Cleon
King of the Pod People
Again, dunno. Like I said, no way to tell. There's also the provincial aspect; MJ's death is "closer to home" for Americans than Iran is.
Didja Hear About Iran?
- Thread starter GreNME
- Start date
Again, dunno. Like I said, no way to tell. There's also the provincial aspect; MJ's death is "closer to home" for Americans than Iran is.
Travis
Misanthrope of the Mountains
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Unfortunately there isn't necessarily a correlation between what is important and what people find interesting.
It should be noted that while the vast majority of Americans have never been to Iran, or even know any Iranians, they have virtually all seen the video of Thriller.
DC
Banned
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Darth Rotor
Salted Sith Cynic
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I have been advised that it is not quite correct: photoshopped or some such. Otherwise I'd think about using it somewhere in my sig, or something.
GreNME
Philosopher
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More goings on in Iran. For those who thought things were dying out with the protests, read on.
Yesterday, a human chain was planned in Tehran, going from Tajrish Square and the Railway. Naturally, the Basij forces were around to 'guard' things, as well as plainclothes police and security forces. Undeterred, protesters still gathered Mellat Park, Vali Asr Field, Vanak and Vali Asr Avenue and tried to form their human chain. Cell phone coverage was shut down, and security was pretty high. The police were the first to try and disperse the crowd followed quickly by Basij and reports of violence. Some said the police were smashing people’s car windows and slashing their tires with knives for honking their horns, but this could also have been the Basij.
Today people gathered again at Vali Asr Square, and predictably the place was full of security to prevent it. Guards at Vanak Square were again reported as breaking car windows for those that honked their horns (which is allegedly a signal of the protests). There's are unconfirmed reports that police tried to arrest a young girl, resulting in some violent resistance. There is also a report that 10 people were arrested at Tajrish Square after a group gathering there chanted against the regime. Clashes were also reported in other parts of the city. There were supposedly other gatherings, but reports are slim. Mousavi and Karoubi have denied having anything to do with yesterday’s protests. Additionally, more than one Iranian newspaper was stopped from printing.
A couple days ago a statement from the government stated that people needed to take their claims of problems during the protests to the courts. Today, around 2,000 people gathered in front of the Islamic Republic Court in Urumieh asking about their missing (presumed detained) relatives. The number of people that have been detained can't be verified, but some are saying it's in the thousands. Anmesty International has expressed concerns about the political and civil figures that have been detained in Iran so far. One of those detained yesterday was Bijan Khajehpour, a political economist, in connection to the protesters and Mousavi. While about 280 people were freed today, the man who is in charge, Saed Mortazavi, has made statements indicating that many of the others who are detained will be charged for crimes that may mean death.
Mousavi today stated that the actions of the regime toward the people-- the mass arrests, the rigged elections-- were going to stir anti-Revolution sentiments in the Iranian people, which would threaten the Islamic Revolution and the Iranian Republic. There was also talk of more national strikes.
Other political figures spoke out directly against the government or appealed to Iran's constitution or national stability. Khatami stated that a change in the security presence on the streets of Iran was needed, and the formation of an independent commission to investigate complaints against the election was needed. He commented that "force should not be used to make people do what one wants them to." Karoubi announced in a letter to that Iranian people that he didn’t recognize the government’s legitimacy. Karoubi stated that he entered the election for "change" and reform, and that the outcome of the election was blatantly manipulated. Karoubi spoke against the widespread arrests and asked officials for the immediate release of all detainees. He offered to work with different groups on this because he perceived the Iran and Islam to be in threatened currently. Ayatollah Taheri-- former Imam of Isfahan (Friday services)-- called the current situation Mousavi is in (under armed guard, essentially house arrest) violated his rights, and Ahmadinejad's appointment as the winner of the election illegal. He said that the current government is going to be driven into past history by the current regime's actions. One member of parliament stated that Taheri was no longer a qualified cleric, while another in parliament said that all who are acting against the Iranian people are going against God's will.
