FREEDOM FOR IRAN

افشای جنایات رژیم اسلامی: آزمایش تشعشعات گاما بر روی زنان زندانی در ایران

2010-03-18T18:54:00.001Z

این گزارش بوسیله گروهی از ایرانیان شاغل در یک مرکز پزشکی در یکی از کشور های تازه استقلال یافته از شوروی سابق فراهم شده است. این افشا سازی باید به گوش همه جهانیان برسد. جنایاتی که رژیم ایران با همکاری روسیه مرتکب می شود.
لطفا این اطلاعات را به رسانه های خبری، وبسایت های اینترنتی و دولتی در سرتاسر جهان اطلاع دهید و منتشر کنید. تمامی مردم دنیا می باید از این اطلاعات آگاه باشند.

شواهدی در دست است که نشان میدهد زنان در زندان ها ی ایران برای مقاصد تحقیقاتی با استفاده از تشعشعات مورد سوء استفاده قرار می گیرند. جنایتکاران رژیم ایران زنان زندانی را مورد تجاوز قرار داده و سپس خود و بچه های متولد نشده را تحت تاثیر دوز های متوسط تا بالا از تشعشعات گاما قرار می دهند (دوزGy 1.4 تا 4.2). بعضی از این زنان جان خود را از دست داده اند و جنایتکاران از اجساد آنها نیز سوء استفاده کرده اند تا شواهد جنایت های غیر انسانی آنها پنهان بماند.

گزارش را در زیر می خوانید:
در خلال سال های 1972 تا 1979 در روسیه، آزمایش های گوناگونی برای درمان اثرات تشعشعات انجام گرفت. قسمت عمده ای از این آزمایش ها روی زندانیان سیاسی انجام شد: بدین صورت که آنها را در معرض تشعشعات قرار می دادند و سپس روش های درمانی جدید را روی آنها آزمایش می کردند.
در اوایل سال 1989 در دو مورد توسط یک روزنامه نگار مشهور روسی و یک سوئدی این پروژه افشا گردید. این افشاگری باعث شد که لوبیانکا رییس سازمان اطلاعات روسیه در سال 1992 تمامی پرونده های این آزمایش ها را معدوم کند.
در سال 1999، 13 سال بعد از حادثه انفجار چرنوبیل، و این بار به دلیل علاقمندی نظامی ها، حمایت های مالی برای این پروژه حاصل شد و مجددا پروه آزمایش تشعشعات بر روی انسان ها و اثرات آنها پیگیری شد. اینک آشکار شده است که در سال 2007 و بدنبال آن در سال 2008 یک هیات نمایندگی از سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی بهمراه شخصی به نام آقای باطنی که به نظر می رسد از آموزش های پزشکی برخوردار بوده، به روسیه سفر میکنند و 13 ماه تمام را به مطالعه و تحقیق در مورد اثرات تشعشعات به ویژه اشعه گاما بر روی بدن انسان سپری می کنند. در این مدت رژیم ایران دو دستگاه تولید کننده دوز های متوسط تا بالای این تشعشعات به دست می آورد که قادر هستند 1.4 تا 4.2 Gy تشعشعات از خود صادر کنند. در تابستان سال 2009 گزارش های دریافت شد که کارکنان پزشکی “European Looking” از زندان شناخته شده و بدنام ایران، "زندان اوین" بازدید کرده بودند.

همزمان با این گزارش، گزارش های دیگری منتشر شد که سه پزشک خارجی به مدت دو هفته از امکانات آزمایشگاهی پیشرفته ومدرن بیمارستانی در تهران استفاده می کرده اند. موضوعاتی که این پزشکان در حال کار کردن روی آن بوده اند، برای دیگر کارکنان بیمارستان مطلقا ممنوع و نامشخص بوده است.
در همین زمان، تابستان 2009 گزارش های زیادی در باره شرایط پزشکی زندانیان سیاسی در ایران مخابره شد که دچار ریزش بسیار سریع مو، وجود خون در مدفوع و خونریزی بینی شده اند. همچنین گزارش شده بود که این افراد دچار تهوع های غیر عادی و استفراغ شده اند که همه این موارد می تواند نشانه این باشد که فرد در معرض تشعشعات قرار گرفته است. این گزارش ها عمدتا از تهران، اراک و آمل مخابره شده است.
در سال 2008 یک واحد از سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی مامور می شود تا اثرات تشعشعات با دوز های بالا را بر روی کبد، مغز، پستان، دستگاه تناسلی و جریان خون آزمایش کند. دو نفر از دانشمندان کشور روسیه سفید برای این پروژه تعیین می شوند. یک قسمت از این مطالعه ارزیابی جهش زایی (تغییرات) ژنتیکی در زنان و بچه های متولد نشده ی آنها (قبل و بعد از لقاح) بود. که در واقع ادامه تحقیقات انجام شده در روسیه در سال 1975 بود. یکی از ویژگی های برجسته این مطالعات درمانی، ردیابی اثرات تشعشعات بر روی اندام های تولید مثلی زنان و و یافتن اثرات احتمالی این اثرات بر روی بچه های درون رحم زنان است.
کارشناسان پزشکی می گویند اثرات تشعشعات در دو زمان افزایش چشمگیر دارد: زمانی که زنان در مراحل اولیه حاملگی قرار دارند و در معرض تشعشعات قرار می گیرند، و زمانی که سه تا ده هفته بعد از اینکه در معرض تشعشعات قرار گرفتند، حامله می شوند. (این همان چیزی است که جهش یا تغییرات ژنتیکی سلول نامیده می شود)
در شماری از موارد (در حدود 5 مورد که ما اطلاع داریم) زنان 21 تا 40 ساله پس از بازداشت سوزانده شده اند و یا تماما معدوم شده اند. گرچه گزارش هایی از تجاوز جنسی به مردان و زنان در زندان های ایران وجود دارد، اما درمان های صورت گرفته بر روی این زنان یک نوع درمان های پزشکی خاص را در بر می گیرد که ماهیت آنها برای ما ناشاخته است.
با این حال و با وجودیکه تعدای از زنانی که در فاصله اکتبر و دسامبر 2009 آزاد شده اند، برای ما قابل دسترس هستند، اما تاکنون هیچ کس برای بیان این موضوع ابراز آمادگی نکرده است. آنچه برای ما مسلم است این است که شماری از این زنان دچار استفراغ و تهوع های مزمن، خونریزی و ریزش موی سر و حتی ریزش مژه ها شده اند. نشانه هایی که همگی در روسیه سفید بعد از حادثه انفجار چرنوبیل در سال 1986 مشاهده شده اند. در طول هشت ماه گذشته موارد زیادی از کسانی که بازداشت شده اند و در زندان جان خود را از دست داده اند وجود داشته است. در مواردی جسد افراد اسید واش (سوزاندن با اسید) شده است. و همه این موارد زنانی بوده اند که اندام تناسلی آنها بطور گسترده ای توسط اسید تخریب و دفرمه شده و کاملا تحلیل رفته است تا به هیچ وجه هیچ شاهد و مدرکی از آزمایش های انجام شده باقی نماند. دست کم در چهار مورد جسد زنان کاملا سوزانده شده و یا معدوم شده است. مشخص کردن اینکه آیا زنان در معرض اشعه گاما بوده اند یا خیر و یا اینکه تزریق هایی بعد از تشعشع برای کاهش اثرات تشعشعات گاما صورت گرفته یا خیر، تقریبا غیر ممکن است مگر اینکه آزمایش ساختار سلولی انجام شود. یکی از دلایل سوزاندن اندام تناسلی زنان می تواند آزمایش "ورود اجسام لوله ای" باشد. در طی این آزمایش و به منظور جدا کردن ناحیه مورد آزمایش از سایر نواحی و تمرکز بیشتر تشعشعات به منظور ایجاد آسیب در یک ناحیه متمرکز، یک جسم لوله مانند درون دستگاه تناسلی قرار می گیرد و اصابت های کوتاه 45 ثانیه ای از اشعه گاما (تا میزان 3 Gy) به بافت هدف ساطع می شود و سپس اثرات این تشعشعات در 48 ساعت آینده زمانیکه بیشتر آسیب های سلولی را می توان ارزیابی کرد، ردیابی شده و در همان زمان برای نوع درمان تصمیم گیری می شود.
Gy = واحد بین المللی اندازه گیری میزان دوز جذب شده از تشعشعات یونی، معادل یک ژول در هر کیلوگرم
لطفا این نوشتار را منتشر کنید. دیگران را از جنایات انجام شده و در حال انجام توسط رژیم حاکم آگاه کنید.
رسانه شمایید!

NEWS OF APPALLING ABUSE OF WOMEN IN IRI's PRISONS

2010-03-18T09:15:00.010Z

The following article has been sent to the "Freedom For Iran" blog by an unknown Freedom Fighter. Since The people of Iran needs the World's help to act as their voice, we are publishing this article. "Freedom For Iran" hopes that all people around the world are informed of the article, and the tortures that Islamic Regime of Iran is committing against the women in prison in Iran.

Freedom For Iran

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This report has been compiled by a group of Iranian medical personnel working in the newly independent countries of the old Soviet Union. It's a revelation with far-reaching implications that need to be exposed to the world. These crimes are being perpetrated by the Iranian Regime who are collaborating with Russia!

Please distribute this information to news media, internet sites and governments throughout the world. This story needs to be told!

We have evidence that women in Iranian prisons are being used for scientific experiments using radiation. They are being raped and they and their unborn children are being experimented upon using medium to high Level doses of Gy radiation (1.4 to 4.2) doses. Some of these women are now dead and their bodies further abused to hide the evidence of the experiments done to them!

This is the story:

Between 1972 and 1979, in Russia, various experiments were carried out on the effects of radiation treatment. A big part of the project involved using political prisoners bi-linearly and spatially - exposing them to radiation and then experimenting using new forms of treatment on them.

In early 1989 there were two leaks that exposed this project to the public involving a famous Russian journalist and a Swede. The project was cancelled in 1992 and all the files were removed from Lubyanka (KGB Central Command).

In 1999, thirteen years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and with renewed military interest, new funding was acquired for the project once again. It has now been revealed that in 2007 and then again in 2008 a delegation of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard experts along with a person named Mr. Bateni who appears to have had some medical training travelled to Russia and spent a total of 13 months on this project studying the effects of radiation on the human body (mostly Gamma Rays). During this period the Iranian regime acquired two devices used to emit medium to high levels of Gy (1.4 to 4.2) doses. In the Summer of 2009 reports were received that a number of 'European Looking' medical personnel had visited Iran's notorious Evin prison.

Parallel to this report, other reports came out that for two weeks three foreign doctors were using the laboratory facilities of a modern hospital in Tehran. The area they were working in was completely off limits to other hospital personnel.

At the same time, in the Summer of 2009 there were an unusually large number of reports about the medical conditions of political prisoners in Iran who had suffered from rapid hair loss, and from blood in their stools and noses.

They were also reported to suffer from vomiting & nausea – all could be signs of radiation poising. These reports mostly came from the cities of Tehran, Arak and Amol.

In 2008 a unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards was allocated funding to examine the effects of high radiation on the liver, brain, breast, reproductive system and blood stream. Two scientists from Belarus were assigned to this project. Part of the study was to assess the mutancy in women and unborn babies (pre and post insemination). This was a continuation of the work done in Russia in 1975.

One of the key features of this treatment studies is to trace effects of radiation on women's reproductive organs and to trace this to babies in the womb.

