A friend of mine swears ‘to God’ that in the past year every single time he has gone to refill his shattering, hungry Golf, he has been asked by strangers for a ‘couple of litres of petrol’. The excuses given to him for this modern way of begging in Iran are fascinating: ‘you have a tiny car; of course you’ll be champ and help a fellow-Tehrani’, ‘just ran out of gas a few yards away and my wife is very close to labour’, ‘this old car is the only source of income, but I exhaust my monthly ration in less than a week’.

 

Petrol is rationed in Iran. That’s right; the country with the 3^rd largest oil reserves in the world has imposed fuel rationing that allows each passenger car 120 litres of petrol each month (recently decreased to 80 litres) at a price tag of 6 pence per litre. Anything above the limit would be purchased at 25 pence per litre. A new report suggests that it costs an average of 45 pence per litre to process crude oil to petrol in Iranian refineries; the figure is double the price that is paid by the country if it imports petrol and, obviously, seven times its retail price.

 

Producing petrol in Iran costs twice as much as importing it, because the country suffers from the shortage of refineries and varying levels of technology used in those plants.

 

The average octane level of produced petrol stands between 80 and 85, with a very limited capacity for grade 95. Low octane petrol is not only a killer of the environment, but also it harms the health of new generation cars – alongside the species that may vary as humans, animals and plants. Moreover, as other additives are used in low octane fuel, the product does not go down well with older vehicles that prefer lead-based petrol.

 

Take the British food rationing at wartime. It worked; it fed people and kept them alive. OK, I agree that it may not have been organic or fair trade, that it may have lacked in taste or texture. But it served the purpose.

 

But fuel rationing in Iran has failed to achieve any outstanding results, Tehran is chocking in fumes, the subsidies paid for energy is mind boggling and the money spent on import of fuel is shocking. And the worst of all, it has triggered the greed factor similar to being prohibited to drink alcohol in the country. What happens is that an exact 87% of 18-year-olds are binge drinkers (the figures of this line are of a ‘made-up’ nature).

 

‘Damn it, if your wife needs medical attention, call an ambulance. If you want to carry passengers for a fare, get a proper taxi rather than using your private car. And open your eyes; there are 12 million other fellow-Tehranis. One can’t service them all, right? Take your lame excuses elsewhere, you hustlers, and don’t try to steal my ration of ‘black gold’!’ my friend keeps muttering.   

 

 

 

 

 

In a few hours from now, President Obama and former Iranian President Khatami may meet. They are both set to attend a dinner this evening in Istanbul where they are taking part in the Alliance of Civilisations summit, Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported. With a degree of optimism, this may be the highest level of Iran-US interaction since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

Mohammad Khatami has a good track record of using international events for networking and making friends. In 2007, he met American Senator John Kerry on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. In the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005, allegations suggested that a handshake was exchanged between the Iranian-born Israeli president Moshe Katsav and Mr. Khatami, alongside a short chat about Yazd, the city both men were born.  

Khatami, who suggested the naming of year 2001 as the year of ‘Dialogue among Civilisations’, was also host to international dignitaries including Kofi Annan in Tehran in October. They attended a two-day conference, ‘Religion and the New World’.  

Even if this happens without any immediate diplomatic implication, the impact will be one to pave the way for future gambits on both sides. We will know by tea time whether to call it a meeting or an ‘alleged meeting’ between the two men in the days to come.



Poll #1378885
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 4

Will Obama and Khatami meet?

 

It took less than two months. Khatami entered the race for upcoming presidential elections, stirred a lot of excitement, and off he left. Prior to nominating himself, Mr. Khatami had announced that either he or Hossein Moossavi will represent the reformists in June. Khatami’s charisma and likelihood to win did not stop him from withdrawing when Moossavi said he’d play.

A quick look at Facebook and Iranian blogs shows how disappointed and disheartened the youth are by Khatami’s decision. Some initiatives are making all their efforts to force him back to race. But others have formed groups such as ‘We love Khatami but vote Moossavi’.
 

Is change vital in Iran? Absolutely. Is it imminent? Hopefully. There is no question that a lot has deteriorated in the reign of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; four painful years of broken promises for Iranians; four years of escalated – and unnecessary – tensions with the outside world; four years of speeding on reverse.

