Marble

Light

Exiled reflections on the (Persian) new year's eve.

Don't get me wrong, my exile is not political. I am not living a life of danger. I am not a refugee and my longing for Iranian flavours has long subsided. I am a well integrated member of the Western society, that is not often detected as Iranian unless my accent is heard. These reflections, I share with those of you who have dropped me a line of support, affection, criticism, or silent traces. These reflections I share on the eve of our new year as I sit and ocean far from home, husband, sister, brother, parents.

I had wished to be home with my parents this year--for the first time in many years since I left Iran in pursuit of a dream. This time last year, I was an optimist. I blogged proudly about the democratic maturity my country was arriving at. I held my head up that Iran was not bullied. I had hopes that I was needed in Iran and I was devouring all I could from Iran, to make up for the past two decades I had committed it to some form of slumber, oblivion. When election time came, like many an Iranian worried about the war cacophony, like many an anti-imperialist fooled by Ahmadinejad's charlatanism, I wanted to vote for him. I even campaigned for him, trying to make my 'green' or 'karoubi' friends in Iran see the world from a global perspective and realize Iran's foreign tangles needed steadiness of the course to open. This was until I listened to the debates on TV; and the tragic comedy of Ahmadinejad's contempt for facts was played before my eyes. HE wasn't being a skillful politician, he was being an obvious crook. Disgusted by his lies, his cheap tricks, his deceptions and distortions of the truth, I listened to his opponents. They WERE authentic, both of them, Karoubi and Mousavi. The reformists stole my vote after the first round of televised debates. Ahmadinejad, although more articulate, was inauthentic, manipulative, and detrimental to a future envisioned by the MAJORITY of Iran's population: it's youth. The foreign threat I feared, would have been more prominent with Ahmadinejad around. That the reformists were wishy-washy westbenders was far from the truth--this has in fact been proven in the past 9 months. The passion of the youth eventually turned my vote green. I listened to those 10-20 years younger than me, admiring the realism and pragmatism of their aspirations, the simplicity and matter-of-factness of their demands.

On the election day, for the first time since the inception of the IRI, I wore a green scarf (I had it for years, a handmade silk present from China), walked to the poll, finger printed my vote, cast my ballot, smiled at a camera pointing my inky index at the lens, hoping to upload the picture on Neo-Resistance, waving it at the war mongering world: "dare you not lift a finger on our Iran". But then, just before I went to bed, everything in Iran started going awry.

People started getting arrested before the vote was announced, military started patrolling the city and before due process was complete, the 'soupreem lither' jumped in the middle to seal the 'counts' and hammer his nail: Mahmood! Graphs were fabricated and their fake immediately exposed. The fake graphs began getting forged to add noise to the data. People protested peacefully, like a great civilized nation. And the government opened fire on them, like a petty backward dictatorship. Many were killed and Neda became the bloody face of a hope that died before the world's eye. Then the plagiarist became minister of science; misogynist women pioneering the cabinet; the professors of law and philosophy got axed; With that mayhem, my dream of moving back to Iran vanished, and with it my desire, slowly.

I made a choice to not go back to Iran as long as the government did not apologize for the way the post-election affairs were conducted, as long as the supreme leader maintained his position of tyranny, as long as he was coerced to run the show according to his international clown's agenda, as long as the militia were above the law.

I chose my exile. If I had not, and if I went to Iran yesterday, I would have been greeted by polite passport officers. I would have walked in the shiny halls of the Imam Khomeini airport and would have listened to music in my brother's car when we passed through made-up highways that connect the airport from god knows where to Tehran. Tehran, which is warm enough for people who are just released from the IRI prisons to wear short sleeves.

But I have chosen to exile myself from a place I longed for because going back will have demanded of me to either act bravely, to speak up, to shout, to write and possibly to get arrested or harassed; or to act in compliance with a totally illegitimate government and subject myself to its lawlessness. I wear no purple hearts of courage and sacrifice; if I went to Iran I will have been the latter. My exile is the only form of protest that I can afford.

As the rain trickles down, as the solstice draws near, I stare around my apartment:

I have no haft seen; no 'sabzeh', no 'somagh', no 'serke', no 'senjed', no 'seer', no 'seeb', no 'sekkeh' or 'sonbol'. I don't have a gold fish, or coloured eggs, nor a mirror. I don't have a Qoran or a Divaan-e Hafiz. I don't have a present to give, nor one to get. I don't have 'ash reshte', or 'reshte polo', nor 'sabzi polo & maahi'. I have not done spring cleaning; I have not finished the laundry; I have not gotten a facial nor coloured my white hair black. I have a heart full of melancholy. I feel I am not the only one who is dipped in blues tonight. Yet, when tomorrow comes, be it hail or high water, shall I venture out to get all I need, to do a little ritual, to celebrate spring. This one tradition, this greatest of all occasion ... spring ... new day (norouz)

Happy new year ...

Happy spring ...

Updated: List of prisoners and those temporarily released (on hefty bails!)

A few Months ago, Pedestrian had provided a list of prisoners arrested in the early stages of the coup d'etat fiasco. This was before the 22 Bahman and Ashura events and therefore, this list is not complete today. But, I have been curious about those who are presently out of prison. I am marking their names in green. I hope that all others will be released for our new year (see my posts from previous years) that starts this Sunday. Please note that being out of jail doesn't mean they are free. Many are on prison -vacation' on bails as high as US $800,000. I have used a few facebook pages and Rah-e Sabz Azadi. If you have updates, please let me know.

Islamic Iran Participation Front (Jebheyeh Mosharekat): Mohsen Mirdamadi, Abdollah Ramazanzadeh, Seyed Mostafa Tajzadeh, Saeed Hajariyan, Mehdi Safayi Farahani, Mohsen Aminzadeh, Ali Tajerniya, Saeed Shirkavand, Shahbeddin Tabatabaie, Ali-asghar Khodayari, Davood Soleymani, Abbas Koosha, Ramezanpour, Saeed Nourmohammadi, Hamzeyeh Ghalebi, Reza Homayi, Zoya Hasani, Saeedeh Kordinejad, Hossein Mousavi

Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization: Behzad Nabavi, Majid Nayeri, Hojat Esmaili, Mohsen Bastani, Mehrdad Balafkan, Feyzollah Arabsorkhi, Mohammad Javad Emam, Sadeq Norouzi, Amir Hossein Mahdavi

Freedom Movement of Iran: Mohammad Tavasoli, Ghafar Farzodi, Majid Jaberi, Rahmatollah Amiri, Rouhollah Amirpour, Amir Hassan Jahani, Ali Ashraf Soltaniazar, Rahim Yavari, Mohammad Reza Ahmadiniya, Ahmad Afjeyi, Mohandes Emad Bahavar, Mojtaba Khandan, Saeed Zeraatkar, Rouhollah Shafeie, Ali Mehrdad, Reza Arjini, Mansour Vafa, Bagher Fathali Beighi, Jalal Bahrami, Sadeq Rasouli, Ahad Rezaie, Mohsen Hakimi, Mohammad Bagher Alavi, Mohsen Mohagheghi, Amir Khorram,

Religious-Nationalists: Keyvan Samimi Behbahani, Abdorreza Tajik, Hadi Ehtezazi, Ahmad Zeyabadi