Medical experts report that results are enhanced in reliability if similar doses are received by women who are in the early stages of pregnancy and those who become pregnant 3-10 weeks after exposure (This is called rate of cell mutation and transference).

In a number of cases (about 5 that we know of) women from 21 years of age to 40 have been mutilated or burned after their arrest. Although there have been reports of rapes against both men and women in Iranian prisons, the treatment of women has involved some sort of medical treatment, the nature of which is unclear to us.

Even though we have been able to reach a number of women who have been released between Oct. and Dec. 2009, no one is yet prepared to discuss the issue. What we do know is that a number of women have developed chronic nausea, bleeding and loss of hair (even their eyelashes) all of which were symptoms reported in Belarus after the Chernobyl nuclear accident of 1986. There have been multiple cases of people who were arrested and died in detention in Iran in the past 8 months. In some cases the bodies were washed with acid. All those cases were women whose reproductive organs were treated to acid bath extensively. At least in four cases the bodies have been burned or mutilated. Unless a cell stucture test was conducted, it would not have been possible to ascertain whether or not the women were subjected to G radiation and post radiation injections aimed to slow down the effects of radiation. One possible reason for burning the reproductive organs may be the 'tubular insertion' testing. During this procedure, in order to isolate the radiation and to focus the damage, a tube is inserted and short bursts of G-Ray (up to 3 Gy) are emitted for up to 45 seconds and then the effects are measured in the next 48 hours when most of the cell damage can be monitored and the treatment is decided at that time.

In some cases the bodies were washed with acid. All these were women whose reproductive organs were extensively treated to with acid baths! In at least four cases the bodies had also been burned or mutilated. Unless a cell structure test was conducted, it would not have been possible to ascertain whether or not the women were subjected to G-radiation and post-radiation injections aimed to slow down the effects of radiation.

One possible reason for burning the reproductive organs may be the 'tubular insertion' testing. During this procedure, in order to isolate the radiation and to focus the damage, a tube is inserted and short bursts of G-Ray (up to 3 Gy) are emitted for up to 45 seconds and then the effects are measured in the next 48 hours when most of the cell damage can be monitored and the treatment is decided at that time.

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WE ARE THE MEDIA

Mehrdad Emadi, European Union economic advisor expose the corruption in Iran. Translation to English by a Green Supporter

2010-03-11T07:50:00.002Z

Pre-election debates regarding corruption in the country

Karroubi: They wanted to give $700 million to some guy out of state treasury

Ahmadinejad: what are Rafsanjani's sons doing in this country?

Mousavi: Tens of millions of dollar are being exchanged in the country inside interior ministry

Ahmadinejad: There was a no-bid process at Rasht Electric where they gave a contract to Mr. Karbasi's friends

Mousavi: They say the money was lost and was never deposited into the treasury

Ahmadinejad: How did Nategh Nouri's son become a billionaire? what is Mr. Nategh himself living on?

People used to eat up these words and the words would spread across the country before morning. These accusastions
can consume Iran's judiciary for years. Experts say in Iran's economic terrain there is ample room for corruption
and under such conditions, the thieves go in one direction and those who are stolen from follow a thousand other directions. And this cycle continues.

Large loans with low interests, backdoor dealings, cash handouts, apportionment of merchandise, interference by the power structure
organizations into economic institutions! they say things like that will infest even the best of trees with termites! Farzad Hosseinzadeh, BBC

Presenter: Mr. Mehrdad Emadi, the European Parliament Economic Advisor is here with us. Welcome! we know that
you have been researching corruption. Why do you think that despite the Iranian government and the Iranian Parliament and the Judiciary's agreement that they need to confront corruption, this problem is still a major problem in the country?

Mehrdad Emadi: Yes and unfortunately, not only it has remained as a major issue in the country, it has turned into a bigger crisis, both in terms of the depth of corruption and it's extent. The main reason is that when we want to fight corruption in a system, we need to look to see whether the corruption is caused by corrupt management or corrupt managers! if it's only the managers
who are corrupt but the management system is not corrupt, like we had here in the banking system of Great Britain, the system filters itself out automatically through legal means and through close reviews. Also if the managers are clean but they inherit a corrupt management system, they can gradually change the management system from the ground up. But unfortunately in Iran we have both. We have corrupt managers and at the same time we have a management system that is very fertile to corruption. In fact the system encourages corruption.

Presenter: Well you have done some research regarding corruption in European societies and and also with regards to countries that somehow have an economic and financial relationships with the European Union. Where does Iran stand in this regard?

Mehrdad Emadi: Yes, we started this project to clean up foreign trade from corruption in the European Union in 1993,
both within the European Union and also with countries that have major financial trade with the Union. Not that there was no economic management corruption in Iran in the past, but Unfortunately during the in the past five years this corruption has grown much deeper. If we take a look at the graphs, five years ago Iran ranked 119 in terms of bureaucratic corruption, sitting somewhere in the middle of the table. There were about 80 countries who were worse than us and there were about 118 countries that were cleaner than us in terms of corruption. Only three years later, in 2008 Iran reached the corruption level ranking of 141st. This means that there were about 140 other countries that are cleaner than us and only 38 countries were worse than us. A year later we have fallen from 141st to 168th. Thus we have turned into the ninth worst corrupt country in the world! This is very worrisome! how did we fall from 141st to 168th in just one year?

Presenter: Why did this happen?

Mehrdad Emadi: The major reason is that Iran's foreign trade has been concentrated in the hands of organizations that have no monitors: organizations associated with the Revolutionary Guards and organizations associated with state foundations! The contracts they have been signing and the kickbacks they have been getting from these contracts are completely out of the realm of norms and rules of international foreign trade!
The second problem is that the government itself now has a bigger hand in foreign trade and the private sector has almost entirely been taken over by the government.

Presenter: Well there have been changes in the beauracratic system of the country in the past few years and we cannot discount their effects. What decisions and what policies do you think have caused Iran's ranking to drop by almost 50 positions as reported by international organizations?

Mehrdad Emadi: For one thing the changes in handing out subsidies and direct distribution of subsidies will increase corruption further.
That's because those who implement these changes have great financial power to choose or not to choose the recepients. What we have seen in the past 4 years regarding the changes in economic management system of Iran is that a system that used to have at least a little bit of supervision by the treasury department, has
turned into a system that nobody knows what the government is doing with the oil revenues. Really nobody knows! Whenever questions are rasied, they bring up national security as an excuse! This is a very weak and childish response coming from a government that needs transparency more than any other government in the past 31 years in order to convince people that they are the true owners and government officials are only their representatives managing the country's affairs. It's quite the opposite. The government officials believe that they are the true owners and the people can eat off of what's trickled down from the oil revenue.

Presenter: To summarize quickly Mr. Emadi, what can be done to improve the situation?

Mehrdad Emadi: The only thing we can do is to follow the model used by Turkey or Malaysia and Singapore. We need financial transparency. All managers and ministers' financial dealings have to be monitored. It has to be an effective 365 days a year monitoring.

The Video's Link to the Interview

IRAN: WE ARE SUFFERING FROM A LACK OF GOOD LEADERSHIP

2010-02-16T09:31:00.007Z

I am anonymous, because that's safer for me.

I live and work close to the city of Tehran. This is my story of what has happened over the past few days. And my thoughts for the future of the green movement and how I think we should progress to free our Country of Iran and achieve democracy.

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I left Tehran on February 11th and only returned late last night.

I wasn't at the Azadi Square rally, but in another street close-by. I was watching how cowardly the Regime stole our presence, as they had stolen our votes in June 2009.

The people were overcome by a heavy military presence. We had to just "be there". Even simple chanting was difficult us given the number of troops, basijis and plain-clothes on the streets.

The gathering in Azadi Square was a very very exposed. For the Regime it was easy for them to surround people and gain control. Azadi Street itself is very wide - wide enough for security forces to get to the square in minutes! They know how to get to the square, how to surround people, how to intimidate people - especially with all the forces they flooded Tehran with that day! I remember on previous occasions when we were gathering at in other streets like Bazaar, or even 7- tir square, we felt safer. But Azadi is only good when the Regime doesn't have all those troops on standby - like the big rally (Khordad 25th).

February 11 wasn’t a successful day for the greens. And one reason,I think, is that we don't have good leadership. Leadership isn’t just about issuing orders and statements, and then sitting back: giving hopes that every thing is going to be ok!

Let me try to explain my thinking here. During the '79 Revolution Khomenei came back to my country even though he knew there may be some dangers. He was brave enough (I acknowledge he chose his time well) but he at least he showed the bravery to come and that gave his followers (and those who joined his "cause) more power - and so he achieved his victory!

But we are now suffering, suffering and suffering from lack of good leadership. I left Tehran late on 11 February and travelled to another city, a smaller remote city for the holidays. People there were so worried about the movement. They were asking me about the green rally on 11 February. They kept asking me was there any green rally in Tehran? What about the police? What was the chanting? And lots of other questions. I realized that people in this small city are well aware of every step people were making in Tehran on 11 February and thought there was no action on 11 February because of what they'd seen on state TV - they were disappointed! I explained that people were protesting in Tehran that day, but the capital city was pretty much "locked-down" by the sheer numbers of forces on the streets.

It's good to know that people in the small cities (at least this one city I visited) are thinking exactly like the other people in big cities. The only difference is in their demonstrations: they can't show protest to the same extent and there are many reasons for this:

The population is smaller, for example less than 300K. Therefore most people know each other. Many people in small cities are work state bureaus and they don't want to risk their job! Don't forget the economy is the number ONE priority in the small cities. so they tend to be more "conservative" than people in big cities.
When people are known to each other, they don't dare speak their minds frankly or show their opposition to the Regime. They worry about being watched; if they complain, about being arrested soon. So being "conservative" is the most important reason they don't show their opposition to the Regime.
It seems they are sitting and watching us - the ones in the major cities - and even people outside the Country. The people in this small city I was visiting were delighted when I told them I knew many non-Iranian and Iranian people in Europe and the USA who were trying to help.

When I arrived there, the very first question I was asked was about the greens. My friends were demanding the real news. They were so disappointed with what when they had heard and watched on the false news on state TV. So they are not indifferent. They are like a “quiet opposition”.

Let me tell you a story: I was talking to a relative, couple of weeks ago. she asked me:

"Are you coming to visit us on Bahman 22 holidays?”

I replied:

“Nope, I have something very important to do on Bahman 22, and then I will come.”

She shouted at me:

“Why would you want to do this? These people who go out, are just the cheap people, hooligans and unemployed ones."

This made me angry… until two days ago when I asked her:

“Why did you name these people, of whom I am one , hooligans and cheap people?”

She replied:

“Why didn’t you understand that we were talking over the phone? I had to talk like that, because all the lines are being monitored…”

This is the level of being "conservative" in the small cities. But when you talk to them in person, you realize how different they are, and how hopefully they follow the green movement's news on satellite tv's and radios.

I guess they need some firm sign. Maybe for us to pour into the streets: for example they kept saying that people in Tehran MUST go to Jaam-e Jam (State TV and Radio Complex in Tehran) and take over control: "And If one day we watch them in the streets, we can claim that the era of dictatorship is over"!!

This movement has the enough force to win any battle, but what happened on 22 Bahman, is something to be surveyed and analysed fully. The coup d'etat Regime stole our presence. They have proven over and over again that they will kill anybody, if they need to. They are not following any moral code. They believe in nothing, they will do anything. It seems to me that they are digging their own graves.

BUT we do need a change in direction and in action. Just going to the streets, and being SILENT is not working. Becoming armed is the worst alternative too!