Undoing all the harm Mr. Ahmadinejad and his capable aides have achieved in four years will prove to be a mammoth of costly hard work and it will take a long time. Economic failures alone can ward off any contestants.

And exactly for that reason, I am more relieved than disappointed that Khatami is out. Although the former president did not achieve as much as he or the people wanted – and much of the blame is only on him for not showing enough courage – but still the memories of ’97 to ’05 bring a sweet taste under Iranian tongues. It was a period that people felt things were moving in the right direction, that change was not impossible.
 

But Mehdi Karroubi, former speaker of Majles, said yesterday that he and Moossavi will both stand. His rationale is bringing all sections of the society into play and having more exciting elections. It certainly means that he has not learnt from the 2005 polls, where for the sheer reason of having too many reformist candidates, the result was tragic. Karroubi himself was beaten, but questioned the credibility of vote count.
  

Hossein Moossavi, the man Khatami withdrew in his favour, has two months to speak to the people, to appeal to those who have not heard from him as a politician for nearly 20 years. He has been busy with his painting and running the Iranian Academy of Arts, but now it’s time for him to speak up and say what he means by his version of reform. And maybe there’ll be a consensus somewhere along the line, one day in the coming exciting two months. We shall see.


Poll #1371638
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 2

Who should represent reformists in the presidential elections in June?

 

 
President Obama talks to the 'people and leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran' in an unprecedented video message, wishing them a happy new year. Is this Norouz going to be a renewal of political climate between Iran and the United States? 



http://www.whitehouse.gov/Nowruz/

  

First a confession: I travelled for the first time ever up to Scotland yesterday. The trip had a number of good surprises that began to unfold since the very early start. At 6:47 am, 38,000 feet above ground, the easyJet captain announced that Edinburgh is chilly but we can all expect a ‘pleasant’ day. He was right. Descending, I could see the serious frost and at the same time feel very lucky by seeing an even more serious sunshine.

 

The rest of my day, which was – very unfortunately – mostly spent on trains and buses and cabs, all went all right. But let me cut it short and get to what I discovered back in Edinburgh, before going to the airport.

 

As one does, I looked for the Royal Mile to spend the couple of hours I had in my hands and find something to eat. By the time I reached the castle, strategically situated on top the hill, even my poor hat was shivering. The wind in that city is piercing.

 

Going down the hill and being fussy over a few menus at the entrance of restaurants – and thanks to a sense of adventure – I took one of the wynds down and was about to feel very disappointed when I found myself across from the Waverly Station. But chance had something in the bag for me.

 

When I passed a hostel bar, I saw the sign ‘The Doric’, complemented by another, saying ‘Bistro Upstairs’. On the top floor, the environment was cosy and warm but only one table was occupied. It could be enough alarm to force me leave any eatery, but thanks to hunger, a limited time in hand, and certainly a warm ‘Can I help you?’ I asked for a table for one.

 

When I asked for the specialty pint, I was offered Edinburgh’s blonde, the EPA (Edinburgh Pale Ale). Very good start. Then came my starter, Pan Seared King Scallops, straight from the isle of Islay and with garlic and parsley butter. Oh boy, it was delicious! Let me put it this way: it was the best scallops I’ve ever tasted.   

 

While waiting for my main course, I fancied a second drink. Innis & Gunn was the suggestion, and how pleased I was to have accepted it. A bottled beer that tasted like whiskey with a hint of honey.

 

Spaghetti Aglio E Olio with added crayfish tails, tossed in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, parsley, spinach and chilli was a delight with a bang. It was fresh and yummy and very well cooked. When I saw the dish and the side bruschetta, I realised I’d overdone my ordering. But do I regret it? Far from it. It was all beautiful tasting and well presented.

 

Thanks to Ash for her advice on drinks. Ask for her or for other friendly staff.

 

If I go back to Edinburgh, I’ll make sure to call in again at the city’s oldest gastro pub (claimed by their website).