Executives of Construction: Mohammad Atriyanfar, Jahanbakhsh Khanjani, Ali Mohagher, Hedayatollah Aghayi, Roshanak Siyasi, Ayda Mesbahi, Hossein Mar'ashi (recently arrested, again)

National Front:Kourosh Zaiim, Peyman Aref

Hambasteghi:Abbas Mirza Aboutaleb

Journalists:Mohammad Ghouchani, Maziyar Bahari, Jila Baniyaghoub, Mojtaba Pourmohsen, Bahman Ahmadi Amouyi, Mahsa Amrabadi, Saeed Laylaz, Behzad Basho, Seyed Khalil Mirashrafi, Rouhollah Shahsavar, Mashallah Heydarzadeh, Hamideyeh Mahozi, Amanollah Shojaiee, Hossein Shokouhi, Eesa Saharkhiz (goes on hunger strike, today), Majid Saidi

Human Rights Activists: Abdolfateh Soltani, Shiva Nazarahari, Alireza Hashem, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, Somayeh Tohidlou, Emad Baghi

Association of Combatant Clerics: Mohammad Ali Abtahi

Etemad-e Melli: Hemghameyeh Shahidi

Members of Karoubi/Mousavi Political Campaigns: Mousa Saket, Maryam Ameri, Farnaz Kamali, Siyamand Ghiyasi, Mohammad Jafari, Morteza Khani, Bagher Oskoui, Mohammad Reza Jalaipour, Ehsan Bakeri, Ali Vafghi, Hamzeyeh Ghalebi, Saeed Nik-khah, Homayi, Fattahi, Zakeri, Haniyeh Yousefiyan, Rouhollah Shahsavar, Mohsen Rouzbahan, Hashem Khastar, Kaveh Servati, Hossein Tajik

Office for Strengthening Unity: Abdollah Momeni, Hamed Iranshahi

Students: Hamid Choobineh, Alireza Ashoori, Alireza Kiyani, Milad Hosseiny Keshtan, Ali Nazari, Siyavash Safavi, Ashkan Zahabiyan, Ali Donyari, Rahman Yaghoubi, Maziyar Yazdani, Ali Abbasi, Shovaneh Merrikhi, Payam Heydar Ghazvini, Nasim Riyahi, Mojtaba Rahimi, Ata Rashidi, Amin Nazari, Siyavash Hatam, Pouriya Sharifiyan, Mehdi Mosafer, Reza Jafariyan, Hojjat Bakhtiyari, Mostafa Mehdizadeh, Omid Sohrabi, Vahid Amiriyan, Fazlolah Jokar, Vahid Aziziyan, Mehdi Torkman, Nastaran Khodarahmi, Ali Ahmadi, Masab Ebrahimi, Saeed Parvizi, Bahareh Hosseiny, Hadis Zamani, Nahid Siyahvand, Imani, Ziyaedin Nabavi, Alireza Khoshbakht, Zahra Tohidi, Sohrab Ahadiyan, Reza Arkavazi, Karim Emami, Mohammad Hossein Emami, Elaheyeh Imanian, Rouhollah Bagheri, Farhad Binazadeh, Iman Pourtahmasb, Ezzat Torbati, Yasser Jafari, Mohammad Reza Hadabadi, Seyed Javad Hosseiny, Farshid Hedyari, Behnam Khodabandehlou, Mohammad Khansari, Mohammad Davodiyan, Mohammad Delbari, Ali Raie, Omid Rezaie, Ali Refahi, Seyfollah Ramezani, Ebrahim Zahediyan, Nasser Zamani, Majid Sepahvand, Hanif Soleymani, Mohmmad Bagher Shabanpour, Hamed Sheykhalishahi, Iman Sheydaie, Farhad Shirahmad, Saman Sahebjalali, Farhan Sadeqpour, Farshad Taheri, Ghamdideh, Hamzeyeh Faratirad, Esmaiel Ghorbani, Mohammad Karimi, Erfan Mohammadi, Mohsen Azmoodeh, Payam Pourrangh, Morteza Janbaz, Morteza Hajipour, Mansour Mousavi, Vahid Serfi, Hamid Motavalizadeh, Saman Kamkar, Morteza Razmkhah, Nima Rahimi, Mohammad Reza Horabadi, Sina Cheghini, Hessam Kamanghar, Siyavash Gholami, Khalil Karami, Moslem Salehi, Saman Sahebjalal, Hamed Rowshani, Mohammad Reza Khodaverdi, Milad Ceghini, Mostafa Ahookhosh, Saeed Shojaezadeh, Khosrow Mousavivand

Political Activists in Smaller Towns:Jalil Shirbiyanloo, Rahim Jaberi, Abbas Pourazhari, Laya Farzadi, Ms. Shabati, Ms. Shamlou, Dr. Ghafarzadeh, Dr. Soltaniazad, Dr. Panahi, Dr. Seyflou, Dr. Dadizadeh, Mehdi Yarbahrami, Mansour Ghaffari, Hojatollah Amiri, Amir Hossein Jahani, Yaghoubzadeh, Mehdi Khodadi Payam, Heydar Ghazvini, Nasim Riyahi, Mojtaba Rajabi, Ata Rashidi, Abdolmajid Maadikhah, Mehdi Abayi, Amir Eghtenayi, Saidollah Bedashti, Hossein Mojahed, Hamid Lotfi, Mahdieh Minavi, Mojtaba Shayesteh, Farhad Nasrollahpour, Reza Lotf

Others not listed in Pedestrian's post and still in jail.

Hossein Darakhshan (blogger), Mas'ood Lavasani (blogger), Jafar Panahi (world famous filmmaker, asks the world community to not give him preferential treatment and think of other co-prisoners in horrible condition), Mohammad Nourizad(a very conservative and religious filmmaker, ardent supporter of Khamenei who dared to send 'his' supreme leader a letter of criticism, his bail is set but he cannot afford it), Mehdi Boutorabi (blogger), Majid Tavakoli (the student activist who was 'humiliated' by a veil), Maryam Ziya (on hunger strike)

====

And a list of others who are released but not in the list above

Akbar Montajebi

Ali Ma'azemi

Mohandes Sheikh Attar

Azar Mansouri

Kian Tajbakhsh

Somayeh Momeni

Leili Farhadpour

Vahid Pour Ostad

Foad Shams

Keyvan Farzin

Morteza Smyari

Jamileh Darolshafayee

Mehdi Forouzandehpour

Amir Sheibani

Hadi Ghabel

Keyvan Mehrgan

Dr. Mohammad Maleki (suffering cancer)

Mohammad Sadegh Rabbani

Shamsolva'ezin

Ali Hekmat

somayeh Alemipasand

Somayeh Rashidi

Mohammadreza Razzaghi

Alireza Beheshti

Mahmood Dordkeshan

Mehdi Hosseinzadeh

Reza Najafi

Things that Iranians whose green card file goes to Ankara should know

1) People in Ankara do not speak English.

2) The Unite States immigration office has appointed a laboratory clinic called Duzen, which is located near the embassy, and adjacent to Kugulu Park. NO ONE in this otherwise fancy/modern/shiny clinic speaks English. Not even doctors. They cannot even understand simple words, nor can they produce them.

3) The doctors who are supposed to provide the health report do not speak Persian, but they are the only English-speaking hopes you may have.

