Foundation)
• Forouzandeh (Manager of Mousavi's office)
• Mohammad Sadegh Rabbani (Retired university prof who used to be the general prosecutor 20 years ago), arrested yesterday
• Son of Mostafa Moin, the minister of Science and higher education was also arrested yesterday.
• Heshmatollah Tabarzadi (Student Activist)
• Haleh Sahabi (Women right activist) [apparently the news was false alarm]
• Parvin Fahimi (mother of Sohrab E'rabi) and her son (Sohrab's brother) are missing.
• Mohammad Taheri, son of Ayatollah Taheri--Isfahan's Friday Imam (and a son in law of Khomeini!)
• Abulfazl Ghadyani (member of the central council of the Organization Mojahedin of Islamic Revolution--a reformist party)
• Mehdi Arabshahi (Student activist)
• Abolfazl Mousavian
• ======overnight arrests=============
• Mansoureh Shojayee (women rights activist)
• Noushin Ebaadi (Sister of Shirin Ebadi)
• Mashaallah ShamsolVaezin (journalist)
• Nasrin Vaziri (ILNA reporter)
• BadrolSadat Mofidi (Journalist)
• Keyvan Mehregan (Etemaad reporter)
• Javad Saberi (Rooz columnist)
• Morteza kazemina (columnist)
• Shapour Kazemi (Engineer, brother in law of Mousavi)
• ===============Dec 29============
• Alireza Beheshti (son of ayatollah Beheshti and advisor of Mousavi)
• Karoubi's son has also mentioned that his father seems under house arrest as his bodyguards who work under security forces do not let him go anywhere.
• Reza Tajik (journalist)
• Niloufar Hashemi (Student)
• Mohammad-Javaad Mozaffar (Publisher)
• Mehdi Gholizadeh (member of Freedom Movement Front)
• ===Jaras has a note that the thugs are planning to either coerce the judiciary into arresting Mousavi or attacking his office and physically harming him, tomorrow (Dec 30)===

Mardom Chera Neshastin? Iran Shodeh Felestin! (People, why are you sitting? Iran's become Palestine!)

More Deaths On Tape ...

In addition, Mousavi's 35 years old nephew, father of two was shot in the chest and died in the clashes. Mousavi and his family are now with his body in Sina Hospital.
The idiots of Rajanews (which is Ahmadinejad's news agency) are already blaming it on "terrorist attempt" by the members of Mousavi's "cult of conspiracy"! Of course all these deaths like Neda's are all carried out by "terrorists" and the IRI has no clue who the terrorists are!!!!!! Yah! Sure!

Aand, the official Iranian news agencies give us CONFIRMED report that people had conquered the city!

Well, now the FalseNews and the IRNA are confirming that the people (to whom they refer as the "unlawful cult of Mousavi") had captured Tehran's main streets; that the police were unleashed on the people to recapture the city! They even have posted some pictures! Of course, Farcenews soon moves to the topic of soccer-coaching!

These reports are historical; especially since Ahmadinejad keeps denying that anyone is opposed to the regime in Iran: (pictures on the left are from here)

اراذل و اوباش با سوء استفاده از حضور مردم در مراسم عزاداري اباعبدالله الحسين دست به آشوب و خسارت به اموال مردم (موتور سيكلت، خانه، سطل هاي زباله،خودروي شخصي مردم) زدند. افراد فريب خورده شعار مرگ بر جمهوري اسلامي سر مي دادند، ولي با حضور مردم در صحنه پا به فرار گذاشته و متواري شدند.

The thugs (FarceNews means the Greens) attempted chaos and damaging people's property (motor bikes, house, garbage bins, and personal cars were set on fire). The deceived individuals were chanting "death to Islamic Republic" slogans; but they were dispersed and ran away with the appearance of the people [by people they mean basiji thugs].

According to IRNA:
يروهاي انتظامي که از صبح امروز با آگاهي از تحرکات بقاياي فرقه موسوي در خيابان انقلاب تهران مستقر شده بودند، اقدام به متفرق کردن سوءاستفاده کنندگان کردند و ساعتي پس از ظهر عاشورا اغلب مسيرهاي اصلي را تحت کنترل درآورده و اوضاع در خيابان هاي تهران به حالت عادي بازگشت.

The security forces, who were aware of the movements of the remainders of the Mousavi cult, were instaled in Enghelab Street, and dispersed the abusers [mean Greens] and in an hour after Ashura noon regained control of most of main road [that means there are some non-main roads still out of control; and that they had lost control of main roads to start with] and that Tehran is back to Normal now!

