Recent news from Iran
Yup, she's still up on her soapbox over Iran and with good reason.
It's not just that she finds the mere concept of denying people their voices in a nation that claims to be representative to be abhorrent (although, naturally she finds such a practice disgusting no matter what form of government a country has). It’s not even the old adage that a lack of freedom anywhere is a threat to liberty everywhere (although I firmly believe that as well).
It’s the lack of a voice for these people. Ostensibly, text messaging service has been restored to the Iranian people (although it still seems to be pretty nonexistent on the ground) and it goes without saying that the Iranian people haven’t just gone “Ah, well, maybe we don’t need our votes to count after all.”
So why do I have to dig on the internet to find out what’s going on over there? Because Michael Jackson’s dead and his death is now being treated as a homicide? Because the Republicans and Democrats are going at it AGAIN, exactly as political parties have been doing since before the days of the Roman Empire? And why hasn’t Al Jazeera published any news on the protests since 13 June? I find the current state of affairs obnoxious enough to be worth harping on:
(from the 7th)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8137076.stm (some Iranian clerics start coming out on the side of the protestors and it’s making the fence-sitters plenty nervous)
(from the 7th and the 8th)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8135414.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8139655.stm (and, again, the administration doesn’t seem to be talking to itself on certain issues)
(from the 9th)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/world/middleeast/10iran.html (I’m glad Mom didn’t live to see this, because it makes Kent State look like a staring-contest and she was there and lost a friend there)
(from the 11th)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/world/asia/12iran.html (an opposition cleric in Iran calls the country’s leaders “usurpers and transgressors”)
(from the 12th)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/13/world/middleeast/13iran.html (a conservative Lebanese presidential candidate says that this mess could tear Iran apart)
(from the 14th)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/14/world/middleeast/14iran.html?_r=1 (three top Iranian clerics condemn a crackdown on Muslims in China, suggesting that the Iranian government hasn’t condemned it yet because they’d be essentially condemning the same kinds of tactics they’re using)
(from the 15th) http://www.tehrantimes.com/Index_view.asp?code=198856 (apparently there are new laws being considered so that Iran’s State Media will be more “constructive” and “non-judgmental”)
*steps down off her soapbox* Sorry about that. And, if you haven’t hit up Amnesty International’s site yet, it’ll only take you a few seconds to fire annoying emails to the Ayatollahs:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&aid=12510&ICID=E0907A01&tr=y&auid=5059644
EDIT: You can post messages of support for the protestors here http://theworldhearsyou.com/
Thanks for reading. If I’m starting to annoy you with the preaching, I’m tagging all these posts with “Iran” so you can ignore them if you want :) It won’t offend me if you do, but you really shouldn’t. Solidaridad and all that good shit.
They are people too.
Let their voices be heard.
It's not just that she finds the mere concept of denying people their voices in a nation that claims to be representative to be abhorrent (although, naturally she finds such a practice disgusting no matter what form of government a country has). It’s not even the old adage that a lack of freedom anywhere is a threat to liberty everywhere (although I firmly believe that as well).
It’s the lack of a voice for these people. Ostensibly, text messaging service has been restored to the Iranian people (although it still seems to be pretty nonexistent on the ground) and it goes without saying that the Iranian people haven’t just gone “Ah, well, maybe we don’t need our votes to count after all.”
So why do I have to dig on the internet to find out what’s going on over there? Because Michael Jackson’s dead and his death is now being treated as a homicide? Because the Republicans and Democrats are going at it AGAIN, exactly as political parties have been doing since before the days of the Roman Empire? And why hasn’t Al Jazeera published any news on the protests since 13 June? I find the current state of affairs obnoxious enough to be worth harping on:
(from the 7th)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8137076.stm (some Iranian clerics start coming out on the side of the protestors and it’s making the fence-sitters plenty nervous)
(from the 7th and the 8th)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8135414.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8139655.stm (and, again, the administration doesn’t seem to be talking to itself on certain issues)
(from the 9th)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/world/middleeast/10iran.html (I’m glad Mom didn’t live to see this, because it makes Kent State look like a staring-contest and she was there and lost a friend there)
(from the 11th)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/world/asia/12iran.html (an opposition cleric in Iran calls the country’s leaders “usurpers and transgressors”)
(from the 12th)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/13/world/middleeast/13iran.html (a conservative Lebanese presidential candidate says that this mess could tear Iran apart)
(from the 14th)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/14/world/middleeast/14iran.html?_r=1 (three top Iranian clerics condemn a crackdown on Muslims in China, suggesting that the Iranian government hasn’t condemned it yet because they’d be essentially condemning the same kinds of tactics they’re using)
(from the 15th) http://www.tehrantimes.com/Index_view.asp?code=198856 (apparently there are new laws being considered so that Iran’s State Media will be more “constructive” and “non-judgmental”)
*steps down off her soapbox* Sorry about that. And, if you haven’t hit up Amnesty International’s site yet, it’ll only take you a few seconds to fire annoying emails to the Ayatollahs:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&aid=12510&ICID=E0907A01&tr=y&auid=5059644
EDIT: You can post messages of support for the protestors here http://theworldhearsyou.com/
Thanks for reading. If I’m starting to annoy you with the preaching, I’m tagging all these posts with “Iran” so you can ignore them if you want :) It won’t offend me if you do, but you really shouldn’t. Solidaridad and all that good shit.
They are people too.
Let their voices be heard.