Yesterday, a human chain was planned in Tehran, going from Tajrish Square and the Railway. Naturally, the Basij forces were around to 'guard' things, as well as plainclothes police and security forces. Undeterred, protesters still gathered Mellat Park, Vali Asr Field, Vanak and Vali Asr Avenue and tried to form their human chain. Cell phone coverage was shut down, and security was pretty high. The police were the first to try and disperse the crowd followed quickly by Basij and reports of violence. Some said the police were smashing people’s car windows and slashing their tires with knives for honking their horns, but this could also have been the Basij.
Today people gathered again at Vali Asr Square, and predictably the place was full of security to prevent it. Guards at Vanak Square were again reported as breaking car windows for those that honked their horns (which is allegedly a signal of the protests). There's are unconfirmed reports that police tried to arrest a young girl, resulting in some violent resistance. There is also a report that 10 people were arrested at Tajrish Square after a group gathering there chanted against the regime. Clashes were also reported in other parts of the city. There were supposedly other gatherings, but reports are slim. Mousavi and Karoubi have denied having anything to do with yesterday’s protests. Additionally, more than one Iranian newspaper was stopped from printing.
A couple days ago a statement from the government stated that people needed to take their claims of problems during the protests to the courts. Today, around 2,000 people gathered in front of the Islamic Republic Court in Urumieh asking about their missing (presumed detained) relatives. The number of people that have been detained can't be verified, but some are saying it's in the thousands. Anmesty International has expressed concerns about the political and civil figures that have been detained in Iran so far. One of those detained yesterday was Bijan Khajehpour, a political economist, in connection to the protesters and Mousavi. While about 280 people were freed today, the man who is in charge, Saed Mortazavi, has made statements indicating that many of the others who are detained will be charged for crimes that may mean death.
Mousavi today stated that the actions of the regime toward the people-- the mass arrests, the rigged elections-- were going to stir anti-Revolution sentiments in the Iranian people, which would threaten the Islamic Revolution and the Iranian Republic. There was also talk of more national strikes.
Other political figures spoke out directly against the government or appealed to Iran's constitution or national stability. Khatami stated that a change in the security presence on the streets of Iran was needed, and the formation of an independent commission to investigate complaints against the election was needed. He commented that "force should not be used to make people do what one wants them to." Karoubi announced in a letter to that Iranian people that he didn’t recognize the government’s legitimacy. Karoubi stated that he entered the election for "change" and reform, and that the outcome of the election was blatantly manipulated. Karoubi spoke against the widespread arrests and asked officials for the immediate release of all detainees. He offered to work with different groups on this because he perceived the Iran and Islam to be in threatened currently. Ayatollah Taheri-- former Imam of Isfahan (Friday services)-- called the current situation Mousavi is in (under armed guard, essentially house arrest) violated his rights, and Ahmadinejad's appointment as the winner of the election illegal. He said that the current government is going to be driven into past history by the current regime's actions. One member of parliament stated that Taheri was no longer a qualified cleric, while another in parliament said that all who are acting against the Iranian people are going against God's will.
GreNME
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More people speaking in Parliament (videos): Imam Ali and Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian. So far, Mousavi has so far stated the goals of reform movement as: a stop to military attacks on the people, reform of election law, and freedom of the press as well as the freedom to gather in protest. Mousavi has released another statement, “No opportunity to illuminate the extent of this lie and its historic repercussions should be lost and that the liars and cheats are only sheltering behind the law to impose their intentions... It’s our historic mission to continue our protest and not abandon the cause of regaining people's rights.”
Former president Khatami publicly stated, "How can the Iranian people calm down when their votes were stolen? When their blood is and has been shed? When they are being hauled away and arrested en masse? When the government and media blatantly ignore them? How is a National reconciliation even remotely possible in a country that is turning into a police state?” He also stated that the current actions being taken against the people are directly against the current constitution, and the media is complicit in provoking more problems.
