The Latest from Iran (1 March): In Like a Lion?

2135 GMT: Rumour of Day. Kalameh alleges that prisoners held in cellblock 209 of Evin Prison have been commanded to fill in forms about their views on election fraud and whether the protest leaders are connected to foreign countries.

2100 GMT: Dr Mohammad Maleki, the former head of Tehran University, has reportedly been released after 191  days in detention. Maleki, 76, suffers from prostate cancer.

Iran: Understanding the Assembly of Experts Statement “Crisis Continues”
Iran Document: Mousavi’s Interview “Reform Within the Current Framework” (27 February)
The Latest from Iran (28 February): What Do The Statements Mean?

2055 GMT: United4Iran has a profile of Jahanbakhsh Khanjani, former advisor to Iran’s Minister of Interior in the Khatami Presidency, who was released on 24 February after spending more than eight months in prison. According to another released prisoner, Khanjani was under pressure to confess and was constantly moved from general confinement to solidarity confinement.


2030 GMT: 2nd Picture of the Day (see 1540 GMT). The staff of Etemaad newspaper just after its suspension (1455 GMT) by Iranian authorities: "Victory".



1935 GMT: Faoud Sadeghi, the managing director of Ayande News, has reportedly been released.

Journalist Mahsa Jazini has been freed on $100,000 bail in Isfehan.

1930 GMT: Khatami Stands Firm. Back from an academic break to find a statement from former President Mohammad Khatami, responding to the Supreme Leader's declaration that opposition figures had put themselves beyond the Iranian system with their post-election challenge. He said in a meeting with students:

It is easy to create tensions in the world, but difficult to eliminate them. Detente requires courage and finesse, and the system has to take steps to that effect. We should not embark on adventurism in the world under pretext of having won so many enemies. We should hold back from speaking in a manner to inflict heavy costs....

Everyone may have had his own interpretation of reforms, but we mean reforms within the framework of criteria born out of Islam, the revolution and the nation's will. In the face of any possible deviation from Islam and Imam Khomeini's line, we have to give warning....

Go and ask the former revolutionary militants if the ongoing conditions reflect what they were after. Ask them if these arrests, blame games, vendettas and the imposition of costs on the nation were what the revolutionary forces sought. If not, our conscience necessitates that we close ranks in order to improve conditions....

We should not retreat from our demands, and we should keep fighting even if certain groups beat us on the head. Unfortunately, certain hard-line groups in the society are opposed to any compromise within the society.

1615 GMT: Really. Not-Very-Much-News. Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has denied, amidst the fuss over the International Atomic Energy Agency report on Tehran's nuclear programme, that there is any problem:

The new chief and the new managers of the agency should look at the record of Iran's cooperation. We have fully cooperated with the agency. This cooperation will continue. We have always welcomed and encouraged negotiations and talks.

1555 GMT: Rigi Mystery. This story isn't over....

Kyrgyzstan’s foreign ministry has issued a statement saying that Iran has officially apologised for forcing a Kyrgyz plane to land in Iran. More significantly, the foreign ministry has denied that any passengers were taken off the plane, including Jundullah leader Abdolmalek Rigi, by the Iranians: “According to information available to this ministry, media reports that s two foreigners were arrested in this fight are untrue."

Now, is Kyrgyzstan making the denial to save face and cover up that Rigi was lifted from one of its flights? Or is it the case that the Jundullah leader was never on that plane?

1540 GMT: Picture of the Day. Abdolreza Tajik after his release from prison (see 0945 GMT):



1520 GMT: A Most Symbolic Visit. Seyyed Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini, has visited Ali Karroubi, the son of Mehdi Karroubi who was beaten on 22 Bahman.

1515 GMT: Cutting off Business. Caterpillar, the US building equipment group, has announced steps to sever trading links with Iran. The company is barring its non-US subsidiaries from accepting orders for products that they know are destined for delivery to Iran.