If Khamenei is air-lifted to a military base (as Mehdi SaharKhiz reports), then ... I am nervous ... I feel these riotous burnings and beatings are DESIGNED by IRGC to call for martial law ...

People carrying one of the martyrs: Mikosham Mikosham ankeh baradaram kosht!

This chant I remember well from my childhood. "I will kill, I will kill, that who killed my brother."

In this video, people are carrying a wounded (dead) body. I read elsewhere that an ambulance let a wounded body remain on the ground for 30 minutes; perhaps this is why people are carrying their dead themselves ...

Those who were older than me in 1979 revolution times tell me that this reminds them of those days; but they, genuine shah-haters, also tell me that Pahlavi regime was not even half as brutal and savage as these goons are!

They are now attacking people with knives and chains ... this day has JUST begun! Ashura "ceremonies" usually begin around noon ... Ashura is the day when "martyrdom to stand up to tyranny" is celebrated ...

So far, 5 people have been killed (with reportedly direct gun fire) ... the blood of these five will flood the sand castle of Ahmadinejad and Khamenei ... Amen!
==========================================

But this video is a scene that I HATE! It is purposeless violence; it is hooliganism; it is just getting caught in an atmosphere of adrenaline and fear and momentary emotionalism; it is like stuff people do when their favorite hockey team looses. I HATE these scenes emerging. I HATE them ...



But, I cannot help enjoying the defensive posture the heavily armored riot police is forced into in the below picture! I hear that some embassies have opened their doors to the injured; but that the hospitals are overwhelmed by the number of the wounded and chances are many will lose life due to lack of care. I also read that the guards are refusing to open fire--which I think is also obvious in this picture below; I doubt the stone the man is throwing would stand a chance if the armoured police raised guns ...



==========================================

And this picture above (where the woman is standing between people's anger and security's defeat) and the video below are what gives me comfort that Iran's greens are not blood thirsty; that Iran will not succumb to civil war ... no matter how hard the IRGC and the Iraqi commander of Basij try ... In this video a riot guard is arrested by people, apparently someone wants to beat him; and other people are trying to stop that ... they chant (towards the end of the video) "velesh kon, velesh kon, velesh kon" which means: let him go, let him go ...

If anyone is killed on Ashura day; the regime will have signed its own death sentence ...

It seems three people have been killed in downtown Tehran--(Hafiz Bridge; in front of Amir Kabir University) ... things are escalating out of hand and I strongly think this escalation is "designed" by the IRGC/Basij ... they are trying to create an atmosphere of fear and are angry that people don't seem to be really scared! (4:30 AM Eastern time zone)

This film is from Taleghani-three way; not too far from Hafiz Bridge. In this video I like to draw your attention to the attendance of children. What the regime should be REALLY scared of is that in the pat 30 years they fed us so many movies and TV series about the bravery and the tactics employed by revolutionaries of 1979 to topple Shah. So, the IRI has been the best school for these kind of movements; no matter how much they want to blame it on BBC!!!!


Clashes are reported in the following cities:(4:54 AM; Estern)

• Qom: Iran's vatican!
• Isfahan: Iran's cradle of shiite art and culture
• NajafAbad: a city in the province of Isfahan, where Ayatollah Montazeri was from
• Shiraz: the capital of Perspolis.
• Ardabil: In so many ways, the birthplace of Iran's Shiite State
• Babol: The Northeren site of Mithraism
• Tabriz: The front-line of Iran's revolutions and resistance.
• Mashhad: The holy city.

And, what are the OFFICIAL IRI news agencies reporting?
-Tasou'a in Kuwait!
-Ashura in Japan!!
-And the glory of an IRI-approved attendance in a village!! (Damn they removed the link after I commented on it; and have now replaced it with some blabber about magnificent attendace in Ghazvin, Semnan, Mashhad, Yazd) This is the moment that the noon prayer has ended in Iran; and that means things are going to get worse from here!

Latest death (martyr) toll 5 ... 5:37 AM, EST.

Tasou'a: Fascists attack Khatami

The self-beating chimps are the fascists:

Happy holidays from airplane ... Yes Iran is in smoke and scream again

They seem to have ordered martial law [My husband informs me that Martial Law in Iran can only be established with parliamentary approval--of course I argue with him that Ahmadinejad's IRGC has been breaking every other parliamenatry rule so far!] ... But it may just be fear tactic since khatami is going to give a speech re ashura tonight. [which I now know was broken into!]
Fascists are waving batons and hitting anyone and any thing that seems to be protesting.
And busloads of people are being arrested again.
A very merry Christmas
I should turn this off now for take off
back in a few hours

Mohammad-Ali Moalem Damghani: Sha'ere Kharaky (Donkey poet) replaces Mousavi at the helm of Art Academy

I decided to google who this dude who is appointed to the presidency of the Art Academy (whose founder, Architect and painter Mousavi was sacked today, after Ahmadinejad made a rush trip from Shiraz--where he was coldly greeted). and I came across this website whose snapshot I provide below!