So what is more important, is that we need to think, all of us, at any capacity we have, and in any level of thinking, how to put more pressure on to the Regime. If gathering people was enough, we would already have beaten them after 8 months of protests! But look around, we are still inviting people to gather at Tehran X street to show our opposition. We have already shown our opposition!

This is the most important step, and I know it’s not going be easy for Mousavi and Karroubi to decide what how to address this issue.

I think we need to read the history of revolutions. I am not the one who must do this, I am a researcher, and I should do my research. But when the leaders are not able to achieve the people's wishes, then the people at ALL levels must decide to what next! This is our problem. Not only the problem of the movement, but also of the Country.

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT - FARCE NEWS PROPAGANDA MACHINE AND KARROUBI, MOUSAVI AND KHATAMI

2010-01-26T19:32:00.008Z

On Monday 25 January 2010 the Coup d’etat government of the Islamic Republic of Iran tried, through its state-owned news agency, Fars News, to compromise Messrs Karroubi, Mousavi and Khatami’s position with regards to the reformist movement in Iran.

It is apparent that Karroubi did not volunteer an interview with Fars News (known as Farce for obvious reasons). Rather, he was attending a meeting with other prominent people within the reformist movement, and was asked questions which were then misinterpreted by this news agency – no surprise there! This was then compounded by western news media, who reported over and over again that he had accepted, indeed legitimised, Ahmadinejad as Iran’s President.

He did not. He was very clear and said that Mr Khamenei (note the Mr – a disrespectful way of addressing the so-called Supreme Leader, SL) and his regime had appointed AN as President. The nuances in this and his other remarks were totally missed by many western reporters – why is this?

Karroubi, Mousavi and Khatami, by their words and by their deeds, have made it clear that they do not recognise AN as Iran’s rightful President. They have also made it plain that the human rights abuses that have taken place in the Country are totally unacceptable to them and they will not compromise on either issue.

Government-led propaganda in Iran is rife. No western journalists are allowed free access. The pro-reformist newspapers and other agencies have been shut down. Journalists and bloggers have been imprisoned – some face execution. Why Western media cannot understand this propaganda machinery is beyond most human rights activists.

The remainder of this note contains information that has been posted on my facebook wall regarding statements made by, or on behalf of, Karroubi, Mousavi and Khatami over the past two days.

I am grateful to my friend, Shiva Nojo, who gave me this piece of excellent advice - let's not expect the worse - that can only help the coup government in their propaganda against the greens!

MEHDI KARROUBI

26/1/10 – A facebook note by Negar Irani: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=300703101070

مهدی کروبی :هرگز بر سر حقوق ملت معامله نخواهم کرد /Mehdi Karroubi: I will never compromise when it comes to the people’s rights.

Summary - English Translation of remarks by Mehdi Karroubi in a meeting with a group of prominent leaders of the reformist parties. (Please scroll down for original Farsi Text.)

In a meeting with a group of prominent leaders of the reformist parties, Mehdi Karroubi said: “Even though they have shutdown the newspapers, filtered websites, imprisoned many of our dear friends, closed down the office of [reformist] parties including the Etemad Melli office and even my personal office..., even though they fired shots at my car, and some continue to threaten and insult myself, Mir Hossein Mousavi, the great nation of Iran in every possible way... even though they insist on taking our words out of context, I would like to firmly state that I WILL NEVER compromise when it comes to the rights of the great people of Iran. The ability to vote is one of the fundamental rights of our nation and people should be able to cast their votes into ballot boxes, knowing that they can trust the authorities. I will continue to stand with the great people of Iran until the very end and will push for free elections and the removal of all current obstacles under the framework of the constitution. I will present my position with regards to the ideals of the Islamic Revolution, the defence of human rights and the need for free elections to the noble and honorable nation of Iran, in the very near future."

In relation to issues regarding the election, the head of the Etemad Meli Party said: "With the passing of time, I become even more convinced of the extensive manipulations and fraud that took place in the recent elections, as very day we receive new information that demonstrates the regrettable nature in which the authorities handled the trust given to them by the people of Iran."

With regards to the events that occurred after the elections, Karroubi noted: "Ask yourself what were the desires and demands of the people who spontaneously came to the streets in such large numbers after the election? What were the demands of the 3 million people who roared in the streets from Imam Hossein to Azadi square, with their silent march, without any form of advertising or propaganda motivating them to attend? Should the response to a nation who took to the streets with such noble intentions have been batons, tear gas and gun shots? Should our dear youth who dared ask "Where is our Vote?" within the framework of the law, have faced violence and death at Kahrizak and other prisons?"

Karroubi strongly criticized the unacceptable treatment of the people and said : "We should tell those responsible for these atrocities "How do you expect the people of Iran to accept your one sided claims regarding the election when it is so evident that you lie? Did some of you not have the audacity to suggest that these young people had lost their lives to meningitis? Would you have ever admitted to the occurrence of these crimes had it not been for persistent and defiant cries & demands by myself, Mr. Mousavi and the brave nation of Iran?"

Karroubi reiterated his position when it comes to defending the people's rights and said: “Even though they have shutdown the newspapers, filtered websites, imprisoned many of our dear friends, closed down the office of [reformist] parties including the Etemad Melli office and even my personal office..., even though they fired shots at my car, and some continue to threaten and insult myself, Mir Hossein Mousavi, the great nation of Iran in every possible way... even though they insist on taking our words out of context, I would like to firmly state that I WILL NEVER compromise when it comes to the rights of the great people of Iran. The ability to vote is one of the fundamental rights of our nation and people should be able to cast their votes into ballot boxes, knowing that they can trust the authorities. I will continue to stand with the great people of Iran until the very end and will push for free elections and the removal of all current obstacles under the framework of the constitution. I will present my position with regards to the ideals of the Islamic Revolution, the defence of human rights and the need for free elections to the noble and honorable nation of Iran, in the very near future."

****************************************************************

مهدی کروبی در دیدار با جمعی از چهرههای برجسته و نخبگان سیاسی کشور از جمله رهبران برخی از احزاب
اصلاحطلب گفت: «گر چه امروز روزنامه ها را توقیف، سایتها را فیلتر و بسیاری از عزیزان را زندانی کرده و دفاتر احزاب از جمله دفتر حزب اعتماد ملی و حتی دفتر شخصی مرا بسته اند، گرچه به اتومبیل بنده تیراندازی کرده اند و برخی هر روز خط و نشان میکشند و انواع اهانتها را نثار بنده و آقای موسوی وملت بزرگوار ایران و سخنان ما را تحریف میکنند، ولی با قاطعیت میگویم که من هرگز بر سر حقوق ملت معامله نخواهم کرد و یکی از بزرگترین حقوق این ملت آرایی است که به امانت در صندوقهای رأی ریخته اند، و من تا پایان راه در کنار ملت خواهم بود و برای برگزاری انتخابات آزاد و رفع موانع موجود خواهم کوشید و به زودی مواضع تفصیلی خود را در باره آرمانهای انقلاب اسلامی و دفاع از حقوق مردم و ضرورت برگزاری انتخابات آزاد به اطلاع ملت شریف و بزرگوار ایران خواهم رساند.»ا

دبیرکل حزب اعتماد ملی در ادامه با اشاره به مسائل مربوط به انتخابات گفت: «هر قدر که زمان میگذرد، اعتقاد من به دستکاری گسترده در انتخابات اخیر مستحکمتر میشود؛ زیرا هر روز اطلاعات جدیدی به دست ما میرسد که واقعا موجب تأسف است که چگونه

عدهای با آرای مردم که امانت آنان در دست مسؤولان است، اینگونه برخورد کردند!»ا

کروبی در ادامه با اشاره به مسائلی که بعد از انتخابات و برخوردهایی که با مردم روی داد، گفت: «مگر این مردمی که بعد از انتخابات بهصورت خودجوش به صحنه آمدند، چه میگفتند و چه میخواستند؟ مگر آن سه میلیون نفری که بدون هیچگونه تبلیغات و اطلاعرسانی از میدان امام حسین(ع) تا میدان آزادی با سکوت خویش فریاد زدند، چه میخواستند؟ آیا جواب مردمی که اینگونه نجیبانه به صحنه آمدند، باتوم، گاز اشکآور و گلوله بود؟! آیا جواب جوانان عزیز ما که در چارچوب نظام میگفتند، “رأی ما کو؟” خشونت، کهریزک و کشته شدن در این بازداشتگاهها بود؟!»ا

کروبی با انتقاد شدید از برخورد غیرصادقانه با مردم گفت: «باید به این کسانی که مسؤول این فجایع هستند، گفت: شما چگونه انتظار دارید که مردم ادعای یکطرفه شما را در باره نتیجه انتخابات بپذیرند، در حالی که شما در باره بدیهیات اینگونه دروغ میگویید؟ مگر برخی از شما با کمال بیشرمی نمیگفتید که این جوانان عزیز بر اثر مننژیت جان خود را از دست دادهاند و اگر فریادهای اینجانب و تلاشهای آقای موسوی و حضور ملت عزیز ایران در صحنه نبود، شما هرگز به وقوع این قتلها اعراف نمیکردید.»ا

کروبی با تأکید بر مواضع خویش در دفاع از حقوق ملت گفت: «گر چه امروز روزنامهها را توقیف، سایتها را فیلتر و بسیاری از عزیزان را زندانی کرده و دفاتر احزاب از جمله دفتر حزب اعتماد ملی و حتی دفتر شخصی مرا بستهاند، گرچه به اتومبیل بنده تیراندازی کردهاند و برخی هر روز خط و نشان میکشند و انواع اهانتها را نثار بنده و آقای موسوی وملت بزرگوار ایران و سخنان ما را تحریف میکنند، ولی با قاطعیت میگویم که من هرگز بر سر حقوق ملت معامله نخواهم کرد و یکی از بزرگترین حقوق این ملت آرایی است که به امانت در صندوقهای رأی ریختهاند، و من تا پایان راه در کنار ملت خواهم بود و برای برگزاری انتخابات در چهارچوب قانون اساسی و رفع موانع موجود خواهم کوشید و به زودی مواضع تفصیلی خود را در باره آرمانهای انقلاب اسلامی و دفاع از حقوق مردم و ضرورت برگزاری انتخابات آزاد به اطلاع ملت شریف و بزرگوار ایران خواهم رساند.»ا

In a facebook note on 25/1/10, Tour Irani set out what Karroubi actually said : http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=300703101070#/note.php?note_id=273126773115&id=100000104346482&ref=mf

What did Karroubi actually say today?

Here is the actual words by Karroubi:

"Ahmadinejad's government will not last 4 years"

Green Path News Agency: Mr. Mojtaba Vahedi, advisor for Mehdi Karroubi explained the words of Mr. Karroubi. Talking to the Jaras reporter he said: "I talked to Mr. Karroubi and he claims that Mr. AbouTorabi has uttered some words that are not true and I went to the podium without being invited and explained that Mr. AbouTorabi has no idea about what's going on and all of what has happened after the election has been to white wash the cheating.

Mojtaba Vahe, Karoubi's advisor explained what Mr. Karroubi has said today:

According to Karroubi's advisor, Mr. Karroubi then talked in detail about cheating in the election. Following the speech a few reporters gathered around and asked a few questions. I told them: "well this government has been sworn in and has the responsibility to respond to people's needs". In the same Interview I stressed that there has been vast cheating in the election and I stand by my words and I am not so whimsy to retreat because of insults and threats. But people have daily needs that the residing government needs to respond to. I also told an English paper that you can rest assured that Ahmadinejad's government will not last 4 years.