4) The medical practice is rather sloppy for the followoing reasons:
- Older parents are given vaccine shots, without proper explanation and consent obtained from the patient. Older individuals have a suppressed immune system (natural to aging) and many shots are unnecessary for them and will produce side effects.
- There are 'translators' who operate visa-tours. The clinic basically puts your passport on a desk in some water-cooler area, and these tour operators have the ability to change orders and advance their own cases, irrespective of the appointment given to the applicant. Because they speak Turkish, they have the upper hand. I am very surprised how people's passports do not get stolen. I assume because the Iranian passport is not a hot commodity, but hey ... shouldn't there be some standard in the way people's private medical files and travel documents handled.
- The receptionists, who do not speak English either, are forgetful. Make sure you demand the health report package. It is a sealed 8x11 brown envelop with the laboratory logo on it. If they fail to give this to you, you are in for another visit to the embassy; quite an unattractive practice.

5) The doctor visit will cost you about 200 dollars (per person); this is because the doctor gives you those mysterious vaccines. Even if you insist for a list of the shots you were given, you will only receive a hand written receipt that says something in Turkish (one line) and the ~200$ written in front of it. For reasons beyond human logic, the receptionist will make you wait 4 days before she writes the receipt!!

6) At the embassy: the doorman does not speak English. At the Interview, the immigration agent does not speak Persian. The immigration officers can be somewhat clumsy, they are in fact VERY clumsy. They contradict the requirements that are mailed to you. Get one of your aggressive children to point these discrepancies at them. If they know you have an English speaker at the door, they will let them in.
7) People who have 'ever' worked for teh Iranian government, even during the shah's regime, are subject to extra 'administrative process'. Their cases will not be resolved immediately and they will be asked to return to pick up the visum.

...

Now some emotional rant:
I was very sad to be the youngest in the crow of some 10 older (retired) individuals, having to go through this humiliating process, ONLY for the sake of their children--who happened to be doctors, businessmen, lawyers, professors in the US. None of those people wanted to live in the US for good; they just wanted the green card so that they didn't have to suffer the meat treatment in Ankara or Dubai when processing travel visa application. I was sad when one of those grandmothers told me how the vaccination had messed up her system. I was sad that people who LOVED their Iran were forced to leave, and thus forcing the parents to follow them. I was sad when an older gentleman was exhausted by the inability of the nurses to communicate a procedure to him. I felt his human right was being violated.

This post is for the mighty Iranian-Americans to lobby their representatives to at least simplify the process of wealth- and brain-drainage out of Iran!!! ...

I have stories of young parents migrating for their school age children as well; and how the Canadian banks are facilitating money laundering; but that shall wait for another time.

I HATE Ahmadinejad for doing this to us ... I HATE him.

Who are the masses who support Ahmadinejad in Iran?

This is a video of Ahmadinejad's motorcade; and hordes (uhm uhm) of supporters welcoming him in Bandar-Abbas (the harbour capital of Hormozgan province).

What's common in Charshanbe Suri and Halloween?

Picture source: Wikipedia

You can find information about our fire festival in the same wiki link that I gave you. You may also hear that tonight, Iranian cities have been defying orders of the soupreem Khamenei, and blastingly celebrating this ages-old tradition of our culture.

And here's what we used to do for charshanbeh souri (Wednesday Festival, literally):
Dress up in such a way to hide our identity; hold a bowl in our hands and go knock on neighbor's door. People who are visited are supposed to put nuts and cookies in our bowls. If they are friends and they detect who we are, they may splash us with a bowl of water. Once I splashed a bucket on a friend. We knock on the door, and then hit our bowls with a spoon. This is called "ghashogh-zani". Resembles Halloween, doesn't it? We too pretend to be the returning ghosts.

We also have to jump over bonfires. There must be seven. The bigger the better. Smaller ones are for little kids. Gigantic ones, I have never dared to jump over. (The reason: being caught in a house fire when I was 7. I have never recovered from the truama) When we jump on fire, we sing. In our song, we take the warmth of fire, of life, of spring, and give back to it our chill, our frost of winter, of heart. On this night we eat plenty of nuts, dried fruit, pomegranate. This is a fun night, a real festival.

Charshanbeh suri nights are prone to accidents, tragic ones at times. Kids do not take proper caution when they play with fire crackers.

Charshanbesuri nights have always been frowned upon since Islamic revolution, but we have ignored that. After the war, things relaxed a bit. But this year, the government is really scared. Let them be. We do what we must, what we have done for ages! Nothing hurts the tyrant more than being ignored and ridiculed!

I am going to go jump over a little candle now :)

Spring is beginning.

Iran will soon be green ... our patience will triumph ...

Harrassing Hashemi's daughter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-9SI6HBQSA&feature=youtube_gdata

I am posting this link from my phone
it is important becase
1) it illustrates the charlatanism that characterizes ahmadinejadism. A bunch of empty and annoying pests harrassing a woman, abusing her, surrounding her like a pack of wolves and pressuring her to get out of the car to have a dialogue with them: denounce the green movement.
2) demystifies the notion of " luxurious" Hashemis. This woman is his daughter. She was once the most popular member of parliament representing Tehran. She was advocating women rights, and helping several infrastructures to empower them. She has been detained in recent protests on 'crime' of joining the street protests. As you see, she is driving a little cheap car, no body guards, no drivers.
3) it also demystifies the notion of ahmadinejadists as 'alien fanatics who are violent'. People who are harrasing her are just abusive and cynical, not dangerous. Iran is NOT on the verge of civil war, although this will be very disappointing to the 'imperialists' who have just recently decided to
a) stir public sentiments by broadcasting the. video of student brutalization cocurrently with talk of war and sanctions.
b) increase sectarian tension and violence in the eastern border of Iran by helping the iri with arresting Abdul malek rigi.

I am SURE this Ahmadinejad and Netanyahu feast from the same garbage bin.

Eye Witness: My best friend is back and she reports from Iran!

She is one of my most "militant" fellow greenbeans. She was one of the smartest kids in school, our math-wiz. She is one of the strongest persons I have even known and yet one of the most sensitive and delicate ones. She is a medical doctor now. I am taking this letter VERY seriously; and I wish to share it with you. I am taking the city names out; but she is writing from a central province of Iran. ### is where she grew up; XXX and YYY are little cities in that province, and $$$ is where she lives now. She permitted me to publish this.