Forgive me my non-persian visitors; there is no way on the face of this planet I would spend a millisecond translating any of this; but take my word, and show it to your Persian speaking friends and watch them gag on banality of the stuff this "so-called" poet puts out there! Yuck!

We call this kind of a poetry: She're Kharaki [Donkeyish Poem].

Ali Moalem Damghani: Sha'ere Kharaky (Donkey poet)

I decided to google who this dude who is appointed to the presidency of the Art Academy (whose founder, Architect and painter Mousavi was sacked today, after Ahmadinejad made a rush trip from Shiraz--where he was coldly greeted). and I came across this website whose snapshot I provide below!

Forgive me my non-persian visitors; there is no way on the face of this planet I would spend a millisecond translating any of this; but take my word, and show it to your Persian speaking friends and watch them gag on banality of the stuff this "so-called" poet puts out there! Yuck!

We call this kind of a poetry: She're Kharaki [Donkeyish Poem].

I reposted this with corrected spelling of donkey :) But will keep this for the sake of comments! :)

The Age of Postcharisma ...

This post is inspired by a conversation I had with my sister, following a beautiful obituary I found in one of the best Persian blogs around: Seebestan.

Last night my sister and I watched a little informal interview of Emad-E'Din Baghi (A human right activist and journalist in Iran) with Ayatollah Montazeri. Persian BBC broadcast the interview. We had grown up with the cartoonish image of Montazeri az "Gorbeh Nareh"--the character of a little clumsy cat, who tagged along a mean and scheming fox, in a Japanese adaptation of the Pinoccio story. We had grown up making fun of Montazeri's Najafabadi accent. Perhaps this is why when he was dismissed from being the deputy leader on the charges of "naivitee and ignorance" we weren't shocked. When we grew up, we managed to forgive him for being a mullah, as he had paid his dues to history by standing up to a regime that he had played an essential role in establishing. (Mullahs has disrupted our happy childhood, had caused our parents hardship, had stolen our future.) But, we still didn't take him seriously enough; he was there, saying things so blunt, so simple, so direct, that we could not interpret in any other way than calling "gullible naivitee" ... the IRI was clever in "containing" Montazeri; they had trained us to laugh Montazeri's statements off ...

In his BBC interview, down to earth, simple yet acutely sharp and clever, he made us laugh again, bitter sweet this time ... he even knew we made fun of him as Gorbeh Nareh (male cat); he didn't care. He didn't care about title, power, or being taken seriously by the institutes of power ... he meant to be taken seriously only before his duty to God, to Islam and to nation--none of which were to be tyrannical.

His Islam was not blood thirsty; was not suffering grandiosity complexes; he was not megalomanic or nationalistic; he was not fanatic. Simply put, he was NOT charismatic.

As Sibestan puts it beautifully:

منتظری بی کاریزما بود. در دوره ای که همه از چپ و راست در کاریزما می دمیدند. شخصیت بودن کاریزما می خواست. طالقانی و شریعتی و خمینی کاریزما داشتند. چنانکه گلسرخی و شهدای مجاهدین و فدایی. عصر عصر کاریزما بود. منتظری از عصری مابعد کاریزما آمده بود. او نماینده حال ما نبود. نماینده آینده ما بود. آینده ای که سی سال بعد به آن رسیدیم. و او رهبر معنوی جنبش ما شد

Montazeri was charismaless, in an age that the left and the right exaggerated charisma. To become a persona demanded charisma. Taleghani, Shariai and Khomeini had charisma, just as Golsorkhi and the martyrs of Mojahedin and Fadayees. Our age was age of charisma. Montazeri had come from the post-charisma age. He was not representative of our present. He was representative of our future. A future which we reached 30 years later. And then he became the spiritual leader of our movement.

In the Islamic Republic of Iran, which Montazeri founded in the dream of establishing a system of justice and fairness, where people go to jail for "insulting" the head of judiciary--insult being a criticism of his political posturing that violates his oath of impartiality; where images of a tearing a dead person's photo lead to an uproar of security and judiciary dogs; one of the highest priests of the Shiite establishment dies in absolute media silence; and after his burial, thugs attack his home, tear his pictures, and fill up the mosque with Basijis to force his family to cancel the reception.

