Windows on Iran 98

A photo of one of the courageous Iranian women defying the government's orders and proudly demonstrating in favor of the Green Movement during the November 4th, 2009 "Quds Day" protests.

Dear All,
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I hope you are well. I have not sent you a window in a long time. This is not because in Iran the opposition has stopped its efforts or some of the issues have been resolved. As you see from this window, neither of these is the case. The delay is merely the result of my business with teaching and departmental duties. So, without further ado, let me open window 98.
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Another Image from Iran Receives World Attention
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* Images from Iranian Greens have now become part of the world visual repertoire. To the right, is another incredible image of courage during the Nov. 4th protests. The image was circulated worldwide.

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Ahmadinejad Supporters No longer Back Him
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* Since the controversial re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June, determining the degree of his support among the population in rural and small urban areas has been at the center of debates over the issue of electoral fraud. The research presented here is the result of polling and the tracking of political opinion in eleven rural and small urban areas with populations between 8,000 and 34,000 people in Fars and Isfahan provinces in the following periods: two five-month intervals from June 2008 to March 2009; and late April, the first week of June, the middle of July, and the middle of September in 2009.

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* The polling, done by people local to these areas, was conducted in various places of employment and recreation, via telephone, and face-to-face. Despite organizational difficulties, the total amount of people who participated over this period was 11,529. The study tried to reflect the demographic percentages of each town in the sample groups. For example, the largest group polled in most areas was the 20-to-32-year-old age group, which is the dominant age group, according to official records. The methodology for the study was based on theoretical work on polling conducted in non-and semi-democratic polities: http://www.insideiran.org/featured/study-reveals-ahmadinejad-supporters-in-rural-areas-no-longer-back-him/.

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Protests Continue Amidst Harsh Sentences
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* Recently, Mr. Saffar Harandi, President Ahmadinejad’s ex-minister of Islamic culture, tired of strong negative reception of the officials in major universities,  visited a teacher training college in the small town of Karaj outside Tehran. As you watch the students protesting his presence on this small campus, remember the brutality with which the regime puts down any kind of objection. The results of the trials of 89 post-election protesters announced recently indicate that while 3 were released, 81 received jail time ranging from 6 to 15 years, and 5 were sentenced to death. As you see in this video, however, the brutal crack down seems to only intensify the protests:

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Abtahi Sentenced to Six Years in Jail

* http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/11/20091122212736626494.html.

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Six Years in Jail for a Blog

* Ali Behzadian-nejad received a six years jail sentence for the anti-government comments that people put on his blog. You might be interested to know that he is the nephew of Ghorban Behzadian-nejad, one of the organizers of Mr. Mousavi’s election campaign.

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Dr. Ramin Pourandarjani

The Kahrizak Doctor Dies at the Age of 26 Due to a “Heart Attack”

* As you know, after the June 2009 election, many who protested the fairness of the election ended up in the Kahrizak prison which soon developed a reputation as the Guantanamo of Iran. Mr. Karrubi, one of the candidates, has been pursuing an investigation into the assaults in Kahrizak. Today, the news of the death of Dr. Pourandarjani, the young physician who examined many of the detainees, adds to the validity of the claims that torture has
been used on these detainees: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2009/11/kahrizak-doctor-dies-first-lady-appears-in-public-in-rome.html.

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* A new investigation reveals Dr. Pourandarjani was poisoned: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8388728.stm.
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Iranian Student Speaks Critically in the presence of the Supreme Leader
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* A young Iranian student who won an international math contest two years ago, speaks critically of the Iranian Supreme Leader in a Q&A session with him: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/06/iran-student-criticises-ayatollah-khamenei.

Mahmoud Vahidnia speaking and criticizing the Supreme Leader at the Q&A session.

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Fox Apologizes to Haddadi, the Iranian NBA Player, for Derogatory Remark
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* The Iranian American community is learning to use its voice. Hours after two Fox commentators made derogatory remarks about Hamed Haddadi an Iranian American NBA Player, thousands of demands for apology were made. Fox had to apologize to Haddadi, twelve hours after the two anchors had made their remarks: http://www.niacouncil.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1557&Itemid=2.

