A group of young Shirazis chanted slogans against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as they walked down one of their city's main thoroughfares, Mulla Sadra Avenue, yesterday evening.
Ahmadinejad gave the opening speech for the National Hafez Day ceremony at the beloved 14th-century poet's mausoleum in Shiraz earlier on Monday.
(video courtesy of NedaSoltan's channel on YouTube)
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Weekend roundup - Monday 12 October 2009
- Opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi met at Karroubi's house on Saturday. According to the web site of Karroubi's Etemad Melli Party, The two men stressed their belief that the June 12 election was rigged. 'If you're so sure of yourselves, instead of spending dozens of hours on state media denying fraud and imposing confessions on innocent individuals, allow us to present our arguments and evidence on television,' Karroubi said to the regime and its supporters. Referring to the kangaroo trials of protesters and opposition political figures, Mousavi said, 'What did you obtain from these show trials? Are you aware of the negative effects they have had on our society?' Mousavi accused some state bodies of embezzling the national treasury and mentioned the Revolutionary Guards' recent acquisition of the Iran Telecommunications Company.
- The Mourning Mothers of Iran are quietly and steadfastly becoming a regular feature in Tehran's Laleh Park every Saturday evening. Their demands are simple: freedom for their imprisoned children and justice for those who have been beaten, tortured, raped, and killed. They maintained their weekly vigil last Saturday:
- Iran's blighted human rights record turned a shade darker as it put another juvenile offender to death. Behnoud Shojaie, who had allegedly killed Ehsan Nasrollahi, 17, under cloudy circumstances when he himself was 17, was hanged in Evin prison yesterday. An incredible 135 juvenile offenders await execution in Iran although the country is a signatory of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child which precludes such punishment. Iran has executed over 230 people since the start of the year and holds the sorry privilege of being the world's greatest per capita executor of its own citizens. In an interview, his lawyer Mohammad Mostafaie said that he had been present at the execution which took place in the morning. 'The victims' parents pulled the stool from under Behnoud's feet and Behnoud left this world,' said Mostafaie:
- Death sentences have been handed out to three protesters who were tried in the third session of the kangaroo court held after the post-election unrest. The Islamic Students News Agency identified the three individuals by their initials: M.Z., A.P., and N.A. Last week, Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani was sentenced to death and it is unclear whether M.Z. refers to Ail Zamani or is another individual.
- Morteza Talaie, chairman of the cultural committee of Tehran's city council, has called on citizens to not accept banknotes with 'anti-revolutionary' slogans printed or written on them. He also demanded that the Central Bank take such currency out of circulation. Printing or writing anti-regime messages on banknotes has become a national pastime since the disputed election.
- What's the world coming to? The regime can't even depend on its Friday Prayer supporters to join in chants of 'Death to...'! This scene purportedly filmed on October 9 outside Tehran's Friday Prayer hall:
- Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, the most corpulent chairman of the joint chiefs of staff in the world, believes he should carry more than military responsibilities on his ample shoulders. Speaking at the induction ceremony of General Mohammad Hejazi to his new post as deputy commander of the armed forces, in charge of logistics, Firouzabadi called for state control of political parties in Iran. 'The Interior Ministry, the Supreme National Security Council, and the Majlis must get to work and define the proper political direction [of parties] within a legal framework,' he said. 'They must write a bill and send it to the Majlis and the Majlis must quickly adopt it,' Firouzabadi added, showing the proper respect that must be accorded to an elected body. In this way, 'supporters need not worry that by joining this or that party they may be found guilty,' he continued. Firouzabadi apparently finds that the constitution's article 26 is not constraining enough (NB Article 26: The formation of parties, societies, political or professional associations, as well as religious societies, whether Islamic or pertaining to one of the recognized religious minorities, is permitted provided they do not violate the principles of independence, freedom, national unity, the criteria of Islam, or the basis of the Islamic republic. No one may be prevented from participating in the aforementioned groups, or be compelled to participate in them.). But then again, the regime has apparently forgotten to read article 27 of the constitution as well. (NB Article 27: Public gatherings and marches may be freely held, provided arms are not carried and that they are not detrimental to the fundamental principles of Islam.)