1510 GMT: Not-Very-Much-News (from the Other Side). Press TV gives the Iran version:

Iran has called on the UN nuclear watchdog to bear in mind the West's past breaches of atomic fuel exchange deals with Tehran while reviewing Iran's nuclear program.

In a letter to the UN body, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), cited three instances on which Western countries failed to meet their commitments and provide Iran with nuclear fuel.

In other words, Tehran will hold out against a "3rd-party enrichment" deal involving Germany, US, or French authorities because they cannot be trusted.

But (and excuse me for being repetitive)...no mention of Japan as unreliable.

1505 GMT: Stopping the Protests. Rah-e-Sabz claims that 20,000 people were detained during the rallies of 22 Bahman (11 February).

1455 GMT: Back to the (Banned) News. Fars reports that Iranian authorities have banned the weekly magazine Iran Dokht, linked with Mehdi Karroubi. Etemaad has also been suspended.

1445 GMT: Not-Very-Much-News (cont.). Nothing --- yes, nothing --- new in the Amano report to the IAEA. It merely restates the long-standing finding, "[The IAEA] continues...to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran, but we cannot confirm that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities."

This, however, will not stop many in the media from declaring that something dramatic has occurred. The lead from the Associated Press: "The chief of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency says he cannot confirm that all of Iran's nuclear activities are peaceful."

Nor will it deflect some from overblown declarations and calls to global conflict. Jamsheed Choksy (apologies that you'll have to pay to get the full polemic) in The Wall Street Journal: "Iran's New World Order --- Its nuclear program is part of a larger plan to radically reduce U.S. power."

1430 GMT: Today's Not-Very-Much-News. Back from an academic break to find the media buzzing over the International Atomic Energy Agency meeting, with a report from new Secretary-General Yukiya Amano. The section on Iran:

I would like to inform you about the current situation concerning Iran’s request to the Agency for assistance in providing fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor, as I receive many questions in this regard.

In June 2009, the Agency received a request from Iran for assistance in obtaining fuel for the research reactor in Tehran, which produces isotopes for medical purposes. In October 2009, at a meeting with the Governments of Iran, France, the Russian Federation and the United States, the Agency made a proposal under which Iranian low enriched uranium (LEU) would be shipped to Russia for further enrichment and then to France for fabrication into fuel. Three of the four countries gave their consent to this proposal.

In a letter to the Agency dated 18 February, 2010, Iran said it continued to wish to buy the necessary nuclear fuel or, if this was not possible, to exchange some of its LEU for reactor fuel from abroad. Iran requested the IAEA to relay its request to potential suppliers and to facilitate the provision of the fuel. The Agency circulated Iran’s letter to Member States as requested.

The arrangement proposed by the Agency in October 2009 remains on the table. I believe it would ensure continued operation of the Tehran Research Reactor and serve as a confidence-building measure. At the same time, I am following up on Iran’s February 18 request, in accordance with the IAEA Statute, and have been in contact with the relevant countries....

Implementation of Safeguards in the Islamic Republic of Iran

You have received my report on Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement and relevant provisions of Security Council Resolutions in the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is longer than previous reports because I wanted my first report to be a stand-alone document. I tried to make it factual, without overdoing the detail.

The Agency continues, under its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with Iran, to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran, but we cannot confirm that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities because Iran has not provided the Agency with the necessary cooperation.

The necessary cooperation includes, among other things, implementation of relevant resolutions of the IAEA Board of Governors and the United Nations Security Council, implementation of the Additional Protocol and of modified Code 3.1, as well as clarification of issues related to possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear programme.

I request Iran to take steps towards the full implementation of its Safeguards Agreement and its other obligations as a matter of high priority.