Karroubi's last words were: "My words are the words of the nation: where is our vote?"

دولت احمدی نژاد 4 سال نخواهد ماند

جنبش راه سبز (جرس): مجتبی واحدی، مشاور مهدی کروبی درباره سخنان امروز دبیرکل اعتماد ملی توضیحاتی ارائه داد. وی در گفتگو با خبرنگار جرس گفت: من با آقای کروبی صحبت کردم و ایشان گفتند که امروز آقای ابوترابی فرد حرف هایی زدند که با واقعیت منطبق نبود و من بدون دعوت پشت تریبون رفتم و توضیح دادم که آقای ابوترابی فرد در جریان مسائل نیست و همه کارهایی که بعد از انتخابات انجام گرفته ، برای ماست مالی کردن قضیه تقلب در انتخابات بوده است.
جنبش راه سبز (جرس): مجتبی واحدی، مشاور مهدی کروبی درباره سخنان امروز دبیرکل اعتماد ملی توضیحاتی ارائه داد.
وی در گفتگو با خبرنگار جرس گفت: من با آقای کروبی صحبت کردم و ایشان گفتند که امروز آقای ابوترابی فرد حرف هایی زدند که با واقعیت منطبق نبود و من بدون دعوت پشت تریبون رفتم و توضیح دادم که آقای ابوترابی فرد در جریان مسائل نیست و همه کارهایی که بعد از انتخابات انجام گرفته ، برای ماست مالی کردن قضیه تقلب در انتخابات بوده است.
به گفته واحدی، دبیرکل اعتماد ملی ، سپس نمونه هایی از تقلب و دخل و تصرف در انتخابات را بیان کرده و به نقل قولی از آیت الله العظمی منتظری پرداخته که به نقل از یکی از افراد امین خود گفته بود در یک صندوق که رای کروبی 92 بود تنها یک رای اعلام کردند.
براساس گفته واحدی، مهدی کروبی توضیح داده است: پس از اتمام کنگره در حال خروج بودم که تعدادی از خبرنگاران ، سوالاتی از

من پرسیدند و من در پاسخ به انها گفتم که پس از تنفیذ، دولت فعلی دولت مستقر کشور است و وظیفه دارد کارهای مردم را انجام دهد و پاسخگو باشد.
کروبی در توضیح این سخنان خود گفت : در همان مصاحبه بر این نکته تاکید کردم که تقلب های گسترده درانتخابات صورت گرفته و من برهمه مواضع انتخاباتی خود و اعتراضات خود ایستادگی کرده و می کنم و بیدی هم نیستم که با تهدیدها و فحاشی ها و هتاکی ها عقب نشینی کنم اما مردم مسائل روزمره ای دارند که دولت مستقر باید آنها را حل کند و دولت فعلی پس از تنفیذ، دولت مستقر کشور است و باید پاسخگوی مشکلات مردم باشد.
دبیرکل حزب اعتماد ملی، تصریح کرد: همین امروز در مصاحبه با یک روزنامه انگلیسی، گفتم مطمئن باشید دولت احمدی نژاد چهار سال نخواهد ماند.
به گفته مجتبی واحدی، سخن آخر کروبی این بود: حرف من همان حرف ملت است که رای ما کجاست؟

MIR HOUSSEIN MOUSAVI/ZAHRA RAHNAVARD

I've seen no statement as yet from Mousavi, but Zahra Rahnavard has given an interview to Rooz. This English translation is courtesy of a facebook note from Negar Irani : http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=300703101070#/note.php?note_id=299927586070&id=1409869442&ref=mf

Negar Irani: English Translation of Interview with Zahra Rahnavard by Roozonline

English Translation of interview with Zahra Rahnavard by Roozonline. Please scroll down for original Farsi text.

Interview with Zahra Rahnavard, university professor, author and Mir Hossein Mousavi's wife.

Roozonline: Mrs. Rahnavard, after Mr. Mousavi's 17th statement was published, some suggested that Mr. Mousavi recognized the legitimacy of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government. Is this an accurate interpretation?

Zahra Rahnavard: My personal understanding of this statement is that it stresses the fraudulent and unhealthy nature of the election. When the statement stresses such a matter how can anyone have such an interpretation? I believe that from the tone of this statement we can clearly see that Mr. Mousavi does not recognize a government that was established based on fraud.

Roozonline: Recently there have been a lot of rumors about a behind the scene compromise by Mr. Mousavi, Karroubi and Khatami and today some outlets reported that Mr. Karroubi has recognized the legitimacy of Ahmadinejad's government. Some have interpreted Mr. Mousavi's previous statement and Mr. Karroubi's remarks today as behind the scene compromises.

Zahra Rahnavard : This is absolutely not true, no compromise what so ever is in the works. I don't see any compromise in that statement, rather I believe it lays out the minimum desires and aspirations of the people of Iran that the current regime could easily fulfill.

Roozonline: The current government has however, not accepted these demands to date. Do you believe they will eventually acknowledge and accept these demands?

Zahra Rahnavard: I cannot foresee what will happen in the future. I can only hope that what ever happens is in the best interest of the people of Iran and that it honors our nation. I want to emphasize the fact that we neither acknowledge the legitimacy of Ahmadinejad's government, nor are we making any behind the scenes compromises.

RoozOnline: The new wave of arrests that took place after Ashura have lead to a more closed atmosphere and included many who have provided much service to the revolution. Do you believe that these arrests are going to have an effect on the people's movement?

Zahra Rahnavard: These arrests are not only wrong and unacceptable, but they unfortunately continue. Arresting those who speak on behalf of freedom and people's rights has no legal basis. Let's not forget that aspiring towards freedom and desiring the rule of law and religious democracy are the foundation of the people's demands and their "vote" is therefore also integral to this issue. Arresting people, whether they be normal citizens, political activists or journalists, has no legal basis. What good did it do these gentlemen to arrest a figure such as Dr. Beheshti who is a symbol of human rights, one of the intellectuals of this movement and an avid supporter of the universities? I don't just mean Dr. Beheshti, rather I use him as a symbol for all our loved ones who have been arrested because of their humane and compassionate aspirations. Here I want to particularly emphasize the issue concerning women. Arresting Iranian intellectual lionesses will only lead to a great blow to the reputation and respectability of the Islamic Republic. Women who should be active in our society and working in our universities are currently spending their days in prison cells. This is a huge disgrace for the Islamic Republic both vis-à-vis our nation and in the eyes of the world.

Roozonline: Do you think these arrests will have any effect on the people's movement/Green movement?

Zahra Rahnavard: These arrests have no effect what so ever on the desires, demands and movement of the people. Our people are fully aware and have a very high political acumen. Today it is our people who are vanguards of our intellectuals, in many ways our intellectuals are following the people of our nation.

Roozonline: Mrs. Rahnavard, many of those close to you and your husband have been arrested. Your brother was arrested once again and Mr. Mousavi's nephew was also martyred. How have these issues affected your personal and family life?

Zahra Rahnavard: We live and breath with the Green movement. I myself have always been suppressed by these ultra conservative circumstances, but have nevertheless expressed my opinions. Unfortunately their focus has been on myself and other freedom fighting women. The recent insults and marginalization are nothing new and have been going on for years. They are designed to suppress us, but have been taken too far. There was a time when they would not allow me to publish my books and they went as far as making me limit my activities and work to teaching at the university, but the pressures continued. Now it has been intensified. Their goal is for me not to exist, not to breath, not to be. They even try to flare up and marginalize our love life. But everyone knows what type of life we lead and these pressures and threats have no effect on our life, our activities and our aspirations.

Roozonline: I would like to better understand the effects of such sacrifices and the price that your family and those close to you have had to pay. Have they not effected their relationship with Mr. Mousavi?

Zahra Rahnavard: These prices have not been paid for Mr. Mousavi, but for the Green movement. We are not focused on the individual and individualism and our family is no different than the rest of the people making sacrifices and paying a price. My brother is a scientist and specialist and has never been politically active, but like many other people he has also had to pay a price. We have made a shield of our chests and are ready for any kind of attack and terror.

Roozonline: Mrs. Rahnavard you yourself have been attacked three times so far. It has been reported that those who attacked you are members of the "Basiji Sisters". Can you elaborate on this issue?

Zahra Rahnavard: I can't say with all certainty if they were Basijis are not, but I know that they were under orders and from the day before the 16th of Azar and up to the 18th of Azar I experienced very unsafe circumstances. They pursued me on a regular basis and once they even attacked and insulted me. On one occasion the university security forces removed me from the premises by car and a motorcyclist pushed his hand into the car, spraying pepper spray, which made me very sick and lead to my hemorrhaging from the kidneys. Those four days until the 18th of Azar, they either insulted me or attacked me physically and I had no sense of security. They stopped after the 18th of Azar and so far it has been quiet.

Roozonline: Are you not afraid that something might happen to you? Have you thought about such an event?

Zahra Rahnavard: Fighting for freedom and peace has always been an integral part of my life. That is why I am not afraid to die. As I said before, we have made a shield of our chests and I am personally ready for any attack or terror.

مصاحبه با زهرا رهنورد، استاد دانشگاه، نویسنده و همسر میرحسین موسوی را در پی می آید.

خانم رهنورد بعد از انتشار بیانیه هفدهم آقای موسوی، برخی اینگونه برداشت کرده اند که آقای موسوی، دولت محمود احمدی نژاد را به رسمیت شناخته است. چنین برداشتی درست است؟

برداشت شخصی من از بیانیه، این نیست، چون بندهای دیگر همین بیانیه تاکید دارد که تقلبی در کار بوده و انتخابات سالم نبوده است؛ وقتی در بیانیه بر این موضوع تاکید می شود، چگونه چنین برداشتی می شود؟ من فکر میکنم و برداشت من این است که از متن همین بیانیه به وضوح می توان فهمید که آقای موسوی، دولت برآمده از تقلب را به رسمیت نمی شناسد.

ولی اکنون شایعات زیادی درباره سازش پشت پرده آقایان موسوی و کروبی و خاتمی مطرح است و امروز نیز برخی اخبار به نقل از آقای کروبی در مورد به رسمیت شناختن دولت احمدی نژاد منتشر شده است. برخی بیانیه آقای موسوی و سخنان امروز آقای کروبی را به سازش های پشت پرده تعبیر میکنند.

به هیچ وجه چنین چیزی نیست و سازشی در کار نیست. من در آن بیانیه نه تنها هیچ گونه سازشی نمی بینم بلکه آن بیانیه کف خواسته ها و آرمان های مردم است و حداقلی از خواسته های مردم و حکومت می تواند به راحتی این خواسته ها را عملی کند.

ولی حکومت این خواسته را نمی پذیرد یعنی تاکنون نپذیرفته؛ شما فکر میکنید به این خواسته ها تن خواهند داد؟

من نمی توانم آینده را پیش بینی کنم که چه اتفاقی خواهد افتاد و چه خواهد شد، فقط امیدوارم هر اتفاقی که می افتد به نفع ملت ایران باشد و به سربلندی ملت ایران ختم شود.میخواهم بر این نکته تاکید کنم که نه دولت احمدی نژاد را به رسمیت می شناسیم و نه پشت پرده سازش می کنیم.

