Iran Update Live Post? for July 29-30, 2009
I'm posting this now since I will be away most of the day in a car. Go ahead and add any video or links that you find.
Iran is 9:30 hours ahead of daylight central time.
Last time, with the Prayer Protests, things took place about 1am - 4am my time.
I'm checking to see what time things are planned. iran.whyweprotest has a thread on July 30th protest movements
There is a global movement for a moment of silence vigils silentway on Thursday at around 6:00pm - 9:00pm. Check your cities to see when this is taking place and where.
This is a stencil tag picture of Mousavi's face. It has been reported that this is showing up all over Tehran.
It seems that Mousavi gave a big speech Monday, Mousavi: “Religious celebrations are opportunities for the display of the “Green” movement’s creativity.” “Why are you hurting people this much?”/ “Where is the freedom?” and here is the speech in Farsi and an english translation.
Also, it seems, although not yet confirmed, that there were reports of clashes breaking in east Tehran between the police and the basij that took place early Wednesday.
This video talks about it.
Here is a rough translation from a person on iran.whyweprotest: I had my father watch it and translate it. He said that police started fighting/shooting at the basiji's in eastern tehran. About a 1000 people (civilians) came to the aid of the police. Apparently they opened a huge can of whop-ass on the basiji's that they decided to run. I think my dad said (he translated on the fly for me over the phone) that they have had more than one person confirming this, so I suspect this did happen. It seems to be very big news.
My dad is just boarding a flight. I will see him later tonight. If there is anything important I missed, I will update this if someone else has not yet.
July 27-28 post | July 25-26, 2009 post | July 24, 2009 post | July 20-23, 2009 Week post | July 18-19, 2009 post | July 17, 2009 post | July 16, 2009 post | July 15, 2009 post | July 14, 2009 post | July 13, 2009 post | July 12, 2009 post | July 11, 2009 post | July 10, 2009 post | July 9, 2009 posts | July 8, 2009 post | July 7, 2009 post | July 6, 2009 post | July 5, 2009 post | July 4, 2009 post
A source from Iran (using Tor) wrote this about today.
today will prove to be an important day. there are many rumors of paratroopers/special troops arriving in tehran and elsewhere through out Iran. Montazeri continues to remind the faithful not to be taken in, not to forget.
it is astonishingly significant for this ayatollah to continue these pronouncements in the middle of what amounts to the system's attempt to save itself. he is indeed a source of emulation.
Rafsanjani has very close ties to Qom and Mahsad, but also with the military, with whom he has been working all these weeks. the military has been on maneuvers and training since before 28 june. the IRGC think they have better equipment (they mostly do) and they may have many additional troops in the form of hamas and hizbollah entering Iran from Lebanon and Syria (i have heard anywhere from 50k to 300k).
these 'troops' are the same type of persons who have been assaulting us on the streets and in our homes. they are almost, but not quite, completely without value against trained soldiers. trained soldiers, with high morale are also extremely effective against better equipped opponents who are poisoned with pride, do not trust their leadership, or are otherwise not sufficiently prepared for engagement.
Khamenei has apparently signed the order authorizing these troops. this means he has accepted Rafsanjani's offer. there remains, however, plenty of time for a double cross.
the majlis have been investigating known prisons and 'secret cells' beneath the MOI- when not prevented by the IRGC coup leadership. it remains to be seen whether the new tehran intelligence bureau will stand or be dissolved. and what happens to the trials of protesters beginning later this week.
i will say nothing about the least qualified person in all Iran to run anything called 'intelligence'.
it also remains to be seen what the people of Iran will have to say about Khamenei's role in all of this. there are some within the community who believe this is a protest of students. nothing could be further from the truth. bazaari, oil workers, textile manufacturers, the religious leadership (and not so leadership) the military, members of all leglative and judicial bodies have all become increasingly more vocal since the third week of june.
experienced analysts who believe students are the beginning and end of Iran's unrest, or are led to believe this, should think about seeking new guides to the subtleties of farsi and the blatant obviousness of video/written evidence. not to mention reports from qualified outlets.
many nations have failed, utterly, in their policies concerning Iran and the region. we must ask ourselves why. on whom do they depend for information when there are few or none on the ground? through what lens or filter are they processing the raw information when it does arrive? and when it does, are they even able to recognize it?
questions for the experienced: why would Ahmadi, who believes he has the support of Khamenei and the IRG coup leaders, try to make a gesture to placate the populace? a populace he has called dust, and whose rage and brutal suppression he referred to as 'excitement after a football match'. a populace for whom he has zero regard or respect. what sense is it to make such a gesture to a man if you have recently caused his daughter to be raped to death? or his son to be also raped, or beaten to death in front of other inmates of conscience? Mashaei may be many things, but a gesture to those Ahmadi thinks are less than nothing, he is not.
Khamenei's son, Mojtaba has played a significant part, and not just in the recent tribulation. as the supreme leader's chief of staff, he has controlled all access to and from Khamenei. Mojtaba has been the de facto supreme leader for several years. Mojtaba and Mesbah-Yazdi represent the most clear threat to Iran, her resources, her struggle for freedom and stability within the middle east.
if anyone has found additional information on Mashaei and/or the hojjatieh, please post here. thank you.
Important Links
Iranian Justice
Iran Tube <- Vid hosting for Iran vids
Tehran Bureau: Ayatollah Watch <- List of the Ayatollahs and which side they are on
Anonymous Intelligence Collective <- Iran information collective Iran Mapping Project
Iran Human Rights Documentation Center <- Documenting the Human Rights Violations conducted by the Iranian Government (English and Farsi)
Paul Coelho blog <- Interview with the doctor that tried to save Neda's life.
Heritage Org
All a Twitter: How Social Networking Shaped Iran's Election Protests (July 20, 2009 - James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.)
More pictures of the Friday Prayers Protest
Vid of Friday Sermon Tehran Riots
Wikinews on Rafsanjani's speech
Juan Cole <- Guy who interviewed Nico | Rafsanjani's steps to resolve Iran's crisis | Friday's Sermon Fateful for Iran
Khandaniha <- Iranian site that has video of Friday's Sermon in 7 parts
What Bernard Kouchner REALLY said about Iran
More pictures of the Friday Prayers Protest
Tehran Bureau: Vid of Friday Sermon Tehran Riots
Iran.whyweprotest: Vid of Friday Sermon Protests
Wikinews on Rafsanjani's speech
HipHop show in Berlin, in solidarity with the protest movement in Iran
Amnesty International USA: Iranian Petition
Juan Cole <- Guy who interviewed Nico | Rafsanjani's steps to resolve Iran's crisis | Friday's Sermon Fateful for Iran
Khandaniha <- Iranian site that has video of Friday's Sermon in 7 parts
Dynamic Internet Technology <- "Attack the Cyberwalls!: The Internet Is the Pathway to Democracy in Places Like Iran"
Index of 500+ vids of Iranian protests
Rooz online - Eng
Iran protest flickr page
Youtube: peivel17 <- Green Wave channel
Global Day of Action in Stockholm Sweden, pics and vid | Sohrab's mother speaks to Tehran's city council
Youtube user: We Are Neda
Blogs
Revolution in Iran | Feel Good page <- music vid page
Robin Wright
A letter from an Iranian named Fayah idiomagic
"I love life. I love to laugh and be with my friends. There are so many books I want to read, movies I want to see, people I want to meet. I want to marry, to be a good wife and mother. I want to grow old with the people I love, to feel the sun on my face, to see the ocean, to travel.