1200 GMT: Rafsanjani Watch. Faezeh Hashemi, the daughter of Hashemi Rafsanjani, has declared that her father accepts no bargaining on people's rights and that the only way out of the crisis is to follow the suggestions in his Friday Prayer of 17 July. Replying to the question of why Rafsanjani has not taken the podium at Friday Prayers since then, Hashemi said, “His main reason is not to cause harm to innocent people. In his last sermon, security and intelligence forces attacked protesters and arrested some of them.”

Hashemi, indirectly commenting on last week's Assembly of Experts meeting that Rafsanjani chaired, warned that extremists were trying to unseat Rafsanjani to achieve their goals.

1100 GMT: Claim of the Day. Rah-e Sabz asserts that the head of Iran's judiciary, Sadegh Larijani, has said that the Supreme Leader asked him to execute more protestors.

Larijani was reportedly confronted by his relatives and associates, including Mostafa Mohaghegh-Damad, the former head of the National Audit Office, who were unhappy with the  executions of Arash Rahmanipour and Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani in late January. Larijani replied, “Go and thank God that I have lowered the number of executions.”

Larijani allegedly said that he had attended a meeting at the time  including Khamenei. Ahmad Jannati (head of the Guardian Council), Mohammad Yazdi, and Mohammad Momen Qomi all invoked of the Sharia law demanding that the protesters and the "leaders of sedition" be executed.

Khamenei responded that, although this was their religious opinion, a large number of executions would cause political problems for the regime. He then turned to Larijani saying, “In all honesty we expected more than this [two executions].” Larijani later told associates, “I have tried very hard to keep the number of executions low, as my superiors had asked for more”.

1045 GMT: Following Up the Assembly. The political moves from last week's Assembly of Experts meeting continue, even beyond Mr Verde's Sunday analysis. While the official statement --- once it finally appeared --- pledged loyalty to the Supreme Leader, there has been an overlooked postscript.

The Secretariat of the Assembly has published the report by the Assembly’s Investigation Committee into the circumstances of the Supreme Leader and his fitness to remain in the post, under Article 111 of the Iranian Constitution). The report, dated 27 February, is signed by Mohsen Mojtahed-Shabestari (Assembly member, Khamenei's representative to East Azerbaijan, and Tabriz's Friday Prayer leader.

Although the report is similar to the Assembly's closing statement, the Green website Rah-e-Sabz is celebrating the publication of this report as a victory for public pressure on the Assembly. For the first time, the Supreme Leader's fitness for his post is now a matter of public discussion.

1000 GMT: But You Could Just Watch the Nukes Instead. On the nuclear programme front, it looks like another day of media focus on the rhetorical battle between Iran and members of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The IAEA, with a new Director-General, begins a four-day discussion of the draft report on Iran's current uranium enrichment efforts, and the occasion has been preceded by a series of Iranian verbals attacks, including the Supreme Leader's denunciation of a US-controlled IAEA.

The Los Angeles Times, for example, devotes a lengthy article to the political theatre: "[Iran has] dramatically shifted its public tone toward the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, dropping its previous deference while harshly criticizing the agency's latest report and its new director-general as an incompetent and biased lackey of the West."

Amidst the furour, few take any notice of Iran's more conciliatory position accepting Japan as a country for "third-party enrichment", signalled by Ali Larijani during his trip to Tokyo. And none, to my knowledge, consider the ripples of Larijani's changed position across the Iranian political waters.

0915 GMT: And so unfolds another week in a crisis which, according to the regime, was over. Mir Hossein Mousavi's interview continues to command attention and more than a few questions about strategy and prospects for the Green Movement. After initial doubts, I'm tilting towards a more optimistic reading. Because of the importance of the issue, the analysis is still being developed: we're hoping to have it out tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the regime --- which, again, has supposedly won this conflict --- continues to bluster. Basij Commander Mohammad Reza Naqdi, continuing the Government's propaganda drive on the capture of Jundullah leader Abdolmalek Rigi, declared that President Obama would confess as quickly if he came to Iran:

This pure form of Islam [practiced in Iran] is such that it will even break our staunchest enemies. This thug [Rigi] was nothing, even if Obama himself, who Rigi has confessed to cooperating with, comes to Iran he will also confess to all his sins under the influence of this [pure form of] Islam.