When he was alive, Ayatollah Montazeri had said: "These house arrests and pressures are nothing, even if they erect a gallows in front of my door, will I not be deterred from speaking justice."

Let the turkey of Velayate Faghih gobble gobble. We shall have a festive a thanksgiving.

Funeral pictures that Iranian media seems forbidden to show!

Strangely enough, some of these pictures are from Mehr News agency, but I cannot find them on their site any longer! I found them on this Arabic site. There are some on parlemannews too; but this web site--which belongs to the reformist minority in the Parliament is filtered and thus not accessible to Iranians!

ILNA has gotten a warning to not broadcast anything about Ayatollah Montazeri; and other front pages of IRanian press seem mute about the funeral that is underway ...

This is why I think this a ghost that will haunt Khamenei to grave; no matter how hard he tries to undermine him!

The Ghost That Will Haunt Khamenei to Grave

PICTURES OF THE FUNERAL ... Another million-strong show of force ...

Strangely enough, we are not sad! If anything, we are invigorated ...

What speaks louder to Montazeri's power than Khamenei's Intelligence Officers installing themselves in the press offices to make sure no editorial about his life and death gets published tomorrow?

I can see them shaking ... the fear of the massive crowds who want to mourn today is making them arrest bus loads of people who are heading to Qom for the funeral.

I am not much into clerical qualifications, so I didn't know this before that, not only was he the soul defender of Human Rights in the entire Islamic Republic regime; not only was he the only one to stand up to Khomeini to prevent him from massive execution of men and women whose party was responsible for killing of Montazeri's son in a terrorist attack; not only was he the only one to stand up to Khamenei and call to question his religious qualifications for the job he was handed in; no only was he the first cleric to stand up together with people whose vote was rigged and whose sons and daughters were dragged to blood, but also he was a genius and one of a kind in leading authority in Shiite and Sunni political and theological theories ...

Today, Khamenei has dared to play god, and wish Montazeri's sin of getting into cross hair with the regime be forgiven before god!!! I was not the only one to shake my head in disgust ... The least Khamenei's thugs have achieved is to have instilled enough curiosity and care in people like me to LEARN who the "bad guys" of the Islamic Revolution were ...

Here, I leave a video of his interview with Radio Zamaaneh. I hope someone will translate this. If not, I hope I find the time to. This is why Shirin Ebadi, Iran's leading Human Right's activist and Nobel Laureate mourns Montazeri, the Father of Human Rights in Iran.

Mourning women chant: Montazeri, Montazeri, Happy Freedom!

Mourning women chant:

Montazeri Montazeri Azadiyat Mobarak (Montazeri, happy freedom--He was under house arrest for the past 20 years)
Montazeri-e Mazloom; Rahat Edameh Darat (Montazeri, viictim of oppression, we will continue your path)

(For updates: go to my previous post)

The Green Godfather Passes Away

This is a bit of a shock to me ... I am inclined to think conspiracy ... he was providing the starkest and also the most sincere opposition to the regime:

- He questioned Khamenei's qualification as Vali-E-Faghih
- He protested to atrocities to which the judiciary is partially admitting (i.e. to those killings whose photographs are distributed)
- He protested to the concept of religious monarchy
- He was the only cleric, the only founder of the IRI who stood to khomeini AGAINST the prison abuse and killings of political dissidents
- He was supposed to be the supreme leader, until he began protesting to IRI's atrocities--for which he was humiliated and put under house arrest.
...But he was 87 ...
But he was in good health ... apparently his son says so ......

This is a loss the Greens will mourn in all their courageous glories ... And this is perhaps a death that Khamenei and his ilk should fear most ... without people like Montazeri, the entire religious establishment becomes vulnerable to the Greens fed-upness with clerical rule.

I will add more info as they become available.

Yes ... Khamenei better be shaking in his robe ... already large crowds of his followers from several cities are heading to his home Ayatollah Montazeri's followers are real Shiites ... and Ashura-day will coincide with Ayatollah Montazeri's 7th day of mourning; an important day in Iranian mourning tradition ... no Basiji, no thug, no fascist will be able to hold people back from this funeral ...