There were reportedly more citizen protests both the 1st and 2nd of July, as well as clashes as Basij. Also, recall the post I made earlier of claims of non-Iranians being brought in as muscle? This interview (English translation) with a Basij trucked in from one of the poorer areas of Iran confirms that there were Arabs brought in from Lebanon to fight as Basij forces. Is it trustworthy? This claim has come from several sources now, so unless different presumably unconnected people are all lying the likelihood is that there has been outside interference going on-- from the Ahmadinejad side of the fight and using forces otherwise connected to the terrorist groups supported by the Khamenei/Ahmadinejad regime.
There is a small faction in the Iranian Parliament who is asking families of detained citizens to send in their missing reports and grievances, in order to bring them up through government channels. An Imam has reported finding four unopened boxes of ballots from the election (pictures, though this is currently unconfirmed at this time (and may not matter anyway considering the government's stance).
The news agency Al-Arabiya’s website has a claim that an Egyptian lawyer connected to the Muslim Brotherhood, Mamdouh Ismail, has filed a complaint to Egypt’s Prosecutor General’s Office. He asked them to ban Ahmadinejad from entering Egypt next month for a diplomatic meeting. Some hard-liners in parliament are calling for Mousavi to be officially charged as a criminal. Ahmadinejad, in his infinite wisdom, is said to have called the claims of election-rigging as realistic a claim as the Holocaust-- I can't find any confirmation of this yet, but holy carp if he actually said this it's going to make him the biggest ass on the planet.
There may or may not be protests slated for today/tomorrow (June 3rd), and a possible new attempt at a human chain on Sunday. Between the protesters themselves and a group of mothers to those who have died already, it's looking like momentum is starting to level off on-the-ground in Tehran, which gives those in Qom and in parliament who are growing more supportive of Mousavi's arguments more credit. Here's hoping.
Former president Khatami publicly stated, "How can the Iranian people calm down when their votes were stolen? When their blood is and has been shed? When they are being hauled away and arrested en masse? When the government and media blatantly ignore them? How is a National reconciliation even remotely possible in a country that is turning into a police state?” He also stated that the current actions being taken against the people are directly against the current constitution, and the media is complicit in provoking more problems.
There were reportedly more citizen protests both the 1st and 2nd of July, as well as clashes as Basij. Also, recall the post I made earlier of claims of non-Iranians being brought in as muscle? This interview (English translation) with a Basij trucked in from one of the poorer areas of Iran confirms that there were Arabs brought in from Lebanon to fight as Basij forces. Is it trustworthy? This claim has come from several sources now, so unless different presumably unconnected people are all lying the likelihood is that there has been outside interference going on-- from the Ahmadinejad side of the fight and using forces otherwise connected to the terrorist groups supported by the Khamenei/Ahmadinejad regime.
There is a small faction in the Iranian Parliament who is asking families of detained citizens to send in their missing reports and grievances, in order to bring them up through government channels. An Imam has reported finding four unopened boxes of ballots from the election (pictures, though this is currently unconfirmed at this time (and may not matter anyway considering the government's stance).
The news agency Al-Arabiya’s website has a claim that an Egyptian lawyer connected to the Muslim Brotherhood, Mamdouh Ismail, has filed a complaint to Egypt’s Prosecutor General’s Office. He asked them to ban Ahmadinejad from entering Egypt next month for a diplomatic meeting. Some hard-liners in parliament are calling for Mousavi to be officially charged as a criminal. Ahmadinejad, in his infinite wisdom, is said to have called the claims of election-rigging as realistic a claim as the Holocaust-- I can't find any confirmation of this yet, but holy carp if he actually said this it's going to make him the biggest ass on the planet.