با بازداشت های گسترده ای که موج دوم آن بعد از روز عاشورا آغاز شد، به نظر میرسد فضا بسته تر از سابق شده و از طرف دیگر شامل کسانی شده که به انقلاب خدمات زیادی کرده اند. به نظرتان این بازداشت ها تاثیری در حرکت مردمی خواهد داشت؟

این بازداشت ها کار بسیار غلط و اشتباهی است که متاسفانه همچنان هم ادامه دارد. بازداشت کسانی که حرفهای آزادیخواهانه میزنند و از حقوق مردم سخن می گویند هیچ محمل قانونی ندارد. باید توجه داشت که آرمان های آزادیخواهانه، دموکراسی طلبی، قانون گرایی و مردمسالاری دینی، پایه های خواسته های مردم است که "رای" نیز در درون همان قرار میگیرد؛ دستگیری ها که چه مردم عادی و چه شخصیت های سیاسی و مطبوعاتی و... را در بر می گیرد، محمل درست و قانونی ندارد. بازداشت شخصی مثل دکتر بهشتی که سمبل همه حق طلبی ها و اندیشمندی های جنبش و یک دلسوز دانشگاهی است چه فایده ای برای آقایان دارد؟ منظورم فقط شخص دکتر بهشتی نیست بلکه او را به عنوان سمبلی از عزیزان دربند می گویم که به خاطر آرمان های بلند و انسانی شان بازداشت شده اند. من همچنین می خواهم مساله زنان را به طور اخص مطرح و تاکید کنم که بازداشت شیرزنان فهیم و آگاه ایرانی، ضربه بزرگی به حیثیت جمهوری اسلامی میزند. زنانی که باید دراجتماع و دانشگاهها مشغول کار باشند اکنون در کنج زندان ها هستند و این موضوع سرافکندگی عظیمی در سطح ایران و جهان برای جمهوری اسلامی به دنبال دارد.

آیا این بازداشت ها و بگیر و ببندها تاثیری در حرکت مردم و جنبش سبز خواهد داشت؟

این دستگیری ها هیچ گونه تاثیری در خواست و حرکت مردم ندارد؛ مردم به شدت آگاه هستند و با شعور بالای سیاسی، مطالبات خود را پی گیری میکنند. اکنون این مردم هستند که پیشروی روشنفکران هستند، حتی روشنفکران ما به دنبال مردم حرکت می کنند.

خانم رهنورد تعداد زیادی از نزدیکان شما و همسرتان بازداشت شده اند؛برادرتان دوبار بازداشت شده و خواهرزاده آقای موسوی نیز به شهادت رسیده اند. این مسائل چه تاثیری در زندگی شخصی و خانوادگی شما داشته است؟

ما با جنبش سبز نفس می کشیم و زندگی می کنیم؛ خود من همیشه از سوی جریان های محافظه کار و واپس گرا سرکوب شده ام اما اندیشه هایم را مطرح کرده ام. متاسفانه فشارهایشان بر زنان آزادیخواه و من متمرکز شده و با اهانت ها و حاشیه سازی هایی که تازگی نیز ندارد و از سالها قبل جریان داشته، سعی در سرکوب ما داشته اند، اما اکنون دیگر حیا را خورده و آبرو را تف کرده اند. زمانی کتاب هایم را اجازه انتشار نمیدادند و کاری کردند که من زندگی کاری و اجتماعی ام را فقط در دانشگاه گذاشتم اما فشارها ادامه داشت. حالا شدید تر شده؛ هدف آنها این است که من وجود نداشته باشم، نفس نکشم و نباشم. حتی زندگی عاشقانه ما را نیز بر نمی تابند و سعی کردند حاشیه ها به وجود آورند اما همگان میدانند ما چه نوع زندگی ای داریم و این فشارها و تهدیدها، هیچ تاثیری در روند زندگی و فعالیت ها و آرمان های ما ندارد.

بیشتر میخواهم بدانم چه فضایی بر خانواده و فامیل و نزدیکان شما که این همه هزینه داده و میدهند حاکم است؟ آیا این هزینه ها تاثیری در رابطه آنها با آقای موسوی داشته است؟

این هزینه ها به خاطر آقای موسوی نیست بلکه به خاطر جنبش سبز است؛ ما فرد گرا نیستیم و فردگرایی نداریم و خانواده و فامیل ما نیز جدا از مردمی که هزینه میدهند نیستند. برادر من یک شخصیت کاملا علمی و متخصص است و هیچ نوع فعالیت سیاسی ندارد اما همچون سایر مردم هزینه میدهد. ما سینه مان را سپر کرده ایم و آماده برای هرگونه تیر و حمله و تروری هستیم.

خانم رهنورد خود شما نیز تاکنون سه بار مورد حمله قرار گرفته اید؛ گفته می شد افرادی که به شما حمله کردند از "خواهران بسیجی" بودند. ممکن است توضیح دهید اصل قضیه چه بود؟

من نمی توانم با اطمینان بگویم که بسیجی بوده اند اما می گویم که ماموریت داشته اندو از یک روز قبل از 16 آذر تا 18 آذر من در ناامنی شدید قرار داشتم. به طور مداوم تعقیب ام میکردند و یک بار سرم ریختند و بارها با حرفهای بسیار زشتی اهانت کردند. یکبار که حراست دانشگاه مرا به ماشین منتقل کرد تا از محل دور شوم، یک موتورسوار دستش را داخل ماشین کرد و گاز فلفل زد که به شدت حالم بد شد و مدتی مریض بودم و خونریزی کلیه داشتم. روزهای دیگر نیز حراست دانشگاه مراقبت میکرد. آن 4 روز تا 18 آذر یا توهین میکردند و یا حمله فیزیکی میکردند و هیچ گونه امنیتی نداشتم اما بعد از 18 آذر دست برداشتند و فعلا که خبری نیست.

شما نمی ترسید از اینکه یکباره حادثه ای برایتان به وجود آورند؟ آیا پیش بینی چنین حوادثی را کرده اید؟

آزادیخواهی و سلحشوری جزو آرمان های من در زندگی بوده و به خاطر همین از مرگ هم هیچ هراسی ندارم. قبلا گفتم سینه مان را سپر کرده ایم و من به شخصه آماده هرگونه تیر و حمله و تروری هستم.

MOHAMMAD KHATAMI

Shiva Nojo on Facebook 26/1/10 : Khatami's letter to Khamenei was not to suggest a deal, but to advise him to stop the current terror. Khamenei has rejected this advice. All else that was said about this letter is the propaganda of the coup side in an attempt to draw divisions in the Green Movement. Please let us be careful and not aid them by always expecting the worse of each other!

Khatami’s letter to Mr Khamenei : http://www.rahesabz.net/story/8781/

تاریخ انتشار: ۰۶ بهمن ۱۳۸۸, ساعت ۲:۵۴ بعد از ظهر |

مخالفت رهبری با نامه سید محمد خاتمی

خاتمی: برای نجات کشور هر چه سریع تر اقدام کنید و مانع ادامه رفتارهای فاجعه بار کنونی شوید

شبکه جنبش راه سبز (جرس): سید محمد خاتمی چندی پیش نامه ای به رهبری نوشته و در آن ضمن تشریح وضع موجود و روند فزاینده قانون شکنی ها و تجاوز به حقوق شهروندی و سلب آزادی های ملت که به نام دفاع از اسلام و انقلاب و ولایت صورت می پذیرد، ازعواقب روند کنونی بشدت اظهار نگرانی کرده و از وی خواسته است برای نجات کشور هر چه سریع تر اقدام کند و مانع ادامه رفتارهای فاجعه بار کنونی شود.

طی روزهای گذشته شایعات زیادی درباره نامه سید محمد خاتمی به آیت الله خامنه ای مطرح شده که خبرنگار جرس به پی گیری ای

به گفته این منبع آگاه، رهبری پس از مطالعه نامه، عدم موافقت خود را با تحلیل ها و توصیه های آقای خاتمی ابراز کرده است.

وی توضیح داد: مطالبی که از سوی برخی محافل خبری وابسته به مراکز امنیتی و اطلاعاتی حاکمیت (و نیز برخی مطبوعات و سایتهای خبری به اتکاء منابع یادشده) در باره این نامه منتشر شده مبنی بر این که آقای خاتمی در این نامه از اصلاح طلبان انتقاد کرده و یا درباره به رسمیت شناختن دولت سخنی گفته است، تماماً عاری از صحت بوده و نوعی عملیات روانی به شمار می آید.

این فرد مطلع در تشریح اهداف شایعه مذکور گفت: هدف جریان حاکم از این عملیات روانی و ترویج اخبار کذبی از این دست، ایجاد اختلاف و تفرقه میان سران اصلاحات و سلب اعتماد جامعه نسبت به رهبران جنبش سبز است. آنان به خوبی می دانند در صورت موفقیت در ایجاد بی اعتمادی میان جامعه و رهبران جنبش، بخش وسیعی از بدنه اجتماعی جنبش دلسرد و منفعل خواهد شد. و بخشی نیز از آن ها عبور کرده و به سمت رفتارهای ماجراجویانه و افراطی پیش خواهند رفت. این هر دو نتیجه خواست قلبی حاکمیت کنونی است. زیرا خیالش از یک بخش راحت شده و امکان سرکوب خشن بخش دیگر را به بهانه افراطی گری خواهد یافت.

Enduring America posted a number of ongoing analyses on this story. This is the most recent from today, 26/1/10, together with readers’ comments : http://enduringamerica.com/2010/01/26/iran-special-analysis-what-karroubis-statement-on-mr-khameneihead-of-government-means/

UPDATED Iran Special Analysis: What Karroubi’s Statement on “Mr Khamenei”/”Head of Government” Means

Posted by Scott Lucas in Middle East & Iran

UPDATE 1555 GMT: Karroubi Clarifies, Repeats, Challenges. From The Flying Carpet Institute, via the Facebook site linked to Mir Hossein Mousavi and Saham News:

Mehdi Karoubi, in a meeting with a group of prominent political figures including some of the leaders of reformist parties said:

“Although today they have shut down newspapers, filtered websites, imprisoned many of our dear friends, closed down the office of [reformist] parties including the Etemade Melli office and even my personal office, although they fired shots at my car, although some are threatening everyday and are insulting Mir Hossein Mousavi, me and the great nation of Iran in every way possible and take our words out of content, but I am firmly announcing that I never compromise over people’s rights and one of the main rights of this nation is their votes that they casted in the ballot boxes while trusting the authorities; and I will be with the people till the very end and will try for holding free elections and eliminating current obstacles.”

“I will announce my detailed views regarding the principles of the Islamic Revolution, defending people’s rights and the necessity for holding free elections to the noble nation of Iran soon.”

UPDATE 0900 GMT: Persian2English has published a translation of the Karroubi “clarification” carried on Rah-e-Sabz last night. This was one of the key pieces of evidence behind our analysis, as the Karroubi camp deliberately “fed” this information to a trusted reporter to ensure the widest dissemination:

“It was reported by Fars News, Iran’s official news agency, that Mehdi Karoubi has officially recognized the status of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Mr. Mojtaba Vahedi, advisor for Mehdi Karoubi responded to such claims. Talking to a JARAS reporter, he said: “I talked to Mr. Karoubi and he claims that Mr. Abu-Torabi has uttered some words that are not true.”

According to the advisor, Mr. Karoubi talked in detail about the rigged election. Following his speech, Karoubi explained, “A few reporters gathered around and asked a few questions. I told them that the government has been sworn in and has the responsibility to respond to the people’s needs. In the same interview I stressed that there has been a rigging in the election and I stand by my words. I am not so whimsy to retreat because of insults and threats. But people have daily needs that the residing government needs to respond to. I also told an English paper that they can rest assured that Ahmadinejad’s government will not last four years.”

