Windows on Iran-February 11th Special #2

Heavy governmental security on the streets of Tehran preventing Green Movement marchers from reaching Azadi Square, February 11th 2010 (22 Bahman).

Dear All,
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As the Iranian authorities continue to brag about the success of the February 11 rallies, the Iranian Cyber Army has renewed its attacks on Persian websites that are now distributing real news and images from the event. News coming out of Iran, slowly but surely, reveals the highly orchestrated nature of the rally, the heavy transportation of the people from the provinces. More importantly, the news coming out of Iran explains why the Iranian official media did not go live with their reporting and the pictures they showed later where closed angle and from limited locations.

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Full Blown Martial Law
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* Friends leaving Tehran for the U.S. early in the morning of Monday, February 8, described the condition of the city as a full blown martial law. Streets were barricaded with armored cars, and passing cars were inspected to ensure the streets remain empty of Green Citizens for the Feb. 11 rally.
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* These and many other facts were not accessible to foreign reporters who arrived a the right time and traveled along selected routs. Reporting on events which the Iranian government wants to present in a certain light is, therefore, a highly risky and complicated matter which poses ethical and political questions. I have a recent piece discussing this particular issue in the online magazine Counterpunch. In it, I quote from a moving letter by Iranian journalists in exile speaking about their jailed counterparts in Iran: http://www.counterpunch.org/keshavarz02112010.html .

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What Was Really Going on In the Azadi Square
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* While the Greens were being beaten up and prevented from getting to the Azadi Square, this very short clip shows buses getting the supporters to the location:

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And, to see many more videos of the buses, click here: http://www.rahesabz.info/story/10205/ .

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Despite all the efforts, however, the actual crowd gathered in the Azadi Square for Mr. Ahmadinejad’s address appears to have been way below what the government has been claiming in its reports (which were not broadcast live). Furthermore, shots of Mr. Ahmadinejad’s speech are closed angle to cover specific areas. I attach here a revealing eight minute clip taken by a cell phone from inside the square as Mr. Ahmadinejad speaks:

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This is the Treatment the Opposition Received

* While the carefully imported supporters recieved cake and fruit juice, the following treatment was reserved for the opposition: http://www.facebook.com/mousavi#!/video/video.php?v=107608539255933&ref=mf .

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And:

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* “Neither canons, nor tanks, or the Basij will stop us”:

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And, to see many more videos, click here: http://www.rahesabz.net/story/10075/
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*  Down with Russia:

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* “Down with the Dictator” on Tehran metro:

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* Slogans in support of Mir Hussein Mousavi:

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* More support for Mir Hussein:

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* The Green supporters in Isfahan sing the song of the group “yare dabestani” a minute into the video:

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* Political prisoners must be freed:

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* Political prisoners must be freed:

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* Asking for public referendum :

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* Down with the dictator: http://www.facebook.com/mousavi#!/video/video.php?v=107603179256469&ref=mf .

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* And in this site, you will find many twits accompanied by images:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/11/836212/-Tweets-from-Iran-(UPDATE-with-images .

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* And Iranian.com, another site which keeps posting Feb.11 protest videos as they come in: http://www.iranian.com/main/2010/feb/protests-22-bahman .

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Exciting New Website on Iran — Iran Unfiltered
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* Young and energetic Iranian Americans are becoming more and more involved in producing intelligent and informed discussion on the internet regarding the country of their cultural heritage. I have news of one such site for you: http://www.iranunfiltered.com/ . Do visit the site. And as you enjoy the new headlines, news and analysis remember the web master is from St. Louis. Have fun!

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My Anonymous E-miler’s Brother Injured During Protest

* I send all our best wishes to my anonymous e-mailer who has been providing wonderful personal insight …and whose brother has been shot in protests. Fortunately he is alive and recovering. We will refrain from contact for a while.

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A Beautiful Gilaki Song to Lighten up the Mood

* Music from the province of Gilan in Northern Iran is particularly lively and cheerful. Men and women working in rice and tea fields sing these songs. Here is a short clip with a Gilaki song and lots of beautiful images from Gilan. Enjoy!      http://www.kalam.tv/fa/video/13876/index.html .
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Have a great week, and pass on https://windowsoniran.wordpress.com/ to friends.