Friday, October 9, 2009
Our sticks and stones will break your bones, but your words really hurt us: 'My life only for Iran' slogan enrages regime officials
Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani has strongly condemned the alternate slogans chanted by protesters at official events organized by the regime in support of Palestinians three weeks ago.
Speaking at the dedication ceremony of Martyr Motahari's Scientific and Cultural Foundation in the holy city of Ghom yesterday, Larijani took the green opposition to task for deviating from the regime's official slogans on Ghods Day. Ghods Day or Jerusalem Day is an annual event organized by the regime to support Palestinians and to denounce Israeli policies.
'Do slogans and topics like an "Iranian Republic" bring honor to Iran?' Larijani asked rhetorically. On Ghods Day and in previous demonstrations, protesters have chanted 'Neither western, nor eastern, an Iranian Republic' in stark contrast to a similar phrase which ended in 'Islamic Republic' in the heyday of the revolution 30 years ago.
This year Ghods Day fell on Friday, September 18, and became a focal point for opposition to the regime as the green movement exploited the official marching routes for its own demonstrations. Despite warnings from then-Basij commander Hossein Taeb and Revolutionary Guards chief Aziz Jafari, protesters turned up in huge numbers in Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan, Tabriz and other cities. Estimates for Tehran run between 1.5 to two million people. (For a live blog of Ghods Day, go here).
The greens refused to utter slogans such as 'Death to Israel' and 'Death to America' which have become mainstays of the Islamic regime. Instead, exhibiting billboards marked 'Palestine is here' or holding up photos of dead protesters, they took possession of some official routes by marching to shouts of 'Death to Russia' and, most notably, 'Neither Gaza, nor Lebanon, I give my life only for Iran,' which became the rallying cry of the day. Opponents fault Russia for supporting the regime and it is widely believed that Moscow has trained and aided security and intelligence forces involved in the crackdown of the past months.
'I am amazed that those who have suffered for the revolution and are concerned about the honor of this revolution remained silent in the face of such slogans and acts and [...] did not stop these people,' said Majlis Speaker Larijani. 'Such slogans tarnish the honor of Islam,' said Larijani, apparently having forgotten his pocket thesaurus at home and employing the word honor or ezzat for the umpteenth time to convey the force of his ideas.
In many cases security forces and regime supporters were overwhelmed by the number of green protesters. In one instance, demonstrators attacked a group of plainclothesmen who were beating individuals on the street and set their motorcycles on fire:
In his speech in Ghom, Larijani indirectly stressed the importance of the Israeli-Palestinian issue as one of the pillars of the Islamic regime. 'In these difficult times, Iran, in its struggle against the United States, must be the defender of the rights of the Palestinian people and other oppressed Muslim people,' said Larijani. He did not mention the Uighurs in China or the Chechens in the Russian Federation. 'The country's political independence [...] depends on defending and following the Supreme Leader of the revolution and the concept of the guardianship of the jurisprudent,' Larijani contended. In Larijani's analysis, this devotion and unity was in short supply on Ghods Day.
In addition to the thousands of security forces deployed around Iran's major cities on that day, dozens of mobile sound units on trucks were also sent among the demonstrators. But the voices of official chant-masters standing on the backs of the vehicles were drowned out by the deafening counter-slogans of the protesters.
In spectacular footage filmed from a pedestrian overpass, an impressive number of green protesters overpower the usual calls of 'Death to Israel' and 'Death to America' with 'Death to Russia.' A feeble cortege of regime supporters walks past on the other side of the street, before the protesters scream out 'Neither Gaza, nor Lebanon, I give my life only for Iran' and 'Neither western, nor eastern, an Iranian Republic.'