The U.S. and other Western countries have reached a cultural, military, political and economic dead-end and the only weapon in their hands to bully other countries is technology and if we succeed in prying this tool away from them they will be finished.

Far more significant is the news of the regime's freeing of high-profile figures from detention. Saturday and Sunday releases included editors and journalists Ali Hekmat, Abdolreza Tajik (Farheekhtegan), Mashallah Shamsolvaezin (formerly of Kayhan, Jame'eh, Neshat, and Asr-e Azadegan), Behrang Tonkaboni (Farhang va Ahang), and Mohammad Javad Mozafar (publishing house Kavir and vice president of the Committee for the Defense of Prisoners' Rights), and retired science professor Mohammad Sadeq Rabani.

An Iranian activist adds that journalist Rozbeh Karimi was released today and 20 protesters arrested on Ashura were freed from Rejaie Shahr prison in Karaj last night.

It is too early to tell if this is an orchestrated strategy of mass releases by the regime --- an effective "amnesty" if those freed will just shut up, stop writing, and stay off the streets --- but it follows Sunday's carrot-and-stick statement by Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Doulatabadi (see yesterday's updates). Doulatabadi promises detainee releases on the eve of Iranian New Year but added that those who did not recent would be treated harshly.

The "stick" part of the strategy also has come out in a Rah-e-Sabz report:

Many of those arrested and released over the past few months have been contacted and told to be prepared for interviews, which are subsequently conducted inside Evin Prison....

Interrogators contacted these former prisoners, who have either received their initial verdict or are waiting to receive their verdict, and force them to participate in these interviews. A transcript of the interview is given to the prisoners by their interrogators and they are told to memorize the content and say it in their own words. These former prisoners have been threatened that if they refuse to participate in the interviews they will have to spend the [Iranian] New Year holiday in prison or receive a heavier sentence.

The Jaras [Rah-e-Sabz] reporter said, "Transcripts of these interviews are given to news agencies close to the Reformists and they are forced to publish them. In the recent scenario, aside from the Islamic Student News Agency (ISNA), where prisoners were escorted to upon their release to conduct interviews, Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) has been forced on board [as well]. For the news scenario, the date of the interview is sometimes days or months from the time of the prisoner's release and secondly the exact transcription has been forced on news agencies."

Still, even if the Green Movement could be quelled, the Government faces the trouble within. The latest sign of unhappiness is over the recent 18-minute video, shown on BBC Persian and then spread on YouTube, of the 15 June attack on Tehran University's dormitories. Kazem Jalali, a member of Parliament's "truth-finding committee", has hinted that some colleagues are holding out against an acknowledgement of possible wrongdoing:

It would be better if the members of the truth-finding committee all watch this film....I have followed up on the issue a few time via Mr. [Mohammad-Hassan] Abutorabi who heads the committee. I think you should also ask him this question.

However, the head of the National Security Commission, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, has tried to pre-empt any consideration of the evidence of damage, beatings, and even killings by the attackers, whose exact affiliation with the regime is still unclear: "Since the narrator of the film is the BBC, we must look at the matter with doubt because we do not consider the BBC a reliable source."

Comments

[gunni]

Dear Catherine,

Thank you for putting this on EA – I know that Mrs. Ali is normally going much more into the issue – maybe it depends on the interviewer.
“Islam has a political dimension. It has a social dimension, for instance, women's position. It also has a religious dimension. We are not having a discussion about praying five times a day, fasting at Ramadan, et cetera. But we are having a discussion about basic human values……”
When Barry searched after the “pure” Islam – I thought that Mrs. Ali is the right one to unveil the connection between human rights and Islam.
Looking for the “pure” Islam is an interesting historical question with scientific dimensions – but the comparison of human values and Islam give us answers – which make us able to judge and able to act.
And there is another profound matter we have to see. If all the “Samuels” in the world
(it happened last night) are providing us to read “Shakespeare” and “Cervantes” we have to be careful – better is to count the pages and the paragraphs of the books of the Iranian library to make sure that we are reading the original form and not a “special” updated version.