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Neda Agha-Soltan

Oxford University Establishes Scholarship Named after Neda
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* Neda Agha Soltan was shot to death during a protest that took place days after the disputed election in Iran. The scene of her shooting and tragic death was captured on cell phone and viewed worldwide. She has since become the symbol of the Iranian youth’s protests to the 2009 election. Queen’s College at Oxford has just announced the establishment of an Iranian Studies Scholarship in honor of Neda: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8354372.stm.

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Iranian Graduate Students and Professionals in the U.S. Ask for Multiple Entry Visas
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* For years, the Iranian graduate students in the U.S. often have had to stay in the country for the duration of their studies because if they leave – even for a family emergency – they will face the strong possibility of not being allowed back in and therefore loose their graduate career. For the first time, the Iranian graduate students and professionals are campaigning to get the INS to allow them have multiple entry visas. In their letter, they described their community as  an “active and vivacious part of the international environment at universities” and “one of the most distinguished contributors to American academic life.”

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Is There a Threat of an Israeli Attack on Iran?
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* At least this round of diplomacy with Iran does not seem to be getting very far. If so, would Israel decide to move ahead with an attack on Iran? Could (and should?) the U.S. prevent that? Why? These are all issues that Trita Parsi, President of the Iranian American National Council is addressing in his latest article written for Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/trita-parsi/washington-can-give-an-is_b_373205.html.

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A New Hit Song from Shajarian
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* Amidst uncertainties about the new steps the current government might take to curb further protests to its legitimacy, Iranians continue to show great interest in music and other art forms.

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* In Iran, many artists are iconic figures for reform – distinct among them the legendary vocalist, Mohamad Reza Shajarian. Shajarian who had spoken candidly about the undemocratic nature of Mr. Ahmadinjad’s government while in Germany was reprimanded upon return to Tehran last week. Nonetheless, due to his immense popularity, no arrest was made.

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* It would be fitting to close this window with a song which was posted on Youtube in spring. It shows him – and his son Homayun, at concert in Tehran. This song is now a major hit. Based on a ghazal of Rumi which ends with the refrain “saghiya” it addresses the cup-bearer, a symbolic figure able to free the soul from the narrow confines of sobriety and dry logic:

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The poster reads: "Students Strike All Over Iran: 50 Cities, 200 Universities". See the link below for many more examples of the posters circulating in Iran currently.

December 7 Protests Approaching
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* In the meantime, Iranians prepare for another day of protest: “Students Day,” the 16th of the Persian month of Azar (Dec. 7). The posters for this day are already circulating. One of them is on the right and many other examples are here: December 7th Student Protest Posters.

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Good Night,

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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 37

Some of the many Iranians that the recent American Peace delegation met on their visit to Iran this past July. Organized by Phil Wilayto and sponsored by the Virginia Anti-War Network and The Richmond Defender newspaper, the five-member "People's Peace Delegation to Iran" visited Tehran, Shiraz, Yazd, Esfahan and Qom (see below for more on their trip) (image courtesy of http://www.campaigniran.org).

Hi All,

Earlier today I sent out a special window urging you to write to your
representatives in an attempt to stop our country from getting one
step closer to a war with Iran. Many of you wrote back within the hour
to let me know that you have shared the message with others. Thank
you.

With that, let us move on to Window on Iran number 37 which opens with
a good piece of news.

Major Iran/IAEA Agreement on Additional Measures on the Nuclear Issue

* The following news should be hailed as a significant diplomatic
success, a step toward cooling things down. On Tuesday Iran and the
UN Atomic Energy Agency agreed on a timetable for Tehran to clarify
outstanding concerns about its contested nuclear program, amid Western
threats of further UN sanctions. International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) deputy director general Olli Heinonen and top Iranian national
security official Javad Vaeedi announced the agreement after two days
of talks in Tehran. “We have now in front of us an agreed working
plan, how to implement it and we have a timeline for the
implementation. We talked about the details and the steps to be
taken,” said Heinonen. Here is the rest of the article if you like to
read (thanks Paul Appell for sharing this)
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/295302/1/.html

