A rather long conversation with Daniel Breslau about blogging in Persian and the Persian blogosphere. Listen to the interview here.

A while back, Bluehost, the company which hosts kamangir.net, announced a partner program. In short, they allowed customers to find new customers and be paid $65 for each sign-up. So I posted an announcement on Persian Kamangir and invited fellow bloggers to take advantage of this opportunity. I offered to pay them back what Bluehost was going to pay me, as a mean to encourage Persian bloggers to move into their personal domains (we also worked out the legalities and let Bluehost administration know about the arrangement).

Soon, four Persian bloggers used the opportunity and set up their blogs in their new domains. That was a few months ago. I promised them that I’ll contact them as soon as I get the check from Bluehost.

Finally, the first check came in a few days ago. It was a $130-check, so I contacted the first two subscribers and asked them for their bank information. Their response is what I would like to call a “pure moment”.

Since a short while ago, we have been involved in collecting $60,000 for releasing a mother from prison. The convicted murderer of her 74-year-old husband, the 32-year-old Akram Mahdavi, is on the death row because she does not have the financial privilege to pay off the requested ransom. She killed her husband after a second arranged marriage was forced upon her by her family. Women’s rights’ activists describe her case as a very typical example of arranged marriages of teenagers to old men (her first husband was forty years older than her). Akram has a 17-year-old daughter from her first marriage (more information in Persian).

If you have not guessed yet how the case of a woman on the death row could have anything to do with “discount” a hosting company offers to its customers, well, that’s what I call the “Iranian Connection”.

Both people whom I contacted for the pay-back asked me to deposit the amount to the fund established for releasing Akram. Is that not something you can be proud of?

A large group of Iranian bloggers have decided to show their solidarity with tens of Iranian students who are imprisoned by the administration. More information, in Persian, is given in this blog.

This is the statement issued by the organizers (revised by me for grammatical mistakes in the original text),

Solidarity of Bloggers with the Imprisoned Iranian Students

“There is no doubt winter will have an end

And, the post of spring will come to our land

With thousands of flowers in his hand

Certainty it will come,

That other should be passed”

The spring is coming while many Iranian students are still behind the bars. Here is the names of some of them,

- Arash Paknejad (m), Mozandaran University
- Saeid Habibi (m), as member of student’s human rights reporters
- Anoshe Azadbar (f), Tehran University
- Elinaz Jamshidi (f), Azad University of central Tehran student of communication
- Mehdi Gerilo (m), Tehran geophysics center
- Nader Ahseni (m), Mazandaran University
- Behroz karimizade (m), Tehran University
- Nasim Soltan-beigi (f), Alame Communication University
- Ali Sa`lem (m), Polytechnic University, student of Master degree in polymer
- Mohsen Qanim (m), Polytechnic University
- Rozbeh Saf-Shekan (m), Tehran University
- Yaser (Sadra) Pirhaiaty (m), Shahed University
- Saeid Aqam-Ali (m), Yazd University
- Ali Kolaee` (m), Azad University of Shahriar City
- Amir Mehrzad (m), (high School Student)
- Hadi Salary (m), Rajaey University
- Farshid Ahangaran(m), Rajaey University
- Amir Aqai (m), Rajaey University
- Milad Omrani (m), Rajaey University
- Keivan Amir Eliasy (m), Master of industrial engineer
- Soroush Hashem-poor (m), Ahvaz University
- Farshad Doosti-poor (m)
- Sohrab Karimi (m)
- Javad Alizade (m)
- Mohammad Salleh Auman (m)
- Mehdi al-lahyari (m), Sharif industrial University, student of master degree
- Rozbehan Amiri (m), Tehran University, Student of computer sciences
- Bahram Shojaee (m), Tehran-south Azad University, Student of Chemistry engineer
- Saied Aqakhani (m)
- Majid Ashraf Nejad (m)
- Peiman Piran (m), by other student report about him*
- Aabed Tavanche (m), Polytechnic University
- Soroosh Dastestany (m)
- Amin Qazaei (m)
- Bijan Sabaq (m), Mazandaran University
- Anahita hosini (f), Tehran University
- Morteza Khedmatlo (m)
- Mohamad Pour Abdol-lah (m), Tehran University
- Bita Samimi-zad (f), Polytechnic University
- Behzad Baqery (m), Mazandaran University
- Soroosh Sabet (m), Sharif University
- Morteza Eslahchi (m), Allame University
- Mostafa Shirvani (m)

In the past month and half, many students from different cities and universities have been arrested, on charges related to holding peaceful ceremonies for the celebration of the 7th of November, the National Day for Students. They have been behind the bars since. During these days, their families have not been able to visit them and only some of them have been given the chance to have short phone calls with the inmates. This has caused a lot of anxiety and tension for the families and has resulted in their many protests in order to pressure the government to release the students, to no avail.