Because some years before the companion of Mrs. Ali was assassinated there was a well known writer – the name of his book: the “Satanic Verses”. The title is connected to a more or less scientific “rumour” that the 53. Sure was changed after the Koran was written. In the original form there were 3 “ Gods “labelled - “ Al-Lat, Uzza and Manat” – a clear violation to Monotheism.
I like Barry – he is a smart guy – but that shows how difficult his search
for the pure Islam it is.
But for now that’s not the point – after a headed contestation the Japanese translator was assassinated, the Italian translator heavily injured, the Norwegian publisher escaped in the very last moment and a Hotel during a cultural festival in Turkey was burnt down with a result of 35 deaths.
And that’s the problem with political Islam – there is no doubt that outside the country the Iranian regime is doing the same like inside: They are holding tight the “pure “Islam – and as Cyrus wrote – nobody knows what it is – but they kill and torture even before you can ask a question.

[Cecil]

@Samuel

"Disagreeing is not the problem. However when you try to overthrow the system that is a different story."

Just a few days right after the election, people come out on the street asking "where is my vote?" because they disagree with the result of the election. They are not trying to "overthrow the system" but the govt response was so brutal no one can imagine. More than 70 protesters had been killed, thousands had been arrested, several died under torture and raped in prisons. The govt itself shows its true color but you are still blind enough not to recognize which one is black and which one is white.

[ashpazi]

Alot of the comments are concenred at Rezvan,Samuel et al. Folks do not worry-hte country -even witht he pirce of oil at $70 plus per barrel-is getting closer to bankruptcy, and unlike zimbabwe the demogrpahics is young and highly educated. Many in the urban centers-and they are the majority of the population do not want this corrupt, chaotic, cynical regime. Its only a matter of time before the shit hits the fan khamnei and the bassij-they cannot rely on their stock pile of 1980's n.korean/chinese arms to hold them afloat. Remember the picture on htis site of the irsnisn msde naval vessel-what a joke it looked lie it had been cooked up in some mid western garage over a couple months wiht balsa wood and electronics 101 as a manual. Folks the gasme is over-its only a question of when-1 year or 2 years max.

[ange paris]

If it was only a problem between people and regime, I would agree with ashpazi and it would end in 1 or 2 years max, but there are lots of other elements in the game :
-almost all the countries in the world and the close neighbors of Iran are against this regime
-because of its important geopolitic situation in the Middle East,
So I think it would end sooner than what we can imagine. there is nothing as resemblance and similarity with Zimbabwe !

[Cyrus]

@Cecil
it's actually the opposite, when people first started to protest the vote results, it wasn't all out of anger that they were mad at the election results, it was the frustration of 30 years of oppression and the election results gave them a very good excuse to come out and unite against the brutal dictatorship.

Do you understand that 50% of the population are women with no rights as human beings? Do you understand that the majority of the Muslim population doesn't practice Islam at all. The young Iranians have secret lifestyles very similar to the western lifestyle and it's nothing new, many of the ones who overthrew Shah 30 years ago, saw Khomeini as a leader to give them free oil, cash payments from oil revenue and bring political freedom. People didn't support Khomeini to replace the Shah's government without political freedom with the worst form of dictatorship that not only their political rights, but also all their other freedom & rights available under the former regime are taken away. (watch video, women protesting hijab enforcement by Khomeini in 1979: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU-Dy53nCNU ) only a small percentage of women in Iran used to wear hijab during the Shah, now a 7 years old girl is forced to be tortured on daily bases wearing the nasty hijab.

My answer to @cecil is that the majority of people do want to overthrow the system, but yet there is a lack of alternative leadership.