 

The Doric

15/16 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE

Phone: 01312251084

www.the-doric.com

Barack Obama has already made two grave mistakes. Firstly, he failed to take any sort of responsible stance on the Gaza crisis. And now he has ordered deployment of 17000 more American troops in Afghanistan.

The Obama-Kennedy similarities are crossing the boundaries of comfort; two charismatic democrats who both escalated wars that they had inherited.

But Obama must remind himself how much hope his ‘Change’ promise sparked around the world. If he wants to – at least – change the battered image of the United States on the international stage, he had better think twice.

Iran, particularly, will require an important place in the president’s agenda. So, here we go with some advice:

Leave the weight behind

If you can’t yet come to terms with the hostage crisis, remember that Iran has a lot more cards to play with. The 1953 American-designed coup that deprived Iran of its best chance for democracy, the Iran-Iraq war when Saddam was encouraged and supported financially and militarily by the US, and the shooting down of Iran Air’s passenger Airbus by USS Vincennes are just three examples. You don’t even need a second glance to realise that the consequences of each of those events have been far greater and graver than the hostage issue. Play as if you have a clean, white sheet of A4.

 

Drop the regime change rhetoric

This has been the line of American governments and not only it has always failed, but also the policy is arguably one that could be blamed for much of the Iranian people’s suffering. The more threatened the Iranian government feels, the stronger the clamp down on people’s liberties becomes. Any links to the outside world may be interpreted as espionage, as they were in the case of the Alaei brothers, two internationally acclaimed AIDS doctors who are in jail because they took part in US exchange programmes. Stop threatening, begin engaging.

 

Review the missed opportunities

If not countless, these have recurred regularly over the 30 years of enmity between Iran and America. Madeline Albright went to meet her Iranian counterpart in the UN, but the Iranian foreign minister didn’t show up. Iran helped the American hostages in Lebanon to be freed and George Bush the father didn’t keep his promise. Iran provided vital intelligence that led to the American breakthrough against Taleban, and immediately was labelled as the ‘axis of evil’ by George Bush the son. Shall I carry on?

 

Think of dialogue on common grounds

It feels weird to say this to the first black president of the United States. But the fact is that America treats others as inferior, particularly countries it labels the ‘axis of evil’ or ‘sponsors of terrorism’ or even the ‘third world’. The superpower standing of the United States allows it to behave irresponsibly and disrespectfully and this mostly results in demeaning human dignity.

One of the major precursors to the Islamic Revolution was the capitulation that the Shah of Iran had granted – or been forced to gift wrap – to the Americans. This happened at the same time as American hospitals in Iran were denying Iranian patients; even when they were short staffed and had to employ Iranian nurses, they were treated as animals, not allowed to eat in the canteen or to speak their mother tongue.

 

Show respect to humans

Mr. President, this did not happen a long time ago, but only in the 1970s. I understand that racial discrimination has been long rooted in American way of life, but your election must change some of it. A good novel to read would be Bernardine Evaristo’s Blonde Roots, a reversal of the history of slavery. It’s good for even you to remind yourself that humans are equal.

It was before the first round of UN sanctions over Iran’s nuclear issue that George Bush promised those measures would ‘in no way affect the lives of normal Iranians’. They have. If a normal Iranian wants to send $100 for his daughter who studies psychology in France, the banks will refuse to transfer it. Don’t forget that because of the American embargo no credit card companies such as VISA or Master Card operate in Iran.

The normal Iranian has another serious problem. If the same person’s son lives in California and he wants to pay him a visit, after – if ever – getting his visa from an American consulate somewhere around the world, the normal Iranian will be treated like a criminal in an American airport.

 

No pre-conditions

There’s only one way to get out of this 30-year-old swamp. Trump Iranian government. Like your predecessors, the Iranian leaders cherish having a big enemy; it serves them well on national fronts. It’s always the easiest button to push, resorting to the rhetoric that all problems arise from America.

If there are issues you would like to resolve or actions you want to see Iran engaging in, such as halting its uranium enrichment, your only way forward is to talk to them and convince them. Iranians will never stop it in order only to start a dialogue with the US or benefit from incentives from the west. Pre-conditions never work, neither carrots nor sticks. Engage with Iran. Surprise them. Put them in a position that if they refuse to talk back, they will be seen as the ones who do not want to engage. Do this sincerely for the sake of a better world, not just as a gesture or a neat phrase about clenched fists.