Karoubi’s last words were: “My words are the words of the nation: where is our vote?”

–
EA staff had a conference late last night to go over all the information we have — from websites and sources inside Iran — on Mehdi Karroubi’s statement, reflecting on the Presidential election and his acceptance of Mr Ahmadinejad as the “head of the government of the regime” because it had been decreed by “Mr Khamenei”.

We are watching for further developments today and may revise our analysis, however, for now, here is our reading:

1. KARROUBI HAS TAKEN A STAND AGAINST THE “PRESIDENT” AND THE SUPREME LEADER

We are treating the statement put out on Karroubi’s website, Saham News, as the cleric’s primary line. (We note the interviews given by Hossein Karroubi to a series of reporters, including Radio Farda, BBC Persian, and Associated Press, but there are ambiguities and some confusion in how those interviews are being written up.) This is the key line:

Due to the fact that Mr Khamenei has ‘confirmed/given legal validity to the decree which stated that Ahmadinejad has been elected, for this reason, I consider him [Mr Ahmadinejad] to be the ‘head of the government of this regime’.

Ahmadinejad is not the President and holds his position not by the will of the voters but the pronouncement of Ayatollah Khamenei. He thus does not have legitimacy. (The most important follow-up to the Saham News statement is a story fed to Rah-e-Sabz, in which Karroubi repeated that he stood with the people and said he did not expect Ahmadinejad to last four years.)

And it’s not the Supreme Leader but “Mr Khamenei”. That is not a slip, because the statement has been unchanged on Saham News for hours. And that is not respect but an insult.

2. DID KARROUBI INTEND TO TAKE THIS STAND?

This is still not clear, given the chain of events. The confusing series of events started when Karroubi spoke with a group of reporters Monday morning. What he did not anticipate was that Fars News, having asked the question whether Karroubi accepted that the June Presidential election was legal, printed his answer as a recognition of Ahmadinejad as “the President”. So, in one sense, Hossein Karroubi’s series of interviews throughout the day and even the Saham News statement were “damage control”, protecting his father against charges that he had sold out to the regime.

“Damage control”, however, did not require that Karroubi take his political shots at Mr Khamenei and “the head of the government of the regime”. So whether or not the cleric started the morning with a plan for a fight or whether he was bumped into it by the Fars episode, the outcome is the same.

3. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CHALLENGE OF THE “ESTABLISHMENT WITHIN”.

My first attempt at analysis connected the Karroubi manoeuvre with the initiative by Ali Larijani-Mohsen Rezaei-Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf to curb or even topple Ahmadinejad. Just forget I wrote that — I was wrong.

4. BUT THIS DOES DISTANCE KARROUBI FROM KHATAMI

The interesting sub-plot today has been obvious “clear blue water” between Mehdi Karroubi and Mohammad Khatami. As Saham News was putting out the right line on Karroubi v. Khamenei/Ahmadinejad this afternoon, it was also taking shots at former President Khatami. In particular, Saham News was playing up the story — which has not been confirmed — that Khatami had sent a letter to the Supreme Leader seeking reconcilation. What’s more, Saham was pressing the point that Khatami had “recognised” the current Government, thus distinguishing his position from that of Karroubi.

Why the divergence? Well, that’s a story to be considered over following days. But let’s be clear: Mehdi Karroubi is out front on this political challenge.

5. AND MOUSAVI?

But is Karroubi also far ahead of Mir Hossein Mousavi? So far Mousavi has been silent on the day’s events, apart from his website Kalemeh reprinting the Saham News statement.

6. COULD EVERYTHING CHANGE?

As we broke up the meeting tonight, an EA correspondent said, “You know, Karroubi may well have another statement out when we wake up in the morning.” Indeed, he could, even to the point of issuing another clarification that withdraws/modifies his “Mr Khamenei” position.

But, at the least, we can’t see Karroubi withdrawing his now sustained condemnation — sometimes explicit, sometimes in a bit of coding, as today — of President Ahmadinejad. At most, he separates Mr Khamenei from his criticism.

So pull back all those headlines that came out earlier today (and are still in some “Western” publications). This is not recognition of the President. This is, to adopt a US term, “dis-respecting”.

It’s not a question of if, but how far, Karroubi wants to push it.

16 Responses to “UPDATED Iran Special Analysis: What Karroubi’s Statement on “Mr Khamenei”/”Head of Government” Means”

kim says:

25 January 2010 at 23:34

A comment on the issue of Ayatollah vs. Mr used to refer to Khamenei.

In Iran, Mr. Khamenei is commonly used to refer to the Supreme Leader and is not offensive in nature. Generally, he is called Mr. Khamenei, not always Ayatollah.

Mr. Azadi says:

26 January 2010 at 00:01

unlike what Kim is saying, I can assure you that in the Islamic Republic internal politics, The supreme leader is never called “Ayatollah Khamenei” let alone “Mr. Khamenei”, specially when it comes to formal conversations.
The supreme leader is always referred as “The Supreme leader” (in Farsi: Maghame Mo’azzam Rahbari), calling him “Ayatollah” or “Mr.” not only is not polite, but it is kind of insulting and it might mean that you do not consider him as the “leader” if you do not call him “Supreme Leader”.
Exactly like Imam Khomeini (the founder of the revolution), he never used to be called Mr. Khomeini.

Megan says:

26 January 2010 at 01:59

Mr. Azadi,

I believe (and I may be wrong) Kim was referring to the Farsi word “Agha” which means “Mr.” in English.

jimbo says:

26 January 2010 at 03:26

mr azadi is very right. publicly khamenie is never refered to other than ’supreme leader’ .
kim is very wrong.
megan comment is quite ambigiuos and confusing but wrong as well.

but anyway how karubi reffered to khamenie is kinda irrelevent. his expressed opinion is more important.

Megan says:

26 January 2010 at 04:04

Jimbo,

What is ambigious abot what I said?

jimbo says:

26 January 2010 at 04:21

‘agha’ and ‘mr’ . i just dont get it. i think the topic here was that karubi reffered to khamenie as mr (which of course is agha in farsi). so i dont know am i missing something here. of course karubi speaking farsi says aghaye khamenei, but usually nobody referes to that pig as ‘agha’ but ‘rahbar’

Bosco says:

26 January 2010 at 05:14

He should have just referred to him as haji agha.

26 January 2010 at 05:22

Me personally I always just call him Ole Shifty-eyes. Always looks like he’s looking over his shoulders…probably to see if the snakes are showing!

Megan says:

26 January 2010 at 06:55

Jimbo,

The fact that you “ just do not get it” is an understatement. I was on topic. I was trying to offer a possible explanation for what Kim might have meant. I stated a fact that Mr. is one translation for Agha. Others are gentlemen and Sir. Please watch you words before you characterize other people comments. There was nothing “ambiguous” about Agha=Mr.

And please do not say; “but usually nobody refers to that pig as ‘agha’ but ‘rahbar’ . Because you are very wrong. All thugs call him Agha. Read this news clip in which M. Khatami calls him Agha. http://sahamnews.org/?p=551

If you ask me he is a pathetic Common Criminal and SL stands for Supreme Loony. And I spell his last name as Khannei.

Josh and Joanne says:

26 January 2010 at 10:07

(not in the mood for politics right now but…)

That picture prompted the Obi-wan Karroubi name.

J/J

Peace Maker says:

26 January 2010 at 12:16

Jimbo,

I think You and Mr. Azadi are quite right .
Referring to someone as “Agha” , alone ( no name attached) ,
is equivalent to calling him “master” or “head of the family ” .
But when one says agha-”ye” Kamenei (adding a name )
It is like saying Mr. Tom ,Dick or Harry ,….. and so it is in this “ordinary” way that
(as J/J puts ) Obi-wan Karoubi has regarded Khamenei in his declaration.

Karrubi reloaded « FREE IRAN NOW! says:

26 January 2010 at 12:25

[...] vielleicht gar nicht. Und bedeutet gar das Gegenteil. Eine interessante differenzierte Deutung bei enduring america. Veröffentlicht in Hintergrund. Schlagwörter: Iran, Karrubi, Propaganda. Kommentar [...]

26 January 2010 at 15:34

Peace Maker, I think I get it, like we have the English phrase “The Man”. If you were to say The Man when you were talking about Obama without using his name, it would be a compliment, but if you said “the man Obama” it would be a way to point out that he’s just another man.

26 January 2010 at 15:36

Well actually “The Man” isn’t always a compliment, I forgot it can also be a euphemism for The Establishment or those in power trying to maintain the status quo.

Greeny says:

26 January 2010 at 16:42

It is looking like Karoubi made a mistake in speaking to the Fars News reporter yesterday. It seems not to have been an interview (unline what Fars says) but Karoubi was asked a question in passing on the fringes of the Mardonsalari Party congress. He seems to have answered a question the reporter had asked him whether he (paraphrasing) “accepted the legitimacy of the popularly elected president” (this is basically how reporters in IRI interview people; they make a statement which is pro-SL and ask the “interviewee” to confirm it. There could be severe consequences if you don’t confirm the statement).

Karoubi and the people around him seem to be trying to clear up the mess now.

The Jaras report about Ali Larijani’s son being arrested on Ashura and details about Khatami’s letter to SL may be part of this cleaning up process, where they throw a couple of punches at SL & co to remind that they can hit back.

PS. I am thinking the “Mr. Khamanei” thing was either a slip of the tongue or a deliberate reporting “error” by Saham News (again as part of the hitting back process). In interviews with BBC, Radio Farda, etc Karoubi Jr did not repeat the “Kr Khamenei” thing, referring to SL as “rahbari” (leader) or “magham-e rahbari”

Hossein says:

26 January 2010 at 18:13

The remark about snakes on his shoulders is the best.

MELLI AND MELLAT : BANKRUPTCY FOR IRANIAN BANKS!

2010-01-25T19:26:00.008Z

I am anonymous, because that's safer for me.

It's been a while since I've been able to post but I wanted to share with you all news of rumours about a run on one of Iran's largest banks Bank Melli Iran - known here as Bank-e Melli.

Today (26 January 2010) I have an update and more information for you - the banking crisis extends to at least two major banks - Melli and Mellat.

Update and more information - Tuesday 26 January 2010

The government has told the banks that it has no money to inject into banks!
Riots at the Banks in Iran
Mousavi, Mousavi chants at the Bazaar

Two banks (Melli and Mellat) are planning to withhold funds from people in order to pay back their loans to bigger investors before March. The excuse they are using is that in order to do their end of the Iranian year calculations, they need to close people's accounts for a while!

The City of Tehran

This is an excerpt of the news from Tehran a few days ago before the news was spread by word of mouth and the subsequent rush by the people to the above mentioned banks in order withdraw their funds.

Yesterday around Rug Bazaar of Tehran, a big crowd had gathered and the number of people who were demanding to withdraw their money was increasing by the minute.

At 11:30 am the accounts booth announced that it was out of cash and that it was only able to issue inter-bank notes but the majority of people objected. The head of the branch then announced to the people that it's only a rumor that the bank is going bankrupt and that there was no need to empty their accounts but he was faced with customers who were demanding their money. The verbal attacks got louder and finally the security stepped in which made the situation worse.

A few minutes later the special guard units entered the branch and beat people up in the worst possible way using batons and closed the door on people. The beaten-up customers then started chanting "Mousavi, Mousavi" outside the bank.

A few of the surrounding shops upon hearing the chants closed down their stores and the Rug Bazaar turned into a security zone and anti-riot police situated itself around the bank.