Hi dear Naj

How are you khanomi [lady]? I am glad to be back, missed my friends and my relaxing life here. I love Iran but I can see that it will get harder to live there as times goes by. I spend most of my short trip in ###. I heard little about 22 bahman news there . I wasn’t able to upset my elderly father by having a trip to Tehran on 22 bahman. ### was extremely controlled and people were isolated. At least a week prior to 22 bahman, internet were disconnected or too slow to be used, BBC and other sources were blocked. Some people had access to VOA. Most ###'s went to [the sea] for shopping; as a result, there was heavy traffic on the way to and from [the port]. Some public sectors forced their employee to attend the government demonstration . I did not see any green sign in ###. streets were quite and parandeh par nemizad [even birds didn't fly]. I took photos. Every state had to send 10 thousand people to Tehran to attend the government demonstration. High speed internet in some public sectors was very well controlled. People were caught and given warning just a day or 2 after visiting a website like balatarion or VOA. They also received a warning SMS the night before 22 bahman to not attend the rally other wise they would face jail and ....some young people went to Tehran for green demonstration but my cousin said the roads were blocked in Kashan to stop them from reaching Tehran. Sadly I talked to a few simple minded people who did really believe Ahmadinejad was trying to save Iran from USA and Israel... people were preoccupied with their routines . One of my cousins said they have underground meetings and they attend Tehran for green demonstrations without telling their family. I found myself more curious/nervous about 22 bahman news than almost most ###'s that I met. I nervously was trying to find a channel on satellite to give me all news but it was not very successful and eventually I gave up following news. My in-laws had access to VOA. Sadly superstition and religious beliefs among ###s were grosser than ever. Even in a national newspaper there was a warning about the intensity of superstition (by 2 mullaas ...) As you may also know ### has been the most unsafe city of Iran, lately. And I truly believe this statement about superstition is right ...
From a medical point of view, foresee a medical disaster soon in ### with possibly treatment resistance bugs that will kill people. Everyone acts doctor and the amount of self medications is GROSSSSSSSSSSSS....medical ethics do not exist there as well...
In XXX, Niroye entezami was defeated in the court as they gave wrong information to XXX people that resulted in the chaos that we all heard about. They are to pay compensation to people who were injured/died in the clashe. In YYY emamzadeha [the saint graves] are getting robbed, lol their graves are dug, likely in order to get access to antiques! This has resulted in gor be gor shodane ememha lol [goor be goor shodan = changing grave, a form of damnation]

Tehran, overall I spend about 3 to 4 days in Tehran. Superficially, people have more freedom. They are not picked on because of the type of cloths they have on. I saw several Iranian females not wearing their scarf in the international airport just prior to the checking point when I arrived there.

The air pollution was ++++++ , people seems to have they normal activities, you don’t see much different but you hear things like: gathering in front of Evin everyday which I am regretting to miss seeing that. I attended an NGO conference and was surprised by the level of their activities. Unfortunately greedy obstetrician who did the speech annoyed me so much with her stupid ideas , she showed slides of plastic surgeries that she had done on her patients and got attention of several females who desperately were waiting to take her business card.....

The centre for defending human right and lawyers without boarders were extremely active, some of the lawyers are exhausted trying to help political prisoners including adolescents. Generally there was an optimistic view that situation will improve gradually. It can’t be worse as they had already experienced a long standing coup d'etat that was unsuccessful. Economically, the government is collapsing.

I went to Tochal on my last day and it was amazing. There were singing saromad zemston [a popular green song, adapted from an older one: winter's over] and dancing in station 2. Apparently in station 7 there is a free life ... I am so proud of the Tehranies. They are smart and I am sure they can’t be defeated.

By the way 22 bahman in Tehran was very controlled and hokomat nezami started a week prior to that. Checking at nights ...to create intense fear ....Probably the most restricted demonstration since election but the government can’t continue doing that due to high costs.

As soon as I arrived back in $$$ I read all detailed news a.... I think we should take it easy and relax. Green movement will continue and changes will happen gradually. Iranians overseas are much more tense and eager about news than Iranian who live in Iran. Practically in Tehran you can read the Keyhan and get all news by guessing lol

You know I am not good in reporting, that was my observation in my short trip. I feel very relaxed after visiting Iran. I do recommend it to you. I think if you don’t visit it soon, it may get harder or may be impossible to do it later...sorry for the sporadic writing and not proof reading ;)

Changing dynasty: Transmogrification of the Iranian Flag

The Iranian flag has undegone many transformations through out the history, coincidental with changes in the ruling dynasties.

Recently, Ahmadinejad's propaganda dummies have been toying with stylization of the flag; slowly fading its green to blue! I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt; so I pulled the google image to task. Looking at hundreds of pictures, it seems he really is setting his grandiosity complex against a discolouring flag, recently! Is he so afraid of the greens that he is "wiping the green off the map of history"? Is he changing the flag?

Here's a picture of his press conference BEFORE the election (in fact part of the campaign, in June)

And this a picture of his recent press conference (after the lection)

In the top (pre-election image) there is certainly a blue hue but not strong enough to overwhelm the green of the flag! In the bottom image, the green and teh people have all faded in shapeless mishmash, with a "celestial" light (or halo!) washing over Mr. The cheating president!

...

Iran's military rulers!

22 Bahman: Not a rally for Ahmadinejad but against war mongers.

To those Ahmadinejadists who seem eager to appropriate all crowd who attended the 22 Bahman Rally: perhaps you can give yourselves a little shot of information and listen to Hashemi (whom you think is pro-American in chielf) and listen WHY HE ATTENDED 22 Bahman:



Translation:
This year 22 Bahman is more sensitive than previous years. First because of the internal differences that we see, which has lifted the hopes of our enemies. Second because of our nuclear and defense and space achievements, which they don't want us to have, that we see they have pulled out their swords. Now, we are still assuming this is a psychological war, that they are trying to frighten us; therefore this is a very important event where the presence of people is important; anyone who is interested in Iran, Islam, people, revolution should pay a little share here, and be present, and the presence be in such a way to not create new divisions. The Philosophy of 22 Bahman rally has been to gather to express that with the same love that we brought the revolution to victory, we are after continuing it."

And here is a video of Hashemi on the street; on his Official Website.

Now, I told you before that I didn't give a damn about 22 Bahman. HOWEVER, if I were in Iran, if the war-buzz had started ringing as loudly and shamelessly as this; and McCain and Liberman had opened their filthy mouth to defend OUR human rights with their bomb bomb bomb Iran, then I WILL HAVE ATTENDED THE RALLY!

To all weapon-dealers and warmongers: back off and fuck off; although we know you are happy that while we're fighting your puppet fascists in our country, you are getting a bit of slack!

5-Million strong 22 Bahman victory for Ahmadinejad!

Today, a friend sent me this video! I laughed it off as propaganda. She asked me to blog about it. I have little time, but sure! It is not actually too difficult to operate on this tumor:

First the video that some so called anti-imperialist pro-IRI dudes are cheering as proof of Ahmadinejad's popularity. As you are watching, ask yourselves the following questions:

• Why is the helicopter moving so fast?
• Why is it not zooming on the crowds? it is hard to tell whether they are humans or trees or shadows or ribbons?
• Pay attention to absence of signs and placards (and keep in mind that the greens had pledged to Trojan the event--a decision that hey are regretting now because they admit they could not tell if the guy next to them was a camouflaged green or a hand-cuff carrying Basiji.) The only visible sign is a long flag of Iran, but that is about it.
• Also, wonder where is an aerial still shot over the Azadi square?
• There is one picture towards the end of the video where a frontal shot of the crowds is presented. This picture is taken with a long lens. Long lenses compress the depth of field and make the population look more dense than it really is.
• Also, pay attention to the lonely green balloon that smiles behind Ahmadinejad.

Well, for the sake of argument, let's say that there were a LOT of people attending in favor of Ahmadinejad on 22 Bahman. They claim 5 million were only rallying in Tehran. Very good! Now let's take a look at some of the videos from 25 Khordad; the first time Iranians flooded streets and exercised their right to peaceful protest (a few hours before Neda was shot to death in front of the eyes of the world):

The greens estimated that one million attended this rally. The Iranian government called them (a few thousand) "dust and debris". I am sure you can do the math yourself; and ask the following questions:

Why weren't the foreign journalists allowed to take as spectacular shots as their cameras were capable, of this wonderful crowd who cheered Ahmadinejad? Afterall, the "enemey" media was allowed in Iran, but incarcerated! Wouldn't it have been SUCH A SLAP IN THE FACE OF IMPERIALISM if the journalists could see for themselves what the actual size of the crowd was from their journalistically selected point of view?