Poll #1354176 Obama's Iran policy
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 3

In his Iran policy, Obama must

 

Well, the British Museum is not paying me for this marketing post. But it is not just marketing. Shah ʿAbbas: The Remaking of Iran is an exhibition to see (19 Feb to 14 Jun 2009, the British Museum). Why not indulge in some exquisite gifts with a Persian hint for the loved ones? I quite like the necklace.

Below is taken from the February shop enewsletter of the museum. Enjoy!  

Look for some great Valentine's Day gift ideas from our unique range. Also this month, be the first to sample some of the wonderful new products from the forthcoming special exhibition,Shah ʿAbbas: The Remaking of Iran. www.britishmuseum.org/shop

Featured products
	Persian love poetry  This beautiful anthology is the perfect way to discover the treasures of Persian literature and art. £9.99 Buy now			Shah ʿAbbas exhibition catalogue  By Exhibition Curator Sheila Canby. The book to accompany this fantastic new exhibition.  £25.00 Buy now

	Scents of time– Cleopatra  Recreating the secret scent of Cleopatra. £ 60.00 Buy now			Sasanian coin cufflink  Hand-made coin cufflinks made exclusively for the British Museum by the Iranian artist Nasser Ovissi.  £40.00 Buy now

	Shah ʿAbbas pearl necklace  Beautiful necklace created using traditional Iranian methods of jewellery craftwork. Finished with a freshwater pearl. Design by Jane Moore. £160.00 Buy now			Shah ʿAbbas pearl earrings  Hand-cast silver earrings with a hand applied enamel inlay. Finished with a freshwater pearl. Design by Jane Moore. £80.00 Buy now

Iran launched its first domestically developed satellite Omid using a home-made rocket, Safir 2, on Monday. The package, Ambassador of Hope, endorsed Iran as a member of the elite Space Club, only the second in the Middle East after Israel. Iran is celebrating the 30^th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. 

 

Iran Space Agency, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, was born in 2003. In 2005, Russians sent Iran’s first satellite to space. The debut launch was overshadowed by President Ahmadinejad’s remarks, saying that ‘Israel must be wiped off the map’.

 

Iran’s missile development began during its war with Iraq in 1980s. Shahab 1 had a range of 200 miles, Shahab 2 of up to 300 miles, and their recent, more sophisticated and powerful successor, Shahab 3, is believed to reach targets as far as 1300 miles.

 

Putting the two together and mixing them with Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the roots of western concerns become obvious. Iran insists that its attempts to enrich uranium is purely for peaceful, civilian power generation and believes it has an ‘unalienable right’ to nuclear energy as a signatory of the United Nation’s Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

 

A White House spokesman voiced discomfort, remarking that ‘efforts to develop missile delivery capability, efforts that continue on an illicit nuclear program, or threats that Iran makes toward Israel, and its sponsorship of terror are of acute concern to this administration.’

 

France also condemned Iran over its ‘ballistic capabilities’ which could be interpreted as aiming for intercontinental nuclear weapons, while Israel urged the international community to adopt a tougher line of sanctions against the country.

 

But Iran says Omid, which goes round the orbit 15 times a day, is developed for research purposes, hoping to be used in telecommunications and crisis forecast. The significance does not only lie in acquiring the know-how by Iranians, but in its sheer symbolism.

 

Iran is surrounded by nuclear powers: Russia, India, Pakistan, and Israel. It is plausible that by revealing what it can do, Iran is trying to build up a powerful image. It is true that in modern history it has never been an aggressor, but with a 30-year-old bag full of American and Israeli threats, Iran  feels it is but vital to show it would retaliate if need arises.

 

On a national front, the timing will be a booster for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the upcoming presidential elections in June, another attempt to make up for his failures on the economy department.

 

But it would be foolish to assume this is only Ahmadinejad’s game. Policies of such importance are believed to be dictated from the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. After all, an Ayatollah founded the Islamic Republic and his successor has the final word.