My country is in a terrible state. People have no jobs. There is no money. People have no freedom. Women must hide themselves from the world, and we have no choices.
Our people--we are not terrorists. We hate terrorists. And that is what our government has become. They kill our people for no reason. They torture us in their prisons because we want freedom. They make our country look evil, they make our religion look evil.
We are fighting for our freedom, for our religion, for our country. If we do nothing while injustice abounds, we become unjust. We turn into the ones we hate.
I have to fight. I have to go back on the streets. I will make them kill me. I will join Neda, with my friends, and then maybe the world will hear us.
I never thought I would become a martyr, but it is needed. The more of us they kill, the smaller they become, the more strength the people will have. Maybe my death will mean nothing, but maybe it will buy my country freedom.
I am very sad that I will never be a mother, that I will never do the things I love, but I would rather die than do nothing and know that I am to blame for the tortures, the murder, the hatred.
Please tell the world how much we love life. That we are not terrorists. We just want to be free."
Keeping the Change | Flash Mobs: A New Twist on Solidarity With Iran by Maryam
Nite Owl's live translations of the Sermon
Pedestrian | July 17, 2009 Friday Sermon | Pictures & Stories | "I was there" | July 18, 2009 Now it is our turn | Unverified Reports <- Qom wants Khamenei to side with protesters
Tehran Bureau: Friday Prayers Update (July 17, 2009)
Peace With Iran <- Blog
Iranian Leftists Report of a female protester 'possibly' gang raped and murdered
Demotix <- The mighty photojournalism site Iran election page pictures of demostrations outside Iranian embassy in London
Mightier Than
ABC reporter jim sciutto's twitblog
LA Times - Babylon & Beyond First images to emerge of July 9, 2009 protests large crowd gets dispersed by teargass on July 9, 2009 protests | July 17, 2009 -> Iran: Human Rights Lawyer Shadi Sadr Arrested | Iran: In Video, anger boils over at Friday Sermon | IRAN: Full text of Rafsanjani's lengthy speech | July 18, 2009 - IRAN: U.S. addresses Tehran unrest in daily briefing | July 19, 2009 Egypt: Cleric backed by Iran charged in Egypt | IRAN: Iranian cleric sees a long-planned conspiracy in protests
iran.whyweprotest.net 18 Tir / 9 July forum thread <- lots of vids and first hand account by a protester in Iran
goftaniha.org Ex-Basij Founder's Blog being used to ID Basij - in Farsi
Ayatollah Watch <- Information on Ayatollahs
Ahmedi's takeover has been planned since 2004
Out the Basij
ID the Basiji
twit blog about how another Ayatollah has gone against the regime
Lara Setrakian - ABC News reporter's blog TEHRAN UNREST: "IT WAS NOTHING LESS THAN WAR. PRAY FOR US."
National Iranian American Council's Blog July 9, 2009 protest coverage <- vids and pics
NY Times - The Lede Blog July 9, 2009 protest coverage | Young election protester buried in Tehran <- a new Martyr
PERSIA.ORG "Struggle for a Free Iran" <- Has dedicated their front page to information on those who have been killed and detained
Iran Negah "Ezclusive views into Iranian politics & society"
University of Texas - Austin "Power of Protest: University experts condemn violence, but urge diplomacy toward Iran"
Keeping the Change | Keeping the Change FB | Nooroz News: Tehran's Morgues Reportedly Holds the Bodies of Hundreds of Dead Protesters
Ndn.org: July 15: Twitter Iran and more impressions from the front lines of the global media revolution
Mohsen Sazegara | explaining what to do and how to do the protests
1- where to go
2- how to do it
3- things to bring
4- what to do at nights
5- slogens to write
6- which marker to write with (green neon marker in this case)
~*~
Retweeters to watch
@LaraABCNews <- Reporter out of Dubai who's been in contact with Iranians
@Pray4FreeIran <- retweeter who spreads messages about Iran
@AustinHeap <- The genius behind ProxyHeap and Haystack (says that Node 1 is a go?)
@StopAdmedi <- twitter account for Mousavi supporters
@nicopitney <- I didn't know he had a twitter account
@Iran_Translator <- NiteOwl
@iranriggedelect
@tehranbereau
@bistoon <- IRGC already actively hunt him b/c of student revolt in 1999 so I can rec him
@nextrevolution
@IranAnon <- Yes it is the Iranian Anonymous crowd
@niacouncil <- National Iranian-American Council
@votersunion
@iranlaya
@iranhrdc <- Iran Human Rights Documenting Center
@EANewsFeed <- Enduring America news feed
@IranNewsNow
Useful Resources
News: NIAC Insight | Kodoom
Translations: Google Translate | TehranBroadcast.com | Translate4Iran
Helping Iranians use the web: Haystack | Tor Project (English & Farsi) | IranHelp.org (Farsi) Demonstrations: Facebook | sharearchy | WhyWeProtest
Activism: Avaaz.org | National Iranian American Council
Mousavi's main website | Mousavi's backup/English | Mousavi's FB
Haystack's how you can help digg page
Haystack <- The all powerful proxy (still in testing) Want to help? Don't know anything techwise? Then donate some cash and keep this revolution going, you may just save someone(s) life! Haystack is needing donations! Donate Here.
Haystack Network wesbite | Haystack Twitter page | Haystack needs help! |Twitter | FB
Protest Advice
Brainstorm Ideas | Downloading/Uploading Vid programs
Torrent/dl list of videos showing police brutality in Iran
Blog that has links to LA Protest that 35-50,000 people turn out
the pictures
Want to know how the power check system in Iran works? The Wall Street Journal has an excellent graph.