As early as 10:30 AM, a massive group in Hafteh Tir Square responded to 'Death to Israel' with 'Death to Russia':
After several unsuccessful attemps to get the crowd to repeat 'Death to America' instead of their own heartfelt 'Death to Russia,' one flustered chant-master mistakenly said 'Death to Palestine' to loud cheers and laughter:
Another popular slogan was 'Putin, Chavez, Nasrallah, the enemies of our nation', referring to the Russian prime minister, Venezuelan president, and Lebanon's Hezbollah head:
Larijani is not the only official to have been distressed by the alternate chants on Ghods Day. In a letter to former President Mohammad Khatami and Mir Hossein Mousavi, Ahmad Tavakoli, conservative Malis representative from Tehran, demanded that the opposition leaders clearly state their position on such contrary slogans. If you agree with such slogans, 'how will you answer to the Imam,' he asked, alluding to the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
In a television program on the occasion of Eid Fitr, the celebration marking the end of Ramadan, Hojjatoleslam Mohsen Ghara'ati opined, 'Do you know what "neither Gaza, nor Lebanon" means? It means no to the Koran.'
Ghara'ati, head of the national organization for promoting prayer and a Koranic teacher on televised shows, said that Iranians must extend their concerns to all the oppressed in the world. 'Did we not recite those prayers [for the deprived] during the month of Ramadan?' he asked. 'And then on the last Friday of Ramadan, 5 people, or 100 people, or 1,000 people, or 20,000, or however many more people come and say "only Iran"? So were all our prayers just lies?'
Speaking at the dedication ceremony of Martyr Motahari's Scientific and Cultural Foundation in the holy city of Ghom yesterday, Larijani took the green opposition to task for deviating from the regime's official slogans on Ghods Day. Ghods Day or Jerusalem Day is an annual event organized by the regime to support Palestinians and to denounce Israeli policies.
'Do slogans and topics like an "Iranian Republic" bring honor to Iran?' Larijani asked rhetorically. On Ghods Day and in previous demonstrations, protesters have chanted 'Neither western, nor eastern, an Iranian Republic' in stark contrast to a similar phrase which ended in 'Islamic Republic' in the heyday of the revolution 30 years ago.
This year Ghods Day fell on Friday, September 18, and became a focal point for opposition to the regime as the green movement exploited the official marching routes for its own demonstrations. Despite warnings from then-Basij commander Hossein Taeb and Revolutionary Guards chief Aziz Jafari, protesters turned up in huge numbers in Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan, Tabriz and other cities. Estimates for Tehran run between 1.5 to two million people. (For a live blog of Ghods Day, go here).
The greens refused to utter slogans such as 'Death to Israel' and 'Death to America' which have become mainstays of the Islamic regime. Instead, exhibiting billboards marked 'Palestine is here' or holding up photos of dead protesters, they took possession of some official routes by marching to shouts of 'Death to Russia' and, most notably, 'Neither Gaza, nor Lebanon, I give my life only for Iran,' which became the rallying cry of the day. Opponents fault Russia for supporting the regime and it is widely believed that Moscow has trained and aided security and intelligence forces involved in the crackdown of the past months.
'I am amazed that those who have suffered for the revolution and are concerned about the honor of this revolution remained silent in the face of such slogans and acts and [...] did not stop these people,' said Majlis Speaker Larijani. 'Such slogans tarnish the honor of Islam,' said Larijani, apparently having forgotten his pocket thesaurus at home and employing the word honor or ezzat for the umpteenth time to convey the force of his ideas.
In many cases security forces and regime supporters were overwhelmed by the number of green protesters. In one instance, demonstrators attacked a group of plainclothesmen who were beating individuals on the street and set their motorcycles on fire:
In his speech in Ghom, Larijani indirectly stressed the importance of the Israeli-Palestinian issue as one of the pillars of the Islamic regime. 'In these difficult times, Iran, in its struggle against the United States, must be the defender of the rights of the Palestinian people and other oppressed Muslim people,' said Larijani. He did not mention the Uighurs in China or the Chechens in the Russian Federation. 'The country's political independence [...] depends on defending and following the Supreme Leader of the revolution and the concept of the guardianship of the jurisprudent,' Larijani contended. In Larijani's analysis, this devotion and unity was in short supply on Ghods Day.