Since Saturday news has leaked out about secret meeting of the government regarding the banks going bankrupt. In these meetings Ahmadinejad, the head of Central Bank and also a few heads of government banks handed a secret report about the bank crisis to Ahmadinejad and the two aforementioned banks (Melli and Mellat) announced their bankruptcy and asked the government for urgent help.

The news about this meeting quickly spread within the upper echelon of Tehran's Bazaar and, following this news, owners of the larger commercial firms decided to withdraw their cash from these two banks. This coincided with the decision by the banks to not allow withdrawals over $15,000 and the big investors started using the back door technique of using bounced checks to get around this rule. (Bounced checks need to be paid by law!)

Since last Friday people have been text messaging each other about the bankruptcy of the two banks of Melli and Mellat.

In the city of Isfahan

The Melli bank branches in Isfahan was also faced with a rush of people demanding to withdraw their money. At Chahar-Bagha and 33-Pol branches there were long lines and the presence of security forces inside the bank branches of Melli Bank shows how much the regime is afraid of riots at the banks. At 12 pm Chahar-Bagh branch ran into cash problems and people who were standing in line for hours were sent home and the bank doors were shut. This triggered off people chanting outside the banks.

Marand, Iran

People in Marand were confronted with bank officials saying:

"We have no money to pay"
"We need to wait until a customer deposits cash"
"Come back at 2 pm"

People stood in lines until 2 pm only to realize there was $500,000 set aside for a particular person! The protests began and people began to clash with the bank's security personnel and it turned physical. During the melee some people began helping themselves to cash and the bank alarms went off.

The Government's Version - Or, the propaganda!

Not surprisingly, another version of the above news has been printed by official news agencies:

Sadeghieh, Tehran

People clash with police at a Melli bank branch which causes injuries to one of the bank customers and the closing down of the bank. People had gone to the bank from early morning hours to withdraw their money only face empty vaults. People began shouting and demanding their money and were trying to cash their checks but the officials of the said branch were unable to respond even from early morning hours due to lack of funds.

The bank employees blame bigger customers who had withdrawn hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from the bank last Saturday. Other branches faced the same problem and in most branches the bank officials had asked customers to either use inter-bank notes or to wait until funds arrive from the central branch. But after half hour, instead of funds arriving, the security forces arrived and clashed with people inside the branches.

The anti-riot police ordered people to leave the banks which was met with resistance by people. In Sadeghieh branch one of the bank officials threw his pencil holder at a customer who happened to be a middle aged woman. Out of fear of retribution by angry crowd, he then started cursing at the regime officials in a loud voice. The middle aged woman was then taken to a hospital by people for head injuries. The bank official had a name tag: "Ebrahim Ghorani".

They were finally able to kick people out of the banks and close the doors. The extent of lack of funds was such that the head of a branch had ordered bank employees to empty the cash counting machines!

*******************************************

Original post - Monday 25 January 2010

People say that this bank is going to close down its branches on Wednesday 27 January 2010.

A friend told me this morning that people are rushing to BMI branches to withdraw their money.

This may be "just a rumour", but people are taking it seriously!

Today in Tehran I saw people with BMI cards in hand at every ATM I passed. They are asking:

What if BMI hasn't got my money next week?

WHY CHUCK IS SO INVOLVED WITH THE "GREENS"

2010-01-23T15:56:00.005Z

Chuck Hamilton is an American with a big heart. He has written a heart-warming story about how he became so involved in the cause of the Iranian people fighting for their rights to freedom and democracy.

I'm reproducing it here. Thank you Chuck on behalf of all the Iranian people. The support of the World means a LOT to the people of Iran.

**************************************

WHY I DO IT: Why I am so involved with Iran issues and the Iranian people

I have been asked many times why I am so interested in Iran, why I care so much about the Iranian people, why do I put so much time into supporting the green movement. Even one of my longest-time Iranian friends whom I’ve know for over three years asked me that recently.

With everything that’s been going on the past several months and is still going on now, I never really answer the why because I have so many complex emotions about it that I am not sure if I know the full answer myself yet. I can, and do, however, answer with the how.

At the time of the Iranian 1357 (1979) Revolution, I had been aware of events on and off for the past couple of years since I have always been an avid consumer of news. I watched the events of the revolution and its aftermath unfold, then like all Americans found myself riveted to the Hostage Crisis.

During this time, I got my first job, at a steakhouse. I was the dishwasher in the restaurant’s scullery, and was partnered with an Iranian college student who was the steak cook; every shift I worked he worked also. Even though most Americans were happily, or angrily, singing “Bomb bomb bomb, Bomb bomb Iran” to the tune of “Barbara Ann”, I went out of my way to reach out to Mehdi (the only person I will name here).

Upon learning he was unable to return home due to the hostage crisis, I got him to teach me a few words of Farsi so that maybe hearing them would make him a little less homesick. Since we were working most of the time, the conversations were limited to just a few words but I always liked to see his face light up.

Of course, there were also the few occasions when he called me up drunk and depressed, speaking rapidly in Farsi. It was somewhat amusing but mostly heartbeaking.

I’d started in March of my junior year in high school which was also his second year at the community college. After he graduated in June, he moved away to continue his education and I never saw him again. Seven months later, the hostages were released, and I hope he got to go home at least for a visit to see his family.

In the years that followed, hearing news about the Iranian Cultural Revolution, the harsh repression of dissent, the crushing of the Left, the imposition of sharia, the Iran-Iraq War, the Iran-Contra Affair, and the student movement of 1999, I often worried about my friend Mehdi and hoped that he had managed to remain in the States.

I kept up casually with news from Iran in those and later years, the mass murder of the Tudeh, the Mojahedin Khalq, and other leftists, the displacement of Ayatollah Montazeri, the rise of Ayatollah Rafsanjani, and other events. But Iran did not really come back into focus for me until the events of 9/11.

I had been in the Philippines during the Baguio earthquake of 1990 and in the aftermath of that disaster, which collapsed numerous large buildings in the region, they found people buried in the rubble up to two weeks later. With that memory, I held out hope (futilely as it turned out) for the same at the site of the World Trade Center. Because of this I was glued to the TV 20-22 hours a day.

One report that stood out vividly in my mind dealt with reaction around the world and the outpouring of sympathy. The part that really caught my attention was about one million people holding a vigil in Tehran in support of the victims and their families (a number I’ve since learned was greatly exaggerated). I felt pride in the citizens of my friend Mehdi’s homeland.

Then came Bush’s State of the Union address in January, and I was shocked and appalled to hear Iran named as one the the three members of the “axis of evil”. That was the beginning of the belligerent propaganda coming out the neocon White House that helped put the final nails in the coffin of President Khatami’s reform program and bring to office Mahmoud Ahmadi Nejad with the illegal assistance of the Sepah (Revolutionary Guard) and Basij in his first stolen election. This was a tragedy for the Iranian people.

In 2006, I joined my first social network, the now defunct Yahoo360. After not doing much with it at all, I logged on one day to find a comment left by a female college student in Iran. With an exchange of comments and mails on the Yahoo360 system, I’d made my first Iranian friend in over 25 years.

Through her, more followed. The total number of my friends on Yahoo360 was never high, not more than twenty-five, but of those all were Iranian except two, and one of those was from Uruguay. With my new friends I discussed history, Iranian poetry, even facts about Shia Islam, but never politics. We even looked at each other’s poetry and other writings. Although I was in my forties, they were all college-aged, (with one exception, a precocious high school student), but since I was in the process of working out a way for me to go back to college myself, in that sense we were peers.

All were reluctant to discuss their daily lives. I could sense, however, their frustration, their isolation, their loneliness. The words in the first stanza of Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A."--You end up like a dog that's been beat too much 'til you spend half your life just covering up--describe the impression I felt exactly.

There were two expections to not talking about politics. One was, and still is on Facebook, a dear friend who had been out of university a few years and many times discussed his frustrations and cynicism with life in the Islamic Republic. The other is one of my dearest friends ever, to whom I was drawn first by her Che Guevara wallpaper on her profile and second by a series of pictures she had on her blog there depiciting the emotional pain of American soldiers in Iraq, showing them as victims of the war too.

Even with these two good friends, I didn’t talk, I just listened. My sole statement about politics was my blast (what would in Facebook be a status message): “People should not be afraid of their governments; governments should be afraid of their people”, then at the bottom of the page, a quote (from myself): “I am a Terran, a citizen of Earth. The whole world is my home, and all its people my brothers, sisters, cousins.” I kept those in their place nearly the entire time I was on Yahoo360, until the spring of 2009 when someone translated them into Farsi for me.

That was when my college graduate friend began expressing hope, being involved with Mir Hossein Mousavi’s campaign for president. I heard from him only occasionally, and from my Che-loving friend (now 18) not much at all because of her intense involvement in the campaign. From both of them I felt a sense of hope for change, a hope which my other Iranian friends, now no longer silent about politics, society, and culture, expressed.

With them I eagerly anticipated the election. Watching the election be stolen on 12 June, I felt depressed and robbed. When media commentators, unaware of the deep levels of discontent across all levels of society in Iran, expressed surprise at the number of demonstrators pouring out into the streets across Iran that evening, my first reaction to them was to shrug my shoulders as if to say, “What did you expect?”.

Then came the harsh crackdowns on the night of 13 June. Now it was no longer shrugging my shoulders, it was “Hey! Those are my friends! Oh my God…”.

For the next couple of weeks, my TV stayed tuned to CNN as I sat at the computer sending out messages of support on Yahoo360 to a growing number of connections and frantically searching out all across the internet for news and information. Before June, I had heard of Twitter but had no idea what is was. To me, Youtube was a vehicle for distributing stupid human tricks and music videos. Facebook was something I had joined to humor a college friend. Not any more.

In addition to my activities on Yahoo360, I emailed all the information I could to every Iranian contact in my address book. Two sources I found particularly reliable were, and still are, Tehran Bureau and the Green Briefs of Josh Shahryar’s “Why We Protest” (now on the Daily Nite Owl). Upon learning that Yahoo360 would go ahead with its planned closure, I repeatedly warned and gave notice to all my friends on the network and told them to spread the word so that everyone could stay in contact with the outside world.

The rest of the summer, I followed events all day long on a variety of sources. Once Yahoo360 shut down, I began posting to Facebook. By that time, I was connected through 360 to nearly 75 Iranian friends, most of whom, thankfully, are on Facebook. Toward the end of my time on 360, I made friends with an upcoming university student who kept me company most of the time I was on the net nearly every day through a chat utility for the rest of the summer, becoming (and has remained) a very dear friend.

Regarding the nuclear issue, as much anti-nuke as I am, I couldn’t care less about it in the situation with Iran. For both Ahmadi Nejad and the rest of the leaders in the world, it is a chimera, a façade, a St. Elmo’s Fire, shiny car keys jingled to distract the masses. I don't care about Iran for the U.S., or for the world; I care about Iran for Iran.

Iranians need to know that they are not alone, that the world is paying attention. They need information about what is going on in their own country because they can’t get true information in their totalitarian regime. They need to know that the rest of us humans support them.

Why do I do it? Because people should not be afraid of their governments; governments should be afraid of their people. I do it because I am a Terran, a citizen of Earth; Iran is part of my home, and all Iranians are my brothers, sisters, and cousins.