But, let's get back to the 5 million victory.

This is a video of people attending Ahmadinejad's 5-million strong speech:


But to put things in perspective, let's look at a picture of Obama's inauguration, that was attended by an estimated two million (and not five million) (taken with a 75 mm lens); and Ahmadinejad's 5-million crowd from his personal false news agency:


And here's a comparison of the dimentions of Azadi square versus the Washington mall (images of same scale/size). Irrespective of the population density, and lens size, look at the width of the avenues below.

And in this Fars News picture you see where the fan fair is (point B on the Azadi square map above). Click on the picture below for full size and judge the population density for yourself.

Ahmadinejad's 22 Bahman Speech

The most newsworthy item of Friday's 22 Bahman celebrations was Ahmadinejad's speech (that is before evidence of torturing Karoubi's 37 year old son were broadcast by his brave mother; who in a public letter to the supreme leader exposed the bruises of his naked son to the world; declaring with all dignity a mother can muster, that her son was threatened to rape! To utter this in Iran requires a LOT of courage; for IRan is a society where the victims of rape or rape threat are more stigmatized than the rapists--yes this is ALSO a metaphore for our post-election times.)

So what was the big deal about Ahmadinejad's speech?

1) It was not attended by 5 million people! Those who have seen Azadi square they know that as large as it is, it doesn't hold 5 million! And as this video shows, it seems the usual weekend picnic crowds are taking a peaceful stroll around.

2) He lied (e.g. claimed he has enriched uranium to 20%!)

3) He didn't mention Khamenei (soupream leaderr)

4) He claimed salvaging the universe!

5) He said: we have told the West to come take our 3.5% uranium, we will pay for their trouble too!!

6) His accent and intonations are DESPICABLE: he speaks as if to toddlers; with a googoolimagooli tone!

Actually; let's listen to their "own" spin on "Dr" Ahmadinejad's speech, via Shia TV:

Yes they are spinning, spinning, spinning ... and they appear dizzy :)

As MrZine celebrates the victory of the Iranian criminal regime

wrongly assuming that the regime change is the objective of the green movement, I wish to add a new video to his plethora of his "observations":

In this video; one soldier beats a young half naked man; women in the background of camera scream; another soldier points his gun at the behind-camera screaming women; the soldier starts punching the naked guy; and a by passing woman stops to protest to the brutality of the police!

I suspect the man was undressed to check for his green signs; as people wishing to enter the 50 million rally were inspected for carrying any such symbolism!

What are Fars (Farce/False) News Lies on 22 Bahman?

The pictures are missing from the site! They have not doctored them yet! (Update: two hours later; still NO pictures; but they insist on the 50 million; I guess 50 million makes for a very LARGE file so their servers cannot handle!!!! keep in mind, Fars News fame is in photo-jouornalism (or propagandism) what's takin' them so long?)

I have translated the headlines!

This is just hilarious!

Yes they are shooting at people; with tear gas, paint balls and actual bullets ... doing ALL they can to prevent 5-million strong a rally!

50 Million strong referendum?!?! I thought Agmadinejad had only 24 million votes!! And Iran's population is about 70 millions!

So, a simple math: 70-24 = 46 million + 5 million Tehranis = 51 million = referendum

=> people say NO to the IRI! I don't know who is crunching numbers for these idiots!

Below, watch the 5 million strong crowds: more riot chimps than normal pedestrians!

Take a look at Mehr News pictures; something in them is cleverly "telling" something other than they pretend to tell! The last picture; where the man is hiding behind Khamenei's picture implies SHAME ... don't you think?

22 Bahman proves again: They are pathetic losers (The IRGC, IRIB, and Ahmadinejad)

Already have started beating and dispersing people; doing all in their power to dissuade people from getting out of their houses; the newest technique: paint spraying; and the rumor that paint-sprayed people will be arrested!

Their fear is spectacular!

The heavier a hand they show, the more ridiculous and fragile they look!

Their "Made-in-China" anti-protest gear is on display ... and their batons have already smashed the vehicles of Karoubi (whose younger son was arrested) and Khatami (whose brother and sister in law-who is Khomeini's grand daugher were arrested but reportedly freed), preventing them to become the crowd magnet.

Ahmadinejad has just ended his speech; without referring to any protests; he has however raved about the live creatures (apparently a cockroach) he has launched to space, while measuring the roach's vital signs! Reportedly, chants of "dorooghgoo dorooghgoo" have been heard during his speech.

The IRIB is busy in the editing room: montaging 22 Bahman events of last year into clips of this year--whose sound is not mounted; of course! I heard yesterday that the Jaam-e Jam (where Iran national TV is broadcast from) was heavily armored last night; several anti riot units occupying it--while also heavily controlling the staff!

This is early still; but it seems they LOST again--else, why would they be beating people (ORIGINAL revolutionaries like Karoubi (Khomeini's pupil, and parliament speaker for two terms) and Khatami (two term president of reforms)) up on the Anniversary of the Islamic Revolution?!

Parents of expat Iranian blogger arrested ahead of 22 Bahman?

This is very bizarre: the parents of one of the best news providing Iranian blogger were summoned to intelligence office and have gone missing; presumably arrested!

Internet has gone south in Iran!

Armed forces have occupied Tehran!

Intimidation tactics are intensifying either in the form of threatening phone calls in televise interviews that some thug declares the university 'liberals' are a cancerous entity that must be removed no matter the cost!

When they cannot access the freelance reporters who blog from outside Iran, they put the screw on their families!

Many people are indeed intimidated; and have made travel plans to be "away" for the upcoming protest day!

This is "hokoomat-e adl-e Ali" ...

I had planned to keep my mouth shut about 22 Bahman; I was hoping they will come to their senses and let people protest peacefully; but it seems they have started provocation already; have started rubbing salt on the wounds of a nation who is s till mourning the "deaths on the streets and prisons", while the perpetrators of crime are promoted to higher judiciary positions ...

I had planned to keep my mouth shut; but now they have forced me to stand in solidarity with a fellow blogger ...

Provocation they can do; distraction they can attempt; intimidation they can play; but they cannot take our eyes off of the ball ... "WE" are not after toppling one regime and replacing it with another; WE are after making it known to us before all else that "We are humans, the representatives of god on earth; every single one of us" ... We are the peace; we are the dignity; we are the true muslims who will not bow to the tyranny of men who declare themselves god ...

And yes; we are willing to pay for all their foolishness to bail our country and dignity out. These maniacs need to be stopped, before their madness disgrace us in history ... they need to be stopped and be given a time-out or therapy to recover from their daemons ...

Talibanization of Iran must stop now ...

As I am finishing this post; I hope the story of parental arrest and fear mongering stories are just a misunderstanding; in which case I will make a corrective comment and apologize to the IRI for jumping to conclusions!!