In addition to the thousands of security forces deployed around Iran's major cities on that day, dozens of mobile sound units on trucks were also sent among the demonstrators. But the voices of official chant-masters standing on the backs of the vehicles were drowned out by the deafening counter-slogans of the protesters.
In spectacular footage filmed from a pedestrian overpass, an impressive number of green protesters overpower the usual calls of 'Death to Israel' and 'Death to America' with 'Death to Russia.' A feeble cortege of regime supporters walks past on the other side of the street, before the protesters scream out 'Neither Gaza, nor Lebanon, I give my life only for Iran' and 'Neither western, nor eastern, an Iranian Republic.'
As early as 10:30 AM, a massive group in Hafteh Tir Square responded to 'Death to Israel' with 'Death to Russia':
After several unsuccessful attemps to get the crowd to repeat 'Death to America' instead of their own heartfelt 'Death to Russia,' one flustered chant-master mistakenly said 'Death to Palestine' to loud cheers and laughter:
Another popular slogan was 'Putin, Chavez, Nasrallah, the enemies of our nation', referring to the Russian prime minister, Venezuelan president, and Lebanon's Hezbollah head:
Larijani is not the only official to have been distressed by the alternate chants on Ghods Day. In a letter to former President Mohammad Khatami and Mir Hossein Mousavi, Ahmad Tavakoli, conservative Malis representative from Tehran, demanded that the opposition leaders clearly state their position on such contrary slogans. If you agree with such slogans, 'how will you answer to the Imam,' he asked, alluding to the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
In a television program on the occasion of Eid Fitr, the celebration marking the end of Ramadan, Hojjatoleslam Mohsen Ghara'ati opined, 'Do you know what "neither Gaza, nor Lebanon" means? It means no to the Koran.'
Ghara'ati, head of the national organization for promoting prayer and a Koranic teacher on televised shows, said that Iranians must extend their concerns to all the oppressed in the world. 'Did we not recite those prayers [for the deprived] during the month of Ramadan?' he asked. 'And then on the last Friday of Ramadan, 5 people, or 100 people, or 1,000 people, or 20,000, or however many more people come and say "only Iran"? So were all our prayers just lies?'
Thursday, October 8, 2009
'Did these children have to be killed?': Mother of dead protester Sohrab Aarabi speaks out
Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, former Majlis speaker and current head of the legislature's cultural committee, said last week that three deaths at Kahrizak 'should not become the main issue.' The Iranian regime has officially recognized only three deaths at the notoriously barbaric detention center.
The comment provoked widespread outrage and prompted Parvin Fahimi, the mother of dead protester Sohrab Aarabi, to write a sharp letter to Haddad Adel, considered particularly close to the regime because his daughter is married to Leader Ali Khamenei's son, Mojtaba. Fahimi also spoke to the Voice of America and Radio Farda this week, providing new details surrounding Sohrab's death.
In her letter, Fahimi wrote that Haddad Adel's comments were were like 'salt poured on the wounds of those who have lost loved ones in the crackdown after the election.'
'Would you make the same judgment if your child, like Mr. Rouholamini's child and our children, had been tortured or killed in the streets,' she asked Haddad Adel, referring to Mohsen Rouholamini, 25, who was beaten to death in Kahrizak.
Sohrab Aarabi disappeared during massive demonstrations in Tehran on June 15, but it is unclear when, where, or how he was killed. The authorities informed Fahimi of her son's death on July 11. Fahimi had been shuffled from prison to morgue to judiciary office to hospital for 26 days as she sought her child in vain.
The following video documents Sohrab's story:
Fahimi spoke to Voice of America's Farideh Rahbar two days ago. A translation follows the video:
Host:
One of those killed in the post-election unrest is Sohrab Aarabi, 19. His mother told Farideh Rahbar that she wants her son's killer identified and is still waiting for her son's personal belongings.