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Best,

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Fatemeh

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===================================
Fatemeh Keshavarz, Professor and Chair
Dept. of Asian and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures
Washington University in St. Louis
Honorary Co-Chair, Iranians For Peace
Tel: (314) 935-5156
Fax: (314) 935-4399
==================================

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Windows on Iran – February 11 Special

One of the MANY posters calling for peaceful "Green" protests on Feb. 11th in Tehran and other major Iranian cities. Please see the posters throughout this post as well as the link at the end of this post for many more.

Dear All,
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Greetings from Washington University in St. Louis…after a long delay. As those of you in academia know well, spring semesters are notorious for being busy. To attend to my teaching and departmental duties, the windows (e-mails and the blog) had be put on the back burner for a while.  I am happy to be back with a plan: to make the windows shorter so I can sustain them.
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While you not have had a chance to follow the details, the Green Movement has sustained itself in the face of much brutality from the government.
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* About two days away from celebrating the 31st anniversary of the Iranian 1979 Revolution, and as the government of Mr. Ahmadinejad (in deep financial and political trouble)  has invited the western press to witness, and report, the celebrations, we hear from Reporters without Borders that 65 Iranian reporters are in jail. This figure is unprecedented. Over a dozen of these reporters, whose fault is that they wish to report the events in Iran freely, were arrested in the past two days in anticipation of the “celebrations.”

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One of the MANY posters calling for peaceful "Green" protests on Feb. 11th in Tehran and other major Iranian cities. Please see the posters throughout this post as well as the link at the end of this post for many more.

Mr. Mousavi’s Daring Interview
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* Last week, for the first time, in an interview with the online magazine “Kalameh-i Sabz,” Mr. Mousavi suggested that the goals of the 1979 revolution for democratization of Iran have not been achieved and therefore, the revolution is incomplete. Furthermore, he said that “Religious despotism” is the worst kind of dictatorship. A group of us have praised his courage and expressed support for his position in an open letter (available here: Open Letter In Support of the Greens), which will be publicized shortly.  If you are an academic of Iranian heritage and would like to add your voice to ours please e-mail your willingness, name, and position to: drahni@optonline.net and please do so a.s.a.p.
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Two New Warnings for the Supreme Leader
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* As green Iranians prepare for a massive rally on Thursday, Feb. 11, two major religious figures, Ayatollah Mousavi Ardebili, and Hojat al-Islam Hashemi Rafsanjani warned the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of the consequences of his actions. Both these political and religious authorities asked for immediate, and unconditional, release of political prisoners and suggested that Mr. Khamenei distances himself from extremists.

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Recommendation to the Green Marchers

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*A large number of posters and guide lines have been distributed in Iran over the past few days concerning the Thursday rally. The main points are:
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One of the MANY posters calling for peaceful "Green" protests on Feb. 11th in Tehran and other major Iranian cities. Please see the posters throughout this post as well as the link to the left for many more.

* Come out in large numbers! The foreign press is present and you will be safe.
* Do not wear clothes that make you conspicuous.
* Instead of shouting your slogans and possibly being arrested, write them down in public places.
* Don’t use any form of violence, verbal, or physical.
* Take as many pictures as you can.
* Do not take your green signs out until you are in the Azadi Square …or close.
* When Mr. Ahmadinejad begins to speak, take your green signs out, stand up and turn your backs to him.
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To see a nice selection of the posters, please click here February 11, 2010 Posters to see the power point slide show that I have prepared. It is not even a third of what is being distributed. I just did not want to make the file too large.
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Have a great day.

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Best,

Fatemeh

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===================================
Fatemeh Keshavarz, Professor and Chair
Dept. of Asian and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures
Washington University in St. Louis
Honorary Co-Chair, Iranians For Peace
Tel: (314) 935-5156
Fax: (314) 935-4399
==================================

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