Bearing Witness In Iran Weighs Heavily On Cohen: Roger Cohen on NPR
Voice of the Voiceless
YekIran <- Worldwide Protest Map
Wiki on 18th Tir Protests 1999
Wiki of Iranian Election Protests
Reporters Without Borders <- List of how many reporters are in prison in Iran
Sea of Green Radio <-an 'anon' Iran blog twitter radionomy anonymous Sea of Green radio
Eng Trans of Mousavi FB that has protest instructions and routes
mowjcamp <- Mousavi/Opposition website in Farsi
Nedanet Resource Page | hacktivists software tools
Downforeveryoneorjustme <- check websites to see if it's down | service uptime <- free remote website uptime monitoring designed to help you detect website downtime
Wiki: DNS Cache Poisoning
Paryvan wiki
VANISH: Self-Destructing Digital Data burned messages for spies the digital way
Steganography Solution
EFF.org Surveillance Self-Defense International <- 6 Ideas For Those Needing Defensive Technology to Protect Free Speech from Authoritarian Regimes and 4 Ways the Rest of Us Can Help
Mightier Than Iran: The Rooftop Project <- Site trying to find vids of the roof top shoutings for every single night since the protests began.
Iran News <- One Stop Source
for News/YouTube/Blog/Political Cartoon links about Iran's Election and the aftermath (massive library of information)
The Guardian's list of dead and detained
Voice of America News
Iran 360 <- Photojournalism site
Slate's stash of Iran political cartoons
Green cd hour long video from Iran <- Split up into nine parts on iran.whyweprotest.net
Where is My Vote.org <- List or/way of organizing world wide protests
Iran Human Rights
Human Rights Activists In Iran The Latest Update on the Detainees of July 9 and a List of 90 Confirmed in Prison
fivethirtyeight.com: Iran <- Nate Silver "the guru of statistics" input on the validity of the Iranian election outcome
Google News: Iran Election - 30, 700 articles in the past month
Austin for Iran <- Site for organizing protests in Austin Texas
Map of Tehran
Petition for the release of American-Iranian Kian Tajbakhsh
OnlyMehdi Youtube page <- Lots of vids on Iran
United 4 Iran <- Protest page | @united4iran
iran.whyweprotest best articles and links
Iran Solidarity.org.uk
Amnesty International
Reporters Uncensored | Reporters Uncensored Livestream
Share that vid <- Another vid site
Live Leak <- Another vid site
Massive Video Archive of Iran Protest Footage
USA SWAT Expert Advice - It might save their lives <- on Iran.whyweprotest forum
vid on How to use police tactics against a baton | more vids on youtube <- For Iranian's in self-defense
Vids of Ahmedinejad speech on July 16, 2009 in Mashaad
~*~
Live Blogs on Iran
The Guardian: July 17, 2009 - Iran Crisis Friday Prayers
Revolutionary Road... <- Live from Tehran UPDATES | Revolution Road FB | Twitter <- Has lots of twitpics of the Friday Sermon Protest | List of Killed, Arrested and Released as of July 22, 2009 <- There is an interactive slide that has pictures of some of the dead.
Andrew Sullivan's blog <- Political blog but he has a lot of coverage on iran. Andrew Sullivan's blog "Iran Erupts Again" Counter Targeting the Protesters Abbas Kiarostami's "10" <- Andrew Sullivan has a feature of exhibiting artists and music | Outing Iran: Marg bar <- The real meaning of Marg bar
Enduring America blog | Latest from Iran: July 18 A Victory Followed By....? | Latest from Iran: July 19 Breathing Space
Nico's Pitney's live blog on HuffPo <- The most excellent live blog out there. Has an absolute ton of information dating back the very first day. Filled with pictures and vids.
Week of July 27, 2009
Week of July 20, 2009 | Week of July 13, 2009 | July 10, 2009 | July 9, 2009 | July 8th | July 7th | July 6th | July 5th | July 3rd | July 2nd | July 1st | June 30th | June 29th | June 28th | June 27th | June 26th | June 25th | June 24th | June 22nd | June 21st | June 20th pt 2 | June 20th pt 1 | June 19th | June 18th | June 17th | June 16th | June 15th
NiteOwl's Green Briefs
NiteOwl's Green Briefs are compilations of news reports straight from Iranians.
Nite Owl's live translations of the Sermon |
Who is Who | Green Brief Pronouciation Guide
#42 (July 28, 2009) | #40-41 (July 26-27) | #39 (July 25) | #38 (July 24) | #37 (July 23) | #38 (July 24) | #39 (July 25)
Green Brief #36 (July 22) | Green Brief #35 (July 21) | Green Brief #34 (July 20) | #33 (July 19) | #30 (July 16) | #29 (July 15) | #28 (July 14) | #27 (July 13) | #26 (July 12) | #25 (July 11) | #24 (July 10) | #23 (July 9) | #22 (July 8) | #21 (July 7) | #20 (July 6) | #18-#19 (July 4-5) | #17 (July 3) | #16 (July 2) | #15 (July 1) | #14 (June 30) | #13 (June29) | #12 (June 28) | #11 (June 27) | #10 (June 26th) | #9 (June 25) | #8 (June 24) | #7 (June 23) | #6 (June 22) | #5 (June 21) | #4 (June 20 | #3 (June 19) | #2 (June 18) | #1 (June 17)
Newspaper Articles
Los Angeles Times
Babylon & Beyond blog: EGYPT: Coptic pope likes president's son (July 29, 2009)
Coptic Pope Shenouda III has stepped into Egyptian politics by suggesting that Gamal Mubarak -- son of President Hosni Mubarak -- would be the perfect candidate to succeed his father.
Iraq in throes of environmental catastrophe, experts say (July 29, 2009 - Liz Sly)
Decades of war and mismanagement, compounded by two years of drought, are wreaking havoc on Iraq's ecosystem, drying up riverbeds and marshes, turning arable land into desert, killing trees and plants, and generally transforming what was once the region's most fertile area into a wasteland.
Falling agricultural production means that Iraq, once a food exporter, will this year have to import nearly 80% of its food, spending money that is urgently needed for reconstruction projects.
"We're talking about something that's making the breadbasket of Iraq look like the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma in the early part of the 20th century," said Adam L. Silverman, a social scientist with the U.S. military who served south of Baghdad in 2008.
So fragile has the environment become that even the slightest wind whips up a pall of dust that lingers for days.
Iran hard-liners warn Ahmadinejad he could be deposed (July 29, 2009 - Borzou Daragahi)
The Islamic Society of Engineers, a political group close to parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani, warned in an open letter to Ahmadinejad that he could suffer the same fate as Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh, who was deposed in 1953 in a CIA-backed coup with the acquiescence of the clergy.
The letter also cites the experience of President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr, who was ousted in 1981 and fled the country after he fell out with the Islamic Republic's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Both leaders had been elected by huge margins.
"It seems you want to be the sole speaker and do not want to hear other voices," the group's letter says, noting that recent actions by Ahmadinejad have frustrated his own supporters. "Therefore it is our duty to convey to you the voice of the people."