Thinking of all Iranian activists who are kidnapped

Thinking of lawyers, doctors; thinking of journalists, students; thinking of poets, of thinkers. thinking of all those whose unforgivable sin is to be intelligent; to learn, to question, to challenge; thinking of the human right activists; women activists, labor activists ... thinking of the horror the regime of Iran has promised to the greens over the upcoming days that Iran holds Iran accountable to the slogans of the revolution. I cannot feel excited about this 22 Bahman; because my sentiments about it have not changed from last year.

I hate revolutions; no matter how romanticized they are. I hate blood; I hate violence; I hate idealism; I hate fascism; I distrust their sustainability. I believe in evolution; in growth; in small steps; and I believe in compromise as long as it is possible, but then break up: divergence of paths and not collision, not pulling nor pushing.

A few days back; there was a very sad letter circulating on internet, by the father of Sorena Hashemi that touched me through this protective foam I am wearing around my heart these days. Sorena is an activist who was arrested in 2008 for exposing a case of sexual harassment committed by someone close to Ahmadinejad! In Iran, the rapists don't get tried; unless they are poor and belong to the disenfranchised, society, in which case they are hanged! In Iran, those who are the victims of rape by big shots are the ones who are imprisoned, intimidated, and suffer retribution! A few weeks ago, Sorena and his co-activist friend Alireze Firouzi went missing! To go "missing" in Iran is rather common! Even the judiciary system, with all its criminality, admits that there are units that operate outside the sphere of the judiciary control. In other words, all three levels of government: the executive; legislative and judiciary branches ADMIT that their abilities to do their job is limited by shadowy supra-legal (i mean above the law here) organizations!

In any case, the letter of Sorena's father, himself a war veteran (a prisoner of war, actually) hints at the militaristic background of these supra-legal shadows: "they are not my comrades; let me assume all my comrades were killed in the war ... let me assume these are aliens ..."

Sorena, my son, there was a time that your little photograph was the companion of my longing eyes, in the back of the trenches. We scraped off the earth from our bodies and went on to protect the country.

You were the most of my country and I had shielded your life with mine; not alone, with thousands. I was not alone …

One day, as bitter as these ones, the barrage of bullets and shells made earth the cradle of hundreds of bravehearts … they passed away, calmly, smiling with the memory their mother, wife, child … and content of receiving the bullet and sparing the blood of another …

I too got my share: a boot drenched in the blood of my face, electric wires in my flesh … I was content to be a war prisoner in exchange for your freedom, for your laughter. I was not alone.

Our identification was anonymity. We were the lost ones; we died one by one of disease, of torture, or under gunfire. There were no signs of our imprisonment.

I pledged my heart to the prison bars to see you free; my uniform bailing the wounds of my comrades and friends … to protect you.

But today is more bitter than those days … you are chained. You are not laughing. More than a month has passed and I know nothing but that you are chained.

Damn me; could you have inherited the prison from me?

Why am I alone? Where are my comrades? What if they slap you? What if they don’t know that you have fought Iraqi invaders since age of 20; pulling shells out of my skin.

I am alone.

Sorena; I have not forgotten the Zanjan university scandal: [In 2008, Sorena provided evidence that a dean of the university was attempting to rape a female student]

Those who violated the boundaries of the body of the children of this soil were not my comrades.

Those who tried to cover it up were not my comrades.

Those who imprisoned you and denied you the right to education, were not my comrades.

I know my comrades well!

Let me assume those who do this are not of us; they are aliens who wreak injustice.

Let me assume that all my comrades were killed and I remained alive to suffer … until perhaps one day, if there is a living martyr will hear me call out.

Once, I gave all I had for you to be free. Today that you are not free, I give all I have to see you alive … and to see you again.

Signature: Asghar Hashemi

(in exchange for giving up the pesky uranium), bastards of Iran's judiciary get to execute 9 more of the protesters ...

The ruthlessness with which they brag about the upcoming executions, and call for even more executions (as did Dinosaur Ahmad Jannati) is SICKENING!

And Ahmadinejad's Great Nuclear news seems to be bending over and giving up Iran's enriched (3.5%) Uranium.

I guess this is the backdoor handshake?

Ahmadinejadist logic: "We give you Uranium, you shut up about human right violations and let us violate them some more! After all, China likes executions too; and America's the record holder of the free world in sending mortals to their makers! So that's that! Beat it!"

WTF!

Disrupting Iran's Peace Symphony

Last night, Iranians who are FED UP with the IRI's blood shed; with execution of the innocent men to serve the function of scare crow; with unlawful detentions, intimidations, kidnapping; with international blunder of an idiot dwarf who has stolen the vote from those who stand taller than him before History, erupted a Peace Symphony, orchestrated by Majid Entezami (an Iranian composers best known for creating over 40 film scores in the course of 33 years), and promoted and funded by Ahmadinejad's propaganda department. (Even his IRGC/army commanders act as connoisseurs when it comes to this piece! Watch this piece of PressTV, if you can stomach watching Ahmadinejad attend the concert!)

Naturally, I am opposed to anything that disrupts art. Especially if the art comes under the title of "peace". I acknowledge the hypocrisy that dominates the IRI; but I think even the tyrant must receive a little nod for CHANGING the title of his propaganda from "revolution" to "peace". To have done that, attests to his recognition that the time of war and violence is over; to have done that is an acknowledgement that the tyrant will at least "try" to LOOK peaceful; and when the tyrant is held accountable to his "peace" propaganda, then he can be forced to kneel before the will of the people of his own country--else lose face with a world whose attention he has caught with a message of peace, and who will watch his violation of peace, human rights and etc.

Naturally, I am also opposed to acting like this:

I am opposed to this kind of action because it is not raising awareness about the criminal and warmongering nature of the patrons of this composition. Awareness would be elevated by running "boycott campaigns"--of which the Iranian community in Holland is very well capable of. Awareness would be elevated by holding protests outside, and making sure people who pass by the famous music hall would not be impressed by the odd column in an odd paper commenting and praising the 'Peace piece" in the morning after. Awareness would lead to an empty concert hall (which it had). Awareness would win sympathy; not dismissal! And with all my sympathy for the fellow Iranians--many the victims of IRI's 30 years long violation of human right abuses--who interrupted this concert, I think their action was counter productive!

Watching this clip made me cringe. I believe in acting with style; I believe in rising above the pettiness of the one you oppose. This was not an elegant protest. It would have been, if they had remained silent, holding their arms in the air in V. Or wearing T-shirts of the victims. Wearing pins; acting with respect for their country's artists--many of whom were not born yesterday; and whose dedication to their art supersedes loyalties to any revolution of the past or the future. But not this! This looked like a Tom and Jerry episode. It didn't make me hate the IRI's propaganda, it made me laugh! I couldn't help laughing; and my laughing disturbed me--it was a visceral reaction that overwhelmed the political connotation of the moving pictures!

The action of protesters was counter productive because those who KNOW the IRI is a criminal regime stayed away from this concert; but those who didn't walked out annoyed and irritated. Possibly four groups attended: those invited by the IRI embassy; those holding season tickets; those curious about world music with least political concerns or those proxy-supporters of the IRI among the Muslims who are under the impression (and cherish) that Iran's the "only" Islamic country who "dares to stand up to the West". In either case, these four groups are unlikely to come out of the music hall turning green--unless perhaps green with anger! These people would in fact develop sympathy for the IRI's crackdown on the protesters, assuming that the Iranian protesters are hooligans who disrespect "art and culture", and violate the rights of the fellow citizen who has chosen and in fact paid good money to go experience a music about "peace". This action is shooting one in the green foot.

