The Latest from Iran (15 January): Refreshing?

2200 GMT: Your Late-Night Cyber-Treat. On Google, type "Ahmadinejad President of Iran". Hit "I'm Feeling Lucky".

2140 GMT: We started this morning (see 0715 GMT) by noting the possible significance of the "reformist" criticisms of Dr Javad Etaat making their way onto Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. We end today by posting the video of the first part of the interview and an English translation.

2030 GMT: Cyber-Warfare Strike. Hacking the website of Iran's Hezbollah (Party of God) is one thing. Doing it with the slogan "The End is F***ing Near" is another. And accomplishing it with a diversion to the domain http://www.getasexpartner.com/hiz-bol.htm, well... Let's just say that Iran's police chief Esmail Ahmadi-Moghaddam (see 1220 GMT) may want to get a bigger Internet manual if he is serious about taking on the opposition in a Web slugfest.

NEW Latest Iran Video & Translation: Dr Etaat’s Opposition On State Media (14 January)
NEW Iran: Anger, Pain, & Fear — The Funeral of Professor Ali-Mohammadi
NEW Latest Iran Video: Green Protest and the Iran-Belgium Football Match (14 January)
NEW Iran: The Regime Censors the 1979 Revolution
NEW Latest Iran Audio: The Last Lecture of Professor Ali-Mohammadi
Latest Iran Video: Al Jazeera’s Debate Over The Death of Ali-Mohammadi (13 January)
Latest Iran Video: The Life, Death, and Funeral of Professor Ali-Mohammadi (14 January)
Latest Iran Video: “A Message to Armed Forces of Iran” (13 January)
Iran Analysis: Political Manoeuvring Around the Professor’s Death
The Latest from Iran (14 January): The Professor’s Funeral

1935 GMT: Quality Analysis of Day. Well done, Asadollah Badamchian, member of Parliament: “The assassination [of Professor Ali-Mohammadi] and terrorist operation was a previously planned step in the Green Velvet Revolution." The movement, Badamchian said, consists of five sub-groups, “each of which are gradually eroding”.

1825 GMT: That Supreme Leader Message of Condolence (Again). So sorry that Professor Ali-Mohammadi is dead, building up to "the criminal hand that brought this disaster has revealed the motive of the enemies of the Islamic Republic of Iran to deal a blow to the scientific movement of the country".

1624 GMT: A Bit of US Pressure? From an Indian news agency: "The United States has asked Pakistan to dump its plan of receiving natural gas from Iran through a pipeline. According to sources, US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke, during his meeting with Petroleum Minister Syed Naveed Qamar, said Islamabad would have to abandon its pipeline accord with Tehran in order to qualify for extensive American energy assistance especially for importing Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and electricity."

1618 GMT: Your Tehran Friday Prayers Summary. Ayatollah Mohammad Emami-Kashani gets the nod today, and he comes up with the stunning declaration, "The enemy uses every possible means to harm the establishment and the country so we should, in a very real sense, remain vigilant."

OK, not so stunning. In fact, repetitive. But we had to say something.

Oh, yes. Emami-Kashani also "called for televised debates to clear ambiguities about the country's current political affairs".

1615 GMT: We've posted an account of yesterday's funeral of Professor Ali-Mohammadi and its effects on academics and students.

1445 GMT: Supreme Leader's Message of Condolence to Family of Professor Ali-Mohammadi. Here's a summary: Ayatollah Khamenei expresses his sorrow, to Ali-Mohammadi's mother, wife, friends, colleagues, and students, and --- by the way --- this is a terror act that "reveals enemies' motive to harm Iran's scientific movement and jihad".

1245 GMT: Divine Declaration of Day. Hossein Taeb, head of the Intelligence Bureau of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps and former head of the Basiji militia sets it out: the Supreme Leader is unjust are in error, those who follow him will go to Paradise. An Iranian activist offers this translation of Taeb's words:

Even though [the Supreme Leader] was suffering under [Grand Ayatollah] Montazeri during Imam Khomeini's time and despite all insults he had to endure, he did issue a beautifuland  gentle message upon Montazeri's passing and advised that he can be buried anywhere the family wanted. Those who say the Supreme Leader has left the [path of] justice, don't understand the meaning of it. They think that Supreme Leader is chosen by the Assembly of Experts. Supreme Leader is rather discovered by Experts and that is why they can't grant capabilities. It is God who does.

1220 GMT: We Will Find You. Is this a declaration of strength or nervousness? Iran's police chief Esmail Ahmadi-Moghaddam has warned against Internet and text messages to spread news of demonstrations:

These people should know where they are sending the SMS and email as these systems are under control. They should not think using proxies will prevent their identification. If these people continue, their records will be examined and those who organise or issue appeals have committed a worse crime than those who come to the streets.