* The current U.S. administration, however, has so far acted as if it
never happened. The same week that Iran and IAEA signed the above
agreement, former CIA Director James Woolsey appeared on CNN with Lou
Dobbs to say an attack on Iran is a bad idea but allowing Iran to
obtain a nuclear weapon is worse. And in today’s New York Times
(August 29), Elaine Sciolino quoted unnamed officials from “Western
governments” describing the plan as a “new and dangerous strategy by
Iran to drag out the process.” Further down the article explains that
“Details of the timetable will be included in a report” that will be
released later. It is not clear how a plan that is not yet released,
that includes a clear timetable, and that has been described by the
IAEA officials as a “breakthrough” is faulted and branded as a
dangerous plan even before it is released.

Tell the Networks Not to Follow Fox

Why does the American news media not scrutinize significant news items
concerning Iran? Why, concerned friends such as Nadir Sadeqi and Matt
Miller ask in their e-mail messages, while the FOX news works on the
American public to convince them that war with Iran is the only
option, do the other networks not respond? All they need to do is
following the tradition of sound reporting. Christine Amanpour,  is
quoted to have said – concerning bad reporting on Iraq – that her
network was silenced and intimidated by FOX. On behalf of Nadir and
Matt, I share the following information with those of you who are
interested in telling the networks not to follow FOX down the road to
war: http://foxattacks.com/iran (or watch the video below)

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Is the War on Iran Still a Strong Possibility?

* Some argue that a war on Iran is not an option for practical reasons.
A fantastic piece on this is an interview that David Barsamian has
done with the renowned historian of contemporary Iran, Ervand
Abrahamian (City University, New York). The interview is short, very
perceptive, and readable. It has a very interesting title too: The
Mullahs Face Off: Washington Versus Tehran (San Francisco, City
Light Books, 2007).

* Others are still very worried about the possibility. In his site
www.AntiWar.com, blogger Philip Giraldi writes: Anyone who doubts that the
war party is firmly focused on Iran need only take note of the Aug. 21
lead editorial in the Washington Post, which had the heading “Tougher
on Iran: The Revolutionary Guard is at war with the United States. Why
not fight back?” The Post, which regularly features neocons like
Charles Krauthammer on its editorial page, was a principal cheerleader
for the Iraq war. Giraldi criticizes the Post for accepting Washington
claims that Iranian special forces are in Iraq training the Shiite
militia. “Why is the U.S. army not been able to arrest a single one of
them or provide any evidence of this” is his question. It is a very
good question. I would add that this claim is not just refereeing to
an unsubstantiated hypothesis but a very unlikely one. Any number of
Iraqis who survived the rule of Saddam by taking refuge in Iran could
have been trained sufficiently to return and train their Iraqi country
men. But the point is not how logical or provable these claims are.
The point is the poisoning effect they have on the American public.
You can read the rest of Giraldi’s article at:
http://www.antiwar.com/orig/giraldi.php?articleid=11509

American Peace Delegation to Iran

A photo from the American Peace Delegation to Iran discussed below (image courtesy of http://www.campaigniran.org).

All right, we need a little antidote to offset the alarming bells of
war. Let me tell you about this delightful five person American
delegation who visited Iran this past July. Organized by Phil Wilayto
and sponsored by the Virginia Anti-War Network and The Richmond
Defender newspaper, the five-member “People’s Peace Delegation to
Iran” visited Tehran, Shiraz, Yazd, Esfahan and Qom, plus several
villages and towns. The Following are interesting excerpts from Phil
Wilayto’s interview with CASMII about the trip:

On our first day, in the capital city of Tehran, we attended the
Friday noontime prayer service at the University of Tehran. This is
the big weekly religious gathering for this metro area of some 14
million people, and around 10,000 men and women attend. We had heard
that they finish the service with a rousing chant of “Death to
America!” so we thought that would give us one cultural pole for the
trip. Actually, we were two hours into the program when we had to
leave, and still no anti-U.S. chants. So we had to settle for a lot of
warm smiles and handshakes.