We honor the freedom-loving students of Iran, some of whom are also bloggers, and thus on January 30th we rename our blogs to “Bloggers’ Solidarity with Imprisoned Iranian Students”.

We wish the release of our friends.

This is the leaflet for announcing a service for him, published by his family. It reads “This is to announce the death of Ebrahim Latif Allahi caused by ….”. The cause of death is apparently a taboo.

Javaheri was amongst the activists who were arrested last March after their calm protest was disrupted by the Police (see: Police Violence in Iran against Activist Women). She will join Maryam Hosseinkhah, another activist who has been in the infamous Evin Prison for about two weeks now (see: Activist Woman Arrested) [Persian].

Delaram Ali, woman’s rights defender, … was sentenced to 2 years and 10 months prison term (which must be served in full) and 10 lashes, for her participation in a peaceful protest.

The sentence, issued by Judge Salavati, … relied on … finding Delaram guilty of propaganda against the state, sentencing her to a six month prison term, participation in the June 12th protest, sentencing her to a two-year prison term, and disruption of public order sentencing her to a 4 month prison term and 10 lashes (sources).

In the latest development, her sentence was approved today [Persian]. This is the latest press release from the group she is a member of,

In an unprecedented and unexpected development Delaram Ali was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months and 10 lashing in appeals court…. Delaram was beaten severely during this protest, dragged on the ground by several police officers and subsequently arrested (see picture above). She suffered a broken arm as a result of these severe beatings. …

In her original trial Delaram was sentenced to 2 years and ten months prison term and 20 lashings, which was reduced to 2 years and 6 months and ten lashings in a ruling issued by the appeals court announced this morning. The courts have contacted Delaram in regards to implementing her sentence by the end of the week.

Iranian women’s rights defenders appeal to the national and international community to take swift action condemning the unjust ruling of the court in the case of Delaram Ali.

These pictures show Delaram being dragged by a Policewoman. Source of the pictures: Kosoof.

Please spread the news. Personally, it would be a horrible shame to me, as an Iranian man, if she is imprisoned or, even worse, if is she is whipped for demanding her legitimate rights. It is worth to mention that she suffered a broken bone as a result of Police brutality at the time of her arrest.

See more pictures in the photoblog.

Child offender Makwan Moloudzadeh, an Iranian Kurd, is believed to be at risk of imminent execution. He has reportedly been convicted of anal sex for the alleged rape of a 13-year-old boy. Makwan Moloudzadeh was aged 13 at the time of the alleged offence. His death sentence has been passed to the Office for the Implementation of Sentences and he is due to be executed in public, near his home.

…The witnesses and the two people who had pressed charges against him withdrew their claims after the trial. Under Iranian law, children (boys of up to 14.7 years) are to be flogged for homosexual acts.

… However, the judge relied on the “knowledge of the judge” to determine that penetration had taken place and that Makwan Moloudzadeh could be sentenced to death.

… During his trial, Makwan Moloudzadeh reportedly maintained his innocence. … He is reported to have gone on hunger strike for 10 days to
protest against his ill-treatment in detention. Prior to his trial and conviction, on or around 7 October 2006 Makwan Moloudzadeh was reportedly paraded through the streets of Paveh riding on a donkey, with his head shaved. People in the street shouted abuse and threw things at him. (source: Amnesty International)

As of the “knowledge of the judge”, Jafar Kiani was indeed stoned in that basis (see:Stoning WAS CARRIED OUT in Iran)

A blogger claims that Fars News and Press TV have assigned false sentences to the Norwegian Foreign Minister [referring to: Did IRNA change Norwegian Foreign Minister’s Words?]. He [the website mentions my real name] claimed that the sentence “West must be more concerned with their own arsenal, rather than pointing at Iran and North Korea” is made up. The blogger mentions that he will follow the story with the Foreign Ministry of Norway. Fars News and Press TV have not reacted to these accusations yet. This is not the first time this blogger makes similar claims.