1145 GMT: The Resigning Diplomat. Confirmation comes in a Norwegian television interview that Mohammad Reza Heidari, an Iranian diplomat in Norway, is quitting his post. Heydari's intention to resign was initally reported days ago on radio. He claims that an Iranian official came to Oslo to assure him he would not be hurt if he retracted the resignation: "I refused to agree to that. They suggested I'd do an interview in which I denied my defection in order to return to Tehran. But I know I made the right choice and that my conscience is clean."

1140 GMT: We've posted the latest video in our running series on football and protest, opposition chants at the Iran-Belgium indoor football match.

1010 GMT: Iran "Analysis" of Day. Islamic Republic News Agency presents the findings of an "Office of Research and Studies" that there was a "deep intrigue", courtesy of the US Government, for disorder and sedition after the Presidential election.

For those of you who aren't convinced about this exposure of "soft war", there are footnotes. And it's great to see Bush Administration has-been John Bolton and Thomas Friedman of The New York Times in the same "research" paper.

0840 GMT: One Less Death Sentence. Kalemeh reports that Hamid Ruhidnejad, arrested before the elections but condemned to death this summer, will now serve 10 years in jail. Ruhidnejad's father contends that, as his son suffers from multiple sclerosis and is half-blind, he is unlikely to survive the punishment.

0735 GMT: We've posted a separate entry, courtesy of Pedestrian, on how the regime is censoring videos and images of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in the run-up to its 31st anniversary on 22 Bahman (11 February)

0715 GMT: The Opposition Emerges on Iran's State Media. Dr. Javad Etaat, appearing on the Ru Be Farda programme of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, IRIB ("Ru be farda" magazine), criticised the "failed" economic plans of the Government, pointing to Iran's high rate of inflation. He also got political, denouncing the prohibition of demonstrations and the banning of newspapers. Perhaps most pointedly, he refers to Imam Ali, the first Imam of Shi'a Islam, to challenge any prohibition of dissent.

Etaat is a professor of political science at Shahad Behesti University and a former member of the Parliament's Cultural Commission. Unsurprisingly, the video of his comments is now racing around YouTube.

0705 GMT: The Scholars Protest (cont.). An EA reader writes us with a clarification, "That 300+ scholars lettter (see 0630 GMT) started a very long time ago! Deutsche Welle covered it on July 10th."

0645 GMT: The Battle With Rafsanjani. Hamid Rohani, a fervent supporter of President Ahmadinejad, has continued his attack on former President Hashemi Rafsanjani. Asked about his recent claim that Imam Khomeini had warned Rafsanjani could be "deceived" (noted in our updates earlier this week), Rohani insisted --- despite the lack of this claim in Khomeini's published letters --- that the incident was in 1973, when the Friday Prayers leader of the city of Rafsanjan wrote Khomeini. What is more: Rohani claims the exchange arose from Rafsanjani's request for religious funds for the People's Mujahideen Organization of Iran (PMOI), which the regime now considers a "terrorist" movement.

0635 GMT: Mousavi's Reference to Government "Enemies"? We noted last night that Mir Hossein Mousavi had sent condolences to the family of the murdered physicist, Massoud Ali-Mohammadi. This phrase, however, deserves attention: Ali-Mohammadi was assassinated by "enemies of the people". Who is that "enemy"?

0630 GMT: The Scholars Protest. Iranian academics working and studying abroad are circulating an open letter to the "Honourable People of Iran": "Preparing the grounds for the free exchange of information, opinions and beliefs, and most importantly the security of university students, academics, and thinkers, are the responsibilities of the government and are the most basic conditions for scientific and social growth of a nation."

More than 300 scholars have already signed the letter.

0625 GMT: It's the weekend in Iran, and we're expecting a bit of a lull after the furour over the killing of Professor Ali-Mohammadi. We have posted the full audio of the physicist's last lecture.

That said, there have been so many fissures in the "establishment" this week that there may not be a pause this Friday. And there's a sign that the Green movement has even gotten a foothold in the broadcasts of Islamic Republic Iran Broadcasting --- we're working on the video and story.

Comments

[_weava]

Afshin
Good to see you.

I love reading your stuff, do you write anywhere else?