Also, I’d like to anticipate the question, “But you probably only saw
what the government wanted you to see.” One evening in Qom – it was
about 9 p.m. – I walked to an Internet cafe to send an e-mail to
family members and friends back home. I stayed till 11 p.m., then got
lost on the walk back to the hotel. So there I was in the holy city of
Qom, lost – on the eve of a major national religious holiday, no less
– wandering the streets and trying unsuccessfully to change some
Iranian bills into coins so I could call our guide from a pay phone. I
wound up meeting two brothers, one of them a theology student. They
brought me back to the hotel in a taxi. So I was out on my own for
about three hours. Two other members of the delegation walked back one
evening to their hotel in Esfahan, and in 45 minutes they were stopped
by three groups of Iranians who wanted to talk with them. On the
streets and public places we talked with anyone we wanted. One
afternoon while driving from Esfahan to Qom we stopped by the side of
the highway and had tea with a family of goat herders. I learned to
smoke a hookah, or “hubble-bubble,” in a 5,000-year-old town about
4,000 feet up in the mountains. We photographed anything we wanted,
except military installations. I made a point of trying to speak with
people from as many social classes as possible. I’m not saying we
became experts on Iran, but I think we got a pretty fair look at the
country and its people.

Sean Penn’s Reference to Iran

Sean Penn in Iran meeting with his industry colleagues in the Iranian film industry at the Cinematheque (PLEASE cick the link below to read his letter about Iran). (Image courtesy of http://www.payvand.com).

Actor/activist Sean Penn felt the same warmth visiting Iran in March.
Jaine Benson, one of my many friends through these windows, has
forwarded this very interesting letter which I had almost forgotten
about. Thanks Jaine. The letter is long and mostly focused on Iraq,
below I quote the paragraph on Iran which remains relevant today:

“You want to rattle sabers toward Iran now? Let me tell you something
about Iran, because I’ve been there and you haven’t. Iran is a great
country. A great country. Does it have its haters? You bet. Just like
the United States has its haters. Does it have a corrupt regime? You
bet. Just like the United States has a corrupt regime. Does it want a
nuclear weapon? Maybe. Do we have one? You bet. But the people of Iran
are great people. And if we give that corrupt leadership, (by
attacking Iran militarily) the opportunity to unify that great country
in hatred against us, we’ll have been giving up one of our most
promising future allies in decades. If you really know anything about
Iran, you know exactly what I’m referring to. Of course your
administration belittles diplomatic potential there, as those options
rely on a credibility and geopolitical influence that you have
aggressively squandered worldwide.” If you are interested in reading
the whole letter, here is the link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sean-penn/an-open-letter-to-the-pre_b_44172.html

Mohsen Mostafavi, prominent Iranian American, recently named new Dean of Harvard's Graduate School of Design.

Iranian American Named Dean, Harvard School of Design

Mohsen Mostafavi, an international figure in the fields of architecture and urbanism, will become the dean of the Faculty of Design beginning in January 2008, President Drew Faust announced today (Aug. 10). The news was forwarded by my cousin Abe Massoudi, and my friend Farimah Companieh, thank you both! You can read more at:
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2007/08.23/99-gsdean.html

Iranian Women in Sports

Time for more fun and for seeing images from Iran which are almost impossible to see in the American media. It is rather unfortunate any negative news on Iranian women will make it to the front page here almost immediately. But images such as these are missing. Iranian Women Canoe Polo players in action:
http://www.shirzanan.com/spip.php?article68

Iranian women canoe polo players in action! (click the link above for more pictures).

Visual Delight

Last week I was showered with your loving messages about the wonderful
paintings of the Iranian Assyrian artist Hannibal Alkhas. Thank you! I
can’t agree  more. I’ll promise to make more slide shows of his
exhibits whenever new ones appear. This week, I bring you the works of
two Iranian women artists, Elham Nafisi Farr, a young and up-coming
painter and Mansoureh Hussaini a much more experienced
painter/calligrapher. Unfortunately, I did not find much personal
details on them except they are both graduates of Tehran School of
Fine Arts. Click here: Nafisi Farr-Hussaini painting.Enjoy!

A beautiful painting by Mansoureh Husseini (click the link below for more paintings by her and also Elham Nafisi Farr).

Till our next window, have a great week!

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

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