This snapshot of Farlse News front page is an indication of HOW afraid of Montazeri this regime is:


Titles in order of appearance

• 93% of Iranians are pro-nuclear development!
• A young Afgan boy died under an American tank!
• Salahshoor [Some asshole pretending to be a cinematographer]: Our filmmakers are not familiar with Ashura Epic!
• Hojjatol-Eslam-Val-Moslemin [a religious title for people who have not reached the rank of Ayatollah yet]: If someone disagrees with the supreme leader, god punishes him!
• Salimi responds to Hashemi's second response!
• [and then finally] Hosseinali Montazeri passed away at the age of 87! [No mention of his title: Ayatollah Ozma, which means GRAND ayatollah; no mention of his being the senior mojtahed of ghom, no mention of hhis being the CO-founder of the IRI, no mention of his being the theoretician of "Velayat-e Faghih"--something he regretted later for the abuse of power it unleashed, and against which he spoke bravely ... the fear of Farce news, the Gobblesian mouthpiece of Ahmadinejad's lies, is apparent in the ommission of Ayatollah Montazeri's religious titles ... these people seem intent on shooting themselves in the foot ... we shall show them ...]

Already, university students are canceling classes and gathering in Qoran-reading groups to mourn Ayatollah's departure. On Montazeri's facebook, there are plenty of moving testimonials of people who remember how Montazeri was the only official who showed care and sympathy when they sought help with the arest of their children in the 80s; people are remembering how he was ridiculed because he cried on TV the loss of his son in a terrorist attack in 1981 ...

Despite disrespectful behavior of Iran's state media, NajafAbad, Ayatollah's birthplace comes to a total halt:

(See more pictures here)

===============================================

Mousavi's message calls to the religious leaders to fill in Montazeri's shoes, and to not let the youth render them totally useless. He is not this explicit, but he is explicitly asking the religious leaders to "respond to the calls and needs of the youth", like Montazeri did, to keep religion a relevant part of teh Iranian life.

Karoubi, Khatami have also issued sad and graceful condolence messages. Khamenei has issued a double-edged one; where first he praises the grandness of the ayatollah and then prays for him to be forgiven for the "sin" of opposing Imam Khomeini

(when i say these people are intent on shooting themselves on the foot, this is what i mean: Khamenei is even INCREASING the worth of Montazeri by bringing up his disagreement with Khomeini). Hashemi has also issued a statement.

Many of IRI's who's who will be attending the funeral tomorrow.

============================================

Just in: The Intelligence [or dumbness] ministry has threatened Green leaders, activists and journalists who plan to participate in Ayatollah's funeral, that they will be arrested as soon as they arrive in Qom

In fact, they just arrested one of his students, Ahmad Ghabel, who was leaving the City of Mashhad to attend his mentor's funeral.

The Press-Butchers have already pulled their knives and issued a memo to newspapers FORBIDDING them to write ANYTHING other than the condolence message of the Soupreem leader!!!!!

===========================================

Here's a video of a gathering in Mohseni-Square Tehran.

The Magic Flute

The reporter asks the the blind "street performer" in Isfahan: What are you waiting for?
-Waiting? Waiting for What? I am not waiting for anything! Az di ke gozasht hich az oo yaad makon (When it's yesterday, don't recall it ...), Wating for what? Just live your life!


This is the Iran that will not crush under sanctions; that will not disappear under bombs.
This is the Iran that will not succumb to fascists; that will not become a country of consuming cadavers.
This is the Iran that grandmother left for us.
This is the Iran that we will leave for our grandchildren.
This is the country of wind, water, fire and dust.

This is where people dance to Rumi and sing with Khayam; where they stare into stars with Biruni and into earth with Avecinna; where they settle with Hafiz and travel with Sa'di; where they dive into the past with Ferdowsi and fly onto the future with Attar.

Last time I was in Isfahan, I was with my British boss ... walking under the cloudy December sky. Music played afar. Night was mild. A group of young boys were dancing in one of the vaults of the bridge (33 Pol). We went to Iran to prove Bush wrong that Iran was the country of fanatics that deserved bombing and sanctions. He stopped; sighed, stared into zayandeh rud and said: "I will go back; smack them all colleagues of mine and tell them get off of their asses, get their visas and come here to see it for themselves ... Iran defies all imagination."

It does ...

The Red Violine

I am going to ignore all these popping news about who is protesting where, burning what, threatening whom. I am going to think of the man in this video, who plays a red violin, quite awfully if I may say so, but quite beautifully i shall say so, in the ruins of perhaps an abandoned village, in a mountain in north of Tehran which in most likelihood awaits the ugly monsters of developers to wreak havoc to it and turn it into stunningly beautiful marble floored and granite facaded apartment complexes, that are to be occupied by a new-rich of lowest intellects and highest complicity, who has perhaps ascended through a thick rope of connection to the ruling elite in Iran, while acting like a poor populist stinky bearded tuna melt in the oven of the grand leader!