Then, Alef publishes a pictures of the author of this blog, accompanied by my real name, and follows,

Who is he [real name]? He [real name] is a resident of Canada whose blog is frequently referred to by the media and warmonger neo-con blogs (including Pajamas Media and Gateway Pundit). His blog is the number one source for anti-Iran news from the Iranian blogosphere, for the neo-con media. The content translated by him, regarding President’s speeches, Iranian missiles, stonings, executions, the social security project [Police raid against "immodesty" and alike], and so on, have been enthusiastically followed by the neo-con blogging networks. During last few months, he has increased his presence in the Persian blogging atmosphere, and also Iranian social networks, in order to direct anti-Iran content.

Shortly after this report, an Iranian blogger who first disclosed my real name started attacking me in a Persian social network, Balatarin [Persian]. He accused me of being a part of a “big filthy plot” against Iran. This coincidence has made some people making guesses about the source of the accusations made in Alef.

The matter of fact is, among the people who read this blog, and refer to it, there are certain people whom like, or adore, the current American administration. Nevertheless, I have always tried to be objective and not take parts. The mission of this blog is to give an accurate account of the events which happen in Iran. Having said that, I happen to agree with Alef on parts of their report and I am actually very satisfied if I have been able to help the news about stonings and executions escape the borders of Iran.

We have to stop this! Spread the news and send the link in the comment section. We have to stop this.

Do we want this to happen again (Very Graphic)?

p.s. I didn’t even care translating the rest of the piece, but, as our commenter Ahwazi has correctly pointed out, the sex was obviously an act between her and a man and the man got away with 100 lashes.

She was ET or at most Esther Herman, the American bravely writing from the land of “Death to America”. Now, she has left Iran and uses her real name, Tori Egherman. Tori has been writing in her blog View from Iran since June 2003. She has been also actively participating in the discussions at the Mideast Youth. One of the outcomes of her stay in Iran, aside form her marvelous blog, is the book “Iran: View from Here“, a collection of pictures taken at Iran. A nice flash which shows some of the pictures of the book can be found here. Read her interview with GVO, about the book and about her experiences in Iran.

Bloggers support the jailed iranian student activists

August 5th 2007 is the 101-st anniversary of the Iranian constitutional revolution. BUT Iranian people still struggle for democracy and student activists are still sent to jails

Several student activists spend this year’s anniversary in jails. They include Mohammad Hashemi, Ali Nikoonesbati, Ali Vefghi, Bahareh Hedayat, Mehdi Arabshahi, Hanif Yazdani, Abodllah Momeni, Bahram Fayyazi, Habib Hajiheydari, Morteza Eslahchi, Mojtaba Bayat,, Masood Habibi, Saeed Hossein-nia, Arash Khandel, Ashkan Ghiasvand, Mohammad-Hossein Mehrzad, Ahmad Ghassaban, Majid Tavakoli, Ehsan Mansouri, and Amir Yaghoub-ali

In support and memory of our fellow activists, who some of them are bloggres as well, a group of Iranian bloggres will change their blog title on August the 5th to “August the 5th: The day of support for jailed Iranian students”. We invite you, even as a non-Iranian blogger, to participate in this cause. You can join by sending us e-mail to 14.mordad@gmail.com or write the name of your weblog in the comment box below, so it will be added to the list of the supporting weblogs

Please help broadcast the message.

Update: Execution postponed for one week.

The statement reads “on June 5, 2007, Jafar Kiani, Mokarrameh Ebrahimi’s husband, was stoned by the Police and by the local Judge, only for the people of Aghche-kand, Takistan, Ghazvin, and all other cities across Iran to realize that a person can still be buried up to his neck and be killed by stone.” Referring to the early victory against the Judiciary, which yielded a temporary cancellation of the stoning, they warn “Never before, death in a hole was so close to Iranian citizens”. “When they managed to stone Jafar Kiani, we have all the reasons to believe that they will stone Mokarrameh Ebrahim at any moment”, they add. “We ask you for help because we believe no legal change can happen without people’s will and help. Help us! What should we do to help Mokarrameh Ebrahimi?”

Pargas writes “witnesses inside the prison have mentioned that Makroumeh was taken to the administration offices in the prison and was told about the stoning of her partner. She is in bad conditions”. She adds “These are true news”. She writes at the end of her post, “Some reports say the stoning might have been carried out based on a personal decision. The local head of the Judiciary has been opposed to the verdict but the judge has ordered the stoning to be carried out. So, they have stoned him in private.” Reportedly, the Norwegian ambassador to Tehran is going to condemn the stoning, accompanied by other Western ambassadors in Tehran.

