بیانیه نایاک در خصوص نتیجه انتخابات ریاست‌جمهوری ۱۴۰۰ ایران
Click here to read this in English. در پی معرفی ابراهیم رئیسی، رئیس قوه قضائیه، به عنوان رئیس‌جمهور جدید جمهوری اسلامی ایران، شورای ملی ایرانیانِ آمریکا (نایاک)، بزرگ‌ترین سازمان مردمی ایرانیان مقیم آمریکا، بیانیه زیر را منتشر کرده است بسیاری معتقدند ریاست‌جمهوری رئیسی برای تندروهای ایران و امریکا که به دنبال تقابل میان دو کشورند […]
باز شدن فضا برای پیروزی تندروها با رد صلاحیت گسترده نامزدها در انتخابات ایران
Click here to read this in English. Written by Sina Toossi در شرایطی که شورای نگهبان نامزدهای اصلاح‌طلب و میانه‌رو را کاملاً از میدان به در کرده، رقابت میان تندروها بیشتر به یک مصاف تشریفاتی تبدیل شده است انتخابات در ایران هیچ گاه با استانداردهای دموکراسی های لیبرال جهان مطابقت نداشته است. با این حال، فرآیند […]
Iran’s Parliamentary Vote: The Beginning of the End of Ahmadinejad
Cross-posted from Huffington Post: Last Friday, Iran held its first elections since the controversial 2009 presidential contest, after which millions of voters poured into streets of Tehran. Unrest following the announced re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad culminated in mass detention, torture and the death of many protesters. It also led to the near-elimination of pro-reform […]
In Iran, It’s Fun To Be A Rebel
If one asks the majority of Iranian youths why they want democracy, their immediate answers are surprisingly not freedom of speech, free elections or even a better economy. “Fun” is what most of them desire the most. Having fun without being told their behavior is un-Islamic or an attempt to topple the regime. Since the […]
In the Spirit of Ramadan, Attack that Cleric
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFl-5hJ6_xM] Since Sunday, pro-government militiamen have been gathered outside Mehdi Karroubi’s home, in effort to prevent him from attending the annual Qods Day rally that took place today. Usually a state-sponsored rally to demonstrate solidarity with the Palestinian people, last year Karroubi and other opposition leaders marked the day by gathering tens of thousands of […]
Can Obama Keep His Promise to Iran’s Youth?
The early verdict on the new Iran sanctions is that even the “smart” sanctions have proven to be, well, dumb. Instead of targeting Iranian government officials connected to the nuclear program or who are complicit in human rights abuses, the new sanctions are punishing young Iranians who have been the greatest allies of democracy, human […]
One Year Later: Are We Missing the Real Story?
Much attention has been given to the absence of large street protests on the anniversary of Iran’s disputed elections. This focus on street protests however, largely misses the point of the opposition movement today. “A government that is scared of a corpse is a weak government,” Shirin Ebadi said, referring to the government’s decision to […]
What Mousavi’s Charter Means for the Green Movement
Mir Hosein Mousavi’s latest statement — called a “charter” for the Green Movement — is the clearest sign yet that the Iranian opposition is transforming from a purely reformist movement to one demanding more fundamental change to the political system. Mousavi made a strong case for the separation of church and state in Iran — […]
Whitewashing Neda’s Death
[vodpod id=Video.3838962&w=425&h=350&fv=] This state-produced propaganda video was broadcast on the anniversary of the June 12th election, alleging that Neda Agha Soltan was not murdered by a Basij militiamember but rather by members of the Iranian government’s favorite scapegoat: the MEK. In an interview with the suspect who is widely believed to have been behind Neda’s […]
Regime doth protest too much
It seems that despite any claims to the contrary, the Islamic Republic is still at least a little bit fearful for its safety and survival with the upcoming anniversary of the June 2009 elections. This can be seen in the detaining of artists, hikers, Canadian journalists, and French academics (among many others). It can be […]
The Bastions of the Paramilitary
Hossein Sajedi, Tehran’s police chief, said yesterday that despite the fact that “some media” (read: Mousavi and Karroubi) have called for rallies on June 12, Iranian security forces will confront any “illegal” demonstrations. “Police will confront any illegal gatherings … police are vigilant and in charge of public order and security,” he said. My question […]
Why Rafsanjani is so important for the Greens
Six months ago in Mashad, Iran, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani delivered a speech to a group of Iranian student activists saying: “If people want us, we will govern; and if they don’t, we will have to go.” This might have seemed like nothing new, but it wasn’t coming from just anyone — it was said by […]