Meanwhile, Iranians braced for another round of clashes between protesters and security personnel after the Interior Ministry rejected a request to allow supporters of opposition figure Mir-Hossein Mousavi to gather at a large Tehran mosque on Thursday. The protest is meant to commemorate those slain in the unrest that followed Ahmadinejad's disputed reelection victory over Mousavi and two other challengers in June 12 balloting.
In response to the permit denial, Mousavi's supporters began circulating routes for unauthorized marches and candlelight vigils to mark the religiously significant 40th day after the deaths of those killed at June 20 demonstrations, including Neda Agha-Soltan, whose slaying, captured on videotape, drew worldwide condemnation.
Daily Beast
Momentum Shifts to Iran's Reformers (July 23, 2009 - Reza Aslan)
Iran-Iraq Alliance? (July 28, 2009 - Reza Aslan)
U.S. military officials, including Gen. Ray Odierno, commanding general of the U.S.-led Multi-National Force in Iraq, insist the raid was carried out without their knowledge. Considering that the Iranian government has been clamoring for years to have the camp disbanded and the MEK members extradited to Iran to stand trial on terrorism charges, the action by the Iraqi government may indicate a shift in Iraqi policy away from Washington and toward friendlier relations with Tehran.
A Marxist paramilitary organization formed in Iran in the 1960s, the MEK was an integral part of the anti-imperialist coalition that overthrew the regime of Mohammad Reza Shah in 1979. Its guerrilla tactics, which killed dozens of the shah’s supporters as well as a number of American soldiers and civilian contractors working in Iran at the time, were instrumental to the revolution’s success. After the formation of the Islamic republic, however, the MEK lost favor with the clerical regime and was promptly outlawed. Its members were forced to flee to Iraq, where they were provided protection from Saddam Hussein in exchange for their assistance during the eight-year war between Iran and Iraq.
Enduring America blog
More than “Velvet Revolution”: The Battle Within Iran’s Intelligence Ministry (July 29, 2009)
Latest Iran Video: Mousavi Speech, Nighttime Protests (27-29 July) (July 29, 2009)
Iran: The “40th Day” Memorial and the Inauguration (July 29, 2009)
The Latest from Iran (29 July): Challenges Outside and Inside the Government (July 29, 2009)
Iran: Or Is It the Supreme Leader v. the Revolutionary Guard? (July 28, 2009)
Iran: Will the Supreme Leader Give Up Ahmadinejad? (July 28, 2009)
Huffington Post
Iran's Red Tulip Revolution (July 29, 2009 - Melody Moezzi)
While the current Iranian uprising began as a green revolution, it is quickly turning red. With each death at the hands of the regime, a martyr is born, and with each martyr, the seed of revolution is planted. According to Shi'a legend, where the blood of a martyr spills, a red tulip will bloom. And in a culture so intensely steeped in symbolism, it could very well be these tulips that determine the next chapter in Iranian history.
Shi'a Muslims, who make up over 95% of the Iranian population, observe the 40th day after death as a highly significant day of mourning. As a result, the 1979 Islamic Revolution often progressed in 40-day intervals. These dates frequently sparked the greatest protests and demonstrations throughout Iran. From Qom to Tabriz to Tehran to Shiraz, people poured into the streets to honor their martyrs. And with each procession, new martyrs were created and this cycle repeated itself until the revolution finally succeeded.
Thus, another Iran was born, one with a crimson tulip at its core. A single word in red Arabic calligraphy graces the center of the current Iranian flag, deliberately shaped in the outline of a tulip: "Allah."
Thursday marks the 40th day following the death of Neda Agha-Soltan and at least a dozen others. Since the world witnessed Neda's brutal murder in the streets of Tehran, she has become the symbol and rallying cry for the opposition. At least a dozen others were killed that same day as the so-called Islamic Republic continued to ignore the lessons of history.
More recently, on July 19, 28-year-old student Taraneh Mousavi was arrested after attending a speech about the martyrs of the opposition movement. Soon after, Taraneh became its next martyr. Her grisly rape and murder planted yet another seed of revolution.
And the cycle continues.
I expect that we will see the 40-day commemorations of martyrs like Neda and Taraneh pave the path toward change in Iran.
Many are speculating that the opposition movement is beginning to fizzle. They forget, however, that it took over a year of sporadic protests for the Islamic revolution to succeed and that it required far more than marching in the streets. A revolution demands just as much thought, preparation, and strategy as it does public demonstration.
The opposition's most brilliant strategy to date has been its use of Islam to combat a regime falsely claiming it to gain and maintain political power. The allegedly Islamic Republic of Iran disgraced the very faith it claimed to promote the moment the regime began forcing its twisted version of Islam onto the Iranian people, repressing women and religious and ethnic minorities in the process.
Today, the Iranian people are reclaiming Islam for themselves, and in the process, they are creating a new Iran from the blood of their martyrs.
On Thursday, July 30th, Iranians all over the world will be mourning, but they will also be tending to their gardens. Tulips are delicate flowers by nature. A mild wind properly timed can prove fatal. But tulips do not die. They are perennial. Between blooms, they prepare.
Western Hubris Won't Reform Iran (July 29, 2009 - Kevin Sullivan)
The Rape of Iranian Women -- Under Reported? (July 29, 2009 - Marcia G. Yerman)
What's An Out Of Work Intelligence Minister To Do? (July 28, 2009 - Leighann Lord)
Indian Elite's Existential Angst (July 28, 2009 - Pinaki Bhattacharya)
Voices of Protest: The Iranian Word (July 27, 2009 - Shirin Sadeghi)
Iranians have been protesting for centuries -- if you could read Persian, you'd know.
They are a nation with a keen sense of their rights, and an audacity to speak up for themselves, whether it's in the streets, on the page or on the web.
They are also a nation that has never had a truly representative government and thus has adapted its discourse to the guile and euphemism which are required to express thoughts -- political in nature -- which could otherwise tempt misfortune.
Double entendres, metaphors and symbolism are a part of the gift of "gap" (the Persian word for "gab") so it is no wonder that literature holds such an eminent position in Iranian culture.
For centuries, poetry in particular has been the ultimate form of expression for Iranians: Iranian poetry is a manual for life and thought, a centuries-old avenue for political dissent.
"In its essence, literature is not tied to politics. If literature has any duty, it is a commitment to language and the creation of beauty," says Esmail Kho'i, Iran's pre-eminent poet philosopher, "however in certain circumstances, writers and poets become forced to give rise to politics. The reality is that they do not seek politics, it is politics which obliges them."
PressTV
Iran police 'went to extremes' in post-vote unrest (July 29, 2009)
MP: Swine flu cases to hit 10 million in Iran (July 30, 2009)
Iran arrests Western media acolytes (July 29, 2009)
Iran to build huge wall along Afghan border (July 30, 2009)
VIDS
Iran is 9:30 hours ahead of daylight central time.