Last time I was in one of such super luxe apartments--with a 270-degree view down Tehran--the host, the Basiji-looking director of some important research center in Iran (who embarrassed us when he exhibited his scientific inadequacy to our foreign academic guest) greeted us with bare feet (no socks) ... We were offered a great dinner while listening to his wife talking about the great sacrifice they made to leave Europe to go back and serve Iran; and then we learned the purpose of the dinner was not to discuss futures of scientific collaboration, but to guide his child (a semi-drop out with miserable GPA) get admission to a Western University ...

For now, I am going to ignore all that and just keep this image in my head, this moving painting, as my friend describes it.

Media Wedgy: Why is Ahmadinejad's media burning Khomeini's photos?

See the end for updates.

I was planning to ignore this one. After all, one cannot get too serious about every stupid interaction the Coup D'etat thugs force on the protesters in Iran. But then I thought the IRIB's pulled on Greens underwear, trying to give them a wedgy!

Again, it seems like the IRIB has resorted to the very Russian device of Montage: they have intercut images of a burning picture of Khomeini with green protester. There is no continuity of image here; and for majority of people (who are IRIB watchers) it is the continuity of narrative that precedes the filmic sequence. After this video, that is shown to a bunch of fossils in the "holy!" city of Ghom, mayhem has begun; everyone on the left and the right sides of the spectrum is going whoohaaa! The Ahmadinejadists are accusing Greens of Khomeini-burning and the Greens are accusing Ahmadinejadists of news falsification and media provocation.

Truth is, with pulling this latest trick, Ahmadinejad's trying to expose the private crack of the movement.

First I should say that it is virtually impossible that anyone in the Green side will have ignited Khomeini's picture. This is not because all who are on the green side are Khomeini devotees. Au contrair, many are not. Many of those who are now joining and cheering the Greens are victims of Khomeini's order of mass executions in the 80s. Many are war-refugees who were forced to exile because they didn't want to fight a war on the premise of "Jerusalem's path goes through Karbala". Many of them are monarchists who have had their lives shattered and their relatives pierced with "revolutionary bullets" of the 10-minutes long revolutionary courts resided by 20 year old fanatics that have turned into Ahmadinejad-like characters. However, these groups have been disciplined in staying in the background. Their discipline has not come from their own good judgement. To borrow from our great poet Shamlou, that generation--who has suffered IRI perils long before these Green kids were born--"doesn't have a good historical memory; they are in a slumber leaning on one arm, and when that arm gets tingly they roll over the other one"--instead of getting up. Therefore, much of their staying in the background is an outcome of the decisive will of the new Greens to not give them the front-lines, and insist on the line of "the past is past, we are going to live present differently to built a future that you failed at building." The Greens will not have ignited Khomeini's picture because Karoubi and Mousavi, their elected leaders, were closest associates of Khomeini, much closer to the revolution leader than Ahmadinejad or Larijani's would have ever dreamed of. Out of respect for the spirit of unity of the Green camp, to which they have been so consistently devoted, they will not have done this.

But, this is precisely what Ahmadinejadists know and aim at breaking. Increasingly, different pro-Khomeini institutions, including the centre for publication of his his works, is blaming this on the IRIB and suggests this is a propaganda that falsifies truth. But Ahmadinejad's agenda is to draw a wedge between the pro-Khomeini Greens (i.e Mousavi and Karoubi) and the other ones--perhaps even the majority of greens, who cannot forgive IRI's crimes under Khomeini's rule. This is putting Mousavi and Karoubi and many other opponents of the IRI at odds with eachother. Mousavi and Karoubi cannot come out and "apologize" for crimes that took place when Khomeini was alive and they were at the helm of power. This doesn't mean they don't regret it, nor does it mean that they had much control over the megalomanic in chief. But, they CANNOT come out and side with those who denounce Khomeini.

On the other hand, those who are opponents of the concept of "velayat-e faghih" are in stark opposition to Khomeini--who AFTER holding a referendum to ask people if they wanted an Islamic REPUBLIC, tricked the nation into "absolute juriprudence" by modifying the constitution. So far, the Greens have been able to keep united by pointing the arrow in the direction of Khamenei; keeping the dead one alone and voicing their opposition against the killings that took place under this new supreme leader's watch. But the coup d'etat camp has now done a clever deflection of hatred (the undergarment of the Green movement) from Khamenei onto Khomeini.