Were is my vote is a symbolic demand, but the real demand of the nation is "Iranian Republic" can you tell me how many times you've heard Were Is My Vote slogans in latest protests including the Ashura?

When you take out the Islamic from Islamic Republic, then you have a different system.
That doesn't mean that a regime change has to be a violent one, that is up to the IRGC & Basij members to decide if they want to remain the enemy of the nation & go to war w/them or join the people and secure their own future (read my warning: http://www.photoblog.com/newworldorder/2009/10/10/ )

@Samuel

A republic is a from of government that is the rule of people over the people, not a bunch of thieves and self-interested individuals (mafia) over the whole nation. Take out the name of REPUBLIC from your SEMI-ISLAMIC government and then be proud of your Basiji (Khayeh-mal as we used to call it) state.

I'm warning you guys, people are countless, the sooner this regime goes away, the more peaceful the outcomes will be. anger among the people is growing & when the anger bubble is bust, it'll blow all of you with it. don't let the angry nation hunt you people down and tear you apart
as a matter of fact, many of the Iranians don't want to be considered Muslims anymore and you can't change a person's way of thinking by use of force and oppression, they'll react the opposite.

The demand of the people will not be satisfied by reform and that's the only reason the regime is trying very hard to avoid any reform, because then all regime supporters (including the reformists) will become conservatives & anyone else revolutionaries!!

Both the reformists and conservatives are trying to save the system their own ways and neither one really cares about the people.

[Cyrus]

people of Iran have no reasons to support the Islamic Republic and all the means to overthrow the system, they all know that system is not reformable. I hear to tens of phone calls on Persian political media from Iran a day, no one believes in reform of the system anymore and the ones who claim, have personal interest in the system and trying to change the public opinion.

A national government and public employees strike (specially the oil industry workers) could peacefully finish the system.

[Hossein]

No one supports the Basij paid petty fascists, and everyone knows of their barbaric conduct and how they have tortured thousands some to death. Iran will get rid of these thugs soon.

[pessimist]

ashpazi

thanks for the chuckle about the warship. Just seeing a supreme islamist leader on a warship is a highly symbolic image. "Peace 'n Love" as we say.

I hope you are right. As for the 'samuels et al', we need the mirrors, to know how the more educated regime defenders think and their latest spin on events. At least they speak english, whether they are personal or professional they are useful, at least for non persian speakers. I wouldn't mind having some new ones, for a change. It goes to show that the IR huge budget for internet propaganda purposes hasn't come to EA yet. I wonder why.

BTW, I'm wondering if Samuel (like regime ?) isn't suffering from suicidal tendencies as he keeps wanting all the greens to emigrate, to leave a 'pure' system in place, but bereft of any brains. That's what happened to Zimbabwe.

We can see however much more violent comments on other medias like Youtube or Press TV when the defenders of the regime express their thoughts, that are equivalent to the scenes of barbarity on the streets and the stories of released prisoners. That is more worrying.

@Cyrus and Hossein

You sound so positive, but it's so difficult for us to know this, there are so few who are sending out these things, from the people, as you say. (that we can understand). The idea of a satelite TV for opposition if it was also in english would be great, but will the regime not arrest all those who speak ? What about that radio conversation and the phone call ? I guess that if you are right, we'll just have to wait and see, and observe and try to analyse, what EA (and many others) is doing everyday, and is so precious.

[pessimist]

re: subject of 'purity'

I would think that this is a purely subjective and internal notion, and doesn't exist in 'real terms'.

Historically, all religions/sects were no doubt basically a way to control the population, through ignorance, fear, hope and superstition to keep them united.

What they all have done is get the children, whose brains are developing. This is why I am so adament about childrens' rights not to be indoctrinated. And this is still such a danger today with allowing religious schools and in Iran, the basij in schools. I know, I was also indoctrinated as a child and suffered the consequences.