There may or may not be protests slated for today/tomorrow (June 3rd), and a possible new attempt at a human chain on Sunday. Between the protesters themselves and a group of mothers to those who have died already, it's looking like momentum is starting to level off on-the-ground in Tehran, which gives those in Qom and in parliament who are growing more supportive of Mousavi's arguments more credit. Here's hoping.
GreNME
Philosopher
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I've forgotten to update this and gotten sidetracked by other threads. The protests and gatherings are far from over, though.
For the better part of a week, particularly since about Thursday and Friday of last week, family of detained protesters have been gathering outside of Evin Prison in Tehran. On the 6th of July people also brought flowers and gifts for prisoners (Father's Day is recognized on the 6th of July there). Tehran isn't the only place seeing demonstrations, as there were several reports of demonstrations in Mashad last week as well. There's some speculation that possibly up to five people were killed and hundreds detained, but there aren't any confirmations. Ahmadinejad has ordered several university dorms closed, and several universities aren't even holding classes right now due to the protests and missing students (there are some 2,000 detainees estimated, many of them students). Even given that, and including facing tear gas and live fire people are still marching and protesting against Ahmadinejad. The Association of Iranian University Graduates has released a statement stating, "the government was out to suppress opposition by any means possible escalating from the rigged elections." This is also in connection with many Iranian professors signing a letter of anger and resentment for the attacks made on the Iranian people by the government security forces.
This is not confirmed as being in connection to the protesters, but 5000 workers in the city Shush have gone on strike at the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Plantation. Other unconfirmed reports are that some people are writing anti-government slogans on the walls of buildings in Tehran. In the United Arab Emirates, a group of Iranian expatriates were stopped from signing a piece of cloth proclaiming that Ahmadinejad was not their president-- the reason given by UAE authorities is that while they allow for protests of this nature, they did not feel that anyone there has the right to petition against the Iranian government. Also reported was that a village near [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamyaran]Kamyaran in the northwestern Kordistan Province, a location where many Kurds and Azerbaijani live, has been subject to several fires in the worst reports and many prisoners taken in the least worse reports, due to a number of protests happening there.
Last Friday, Grand Ayatollah Yosuf Sanei made a statement, saying, "confessions of detained protesters didn’t hold any merit, neither legally or rationally," and also stated that, "detentions, killings, beatings, lies and tricks should not stop people from trying to retain their right to determine their future." Mehdi Karroubi, a reformist and chair of the Iranian Parliament, spoke out against Ahmadinejad on Monday, mocking his call for a probe into Neda Agha Soltan's death while many people have been and are still being killed, and accusing the government of destroying the reputation of the Basij in the process. In an interesting twist relating to these events, Ahmadinejad's son-in-law was disowned by his father based on the contentions surrounding the election and the perceived unethical manner Ahmadinejad has been handling it. Mousavi and Rafsanjani were said to have met with each other earlier this week, but that's still unconfirmed. Mousavi has stated that these elections have shown the flaws in the current system, and why they need to be reformed. Also, Mousavi, Karoubi and (former president) Khatami had a meeting a day or two ago where they expressed a commitment to opposing the corruption that led to the rigged elections and demanding a new vote. The Hashemi Party, to which Rafsanjani belongs, issued a statement the other day as well: "We declare that the election result is unacceptable due to the unhealthy voting process, massive electoral fraud, and the bias candidate choice of the Guardian Council." Rafsanjani has not made any statement favoring or rejecting the statement from his affiliated party.
The government in Iran still has officials making statements that the West is directing the protesters, whom the government and the security forces are now calling "rioters" despite the majority of gatherings being non-violent (until the Basij show up). Ahmadi has called Iran "the most free country" in the world, ostensibly in response to the growing chants equating him to a dictator. Also, a French woman in Iran was arrested for what the government is calling spying. (French President) Sarkozy has demanded her release.
Finally, according to some the city of Qom, where many of the highest-regarded religious clerics are located, currently contains more military there than clerics. The reason for this is supposedly to keep the peace, but some speculate that it is meant to keep the clerics from taking a stand against Khamenei.