Parvin Fahimi:
A week after Sohrab was buried, I hired a lawyer and filed a complaint. The only thing they've said is that he was fired upon from a range of 3 to 15 meters by a Kalashnikov. The coroner has no record of who brought him to the morgue and left my child's naked body there. They still haven't given us any answers about who killed him or where he was killed.
Farideh Rahbar:
You mentioned some things to Mr. Haddad Adel. What do you expect from the authorities?
Parvin Fahimi:
It is important for me that the murderer is identified and brought to trial before just judges. They have to tell us who carried out these acts and to what end. Where was my child killed? I wrote a letter to Mr. Haddad Adel because he had said that three people had died in Kahrizak and that this was not an important issue, the main issue. But as a mother, I have the right, as a citizen in this country it is my right to know what happened, what horror befell my child. If he was killed... he had his mobile on him... why was I not informed? They kept me hanging for 25 days. I kept going to the Revolutionary Court and Evin Prison. After several months, we still know nothing. I've sent letters to the Majlis, the judiciary... They must answer me. Instead, they put salt on our wounds. Haven't we suffered enough? As a mother, the head of the household, I expect them to respond. Why aren't they returning my child's personal belongings? His mobile phone? If anyone loses his mobile or has it stolen, they follow up and find it in a month. But from the day he disappeared, my child's mobile has still not been found. They haven't returned his personal belongings... His ring, his chain, his glasses, his clothes... These things are dear to me. They may not be worth anything to them, but for me they have sentimental value.
In an interview broadcast by Radio Farda yesterday, Fahimi said that she had written to Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani, judiciary chief Sadegh Larijani, former judiciary chief Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, the Majlis's National Security Committee, and the Majlis's Article 90 Committee. She has yet to receive a response. The Article 90 Committee investigates grievances against the three branches of government.
Fahimi gave Radio Farda additional details about Sohrab's injuries. 'His arms were lowered. They shot him in such a way that the bullet broke his left arm, passed under his heart, and punctured his lung. But it is unclear whether they took him to a hospital or not,' she said.
'How could they bring themselves to kill these children because of a civil protest over their vote,' she wondered. 'Did these children have to be killed?'
Asked whether she now thought that her son had died in vain, she responded, 'No. He went out for his beliefs and these children will always live on. [...] I am certain that his struggle will continue through other young people and we can see that it is still continuing.'
Listen to a portion of the Radio Farda interview
The comment provoked widespread outrage and prompted Parvin Fahimi, the mother of dead protester Sohrab Aarabi, to write a sharp letter to Haddad Adel, considered particularly close to the regime because his daughter is married to Leader Ali Khamenei's son, Mojtaba. Fahimi also spoke to the Voice of America and Radio Farda this week, providing new details surrounding Sohrab's death.
In her letter, Fahimi wrote that Haddad Adel's comments were were like 'salt poured on the wounds of those who have lost loved ones in the crackdown after the election.'
'Would you make the same judgment if your child, like Mr. Rouholamini's child and our children, had been tortured or killed in the streets,' she asked Haddad Adel, referring to Mohsen Rouholamini, 25, who was beaten to death in Kahrizak.
Sohrab Aarabi disappeared during massive demonstrations in Tehran on June 15, but it is unclear when, where, or how he was killed. The authorities informed Fahimi of her son's death on July 11. Fahimi had been shuffled from prison to morgue to judiciary office to hospital for 26 days as she sought her child in vain.
The following video documents Sohrab's story:
Fahimi spoke to Voice of America's Farideh Rahbar two days ago. A translation follows the video:
Host:
One of those killed in the post-election unrest is Sohrab Aarabi, 19. His mother told Farideh Rahbar that she wants her son's killer identified and is still waiting for her son's personal belongings.