Last time, with the Prayer Protests, things took place about 1am - 4am my time.
I'm checking to see what time things are planned. iran.whyweprotest has a thread on July 30th protest movements
There is a global movement for a moment of silence vigils silentway on Thursday at around 6:00pm - 9:00pm. Check your cities to see when this is taking place and where.
This is a stencil tag picture of Mousavi's face. It has been reported that this is showing up all over Tehran.
It seems that Mousavi gave a big speech Monday, Mousavi: “Religious celebrations are opportunities for the display of the “Green” movement’s creativity.” “Why are you hurting people this much?”/ “Where is the freedom?” and here is the speech in Farsi and an english translation.
Also, it seems, although not yet confirmed, that there were reports of clashes breaking in east Tehran between the police and the basij that took place early Wednesday.
This video talks about it.
Click to viewHere is a rough translation from a person on iran.whyweprotest: I had my father watch it and translate it. He said that police started fighting/shooting at the basiji's in eastern tehran. About a 1000 people (civilians) came to the aid of the police. Apparently they opened a huge can of whop-ass on the basiji's that they decided to run. I think my dad said (he translated on the fly for me over the phone) that they have had more than one person confirming this, so I suspect this did happen. It seems to be very big news.
My dad is just boarding a flight. I will see him later tonight. If there is anything important I missed, I will update this if someone else has not yet.
July 27-28 post | July 25-26, 2009 post | July 24, 2009 post | July 20-23, 2009 Week post | July 18-19, 2009 post | July 17, 2009 post | July 16, 2009 post | July 15, 2009 post | July 14, 2009 post | July 13, 2009 post | July 12, 2009 post | July 11, 2009 post | July 10, 2009 post | July 9, 2009 posts | July 8, 2009 post | July 7, 2009 post | July 6, 2009 post | July 5, 2009 post | July 4, 2009 post
A source from Iran (using Tor) wrote this about today.
today will prove to be an important day. there are many rumors of paratroopers/special troops arriving in tehran and elsewhere through out Iran. Montazeri continues to remind the faithful not to be taken in, not to forget.
it is astonishingly significant for this ayatollah to continue these pronouncements in the middle of what amounts to the system's attempt to save itself. he is indeed a source of emulation.
Rafsanjani has very close ties to Qom and Mahsad, but also with the military, with whom he has been working all these weeks. the military has been on maneuvers and training since before 28 june. the IRGC think they have better equipment (they mostly do) and they may have many additional troops in the form of hamas and hizbollah entering Iran from Lebanon and Syria (i have heard anywhere from 50k to 300k).
these 'troops' are the same type of persons who have been assaulting us on the streets and in our homes. they are almost, but not quite, completely without value against trained soldiers. trained soldiers, with high morale are also extremely effective against better equipped opponents who are poisoned with pride, do not trust their leadership, or are otherwise not sufficiently prepared for engagement.
Khamenei has apparently signed the order authorizing these troops. this means he has accepted Rafsanjani's offer. there remains, however, plenty of time for a double cross.
the majlis have been investigating known prisons and 'secret cells' beneath the MOI- when not prevented by the IRGC coup leadership. it remains to be seen whether the new tehran intelligence bureau will stand or be dissolved. and what happens to the trials of protesters beginning later this week.
i will say nothing about the least qualified person in all Iran to run anything called 'intelligence'.
it also remains to be seen what the people of Iran will have to say about Khamenei's role in all of this. there are some within the community who believe this is a protest of students. nothing could be further from the truth. bazaari, oil workers, textile manufacturers, the religious leadership (and not so leadership) the military, members of all leglative and judicial bodies have all become increasingly more vocal since the third week of june.
experienced analysts who believe students are the beginning and end of Iran's unrest, or are led to believe this, should think about seeking new guides to the subtleties of farsi and the blatant obviousness of video/written evidence. not to mention reports from qualified outlets.
many nations have failed, utterly, in their policies concerning Iran and the region. we must ask ourselves why. on whom do they depend for information when there are few or none on the ground? through what lens or filter are they processing the raw information when it does arrive? and when it does, are they even able to recognize it?
questions for the experienced: why would Ahmadi, who believes he has the support of Khamenei and the IRG coup leaders, try to make a gesture to placate the populace? a populace he has called dust, and whose rage and brutal suppression he referred to as 'excitement after a football match'. a populace for whom he has zero regard or respect. what sense is it to make such a gesture to a man if you have recently caused his daughter to be raped to death? or his son to be also raped, or beaten to death in front of other inmates of conscience? Mashaei may be many things, but a gesture to those Ahmadi thinks are less than nothing, he is not.
Khamenei's son, Mojtaba has played a significant part, and not just in the recent tribulation. as the supreme leader's chief of staff, he has controlled all access to and from Khamenei. Mojtaba has been the de facto supreme leader for several years. Mojtaba and Mesbah-Yazdi represent the most clear threat to Iran, her resources, her struggle for freedom and stability within the middle east.
if anyone has found additional information on Mashaei and/or the hojjatieh, please post here. thank you.
Important Links
Iranian Justice
Iran Tube <- Vid hosting for Iran vids
Tehran Bureau: Ayatollah Watch <- List of the Ayatollahs and which side they are on
Anonymous Intelligence Collective <- Iran information collective Iran Mapping Project
Iran Human Rights Documentation Center <- Documenting the Human Rights Violations conducted by the Iranian Government (English and Farsi)
Paul Coelho blog <- Interview with the doctor that tried to save Neda's life.
Heritage Org
All a Twitter: How Social Networking Shaped Iran's Election Protests (July 20, 2009 - James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.)
More pictures of the Friday Prayers Protest
Vid of Friday Sermon Tehran Riots
Wikinews on Rafsanjani's speech
Juan Cole <- Guy who interviewed Nico | Rafsanjani's steps to resolve Iran's crisis | Friday's Sermon Fateful for Iran
Khandaniha <- Iranian site that has video of Friday's Sermon in 7 parts
What Bernard Kouchner REALLY said about Iran
More pictures of the Friday Prayers Protest
Tehran Bureau: Vid of Friday Sermon Tehran Riots
Iran.whyweprotest: Vid of Friday Sermon Protests
Wikinews on Rafsanjani's speech
HipHop show in Berlin, in solidarity with the protest movement in Iran
Amnesty International USA: Iranian Petition
Juan Cole <- Guy who interviewed Nico | Rafsanjani's steps to resolve Iran's crisis | Friday's Sermon Fateful for Iran
Khandaniha <- Iranian site that has video of Friday's Sermon in 7 parts
Dynamic Internet Technology <- "Attack the Cyberwalls!: The Internet Is the Pathway to Democracy in Places Like Iran"
Index of 500+ vids of Iranian protests
Rooz online - Eng
Iran protest flickr page
Youtube: peivel17 <- Green Wave channel
Global Day of Action in Stockholm Sweden, pics and vid | Sohrab's mother speaks to Tehran's city council
Youtube user: We Are Neda
Blogs
Revolution in Iran | Feel Good page <- music vid page
Robin Wright
A letter from an Iranian named Fayah idiomagic
"I love life. I love to laugh and be with my friends. There are so many books I want to read, movies I want to see, people I want to meet. I want to marry, to be a good wife and mother. I want to grow old with the people I love, to feel the sun on my face, to see the ocean, to travel.