I know there are things I've left out, as much has been going on since last week. This is just sort of an update pointing out that the movement hasn't ended.
For the better part of a week, particularly since about Thursday and Friday of last week, family of detained protesters have been gathering outside of Evin Prison in Tehran. On the 6th of July people also brought flowers and gifts for prisoners (Father's Day is recognized on the 6th of July there). Tehran isn't the only place seeing demonstrations, as there were several reports of demonstrations in Mashad last week as well. There's some speculation that possibly up to five people were killed and hundreds detained, but there aren't any confirmations. Ahmadinejad has ordered several university dorms closed, and several universities aren't even holding classes right now due to the protests and missing students (there are some 2,000 detainees estimated, many of them students). Even given that, and including facing tear gas and live fire people are still marching and protesting against Ahmadinejad. The Association of Iranian University Graduates has released a statement stating, "the government was out to suppress opposition by any means possible escalating from the rigged elections." This is also in connection with many Iranian professors signing a letter of anger and resentment for the attacks made on the Iranian people by the government security forces.
This is not confirmed as being in connection to the protesters, but 5000 workers in the city Shush have gone on strike at the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Plantation. Other unconfirmed reports are that some people are writing anti-government slogans on the walls of buildings in Tehran. In the United Arab Emirates, a group of Iranian expatriates were stopped from signing a piece of cloth proclaiming that Ahmadinejad was not their president-- the reason given by UAE authorities is that while they allow for protests of this nature, they did not feel that anyone there has the right to petition against the Iranian government. Also reported was that a village near [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamyaran]Kamyaran in the northwestern Kordistan Province, a location where many Kurds and Azerbaijani live, has been subject to several fires in the worst reports and many prisoners taken in the least worse reports, due to a number of protests happening there.
Last Friday, Grand Ayatollah Yosuf Sanei made a statement, saying, "confessions of detained protesters didn’t hold any merit, neither legally or rationally," and also stated that, "detentions, killings, beatings, lies and tricks should not stop people from trying to retain their right to determine their future." Mehdi Karroubi, a reformist and chair of the Iranian Parliament, spoke out against Ahmadinejad on Monday, mocking his call for a probe into Neda Agha Soltan's death while many people have been and are still being killed, and accusing the government of destroying the reputation of the Basij in the process. In an interesting twist relating to these events, Ahmadinejad's son-in-law was disowned by his father based on the contentions surrounding the election and the perceived unethical manner Ahmadinejad has been handling it. Mousavi and Rafsanjani were said to have met with each other earlier this week, but that's still unconfirmed. Mousavi has stated that these elections have shown the flaws in the current system, and why they need to be reformed. Also, Mousavi, Karoubi and (former president) Khatami had a meeting a day or two ago where they expressed a commitment to opposing the corruption that led to the rigged elections and demanding a new vote. The Hashemi Party, to which Rafsanjani belongs, issued a statement the other day as well: "We declare that the election result is unacceptable due to the unhealthy voting process, massive electoral fraud, and the bias candidate choice of the Guardian Council." Rafsanjani has not made any statement favoring or rejecting the statement from his affiliated party.
The government in Iran still has officials making statements that the West is directing the protesters, whom the government and the security forces are now calling "rioters" despite the majority of gatherings being non-violent (until the Basij show up). Ahmadi has called Iran "the most free country" in the world, ostensibly in response to the growing chants equating him to a dictator. Also, a French woman in Iran was arrested for what the government is calling spying. (French President) Sarkozy has demanded her release.
Finally, according to some the city of Qom, where many of the highest-regarded religious clerics are located, currently contains more military there than clerics. The reason for this is supposedly to keep the peace, but some speculate that it is meant to keep the clerics from taking a stand against Khamenei.
I know there are things I've left out, as much has been going on since last week. This is just sort of an update pointing out that the movement hasn't ended.