This is the press release issued by a prominent women’s rights group, which also issued the first warning.

Jafar Kiani Stoned on July 5, Mokarrameh Ebrahimi in Eminent Danger

Jafar Kiani was stoned in Aghche-kand, a small village near Takistan, Ghazvin, on Thursday July 5th. His partner, Mokarrameh Ebrahimi, could have a similar fate if we do not act now!

Jafar Kiani and his partner, Mokarrameh Ebrahimi, have been in prison for more than 11 years for an adulterous relationship and having two children. The couple’s children live in prison with their mother. The Stop Stoning Forever Campaign broke the news of their case on June 19 as they were scheduled to be stoned together on Thursday, June 21, 2007. After the news was spread, the Iranian judiciary officials were faced with a strong wave of national and international opposition and announced that the order of stoning would be stayed.

The people of Takistan and their parliamentary representative, Rajab Rahmani, were opposed to the execution of the sentence in Takistan which led to its carrying out in Aghche-kand.

The judge who issued the stoning sentence, Mr. Eslahi, believed that the couple’s marriage had not been legitimate based on his own “knowledge” of the case. The stoning sentences were similarly issued.

According to the Iranian law, the judge who has issued the sentence would have to be present in person to throw the first stone. Some unofficial sources have reported that only a few of the villagers participated in the stoning and the sentence was mostly carried out by the officials and the related service men.

The judiciary officials have so far neither confirmed nor denied the stoning of Jafar Kiani. Silence seems to be the current policy of some judiciary officials, including Hassan Ghasemi, the Head of Judiciary Office in Ghazvin, who has told the Stop Stoning Forever Campaign activists to contact Alireza Jamshidi, the official Iranian judiciary spokesman, for answers to their questions.

The Stop Stoning Forever Campaign is asking all citizens of the world to raise their opposition to stoning and try to save the life of Mokarrameh Ebrahimi from stoning. Please contact the Iranian officials in Tehran and Takistan, Gahzvin and/or Iranian embassy in other countries (please see the contact information below).

Local Judiciary:0282 3681625

Governor:Phone:281 3682811,281 3682812,281 3682813,281 3682814,281 3682815,281 3682816,Fax:281 3682941,281 3682895

The Supreme Leader: 64412020

Head of the Judiciary: 22741002-5

Judiciary: 22741002-5

President’s Office:88825071,88825072

Update I: I Just called the Governor’s office. I was told that they have not heard the news. Still, they do need to realize that the age of stoning people is over.

Grand Ayatollah Fazel Lankarani, who was hospitalized since a long time ago in Tehran, passed away in his home in Qom, at the age of 76. Or at least that’s what Fars reports at first. According to ISNA, all businesses will be closed in the holy city of Qom for one day and three days of mourning (early pictures) are announced. While no mystery seems to exist in the story, as the state reports it, the fellow citizen journalists have found quite a huge discrepancy in the news, which actually make is interesting.

As a user in the Iranian Digg, Balatarin, has pointed out, through putting together the news broadcast by state-run media outlets, the Ayatollah passed away simultaneously in a hospital in Tehran, in his house in Qom, and in London. The mention of London makes the story quite fascinating when another user in Balatarin finds a list of accommodation prices in the hospital he was looked after. In fact, Ayatollah has spent the amount majority of Iranians live on for six months for every night he has been taken care of there. There is more controversy around the deceased Ayatollah, as Balatarin users manage to surface.

While the state-run news agency introduces the Ayatollah as one of the most passionate students of Khomeini, some people remember his death Fatwa, issued last December. On November 2006, a citizen of the Republic of Azarbaijan faced the wrath of the Ayatollah.

Tagi wrote a piece titled “Europe and Us” in Senet’s weekly edition for November 6, arguing that the Christian values of Europe led to more successful, peaceful, and tolerant societies than the values of Islam. “A person can’t be condemned for their opinions,” editor Sadagatoglu told the court, ironically just after Reporters Without Borders added Azeri president Ilham Aliev to its list of “predators” of press freedom. “Such a person is an apostate in view of his confessions, if he is a Muslim,” Ayatollah Fazel Lankarani said in a fatwa conveniently posted online. “If he had been an unbeliever (Kafir), he is considered as someone who has insulted the Prophet and in any case, given his confessions, it is necessary for every individual who has an access to him to kill him. The person in charge of the said newspaper, who published such thoughts and beliefs consciously and knowingly, should be dealt with in the same manner.” (source of translation, Persian source, Ayatollah’s website)

That leaves no doubt why the state would hesitate to mention that he was in fact being taken care of in London, especially after the recent anti-Britain protest held in Tehran, by people so close to the deceased Ayatollah.