My country is in a terrible state. People have no jobs. There is no money. People have no freedom. Women must hide themselves from the world, and we have no choices.
Our people--we are not terrorists. We hate terrorists. And that is what our government has become. They kill our people for no reason. They torture us in their prisons because we want freedom. They make our country look evil, they make our religion look evil.
We are fighting for our freedom, for our religion, for our country. If we do nothing while injustice abounds, we become unjust. We turn into the ones we hate.
I have to fight. I have to go back on the streets. I will make them kill me. I will join Neda, with my friends, and then maybe the world will hear us.
I never thought I would become a martyr, but it is needed. The more of us they kill, the smaller they become, the more strength the people will have. Maybe my death will mean nothing, but maybe it will buy my country freedom.
I am very sad that I will never be a mother, that I will never do the things I love, but I would rather die than do nothing and know that I am to blame for the tortures, the murder, the hatred.
Please tell the world how much we love life. That we are not terrorists. We just want to be free."
Keeping the Change | Flash Mobs: A New Twist on Solidarity With Iran by Maryam
Nite Owl's live translations of the Sermon
Pedestrian | July 17, 2009 Friday Sermon | Pictures & Stories | "I was there" | July 18, 2009 Now it is our turn | Unverified Reports <- Qom wants Khamenei to side with protesters
Tehran Bureau: Friday Prayers Update (July 17, 2009)
Peace With Iran <- Blog
Iranian Leftists Report of a female protester 'possibly' gang raped and murdered
Demotix <- The mighty photojournalism site Iran election page pictures of demostrations outside Iranian embassy in London
Mightier Than
ABC reporter jim sciutto's twitblog
LA Times - Babylon & Beyond First images to emerge of July 9, 2009 protests large crowd gets dispersed by teargass on July 9, 2009 protests | July 17, 2009 -> Iran: Human Rights Lawyer Shadi Sadr Arrested | Iran: In Video, anger boils over at Friday Sermon | IRAN: Full text of Rafsanjani's lengthy speech | July 18, 2009 - IRAN: U.S. addresses Tehran unrest in daily briefing | July 19, 2009 Egypt: Cleric backed by Iran charged in Egypt | IRAN: Iranian cleric sees a long-planned conspiracy in protests
iran.whyweprotest.net 18 Tir / 9 July forum thread <- lots of vids and first hand account by a protester in Iran
goftaniha.org Ex-Basij Founder's Blog being used to ID Basij - in Farsi
Ayatollah Watch <- Information on Ayatollahs
Ahmedi's takeover has been planned since 2004
Out the Basij
ID the Basiji
twit blog about how another Ayatollah has gone against the regime
Lara Setrakian - ABC News reporter's blog TEHRAN UNREST: "IT WAS NOTHING LESS THAN WAR. PRAY FOR US."
National Iranian American Council's Blog July 9, 2009 protest coverage <- vids and pics
NY Times - The Lede Blog July 9, 2009 protest coverage | Young election protester buried in Tehran <- a new Martyr
PERSIA.ORG "Struggle for a Free Iran" <- Has dedicated their front page to information on those who have been killed and detained
Iran Negah "Ezclusive views into Iranian politics & society"
University of Texas - Austin "Power of Protest: University experts condemn violence, but urge diplomacy toward Iran"
Keeping the Change | Keeping the Change FB | Nooroz News: Tehran's Morgues Reportedly Holds the Bodies of Hundreds of Dead Protesters
Ndn.org: July 15: Twitter Iran and more impressions from the front lines of the global media revolution
Mohsen Sazegara | explaining what to do and how to do the protests
1- where to go
2- how to do it
3- things to bring
4- what to do at nights
5- slogens to write
6- which marker to write with (green neon marker in this case)
~*~
Retweeters to watch
@LaraABCNews <- Reporter out of Dubai who's been in contact with Iranians
@Pray4FreeIran <- retweeter who spreads messages about Iran
@AustinHeap <- The genius behind ProxyHeap and Haystack (says that Node 1 is a go?)
@StopAdmedi <- twitter account for Mousavi supporters
@nicopitney <- I didn't know he had a twitter account
@Iran_Translator <- NiteOwl
@iranriggedelect
@tehranbereau
@bistoon <- IRGC already actively hunt him b/c of student revolt in 1999 so I can rec him
@nextrevolution
@IranAnon <- Yes it is the Iranian Anonymous crowd
@niacouncil <- National Iranian-American Council
@votersunion
@iranlaya
@iranhrdc <- Iran Human Rights Documenting Center
@EANewsFeed <- Enduring America news feed
@IranNewsNow
Useful Resources
News: NIAC Insight | Kodoom
Translations: Google Translate | TehranBroadcast.com | Translate4Iran
Helping Iranians use the web: Haystack | Tor Project (English & Farsi) | IranHelp.org (Farsi) Demonstrations: Facebook | sharearchy | WhyWeProtest
Activism: Avaaz.org | National Iranian American Council
Mousavi's main website | Mousavi's backup/English | Mousavi's FB
Haystack's how you can help digg page
Haystack <- The all powerful proxy (still in testing) Want to help? Don't know anything techwise? Then donate some cash and keep this revolution going, you may just save someone(s) life! Haystack is needing donations! Donate Here.
Haystack Network wesbite | Haystack Twitter page | Haystack needs help! |Twitter | FB
Protest Advice
Brainstorm Ideas | Downloading/Uploading Vid programs
Torrent/dl list of videos showing police brutality in Iran
Blog that has links to LA Protest that 35-50,000 people turn out
the pictures
Want to know how the power check system in Iran works? The Wall Street Journal has an excellent graph.