Of course, Ahmadinejad has another objective too: showing Khomeini picture ablaze is a BIG taboo. In a country where burning flags of America and Israel has been used as symbolic propaganda, to suddenly show Khomeini pictures burning is a "cultural shock." It is a declaration of war, so to say. It is a promise that they are intent on using this as an excuse to oppress the opposition even more violently. In fact, today one of these savages has said: "If Agha [supreme leader] suggests, I will chew their [greens] throats." These kind of provocations fit Ahmadinejad's schizophrenic prophecy of the "proximity of the return of Imam-e Zaman" and the ensuing apocalypse.

But, that is not all!

Ahmadinejad has been long aiming to position himself on the same platform of "grandness" as Khomeini. (Khamenei's sticking to Ahmadinejad because in the image of Ahmadinejad he sees projection of HIS power, but this is not the case. It is now clear that Khamanei is the puppet of Ahmadinejad's camp) What best way to get on Time and Newsweek covers almost as frequently as Sarah Palin than to make outlandish claims such as "wiping zionism off of the map", "having proof that the US's presence in Iraq is to prevent the return of the messiah", "having a halo of light surround him when he mesmerized his UN audience", and of course "showing off his yellow cake"? These days, they have become even more explicit in claiming their "global leadership" and superseding Khomeini's "fame"--or infamy, if you will. I stumbled on a vide last week, where one of IRGC's commanders was speaking to university students (of Ahmadinejad ilk) and telling them how when he goes abroad and talks to Muslims no one knows Khamenei or Khomeini and that everyone talks about Ahmadinejad![video in Persian] (Actually, in some of those Imam-Zaman awaiting mosques, books have been circulating that describe a man "in the physical appearance of Ahmadinejad" that will be accompanying Imam Zaman!

It seems to me that the bully is trying all of his tricks; first pulling a scarf over the head of a male movement leader and next pulling the underpants of the Greens up their neck ...

What have they up their sleeves next? ... shooting Columbine?

Update: Larijani, the parliament speaker, and the head of legislator shifts to students side: "Our students, of any opinion, will not sink to such low to burn Imam's picture".

• Larijani, an ultra-conservative (and from the opportunist Larijani clan) used to run the IRIB; he was also the nuclear negotiator of Ahmadinejad who resigned after a rather public disagreement with Ahmadinejad over the nuclear issue. Last week, Larijani also criticized "certain movements that were trying to eliminate Hashemi Rafsanjani from the political scene".
• Ahmadinejad's efforts to make backdoor deals with the 5+1 powers over the nuclear issue (such that they can all save face by sticking to their lines, but in private soften up their positions) is becoming a liability for the hardliners. In these situations, the best way to save Ahmadinejad's ass is to create a crisis and distraction.
• Dr Soleimani-pour, the CEO of the financial group that bought 50% of Iranian Telecom Organization (the controversial deal of Iran's economic history) was found dead with his wife in his house. This man was overseeing the most powerful of the IRGC's cartels at the time of death, but also used to be a high ranking member of IRGC with focused participation in communication security and information. Investigations about the cause their death has not concluded.
• Speaking of telecommunications, yesterday this organization issued a statement that they will be upgrading one of the BSC centers that services several Tehran regions (the heart of conflict, I would say!) and that mobile networks will be disconnected for three days!
• The Guardian Council dumps the proposed resolution to spend 20 million dollars to expose America's human rights abuses. The parliament, on the other hand has decided to not make public the results of an inquiry made into the violations of human right abuses in Iran after the June election. If you remember, when this endeavor began, they were gun ho about what a liar Karoubi was. That they have decided to discuss the report in private is a proof that they have found stinking rats amongst themselves!

Mousavi and Karoubi warn that following fake statements attributed to the army, new crackdowns are underway.

در صورت قطع اینترنت و آغاز حرکات احمقانه رژیم ، منتظر خبر نباشیم . وعده ما انقلاب تا آزادی شاید در پی بیانیه مشکوک دیروز ارتش ، طرح خنثی سازی یک کودتای فرضی مطرح است . حکومت
نظامی و بازداشتهای گسترده . شاید اطلاع رسانی را قطع کنند. آماده باشیم و در صورت قطع ارتباطاتمان ، منتظر رسیدن خبر از آسمان نمانیم

This was just posted on both Karoubi and Mousavi's facebook. They are announcing rally paths, IN CASE leaders of the movement are arrested. It seems, following a suspicious statement attributed to the Iranian army (but it is fake by all means or at least there is no evidence that it is real) the IRGC is gearing up for widespread arrests to put down the "imaginary" coup d'etat!

See this post; it is the prelude to the frontal assault.

ُTHIS POST WAS MADE ON SATURDAY 23:56 PM, Tehran time.

Men in Veils: Ahmadinejad's latest media charade backfires.

It seems using photoshop is not too hard!