Esteghlal! Azadi! Jomhooreye Irani! Azadi va Barabari va Edalat baraye hamae Iran: Rooze ma khahad amad! V V V

(P.S.: Some of the best sources for news about Iran are here on Facebook - Iran Election News, Freedom Messenger, Iran Citizen Journalism, Persian2English, Revolutionary Road, and Enduring America.)

FEEL FREE TO SHARE. If anyone is willing to translate this into Persian/Farsi, please let me know.

COUP D'ETAT GOVT HAD TO "BUS IN" PROTESTERS FOR ITS RALLY !!

2010-01-04T15:22:00.009Z

I am anonymous, because that's safer for me.

I originally wrote this in Farsi and, with apologies for the delay, have only just translated it into English. It was originally written on 29 December 2009, after a friend sent information to me.

*******************************

Perhaps you wondered why some smaller cities were holding their "pro-government" rally today Tuesday (Dec., 29, 2009), at 15:00? One day before Tehran’s rally?

This morning I traveled to Isfahan for a business meeting, and returned to Tehran at 17:00. When I was at Shahin-shahr crossroad (30 KM (18.6 Miles) from the Isfahan-Tehran Expressway) I saw a large number of buses.

The high quantity of buses made me very suspicious. And when I looked closely at the number plates, the appearance of the people on the buses and the flags they were showing, I realized that buses were belonged to Islamic Revolutionary Guards.

The buses were taking Isfahan’s pro-Govt protesters to Tehran.

When I got Kashan, there were ten buses - all with the Kerman number plate, or Kerman’s governmental emblem, all looking exactly the same!

It was obvious to me that all these buses - in Isfahan and Kerman - were put on by the IRG and Government to take the people who had protested on 29 December to the capital city of Tehran to rally again tomorrow, December 30th 2009!

Another give-away was that ALL the people on the buses were men, no women to be seen, so be sure that pro-governmental rally of Tehran on Wednesday (30 December) will attended by very the low population of Basij-women of Tehran, and all Basij-Men of Tehran, Isfahan, Kerman, Lorestan, Gorgan and Azerbaijan in Tehran!

The lower number of women at their rally on tomorrow (Wednesday Dec., 30, 2009) will prove my idea that they are doing this to in order to gather more than 8,000 people which will be a huge disgrace for the coup d'etat Government currently occupying MY country - like what happened at the pro-governmental rally when pictures of Ayatollah Khomeini were ripped up!

*******************************

Original Farsi text :

چرا بعضی شهرستانها یک روز زودتر از تهران تظاهرات دولتی داشتند؟

با تشکر از دوستی که این خبر را برایم فرستاد

گزارش دريافتی : شاید شما هم تعجب کردید که چرا بعضی شهرستانها امروز،۳شنبه تظاهرات دولتی داشتند
یعنی یک روز زودتر از تهران .

امروز صبح برای کاری، ۱روز به اصفهان رفتم و ۵ عصر به تهران برگشتم، از دوراهی شاهین شهر در ۳۰ کیلومتری جاده اصفهانتهران به تعداد زیادی اتوبوس برخوردم. زیادی اتوبوسها منو به شک واداشت تا اینکه با دقت در پلاک، وضعيت آدمهای توش و پرچمهای داخل نکاه کردم، دیدم اتوبوسهای سپاه دولتی همون تظاهر کنندگان اصفهان را به تهران میبرند، وقتی به کاشان رسیدم ۱۰ها اتوبوس با نمرهٔ کرمان یا ارمهای دولتی استان کرمان باز با همون افراد معلوم حال در صف بودند.
تعداد اتوبوسهای سپاهی و دولتی استانهای اصفهان و کرمان بقدری در جاده چشمگیر بود که فقط و فقط حکایت از آوردن اونها از مراسم امروز اصفهان و کرمان به تهران برای تظاهرات فرمایشی ۴شنبه حکایت داره.
نکتهٔ دیگه اینکه همشون مرد بودند و هیچ اتوبوسی زن توش نبود،پس مطمئن باشید تظاهرات فردا با تعداد بسیار کمی از زنان بسیجی تهران و بسیجیان مرد اصفهان کرمان لرستان گرگان و آذربایجان در تهران!!!برگزار خواهد شد!
کمبودن زنان نسبت به مردان در تظاهرات ۴شنبهٔ دولت حرف منو به شما ثابت خواهد کرد اینکارو کردن تا مثل پاره کردن عکس خمینی با۸۰۰۰نفر آبروشون نرود

TEHRAN NEWS - 4 JANUARY 2010

2010-01-04T12:36:00.008Z

I am anonymous, because that's safer for me.

Today I will try to give you the news as I hear it. All times given will be Iran. GMT is -3.5 hours.

My friends - the green movement is far from defeated.

18:09

To explain my earlier post (and I apologise I was not in a good place to go into too much detail earlier). The texts circulating relate to a TV-show in Iran - a live TV-show, Adel Ferdowsi Pour is the host. He usually put an issue to the poll and viewers text/sms in to vote!

The text circulating on behalf of the greens is asking people to vote for the last option - no matter what it is - to show the unity of the people. No matter what people's normal choice/vote would be on tonight's show and poll, supporters are asked to text in voting for the last option!

However, one word of caution, this may just be a money-making exercise from the IRGC - the Revolutionary Guards!!

16:00

This text/SMS began circulating within Tehran last night at 11pm.

ba sherkat dar sms 90 va entekhabe akharin gozineh, etehade milioni-e sabzha ra eelam mikonim, 2shanbe saat 11, send2all

[send the last option of the poll of 90 (the most popular soccer tv - show in Iran) to show the million unity of the greens]

SCENES AT DASTHEIB MOSQUE SURPASS HORRORS OF BATTLEFIELD!

2010-01-01T22:01:00.016Z

Freedom for Iran is saddened to hear that the EVIL Islamic regime in Iran has finally managed to close the Dastgheib Mosque in Shiraz. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Mohammad Dastgheib is one of the leading clerics who has been critical of the Regime's actions in the recent past.

Thugs had surrounded the mosque for days, throwing bricks and stones and chanting slogans against the Ayatollah and others who have been critical of June's election results, the Regime's human rights abuses, and the deaths that took place on the holy day of Ashura. The Ayatollah's supporters were been reported to have stayed at the scene constantly to prevent these thugs from entering the mosque.

Last Friday night (1/1/10) there was yet another appalling attack on the on this mosque.

In more appalling acts of intimidation and violence against peaceful worshippers, plain-clothed security forces, accompanied by basijis, attacked, entering the mosque, threatening to set it alight.

Our first witness reported overhearing a basiji officer saying :

"Go contact the beyt [Kamenei's HQ] to see if we have to finish them off right now or not!!!"

But, presumably because it was an attack on a mosque, the Supreme Leadership maintained contact while Friday's attack was taking place and apparently banned the thugs from taking that final step - burning the mosque down!

Our second eye-witness, a cleric, described the violence as the worst he had seen since his battlefield experiences during the Iran/Iraq war!

This man, although a hojjat-al-islam (leading cleric), has always refused to serve the regime and has therefore not fared well. He has been banned from giving sermons in mosques and has been deprived of his income as a result of this.

For more than 20 years this highly educated man - one with high human rights standards who refused to serve the regime - and his family have been forced to live very meagerly, unable to earn a decent living. A similar story indeed to Ayatollah Dastgheib who, although completely capable of abusing his high rank of clerical class never does so - he too lives in a poor rental house, in the downtown area of Shiraz.

Our dear friend, the cleric, described what happened to him during the Iran/Iraq war - his previous "horror story" and I recount it for you below :
My worst memory was there on the battlefield
Once we, myself and my column of Iranians, were marching towards a rally point
On the way we were ambushed by the Iraqis and they had us under fire
They killed almost all of my fellow soldiers
I was not shot as one of my friends fell onto me
But I couldn't move as the Iraqis were there and could shoot at any moment
I laid among the corpses of the soldiers all night long, among bloody cold bodies
A cold, cold night with so many corpses around me, while machine guns were waiting above to shoot me
The next day Iranian troops arrived to push the Iraqis back
They rescued me and the dead bodies
I was saved
That night has never left me - it haunts me

BUT, our cleric tells me, the scene at the Dastgheib Mosque equalled - surpassed - the horror of laying, terrified and scared, on that battlefield all night long, surrounded by those corpses !!!

*********************************

Freedom for Iran says :

Shame on you all, basijis and plain-clothed security forces

Shame on the Islamic Republic of Iran for their blatant disregard of human rights conventions and laws

A PERSONAL ACCOUNT FROM A GREEN SUPPORTER IN AMERICA

2009-12-31T10:08:00.010Z

This is a story from a Green Supporter who lives in San Jose, San Francisco, CA.

Last Wednesday (30 December 2009) John attended a Green Rally in support of the Iranian Green Movement.

The Freedom for Iran blog would like to give special thanks to this great supporter.

***************************

I had to walk there and back, and it was NOT a short walk from Sunnyvale to Santana Row in San Jose. I made it though …

I wanted to share with you all some impressions, especially as regards comparisons with the November 4 rally by the same group in the same spot.

We definitely had more people this time. I tried to count but couldn't...we're not talking mega rally, but definitely over 125 people….

That last point doesn't matter though because the main comparison I want to make is between the responses from passersby (honking and shouting and giving signs of support)....

The response from Americans of all walks of life, social groups, ethnicities etc was very encouraging on November 4. AND this time is was incomparably more so. Not just because of how many more people turned out, but because of how enthusiastically, passionately, and adamantly they did it! …

This showed to me that within the last two weeks the Iranian people's bravery and the regime's utter depravity have finally registered pretty damn deeply with the American people, media coverage or not.

We also tried to march though Santa Row, a very posh upscale pedestrian outdoor shopping mall, but security stopped us after the first block or so, and we had to exit and go back to where we were. (They also filmed us. Give me a break! Our brothers and sisters brave Basijis cameramen and we're supposed to say OH EEK to a couple of mall cops?! PLEASE!!)

We were getting shouts and honks of support the whole way though, even when I honestly couldn't figure out how the passers-by could see the banners and signs from where they started honking.

I am only just now realizing that in many instances, I think these people actually circled around after seeing our signs the first time just so they could drive by and do that. Come to think of it, in every such case, the driver was honking while passengers were leaning of out the windows and screaming (I mean SCREAMING) their support while flashing V signs or some other sign of support.

The chants were good (my vocal chords beg to differ...I'm just glad my crummy throat didn't give out--my stage voice from all those high school plays came through! I was one of the loudest on my end of the group, which snaked around a curb), we did a two minute silence in memory of all those killed. [NB: On Ashura]

Before and after that, they sang an old hymn. I can't remember if it's the one written back in the 1940s, because they sang two, and one of them I JUST HAVE to learn the name, not only because of tonight, but because for the last month it's been popping into my head and haunting me at the most random time, when I'm not even thinking about our common cause. And I'm not complaining, I welcome it when it pops unexpectedly into my head. I had to smile when they started singing it. I just wish there was a way I could confirm which one it is? I can only hum it, which doesn't exactly help in this forum. [NB: Subsequently established that the song was Yare Dabestani http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4LY-HB]

John

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THE AFTERMATH OF ASHURA - TUESDAY 29 DECEMBER 2009

2009-12-29T10:05:00.011Z

I am anonymous - because that's safer for me.

Today is Tuesday 30 December. My city of Tehran remains tense. It erupted in chaos and flames on Sunday - Ashura and the 7th day of mourning for Grand Ayatollah Montazeri. This has continued to a large extent ever since.

This blog explains, from my perspective, what's happening in Tehran today.

All times given are Iran. GMT is minus 3.5 hours.

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