Iran Professors Ask for End to Violence
From the NY Times, excerpt:
Risking expulsion and possible arrest, 88 professors at Tehran University signed a letter on Monday calling on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme religious leader, to end the use of violence against protesters, saying it was a sign of the government’s weakness.
“Nighttime attacks on defenseless student dormitories and daytime assaults on students at university campuses, venues of education and learning, is not a sign of strength,” the letter read in part. “Nor is beating up students and their mass imprisonment.”
AFP: Iran issues 'ultimatum' to West over nuclear swap
“The international community has just one month left to decide” whether or not it will accept Iran’s conditions, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was quoted as saying on state television. “This is an ultimatum.”
Tehran had already rejected a proposal by the IAEA to ship most of its low-enriched uranium to Russia and France for processing into fuel for the research reactor. World powers have been pushing Iran to accept the UN-brokered deal and are also mulling plans to impose fresh UN sanctions against it for dismissing the year-end deadline.
Fighting Iran's government -- online from Toronto
From CNN, excerpt:
From a small apartment in Toronto, Iranian exile Saeed Valadbaygi is trying to bring news from his country to the world.
Using a network of Iranian journalists and eager volunteers back in Tehran, the 27-year-old former student collates reports, pictures and video for his Web site astreetjournalist.com.
Having fled Iran following the June demonstrations, Valadbaygi set up the site in November — his latest attempt to beat what he says are government hackers and offer news and views about the unrest in Iran.
With international media operating under restrictions in Iran, independent journalists using blogs and social networking sites have become an important source of information.
“What’s happening in Iran is not being reflected globally. We want to let the world know and let the state know that the world is watching,” said Valadbaygi.
During the deadly street demonstrations in Tehran on December 27, Valadbaygi said his web site had 17 million hits in two days. The site, which is maintained by about 12 volunteers, wobbled and slowed down, but stayed up and running.
“We’ve already experienced a large number of viewers on our blogs and web sites and therefore we have been hacked by the regime of Iran repeatedly and unfortunately have lost access to many of our web sites. But introducing this web site (to) professional colleagues and also lots of viewers who are currently collaborating with us has helped in achieving wonderful results in the past few days.”
Valadbaygi believes in the power of social media. He is active on Facebook and Twitter and maintains a blog called Revolutionary Road.
“Facebook and Twitter have turned into a strong tool for people in spreading news. Citizen journalists have the most effect on news and today we clearly see that each citizen in Iran is acting as a media. Therefore we have the responsibility in gathering the news in one place to achieve a better result against the regime’s censorship,” he said…
Obama joins the international community in “strongly condemning the violent and unjust suppression of innocent Iranian citizens”
An Iranian opposition supporter covers his face with his bloodstained hand during clashes with security forces in Tehran on Dec. 27. AFP / Getty Images
(via renco)
The actions of a desperate regime
Iranian intelligence officials have detained the sister of Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi.
Ebadi said Monday that three men and a woman arrived at the Tehran home she shared with her sister, searched the house and seized Nushin Ebadi, 47, and her computer.
“They have detained her so I stop my work,” Shirin Ebadi, 62, told CNN’s Reza Sayah in a phone call from London. “She has done nothing wrong. She’s not involved in human rights work, and she’s never participated in any of the protests. Not only does my sister not do any human rights work, she doesn’t do any cultural work either. They only took her because of me.”
Iran arrests key opposition figures in effort to end protests
The Iranian authorities made a desperate attempt to cut off the resurgent opposition movement at its roots on Monday, making a string of arrests close to its leadership. A former regime foreign minister, three close aides to Mir Hossein Mousavi, the defeated presidential candidate, and two aides to Mohammad Khatami, the former president, were all taken away by security forces, according to the opposition. Emad Baghi, a leading human rights activist, was also taken away.
The arrests followed Sunday’s violence, the worst on the streets of Iran’s major cities since the June protests. State media confirmed eight deaths -though one report put the number at 15- including Mr Moussavi’s nephew, Seyed Ali Moussavi, 35.
The government’s crackdown brought renewed criticism from the West. “We strongly condemn the violent and unjust suppression of civilians in Iran seeking to exercise their universal rights,” Mike Hammer, spokesman for the US National Security Council, said.
For me, the iconic image - of so many - is the one at the top of this post: a baseej switching sides and being carried aloft by the crowd. Proof of this can be found here. And my favorite quote of the day is a simple one, the kind that a New Yorker might make:
“Are you only brave on your motorbike, you piece of shit?!”
Today, it was the baseej who were wearing the masks and bandanas.
”The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan
Something remarkable is happening in Iran. Click through and watch the video.
(via ericmortensen)
(via soupsoup)
From Morgan Freeman and Amnesty International, a new video on the power of words.
Words. They can do anything. They can call in a dog at night. They can bring comfort to an old friend. They can say “Happy Birthday” to a girl whose balloons are slowing sinking.
But sometimes, words can get you in trouble. Like the human rights activist in Zimbabwe who was kidnapped for standing up to government corruption. Or the journalist in China sentenced to 10 years in prison for sending an e-mail. Or the thousands of men and women in Iran who were beaten, arrested and tortured just for demanding a fair election.
Now we need your words to demand justice, to take a stand, to offer hope to people around the world who are silenced for simply speaking their minds. Write a letter and speak out today. Your words can lead to their freedom.
Words. They can do anything.
Please pass it on and get as many people involved as you can. Remember how privileged we are to be able to use our words without fear of persecution.
Iran protests leave nine dead, reports claim
Opposition leader Mousavi’s nephew ‘among the fatalities’ as Tehran and other cities erupt in protest and violence on holy day
The nephew of Iran’s reformist opposition leader, Mir Hossein Mousavi, was reported to be among at least nine people killed after the streets of Tehran and other cities erupted in violent clashes between security forces and protesters.
Ali Mousavi, 35 and a father of two, was reportedly shot through the heart after police opened fire during disturbances in Tehran’s Enghelab Square.
The authorities tonight tried to assert control over Tehran by reportedly declaring a 7pm curfew and outlawing all gatherings of more than three people, a source inside the capital told the Guardian.
The move followed announcements by opposition supporters of plans to meet in some of the city’s main squares and parks to mark Sham-e Ghariban, which is part of the Ashura ceremonies.
News of Mousavi’s nephew’s death, reported by the reformist website Parlemannews, was certain to send shock waves through Iran’s opposition Green Movement.
There were reports of at least four other fatalities in Tehran and four more in Tabriz as tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered for the Shia Ashura ceremonies and to voice anger against the government.
Parlemannews reported that Mousavi had gone to Ebn-e Sina Hospital, where the body of his nephew had been taken. He was accompanied by the dead man’s parents and fellow reformist politicians.