One of the areas that Ahmadinejad wishes to follow in the footsteps of Hitler is the domain of propaganda. He has been long after media sensationalism; and because he is not good looking, charming or charismatic, he has opted for the grotesque to attract his audiences.

The first exhibition of his "media" war was the staged trials; where over hundred reformists, previous ministers and bankers and journalists were brought together with younger protesters and some occasional hooligans to a televised court (In pajamas and plastic slippers, without socks--something that is highly rude in the Iranian culture) and forced them to "confess" and "regret" their having been naive and under western influence. When the new judiciary head took over, and fired the butcher prosecutor, Ghazi Mortazavi, these show trials stopped; and I heard that prisoners were given the option to file a complaint against the court and the judiciary. Of course, this is perhaps another media-trick because nothing in the condition of many of these prisoners has changed, and following their forced confessions (and even without succumbing to confessions) the prisoners have been given a minimum of 5 years of jail term--those with lower profiles or minority status are also given death sentence.

After the student protests of December 7th, a new wave of arrests and harassments has begun. But this time, the IRI has made a serious media faux-pas! They arrested an engineering student from Amir Kabir University, who for many years has been a highly vocal and leading advocate of democracy and proponent of the dictatorship to which Ahmadinejad clings--i.e. velayat-e faghih. (He has also suffered multiple disciplinary actions). On the day of protests, this student gave an impassioned speech. You can see the video of his speech at the bottom of this post.

Following the protest, he was beaten, injured and savagely arrested. The IRI's media gurus decided to humiliate him so they published pictured of Majid Tavakoli, wearing female hijab. The IRI mocked Tavakoli for being a "chicken" and trying to escape in female attire. About 28 years ago, the IRI pulled this same trick on Abulhasan Banisadr, the democratically elected president who was ousted from office because he did not wish to prolong the Iran-Iraq war. Pictures of Banisadr appeared that showed he escaped in female clothing.

This time however, the IRI is facing a new generation. This generation does not see masculinity as a form of power; rather it is ashamed of all the discrimination the gender disparities causes. This generation of green men has been going to school with women, and often overpowered in numbers and university ranking by their female peers. This generation has fought alongside the women movement in Iran. This generation has forced the conservative Mousavi to hold his wife's hand when walking to the pre-election rallies. This generation of men is SERIOUS about gender equality and perhaps--from what I have seen--more progressive in their demand for such equalities than elsewhere in the world.

Today, more and more of these men are making a statement by photographing themselves wearing a veil. You can see an example in this blog.

This last charade of the IRI media not only exposes the superficiality of Ahmadinejad's fascists in their understanding of media politics; but it is also illustrating HOW clueless they are. I presume these images are for the consumption of their "so called" rural supporters who run after trucks of free potatos; or humiliate themselves to get their personal letters to be read by Ahmadinejad, in home of a 100$ handout--coming from the oil revenue that have been going missing without parliamentary consent from the monetary reserves of the country.

But, no matter who the audience, Ahmadinejad is shooting himself and his "claim" that he respects women, that Iranian women are special and free, that Iranian women are worthy of entering his cabinet for the first time in the history of the IRI. Ahmadinejad is contradicting himself, as a schizophrenic that he is.

To photoshop a BRAVE student activist in female clothing suggest that he was COWARD raises important questions (these questions have been frequently asked across Persian media today):

1) WHAT is so scary in Iranian prisons that would make a student who is brave enough to stand on a car and give a speech, cross dress to escape? (That is in case he was, actually dressed as female at the time of arrest--a claim protested by his friends)

2) Is the IRI trying to humiliate a "man" by making him dress as a woman? Is being a woman a shameful thing? Is masculinity the sign of power? (That is in case the IRI has photoshoped, or forced him into this costume)

Today, many Iranian men and women have been asking this:

If WOMEN are "cowards", and forcingthem into Hijab strips power from a person, then how come these women who were forced into Hijab have stood up to IRI's Talibanism for the past 30 years; and have emerged more empowered and focused on their goals.

Of course Ahmadinejad's kissing an older woman's hand, claiming a teenager girl has "discovered nuclear energy in her basement, and appointing women to his cabinet are charades. As I am writing this, the parliament is examining a proposal to remove the clause that a man's right to re-marry (polygamy is permitted in Iran) depends on the consent of the first wife.

Ahmadinejad's destroyed all the foundations of the IRI ... of the Superpower Islamic Nation remains a cartoonish image! All the better, we can do without his comics' V for Vendetta!

New video denouncing fars-news' latest blunder, and in support of Majid Tavakoli