[Arshama]

@ WMV

Thank you for clarifying the reasons for Safavi's retreat. Even his name makes me shiver, he is in fact no better than Taeb, Radan and all the other criminals.
And Samuel will be delighted, because his beloved fellows will soon be expelled to Iraq, where they are free to install their 'madinat-an-nabi' under a genuine Shiite caliphate. Then there will be not only scattered bombings here and there, but shooting at "infidels" throughout the year, especially on Ashura, preferably in Kerbela and Najaf. That's what I call an impeccable Shiite community.

[Arshama]

@ 1220

Peyke Iran has discovered Twitter. http://www.peykeiran.com/Content.aspx?ID=12209
The best of all replies to the warnings of Iran's police chief is from Masmum1: "Special thanks to scientist and IT-specialist brigadier general Ahmadi-Moghaddam: Dear Brigadier, we use anti-filter, not anti-proxy."

[Kevin Scott]

OK, here is a big question I have coming out of the murder of Professor Ali-Mohammadi.

Let us say that the murder was performed by the regime's security services or "elements associated with the regime." Further, lets say that the regime was trying to send a warning to Iranian academics to stop their dissent.

How does the regime send that message of intimidation by blaming the U.S. and Israel for the attack? Doesn't that accusation at least seriously dilute, if not entirely confuse, the message? To create intimidation, doesn't the regime have to take some responsibility for the attack? Otherwise, what is the message? "If you academics support the Greens or Israel too much, then the U.S. and Israel will blow you up?" Or, maybe "If you are against the regime too much, then MKO will blow you up?" These messages make no sense.

I'm a little bit befuddled by this, and hoping somebody can help me out! LOL

[ange paris]

Arshama
Messages in Twitter are very funny ! how our young people are smart, really intelligent ; I am proud of them ! Zendeh bad !

[Green]

Scott

I'm not totally fluent in Farsi, but here are a couple of other lines of criticism voiced on the IRIB program by Dr. Etaat. Hard-hitting stuff, I wonder if the regime will let this experiment continue.

(1) He mocked the hardliner's constant allusion to a "velvet revolution" as a justification for repression. He said that every time they mention the possibility of a Velvet Revolution, they confirm that the Islamic Republic is not a democracy: a revolution is only possible where the people do not control the system and thus seek to bring it down. If the Islamic Republic was truly a republic, then why wouldn't people seek change through the ballot box?

(2) He spoke at length about constant replaying of the tearing of Khomenei's picture on national television -- questioning why such an act would be endlessly replayed on national television if the authorities truly resented the act. And, he asked, why was it that the same group of hardliners would arm a mob with batons and knives to attack Khomeini's home on the eve of Ashura as Khatami gave a religious sermon there if these people truly respected Khomeini.

[ange paris]

Kevin Scott
There is no intellectual message ;
-They want to say to low class of the population, who swallow what they say that it was the USA and sionist regime the responsible of the attack and the murder of professor Mohammadi
-and to the other ones, the middle and intellectual class,the message is : we know that you know who was the responsible, be careful, the next one will be you !!
There is no need to push to much !!

[Samuel]

"How does the regime send that message of intimidation by blaming the U.S. and Israel for the attack? Doesn’t that accusation at least seriously dilute, if not entirely confuse, the message? These messages make no sense."

The answer of course is that they make sense only in the fevered minds of many green supporters. An earthquake in Tehran would be blamed on the SL and AN as well.

[Roe Lassie]

In his interview Mohammad Reza Heidari said that between 60-70% of the embassy staff felt the same way as he did, but are scared to speak up.

[whereismyvote]

@ Samuel

You are on to something. When any event and all events are blamed on the governmnet, it shows two things.

1) The complete and utter hatred of the people of the regime. In 1978 and 1979 it was much the same. A cinema fire was blamed on the Shah, even when we had earthquake in Iran in 1978 around Touss it was blamed on the Shah. May I add the blaming was being done much by your Hezbullah and the Islamic Mullahs.

2) The inevitable inability of the regime to control anything and how the events always run faster and out of control.

This regime is dead. It is now reacting rationally and irrationaly to the events on the street with no stratedgy anymore, and wheather rouge elements had a hand or goal or Plan or not, wheather Israel did the terror act or not, and wheather America was involved is irrelevant. What is relevant is that non of these scenarios looks good. Look at what Khamanei has been reduced to. He has to come out and say that Iran (as per AN's words one of the strongest countries in the world and on the verge of defeat of America and Zionism) is being hit by them on their own soil. What does that say for the Iranian intellignence service? For his president and above all for his regime? It can not even protect its own scientists.

[Scott Lucas]

Green,

Many thanks for the extracts from the Etaat comments. Will be watching for the reaction....

S.