Bearing Witness In Iran Weighs Heavily On Cohen: Roger Cohen on NPR
Voice of the Voiceless
YekIran <- Worldwide Protest Map
Wiki on 18th Tir Protests 1999
Wiki of Iranian Election Protests
Reporters Without Borders <- List of how many reporters are in prison in Iran
Sea of Green Radio <-an 'anon' Iran blog twitter radionomy anonymous Sea of Green radio
Eng Trans of Mousavi FB that has protest instructions and routes
mowjcamp <- Mousavi/Opposition website in Farsi
Nedanet Resource Page | hacktivists software tools
Downforeveryoneorjustme <- check websites to see if it's down | service uptime <- free remote website uptime monitoring designed to help you detect website downtime
Wiki: DNS Cache Poisoning
Paryvan wiki
VANISH: Self-Destructing Digital Data burned messages for spies the digital way
Steganography Solution
EFF.org Surveillance Self-Defense International <- 6 Ideas For Those Needing Defensive Technology to Protect Free Speech from Authoritarian Regimes and 4 Ways the Rest of Us Can Help
Mightier Than Iran: The Rooftop Project <- Site trying to find vids of the roof top shoutings for every single night since the protests began.
Iran News <- One Stop Source
for News/YouTube/Blog/Political Cartoon links about Iran's Election and the aftermath (massive library of information)
The Guardian's list of dead and detained
Voice of America News
Iran 360 <- Photojournalism site
Slate's stash of Iran political cartoons
Green cd hour long video from Iran <- Split up into nine parts on iran.whyweprotest.net
Where is My Vote.org <- List or/way of organizing world wide protests
Iran Human Rights
Human Rights Activists In Iran The Latest Update on the Detainees of July 9 and a List of 90 Confirmed in Prison
fivethirtyeight.com: Iran <- Nate Silver "the guru of statistics" input on the validity of the Iranian election outcome
Google News: Iran Election - 30, 700 articles in the past month
Austin for Iran <- Site for organizing protests in Austin Texas
Map of Tehran
Petition for the release of American-Iranian Kian Tajbakhsh
OnlyMehdi Youtube page <- Lots of vids on Iran
United 4 Iran <- Protest page | @united4iran
iran.whyweprotest best articles and links
Iran Solidarity.org.uk
Amnesty International
Reporters Uncensored | Reporters Uncensored Livestream
Share that vid <- Another vid site
Live Leak <- Another vid site
Massive Video Archive of Iran Protest Footage
USA SWAT Expert Advice - It might save their lives <- on Iran.whyweprotest forum
vid on How to use police tactics against a baton | more vids on youtube <- For Iranian's in self-defense
Vids of Ahmedinejad speech on July 16, 2009 in Mashaad
~*~
Live Blogs on Iran
The Guardian: July 17, 2009 - Iran Crisis Friday Prayers
Revolutionary Road... <- Live from Tehran UPDATES | Revolution Road FB | Twitter <- Has lots of twitpics of the Friday Sermon Protest | List of Killed, Arrested and Released as of July 22, 2009 <- There is an interactive slide that has pictures of some of the dead.
Andrew Sullivan's blog <- Political blog but he has a lot of coverage on iran. Andrew Sullivan's blog "Iran Erupts Again" Counter Targeting the Protesters Abbas Kiarostami's "10" <- Andrew Sullivan has a feature of exhibiting artists and music | Outing Iran: Marg bar <- The real meaning of Marg bar
Enduring America blog | Latest from Iran: July 18 A Victory Followed By....? | Latest from Iran: July 19 Breathing Space
Nico's Pitney's live blog on HuffPo <- The most excellent live blog out there. Has an absolute ton of information dating back the very first day. Filled with pictures and vids.
Week of July 27, 2009
Week of July 20, 2009 | Week of July 13, 2009 | July 10, 2009 | July 9, 2009 | July 8th | July 7th | July 6th | July 5th | July 3rd | July 2nd | July 1st | June 30th | June 29th | June 28th | June 27th | June 26th | June 25th | June 24th | June 22nd | June 21st | June 20th pt 2 | June 20th pt 1 | June 19th | June 18th | June 17th | June 16th | June 15th
NiteOwl's Green Briefs
NiteOwl's Green Briefs are compilations of news reports straight from Iranians.
Nite Owl's live translations of the Sermon |
Who is Who | Green Brief Pronouciation Guide
#42 (July 28, 2009) | #40-41 (July 26-27) | #39 (July 25) | #38 (July 24) | #37 (July 23) | #38 (July 24) | #39 (July 25)
Green Brief #36 (July 22) | Green Brief #35 (July 21) | Green Brief #34 (July 20) | #33 (July 19) | #30 (July 16) | #29 (July 15) | #28 (July 14) | #27 (July 13) | #26 (July 12) | #25 (July 11) | #24 (July 10) | #23 (July 9) | #22 (July 8) | #21 (July 7) | #20 (July 6) | #18-#19 (July 4-5) | #17 (July 3) | #16 (July 2) | #15 (July 1) | #14 (June 30) | #13 (June29) | #12 (June 28) | #11 (June 27) | #10 (June 26th) | #9 (June 25) | #8 (June 24) | #7 (June 23) | #6 (June 22) | #5 (June 21) | #4 (June 20 | #3 (June 19) | #2 (June 18) | #1 (June 17)
Newspaper Articles
Los Angeles Times
Babylon & Beyond blog: EGYPT: Coptic pope likes president's son (July 29, 2009)
Coptic Pope Shenouda III has stepped into Egyptian politics by suggesting that Gamal Mubarak -- son of President Hosni Mubarak -- would be the perfect candidate to succeed his father.
Iraq in throes of environmental catastrophe, experts say (July 29, 2009 - Liz Sly)
Decades of war and mismanagement, compounded by two years of drought, are wreaking havoc on Iraq's ecosystem, drying up riverbeds and marshes, turning arable land into desert, killing trees and plants, and generally transforming what was once the region's most fertile area into a wasteland.
Falling agricultural production means that Iraq, once a food exporter, will this year have to import nearly 80% of its food, spending money that is urgently needed for reconstruction projects.
"We're talking about something that's making the breadbasket of Iraq look like the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma in the early part of the 20th century," said Adam L. Silverman, a social scientist with the U.S. military who served south of Baghdad in 2008.
So fragile has the environment become that even the slightest wind whips up a pall of dust that lingers for days.
Iran hard-liners warn Ahmadinejad he could be deposed (July 29, 2009 - Borzou Daragahi)
The Islamic Society of Engineers, a political group close to parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani, warned in an open letter to Ahmadinejad that he could suffer the same fate as Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh, who was deposed in 1953 in a CIA-backed coup with the acquiescence of the clergy.
The letter also cites the experience of President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr, who was ousted in 1981 and fled the country after he fell out with the Islamic Republic's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Both leaders had been elected by huge margins.
"It seems you want to be the sole speaker and do not want to hear other voices," the group's letter says, noting that recent actions by Ahmadinejad have frustrated his own supporters. "Therefore it is our duty to convey to you the voice of the people."