Below, is a taste of the symphony! Irrespective of politics, several musicians inside Iran questioned the quality of this music and raised objection that this was not the best and most refined representative of the Iranian classical music, which is currently composed and distributed. (of course, this idea to hold a peace concert for cultural dialogue in Europe was conceived last year and it was supported by many an artist in Iran--long before Ahmadinejad ruined out sand castle of hope by stealing the election. In any case, this was and remains Ahmadinejad's pet project; thus as all things he does it is tapping into the "familiar" sentimentality of the Iranian music. I recommend you fast forward to minutes 5, if you get too bored with the beginning.

The dictator's rampant and jumpy; on the eve of the revolution anniversary.

Read this ...

Oil for Orange!

Sticking my head out the swamp to take a breath; I thought I give you a taste of Ahmadinejad's "we want to make Iran the Japan of the Islamic World"

These links (all Persian) are about fruit! Iran's oil revenues are producing orange income for some, while driving to bankruptcy and unemployment the agricultural workers in Iran (~3% of population)).

Fruit imports in the last 5 years have come under scrutiny by high level officials in the ministries of Trade and Agriculture (independent ministries)--but not Ahmadinejad's cabinet. 70% of fruit importation in Iran is exclusive to three importers that also control the import of sugar and rice. Lack of control on pricing leads to first, driving local producers bankrupt and once they are out, the profit margin on imported fruit are hiked to 200-300%. This practice has helped the so called "fruit mafia" to cash 1 billion dollars, only in the last year.

The head of the Labor Fraction of the Parliament laments the fact that oil revenues are spent on fruit and rice importation from China, Philippine, Brazil, Egypt, India, Thailand and Uruguay. In a country that is the 4th produced of citrous fruit, it is a major problem that the farmers' produce rots on trees, because no proper distribution infrastructure is provided. (30-40% of Iran's produce are wasted due to this fact.) Labor specialists and activists repeatedly warn that the oil revenues during Ahamadinejad's government have not entered the economic cycle; have not turned into infrastructural investment that would guarantee economic sustainability--agriculture is only one of the fields suffering this neglect. Instead, Ahmadinejad's ad-hoc economic policies have turned the economy into a profit-based; quick-cash; importation-dependent and clandestine practice behind closed doors and outside of the professional and specialist spheres.

To give an example: in July of last year (2009) one of these "private fruit importers" registered importation of 150 Tons of American Red Delicious apples (initially reported with Israeli labels, but later clarified that they had USA labels with trademark 4015 !) Interestingly, this type of apple is locally produced in the south of Iran; but most "organic" apple producers in Iran are not able to compete with the quality of genetically enhanced American apple on steroids!! It is worth mentioning that Israeli Jaffa Oranges have also appeared in Iran's fruit market! Yes, with approval of the Trade department!

According to Khabar Online, (apparently close to the Larijani mafia--conservatives but secretely anti-Ahmadinejadists) in the last year of Ahmadinejad's previous term, the volume of American imports to Iran has reached the highest level in the past 10 years. In this year, Iran broke the record of fruit importation, spending close to 2 billion dollars on importing fruits that have been traditionally grown in Iran.

I have not been able to dig many names. I came across Hashem Arjmandi and Brothers, who opened the first fruit warehouses in Bushehsr Harbor in November 2009. He imports Banana and Apple and interestingly, he too complains about the instability of Ahmadinejad's economic policies, making his banana republic a volatile enterprise.

Post Script: Iran has "fruit and produce markets" that offer fruit at regulated prices that are significantly (sometimes 60%) lower than "free market" pieces--albeit the fruit is less glittering and less glamorous. Fruit is a very important part of Iranian diet. When a guest arrives in your house, you offer them tea, cookies and fruit. To not be able to offer a visitor fruit, will be very embarrassing to the host. Iranians often have fruit after siesta tea; and after dinner.

Etiquette: unless you are sure your host is wealthy, do not finish every piece of fruit that is offered to you. If you go visiting a financially challenged person, do not refuse to take their fruit offering. If you don't eat the little dry and spotty orange offered to you, the host will be embarrassed that his offering has been inadequate and unacceptable. Living Persian is a choreographed act--it is a delicate dance of generosity, sacrifice and yet stoicism and common sense.

Help Iranian journalists!

You can make donations at Reportes Sans Frontiers (Reporters without borders)

Or I will update if events such as below happen.

Kiosk is performing in Sunnyvale, CA tomorrow night. Call (408) 489-0891 to RSVP. Address: 1108 N. Mathilda, Sunnyvale, CA 94089

Persian Cats' Tehran

These are clips from Bahman Ghobadi's film No One Knows About Persian Cats (Also see Variety's review). In an interview, he has released his film for free internet distribution. But these kind of films need a dark salon, a collective beat and crowds breathing on each other's neck.

Here, an e-taste:

Ekhtelaf, Hip hop By Hichkas

Lyrics:
Inja tehrane [This is Tehran]
Yani shahrike [i.e. a City]
Harchi ke toosh mibini baese tahrike [where everything stimulates]
Tahrike roohe to to ashghaldooni [Stimulates the soul into trash bin]
Mifahmi to ham adam nisti ye ashghal boodi [you understand you are not a human, but a trash]
Inja hame gorgan [here, everyone's a wolf]
Mikhau bashi mesle barreh [you wanna be a lamb]
Beza cheshat koor shan ta man vakonam ye zarreh [let your eyes go blind till i open them a little]
Inja jangale la'anti shookhi nistesh [this is a damned jungle, it's not a joke]
Khabari az gol o bastani choobi nistesh [no flower and no icecream stick]
Inja jangale bokhor ta khordeh nashi [this is the jungle where you should eat or be eaten]
Inja nesf oghdeyan nesf vahshi [Here, half are deprived and the other half are savage]
Ekhtelaafe tabaghati inja bidad mikone [class divisions wreak havoc]
Roohe mardomo zakhmi o bimar mikone [bruise and sicken people's soul]
Faghire o mayedare neshastan toye taxi [poor and rich are sitting in a taxi]
Hame mikhan keraye nadan [everyones to not pay the fare]
Haghighat roshane khodeto be oon raah nazan [Truth is obvious, don't pretend you don't see]
Roshan taresh mikonam pas bemoon jaa nazan [I make it more clear, don't run away]

[CHORUS] [x2]
Khda pasho man ye chansaali bahat harf daram [Get up God, I've got a few years worth of things to say]
Khoda pasho o nasho narahat az karam [Get up God, and don't get mad at me]
Kojahasho didi tazeh avval karam [What have you seen? I have just started]
Khoda pasho man ye ashghaalam bahat ha(r)f daram [Get up God, I'm a trash, I have things to say to you]
Namaki ba charkhesh [Peddler with his cart]
Kenare ye benze [Near a Mercedes]
Ke hamoon charkhesh [whose wheel]
Kerayeye benze [is the rent price]
Man o to o oon boodim az ye ghatre [you and I and him were from a drop]
Hala bebin faseleye maha che ghadre [Now see what is the distance]
Dalile charkheshe zamin nist jazebe [Gravity is not why earth turns]
Poole ke zamino micharkoone (jalebe) [Money turns the earth (interesting)]
In rooza avval poole baad khoda [These days, it's first money then God]
Hame ra'ayatan ma kadkhoda [Everyone's a peasant, we are the lords]
Bachehe mikhad ba faghire bazi kone [The kid wants to play with the bum]
Baba nemizare [Dad doesn't let]
Faghre kasife chonke faghat yeki dare (baazi) [poverty's dirty 'cause has one (game)]
Hame agahim az in balaya [We're all lords from up here]
Hata fereshteham nemiad in vara [Even angels don't come this way]
Ta nashim fanaa ma [Till we don't vanish]
Adame marizam [ I am sick]
Harfamo dark kard [He understood me]
Tamoom nakardam harfamo ha [But i am not done talking yet]