[Arshama]

Finally they showed up! The Secular Greens are there :-)
http://www.seculargreens.com/
Presenting a 15 Points Statement for the Green movement, demanding strict separation of powers and a strictly secular state, where Iranians of different ethnicity, religion and language are all equal before the law.
The slogan of "A secular platform for Iranian Green Movement", which went online on 14 January is: "We want an Iran without discrimination"
Everyone is free to sign this statement.

[Samuel]

whereismyvote,

Getting hit on your own soil happens all the time regardles of how strong you are. Look at 9/11 or the shooting in the American Army base a few months ago happening on the soil of the strongest country on earth.

"The complete and utter hatred of the GREENS for theregime". There I corrected it for you. The GREENS in no way are the "people".

I sometimes object to the words "green traitors" not because it is incorrect but because in some cases it is simply redundant. It is a bit like saying "That fellow over there is a carnivore AND he eats meat.

[Rev Magdalen]

I wonder if the new televised debates are in response to Mousavi's Ashura statement. I recall that in the main body of his letter he spent a lot of time criticizing the media for being one-sided, so maybe allowing some debate is an attempt to counter that accusation.

[Gloumdalclitch]

To Samuel
The right term is not "redundant" but "a pleonasm" like, say, Bassij murderer...

[Roe Lassie]

The Persian on the hacked site says:

"Those who rule over people either by justice or deceit. You should know that deceiving people of God is like sticking a saw in the a*se. There is no way forward and no way back"!

[Samuel]

Gloum,

"Redundancies, Pleonams, Tautologies
The concepts of redundancy, pleonasm, and tautology are all virtually the same, meaning the use of more words that in necessary."

[Samuel]

"Hossein Taeb, head of the Intelligence Bureau of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps and former head of the Basiji militia "

Taeb is a good man. A cleric who's been with the Pasdaran since he was 19 years old or so. Very, very bright future for this talented individual.

[Megan]

Kvein Scott,

Re: your comment at 18:56

I think you are asking for too much from this regime. These Dead Enders know how to terrorize, murder, lie, rape, torture, steel and indiscriminately beat people. Now you want them to be rational, logical, and have common sense too? My friend, that is like asking these goons to walk and chew gum at the same time. Even their professor Marandi cannot do that.

Here is the translation of tweet by an Iranian who recently was freed from jail; they beat me for six months and asked me “who was Sarvar”, after being beaten for six months I just realized they meant “Server.”

A joke or real tale, it is the reflection of how Iranians think of their regime and the intellect of its actors. My comment above is that we cannot wrap our brains around their insanity and try to make sense of their daily nonsense.

[Cecil]

@ Kevin,

As to your question...

"How does the regime send that message of intimidation by blaming the U.S. and Israel for the attack? Doesn’t that accusation at least seriously dilute, if not entirely confuse, the message? To create intimidation, doesn’t the regime have to take some responsibility for the attack? Otherwise, what is the message? “If you academics support the Greens or Israel too much, then the U.S. and Israel will blow you up?” Or, maybe “If you are against the regime too much, then MKO will blow you up?” These messages make no sense."

Don be befuddled or confused. Everything this regime does is plain stupidity. Do you think they have that same intellect that you have when you raised this question? They dont even know what will be the consequences of their actions. They just do whatever pops up on their minds. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! A regime of stupids. Iranians, please get rid of this stupids. Your life will be absolutely free and absolutely beautiful without this criminals.

I just have some discussions here in north america with my Iranian friend. This is what he says:

"You know what? What happens in Iran is everything is not in order. The basijis, pasdarans that should be in the barracks or camps are in universities spying who are against the regime. The students who supposed to be in the university, are in jail or killed. The criminals who are supposed to be in jail, are now holding high ranking positions in the government and military. The intellectuals, academics and scientist who are supposed to be serving the government and the people are either sent to jail, go abroad or killed. The mullahs who are supposed to be in the mosque and the spiritual guidance of the people are in the government enriching themselves. And so on and so forth..."

I think he has a point why this problem is happening now in Iran.

[Megan]

A bright future in hell, indeed.

[Roe Lassie]

That video is nothing short of amazing. Have to say that I thought the interviewers looked distinctly uncomfortable!

[Bozorg]

Samuel,

How can you accuse anyone of conspiracy-mongering when all you see are Zionist-MKO hybrid zombies behind everything? Hypocrite.

[Roe Lassie]

Scott,

Your 2200 suggestion is the funniest thing.

Good discovery:-)

[florence achard]

Arshama,

"Finally they showed up! The Secular Greens are there :-)
http://www.seculargreens.com/"

I hope they'll grow and thrive! :-)
(I wish I could read Farsi)