243 Iranian Crackdown Continues

I can understand why my friends in Cairo like Iran’s diminutive president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, so much. He sticks it to The Man. Hilariously, he’s just challenged George Bush to a debate. It’s the same impulse that made Saddam Hussein a hero among many people who think President Hosni Mubarak is a tyrant.

But my friends, really.
Shirin Ebadi‘s problems have rightly received a lot of attention. They’re the tip of the iceberg. On Aug. 29, Advar News reported that security forces arrested engineer Jamal Zaherpur, a student activist, in Tehran the earlier that day. Zaherpur is the former secretary of Khajeh Nasir University’s Islamic Students Association and a member of the Organization for Fostering Unity. In the past few days, Iranian security services also arrested students Abdolfazl Jahandar and Kheryollah Derakhshandi. Advar News reports that none of the three’s families have heard anything about the detainees’ whereabouts.

And on Aug. 28, the Iranian Student News Agency reported that a Tehran court sentenced reformist journalist Issa Saharkhiz to four years in prison and, in the words of Judiciary official Hossein Hosseinian, “a five-year ban from press activities.” Hosseinian also said the Judiciary is revoking the licenses of his newspaper, Akhbar Eqtesadi (Economic News), and his monthly, Aftab (Sunshine). Both publications have been suspended since February.

On July 30, Iranian student activist Akbar Mohammadi died in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, where Iranian-Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi also died soon after she was sentenced for photographing the prison. Mohammadi was originally sentenced to death in 1999 for participating in student protests at Tehran University. In 2001, his sentence was commuted to 15 years.

So yeah, cheer Ahmadinejad all you like. Do it at a protest if that’s more fun. And then cheer Mubarak’s security forces for detaining you for only a month and for refraining from killing you in custody.

[tags]Iran[/tags]

6 Comments »

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  1. Very minimalist new design ya pasha.

    Have you really met that many people who dig the ridiculous little Poujadiste that is Ahmedinejad? Not that I’m surprised these days, but still…

    The Angry Arab had a post recently about how he’s sure that US policy in the region will drive everyone into the hands of fundamentalists. Not that I think the current regime in Iran will easily let go, but when I think how strengthened it is by everything that’s happened since Bush got into the White House (compared to when Clinton was there, and Khatami was in Iran), I get rather depressed.

    Speaking of Bush and Clinton, check this out:

    http://warehouse.nimbit.com/ericschwartz/ClintonBJ.mp3

    Comment by issandr — August 30, 2006 #

  2. Elijah, I preferred the old format!!

    Comment by SP — August 30, 2006 #

  3. Hey SP – I’m working on a little trick so that people can choose which design they like and stick with it. Just a little busy with work, and eventually I need to stop procrastinating. Promise I’ll do it soon.

    Comment by Administrator — August 30, 2006 #

  4. Dear Elijah,
    I have never been to your sight before, so I have nothing to compare the layout against. I do, however, like it.

    About Shirin Ebadi?s, she has been continuously harrassed by the gov’t. Mohammadi did not die. He was murdered. At least that is what I believe. So much for human rights, eh?

    I do not believe that President Bush is going to finish a war with Ahmadinejad. He has worked too hard with the diplomacy. He hates war. I understand why many people may not believe this, but it is the warrior who hates war the most. Well, at least in America.

    You have a very nice sight. Would you happen to know if there is a place in this blogosphere where I may find a translator from English to Persian (or Farsi)? I already the Arabic one, but I would like the Iranian people to be free to read my site as well. Thank you. May you walk in peace.

    Comment by Rosemary — August 30, 2006 #

  5. Hi Rosemary,
    Thanks for your comment. I suspect you’re right that Kazemi and Mohammadi were murdered. But in the absence of irrefutable evidence…

    I hope you’re right that Bush will not attack Iran.

    I’ll make some inquiries with friends who do professional English -> Farsi translation.

    Thanks again,
    e

    Comment by Administrator — August 30, 2006 #

  6. Any criticism of Iran for calling for the destruction of another country, and funding and training groups which perpetrate acts of war on that country?

    Comment by James — August 31, 2006 #

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