[CHORUS] [x2]

Ta halaa shode asheghe ye dokhtar beshi [have you ever fallen in love with a girl?]
Mikham harf bezanam roktar, beshin [I wanna talk more frankly, sit down]
Piishe khodet migi inne eshghe tarikhi [you tell yourself this is a historical love]
Vali duffet baye bache mayedare [but your ??? is with a rich boy]
Khab didi kheire [sweet hallucination]
Yadeb bashe gheire [???]
Khodet bezan gheyde [cut your strings]
Harchi adam dorovaret mibini chon eibe [from all people around you, because it's a shame]
Yeki savare mashine khoda ba poozkhand rad mishe [One passes by you riding god's car, smirking at you]
Ba kineh mikoni doaa [with grudge, you pray]
Ke manam mikham mayedar sham [that "i want to be rich too"]
Oghdaro konam darkesh [to understand inferiority]
Doaa nakon bi asareh [Don't pray it's no use]
Nemikonan darkesh [They won't understand]
Mikhai bekhabi [You wanna sleep]
To bidari kaboos bebin [see nightmares when awake]
Bia baham be in donya fohshe namoos bedim [Let's swear at this world]
Bayad koor bashi ta nabini faghro harja [you ought to be blind to not see poverty everywhere]
Kenare khiaboon nabini faghr o fahsha [to not see poverty and prostitution on the street sides]
Khoda pasho ye ashghal bahat harf dare [God, get up a junky's got things to say to you]
Nakone to ham be fekre inni ke ki sarf dare [Maybe you too are wondering who is worth it?]

And another one, Jazzi, By Rana Farhan

The Meaning of Life

Iran's slain physicist WAS NOT a nuclear scientist. He was just a Green professor who supported Mousavi

The IRI's rush to blame the assassination on America and Israel--hence claiming that Masood Alimohammadi--was a nuclear scientist has outraged the Iranians. The regime has been quick to claim an open supporter of Mousavi, a man who joined his students to protested the rigged election in June, a martyr of its "nuclear cause" (Persian).

According to Ahmad Shirzad, his close friend (they trained together in Sharif University's Physics department--where the assassinated professor became the first to obtain a PhD in physics in Iran) and a reformist member of parliament during Khatami's presidency, Alimohammadi was a Particle Phycisist, specializing in elementary particles and his research did not relate to nuclear energy production.

It is ironic how a regime that claims TOTAL control of intelligence and security, that tracks and monitors and wires anyone with a university professorship--especially if they are 'green', has not been able to detect a targeted, remotely-controlled bombing attack! It is ironic that the IRI's Foreign Ministry--and not the Intelligence Ministry--was the first to RUSH to pointing the finger to Israel and the US!

It is ironic that again, the name of that invented "anjomane padeshahi"--an obscure entity that even monarchists don't know about and we have learned about from recently handed in death penalty sentences to a few individuals who have been forced to making false confessions--is announced to be responsible, but later denies having had any responsibility. (This "anjoman" seems to be an intelligence trap, used to identify gullible opponents of the IRI and carry terrorist attacks to claim responsibility for and create an illusion of the violence conducted by the opposition)

It is ironic that the chain-murderers of the IRI, blame this killing on American Zionists; and it is ironic that creatures who consider themselves "reliable" alternative media, seem to wish to buy that crap!

General Petraeus returns Ahmadinejad a favor

Last year, General Petraeus had praised Ahmadinejad for being the best recruiter for the Iraq/Afghanistan-drained American army!

General Petraeus is now returning Ahmadinejad's favor to help him recruit more fanatics to divert Iranian's demands for social justice and human rights. Ahmadinejad seems to be getting in increasing trouble; probably being readied to be sacrificed on the altar of "velayat-e Faghih" (of course, unless an acute military situation is created that will make it NECESSARY to delegate the power fully back to Ahmadinejad and his IRGC militarists).

The timing of Petraeus' statement is VERY interesting; it seems to come JUST as Iranians on both sides are slowly flirting with the idea of "slowing down to the middle". Just as Khamenei made a gesture to pull back his rabid dogs' leash a bit, followed by Khatami (persian in parlemannews) and Hashemi (persian ILNA) who just came out in the designated role of the moderators for this crisis management; with the icing of Larijani, the head of judiciary calling for moderation in confronting the press (persian ILNA).

Of course, we know what Ahmadinejad's IRGC backers are after: economic power! Now the question is; what is in this for Petraeus or any of those Ahmadinejad-boosters who are in bed with Ahmadinejad's "bomb"?!?

Has anyone ever imagined the unemployment rate, if the war industry went belly up?!

Khamenei asks Basijis to restraint but delegates the job of killing to the judiciary system!

Delusional!

I just don't understand WHY this Soupreme Leader does what he does and says what he says!

So he thinks the post-Ashura state-staged, -sponsored protest was real!! Bus-loads of hired people where moved between different cities to hold the protest in different days to show the solidarity with Vali-e Faghih!!! They manage to get a few hundred thousand people out (insignificant to the million-large outpour of crowds at Montazeri's funeral--who were not given juice and refershments, not were transported by state-busses, rather had to risk their lives and arrested on the road and prevented from attendance, and YET they did! And Khamenei is taking that meager attendance as a "proof" that the "people" have spoken and therefore, the "people" (read fanatic basijis) have to step back and let the judiciary system CONFRONT the opposition with utmost harshness, according to "law"!

And yes, these creeps have put in place enough draconian laws to be sure the slightest opposition, i.e. verbal abuse towards the supreme leader gets death penalty!

Speaking of DEATH PENALTY; today, it is foaming out of the stinky mouths of the legislators and the judiciary figures with such an ease, as if it is their god-given right to KILL people to save their turbans! Of course, their idea of "moderation" is to not kill indiscriminately--yet! Khamenei is explicitly pointing his fingers (first) at Monarchists, Communists; and implicitly at people who are presumably linked to America (that makes some 2 million of us!) and Israel (they have traditionally killed members of the Bahai cult for that charge!)

The new Tehran prosecutor has stated that those Bahais and Monafeghs (i.e MKO) arrested in the Ashura-protest (when the regime opened fire on innocent people; threw them off the bridge and ran over them with police trucks) are "mohareb" and their penalty is "technically" death! I suspect he is going to come out as a moderate and "reduce" the death penalty to long prison terms together with lashing in public!

The Bahai religion strictly FORBIDS the followers from violence, EVEN IF THEY ARE ATTACKED, even in self defense are they not permitted to act violently ... this is why so many of them have been executed without much public knowledge and sympathy. Today, many more stand on the death row of the Islamic Republic of Iran ...

Sickening!