The christians use baptism to 'possess' the child for life, and in Islam they are born into it for life. After that, there are quite a few differences, to keep the faithful in line, for instance, the christians only had to go to weekly church services, but the muslims must pray 5 times a day ! And, it depends on the number of rules that govern daily lives. Food, rituals, clothes, marriage .. I don't know who has/had the most rules, jews, muslims, christians or buddhist. (whose monks have hundreds of rules) ?

So in terms of 'purity', one criteria could be that it is the sect that has the most overwhelming influence over peoples' lives, who are then rewarded by being called 'pious', 'devoted', etc. They consider themselves as having the most pure version of their religion because their members are the most 'faithful'.

There are no doubt thousands of other claims to purity according to historical changes and interpretations of the surviving documents. I know far less about Islam and Judaism but for christians, the catholics consider themselves as the 'original' church , but the protestants consider the catholics as having corrupted the real teachings, etc, etc.

God, when will it ever end ?

[Cyrus]

@pessimist
As I said, there is no such thing as pure Islam.
pure means unmixed with other matter. How can you use the religious rules and laws made to control the nomadic barbaric desert living Arabs 1400 years ago as the backbone of a 21st century constitution and expect anything better than Islamic Republic or Taliban?
Anything needs upgrade, including religion. Can you tell me where in bible or Koran things such as porn, drug addiction, cyber crime and such explained??
and if the man made Velayate Faqih is a form of pure Islam these idiots are talking about, how come Khamenei & Khomenin were elected by lies and bullshitting people while all the Grand Ayataollahs who are according to these guys' belief the ones to specify the religion deny Khamenei, Velayate Faqih and the Islamic Republic all together as being legitimate?

Rafsanjani chose supreme leader in 1989 (with subtitles) minute 1:45
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq2-_eGlshI&feature=PlayList&p=96B244F5C3D196CB&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=17

and also Rafsanjani was the one who transformed the IRGC into the mafia it is now

Imagine that the prophet Mohamad himself had over 1,000 wives and many of his wives were 9 years old girls that his soldiers captured (kidnapped) from the countries they concurred, if he was alive today, he would'd been the world's #1 pedophile, kidnapper and rapist. and if he wasn't the pure Islam, so ther has never been any such thing as pure Islam!!!

[gunni]

"Anything needs an upgrade, including religion"

Cyrus - you hit the nail on the head. Maybe there are some exceptions - for instance the "Inteligent services" of IRGC ?

[pessimist]

cyrus,

of course I agree with you, I just made the point that this applies to all religions. Today, most might agree that islam is the most outdated, and the most violent by using their various interpretations of their ancient documents. Our agreements don't unfortunately solve the problems of today's situation, that is literally people tortured and jailed or killed in the name of these outdated religions. People need to understand where these beliefs and legends come from. Education, information are the answer. However much Mousavi and cie, speak in religious terms, I do think that they do get the situation, and try to speak in terms that can reach the most religious of the county. You have to accept pragmatic solutions according to the situation. Even I can see that.

[pessimist]

and just a point (i'm a english language teacher), be careful to use 'everybody' and not 'anybody', it makes a difference.

[pessimist]

sorry, I meant 'everything' instead of 'anything'... a difficult problem for non english indeed

[pessimist]

Just for Catherine, as I've only just read the Amanpour interview, it's exactly what I replied to Samuel, about feelings in France and other european countries. That Tariq Ramadan is always invited on talk shows and is a weasel. It is precisely the political jihadists who are aiming to spread their poison and in some countries they have increased alot. The figures too are very important because why do only half the muslims in france don't feel belonging and so few in Germany ? As one said, because they still live in the ME. They only watch satelite TV of their countries etc..

"90 percent of Muslims in Belgium feel very strong sense of local belonging; 78 percent of Muslims in England feel a sense of belonging to Britain; 49 percent of Muslims in France feel a sense of belonging; and 23 percent who feel German.