The Iranian blogger, Dajal, writes,

Following the so-called fight against immodesty, the Police caused another incident two days ago in Tandis Mall in Tehran (see this for the previous instance). According to the eyewitnesses, the Police officers where denying the so-called immodest people entrance to the mall when they attempted to arrest a girl who passed by. The girl started running away when she saw the officers and fell on the ground for a couple of times before close to Tajrish Square a policewoman arrested her. She resisted while being transferred to a Police car. That was while another girl who was transferred to the car just before was crying. With the cries of the girl, people started gathering and eventually the Police threatened to use tear gas. The officers at last were forced to carry the girl inside the mall in order to buy some time before people left the scene. During all this, the Police officers were very cautious that no one would capture the scene on tape. The video shown in the above is captured by someone standing there and it is not clear because the capturer has been afraid of the Police. The video, however, clearly shows the screams of the arrested girl.

This is what is being said in the video,

[Girl to the Police] Sir, wait for a second! [Scream] Why are you lying? You bastards! [Girl to the Police] [A woman to the Police] Do you not have mothers and sisters yourself [that treat us like this]? [Girl to the Police] Stop the BS!

I found her piece so interesting that I translated parts of it in my Persian blog. Then, I posted the link in the Iranian Digg, Balatarin. There, a very sincere comment was written which I think means a lot. This is the translation of that comment,

Amazing! I thought Israelis have no law in these issues. It seems they do. I have so many negative ideas about Israel. For example, that there are as many prostitution places there as we have supermarkets in Tehran. I don’t know if that’s correct or not but the people around me think like this. As much as I know at least…

Well, I think the Islamic Republic has succeeded in convincing at least a portion of the Iranian population that Israelis, or even Jews for that matter, have a tail and two horns.

May 24th 1982, the Iranian army succeeded in taking back Khorramshahr, from the Iraqi army. The war with Iraq and its results are hugely disputable and are amongst the darkest points in the history of the Islamic Republic. The war itself is a horrible thing. Having said that, those who fought in the war where ordinary people who did it for their country. This is a tribute to them. Today is also the Martyr’s Day for Iraqis. This is also a tribute to them.

Video of Police beating a woman for her “improper” veil. The footage is aired on Voice of America (complete file). Watch the video on Youtube. For background see this and this. Direct link to the file. This is what is going on in there,

[What is] this country? [A woman to the Police] You filthy people! [A man] She is beaten up by the Police. [Woman to people] You have no honor [that let the Police beat women like this]! [A woman takes off her veil shouting] We want freedom! [A man] Take pictures! [The woman continues] We want freedom! We do not want the veil! [A woman] Take pictures! [Another woman] Maryam! [a girl's name] Capture it on tape! [The injured woman to the Police] You are not human!

Shocking scenes of Police Brutality against people arrested, and not tried, for illegal activities, including drugs, alcohol, and selling satellite dishes. These are pictures not published by official sources. Warning! Includes graphic scenes. See more here. Source.

According to a respectable women’s rights group, today, Sunday, both in the morning and later in the evening, following the summer veil program, a group of Police officers got involved in physical struggle with the girls they questioned for their “immodesty”. According to eye wittinesses, the officers were trying to arrest the girls, but because of their restraint, a few men on the scene got involved in the incident.

A shopkeeper in 7-Tir square in Tehran mentioned later “The officers questioned three girls, aged 25- 30, for their veils. The questioning was so harsh that they reacted. A female officer started pulling a girl’s hand to get her in the police patrol, but she refused. Then, a male officer attacked the girl. That was when others got involved. The girls were taken away by passing cars safe from the police. They got into civilian cars while they had no covering and their cloths were torn away,

A taxi driver also said “In the morning, while the police was brutally questioning a girl, her cries for help enraged other people”. He also said that when the second incident happened, a mother and daughter were hit by the Police. While showing their injured faces to the people, they took off their veils. The two ladies have reportedly captured the incident on tape. The picture above shows one of the ladies.

Taking off their veils when the Police questions them for improper veils is becoming a trend in Iran. A similar incident, ten days ago, was caught on tape and posted on Youtube.