Parvin Fahimi:
A week after Sohrab was buried, I hired a lawyer and filed a complaint. The only thing they've said is that he was fired upon from a range of 3 to 15 meters by a Kalashnikov. The coroner has no record of who brought him to the morgue and left my child's naked body there. They still haven't given us any answers about who killed him or where he was killed.
Farideh Rahbar:
You mentioned some things to Mr. Haddad Adel. What do you expect from the authorities?
Parvin Fahimi:
It is important for me that the murderer is identified and brought to trial before just judges. They have to tell us who carried out these acts and to what end. Where was my child killed? I wrote a letter to Mr. Haddad Adel because he had said that three people had died in Kahrizak and that this was not an important issue, the main issue. But as a mother, I have the right, as a citizen in this country it is my right to know what happened, what horror befell my child. If he was killed... he had his mobile on him... why was I not informed? They kept me hanging for 25 days. I kept going to the Revolutionary Court and Evin Prison. After several months, we still know nothing. I've sent letters to the Majlis, the judiciary... They must answer me. Instead, they put salt on our wounds. Haven't we suffered enough? As a mother, the head of the household, I expect them to respond. Why aren't they returning my child's personal belongings? His mobile phone? If anyone loses his mobile or has it stolen, they follow up and find it in a month. But from the day he disappeared, my child's mobile has still not been found. They haven't returned his personal belongings... His ring, his chain, his glasses, his clothes... These things are dear to me. They may not be worth anything to them, but for me they have sentimental value.
In an interview broadcast by Radio Farda yesterday, Fahimi said that she had written to Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani, judiciary chief Sadegh Larijani, former judiciary chief Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, the Majlis's National Security Committee, and the Majlis's Article 90 Committee. She has yet to receive a response. The Article 90 Committee investigates grievances against the three branches of government.
Fahimi gave Radio Farda additional details about Sohrab's injuries. 'His arms were lowered. They shot him in such a way that the bullet broke his left arm, passed under his heart, and punctured his lung. But it is unclear whether they took him to a hospital or not,' she said.
'How could they bring themselves to kill these children because of a civil protest over their vote,' she wondered. 'Did these children have to be killed?'
Asked whether she now thought that her son had died in vain, she responded, 'No. He went out for his beliefs and these children will always live on. [...] I am certain that his struggle will continue through other young people and we can see that it is still continuing.'
Listen to a portion of the Radio Farda interview
Letter leaked: Tehran governorship forbids city council members from visiting families of post-election victims
The deputy governor of Tehran province has demanded that Tehran city council members cease their compassionate visits to the families of post-election victims.
The 'request' was conveyed to Tehran city council president Mehdi Chamran in a letter that came to light two days ago, but was dated September 15 and was registered by the council's secretariat on September 26. The missive was signed by Safarali Baratlou, Tehran province's social and political deputy governor who is also in charge of security and police affairs. Baratlou was placed in charge of organizing the presidential election in Tehran province by Governor Morteza Tamaddon in March.
In the letter, Baratlou states, 'Given the recent actions of some members of the city council who have visited families who have suffered in the post-election events, and given the necessity of maintaining national concord and avoiding tension in the society, I request that you order the honorable council members to shun uncoordinated actions (which may contribute to tension and...). It is evident that the continuation of the visits will be considered a provocation which will have to be dealt with.'
City council president Chamran belongs to the conservative Principlist faction, but he shifted his allegience from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Tehran Mayor and Ahmadinejad rival Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in 2006. Baratlou, like other provincial officials, is appointed by the Interior Ministry.
In the letter, Baratlou states, 'Given the recent actions of some members of the city council who have visited families who have suffered in the post-election events, and given the necessity of maintaining national concord and avoiding tension in the society, I request that you order the honorable council members to shun uncoordinated actions (which may contribute to tension and...). It is evident that the continuation of the visits will be considered a provocation which will have to be dealt with.'
City council president Chamran belongs to the conservative Principlist faction, but he shifted his allegience from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Tehran Mayor and Ahmadinejad rival Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in 2006. Baratlou, like other provincial officials, is appointed by the Interior Ministry.
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