Meanwhile, Iranians braced for another round of clashes between protesters and security personnel after the Interior Ministry rejected a request to allow supporters of opposition figure Mir-Hossein Mousavi to gather at a large Tehran mosque on Thursday. The protest is meant to commemorate those slain in the unrest that followed Ahmadinejad's disputed reelection victory over Mousavi and two other challengers in June 12 balloting.
In response to the permit denial, Mousavi's supporters began circulating routes for unauthorized marches and candlelight vigils to mark the religiously significant 40th day after the deaths of those killed at June 20 demonstrations, including Neda Agha-Soltan, whose slaying, captured on videotape, drew worldwide condemnation.
Daily Beast
Momentum Shifts to Iran's Reformers (July 23, 2009 - Reza Aslan)
Iran-Iraq Alliance? (July 28, 2009 - Reza Aslan)
U.S. military officials, including Gen. Ray Odierno, commanding general of the U.S.-led Multi-National Force in Iraq, insist the raid was carried out without their knowledge. Considering that the Iranian government has been clamoring for years to have the camp disbanded and the MEK members extradited to Iran to stand trial on terrorism charges, the action by the Iraqi government may indicate a shift in Iraqi policy away from Washington and toward friendlier relations with Tehran.
A Marxist paramilitary organization formed in Iran in the 1960s, the MEK was an integral part of the anti-imperialist coalition that overthrew the regime of Mohammad Reza Shah in 1979. Its guerrilla tactics, which killed dozens of the shah’s supporters as well as a number of American soldiers and civilian contractors working in Iran at the time, were instrumental to the revolution’s success. After the formation of the Islamic republic, however, the MEK lost favor with the clerical regime and was promptly outlawed. Its members were forced to flee to Iraq, where they were provided protection from Saddam Hussein in exchange for their assistance during the eight-year war between Iran and Iraq.
Enduring America blog
More than “Velvet Revolution”: The Battle Within Iran’s Intelligence Ministry (July 29, 2009)
Latest Iran Video: Mousavi Speech, Nighttime Protests (27-29 July) (July 29, 2009)
Iran: The “40th Day” Memorial and the Inauguration (July 29, 2009)
The Latest from Iran (29 July): Challenges Outside and Inside the Government (July 29, 2009)
Iran: Or Is It the Supreme Leader v. the Revolutionary Guard? (July 28, 2009)
Iran: Will the Supreme Leader Give Up Ahmadinejad? (July 28, 2009)
Huffington Post
Iran's Red Tulip Revolution (July 29, 2009 - Melody Moezzi)
While the current Iranian uprising began as a green revolution, it is quickly turning red. With each death at the hands of the regime, a martyr is born, and with each martyr, the seed of revolution is planted. According to Shi'a legend, where the blood of a martyr spills, a red tulip will bloom. And in a culture so intensely steeped in symbolism, it could very well be these tulips that determine the next chapter in Iranian history.
Shi'a Muslims, who make up over 95% of the Iranian population, observe the 40th day after death as a highly significant day of mourning. As a result, the 1979 Islamic Revolution often progressed in 40-day intervals. These dates frequently sparked the greatest protests and demonstrations throughout Iran. From Qom to Tabriz to Tehran to Shiraz, people poured into the streets to honor their martyrs. And with each procession, new martyrs were created and this cycle repeated itself until the revolution finally succeeded.
Thus, another Iran was born, one with a crimson tulip at its core. A single word in red Arabic calligraphy graces the center of the current Iranian flag, deliberately shaped in the outline of a tulip: "Allah."
Thursday marks the 40th day following the death of Neda Agha-Soltan and at least a dozen others. Since the world witnessed Neda's brutal murder in the streets of Tehran, she has become the symbol and rallying cry for the opposition. At least a dozen others were killed that same day as the so-called Islamic Republic continued to ignore the lessons of history.
More recently, on July 19, 28-year-old student Taraneh Mousavi was arrested after attending a speech about the martyrs of the opposition movement. Soon after, Taraneh became its next martyr. Her grisly rape and murder planted yet another seed of revolution.
And the cycle continues.
I expect that we will see the 40-day commemorations of martyrs like Neda and Taraneh pave the path toward change in Iran.
Many are speculating that the opposition movement is beginning to fizzle. They forget, however, that it took over a year of sporadic protests for the Islamic revolution to succeed and that it required far more than marching in the streets. A revolution demands just as much thought, preparation, and strategy as it does public demonstration.
The opposition's most brilliant strategy to date has been its use of Islam to combat a regime falsely claiming it to gain and maintain political power. The allegedly Islamic Republic of Iran disgraced the very faith it claimed to promote the moment the regime began forcing its twisted version of Islam onto the Iranian people, repressing women and religious and ethnic minorities in the process.
Today, the Iranian people are reclaiming Islam for themselves, and in the process, they are creating a new Iran from the blood of their martyrs.
On Thursday, July 30th, Iranians all over the world will be mourning, but they will also be tending to their gardens. Tulips are delicate flowers by nature. A mild wind properly timed can prove fatal. But tulips do not die. They are perennial. Between blooms, they prepare.
Western Hubris Won't Reform Iran (July 29, 2009 - Kevin Sullivan)
The Rape of Iranian Women -- Under Reported? (July 29, 2009 - Marcia G. Yerman)
What's An Out Of Work Intelligence Minister To Do? (July 28, 2009 - Leighann Lord)
Indian Elite's Existential Angst (July 28, 2009 - Pinaki Bhattacharya)
Voices of Protest: The Iranian Word (July 27, 2009 - Shirin Sadeghi)
Iranians have been protesting for centuries -- if you could read Persian, you'd know.
They are a nation with a keen sense of their rights, and an audacity to speak up for themselves, whether it's in the streets, on the page or on the web.
They are also a nation that has never had a truly representative government and thus has adapted its discourse to the guile and euphemism which are required to express thoughts -- political in nature -- which could otherwise tempt misfortune.
Double entendres, metaphors and symbolism are a part of the gift of "gap" (the Persian word for "gab") so it is no wonder that literature holds such an eminent position in Iranian culture.
For centuries, poetry in particular has been the ultimate form of expression for Iranians: Iranian poetry is a manual for life and thought, a centuries-old avenue for political dissent.
"In its essence, literature is not tied to politics. If literature has any duty, it is a commitment to language and the creation of beauty," says Esmail Kho'i, Iran's pre-eminent poet philosopher, "however in certain circumstances, writers and poets become forced to give rise to politics. The reality is that they do not seek politics, it is politics which obliges them."
PressTV
Iran police 'went to extremes' in post-vote unrest (July 29, 2009)
MP: Swine flu cases to hit 10 million in Iran (July 30, 2009)
Iran arrests Western media acolytes (July 29, 2009)
Iran to build huge wall along Afghan border (July 30, 2009)
VIDS