Poll #1344698 Hope
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 4

It is ... for Iran to have satellite launching capability.

 

Mohammad Khatami, Iran’s previous moderate president finally announced that he would be the reform front’s candidate in the upcoming Presidential elections in June if Hossein Moossavi does not stand. Mr. Moossavi was prime minister during the Iran-Iraq war in the ‘80s and has been a favourite to represent reformists.
 

‘If Mr. Moossavi doesn’t come for any reason,’ said Mohammad Khatami yesterday, ‘I will run regardless of the problems I’m aware of.’

In a rare attack on the present government, Mr. Khatami unreservedly said last week that the country must be put on fast rewind to go back four years. He drew a picture of the economic, political and social situation and emphasised that the unbelievably high income from oil over the past three years has not been put to good use.

Another surprising move by the former president was his visit to Shahr Theatre, Tehran’s major drama venue, to see Rhinoceros. Eugène Ionesco’s post-WW2 play is often categorised as ‘Absurd’. The French play was a response to the surge in Nazism, Fascism, and Communism in the pre-war world. In the play, a small town’s people begin turning into rhinos and it is only the protagonist, constantly-drinking Bérenger, who retains his human self.

It may be useful to remember that Khatami did not achieve nearly as much as he promised in creating his ‘civil society’, blaming the mysterious hierarchy of power in the country. The Supreme Leader, the Guardian Council, the Expediency Council and the Revolutionary Guards are just the tip of the Iranian political iceberg. It is not difficult to get lost in this daunting maze.

The reformists who have requested Mr. Khatami not to enter the race are only too aware of this background. On the other hand, a large number belonging to the same political leaning have insisted that Khatami has the only realistic chance of victory. Moreover, they too believe in the necessary and urgent need for fixing the affairs of the country in both the national and international arenas.

Hossein Moossavi ran a war-fighting Iran on an annual budget of $5billion. From oil sales alone Iran has netted over $80billion last year, which is in no way comparable. When he was in office as Prime Minister, his line manager was then President Ali Khamenei, who was later promoted to be the Supreme Leader after the death of Ayatollah Khomeini.

There are two drawbacks for Hossein Moossavi. During the war, he and Mr. Khamenei did not always agree. It has been proved that any president without the backing of the Supreme Leader has a much smaller chance of success; former President Khatami is a good example. Nevertheless, Moossavi’s partly self-inflicted seclusion from politics for 20 years may not look great in his resume. For the past few years all he has done is to run the Iranian Academy of Arts.

Mr. Khatami’s innocent theatre visit may provoke symbolic interpretations. Still, who will lead the ship of reform in the upcoming summer elections remains a mystery until Khatami and Moossavi officially announce their decision. However, analysts believe that yesterday’s announcement shows that the reformists have not succeeded in convincing Mr. Moossavi.

That decision will be watched in west as much as inside Iran. It may not only define the new roadmap for Iranian life, but it will also – at least vaguely – govern what Barack Obama can expect when he sets out his Iran policy. After all, it was after Mohammad Khatami’s idea that 2001 was named the year of ‘Dialogue among Civilisations’ and it was him who suggested a ‘grand bargain’ to the American government in 2003.

Will the Iranian fist be unclenched?

 

Poll #1342774 Reformist Candidate
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 2

Who would be the best candidate for reformists?

<input ... > 

The Iranian Parliament gave a green light to changing the 70-year-old legislation on women’s inheritance rights.

The Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, reported that the old law will be amended so that in the case of death of a husband, his wife will be entitled to up to a quarter of his properties and possessions. If the couple had children, the share would be as little as one eighth.

In the previous version, women only inherited from the possessions. In other words, it was only a share of the goods and chattels and not the property, fixtures and fittings, that a wife would inherit.

The legislation was put forward last December, but lawmakers found it ambiguous and sent it back to the Legal and Judicial Committee of the Parliament. The committee members then asked the opinion of Ayatollah Khamenei, the Iranian Supreme Leader, who has the last say. Mr. Khamenei issued a fatwa, a religious decree, confirming that a woman inherits from her husband both properties and possessions. 

Any legislation needs the approval of the Guardian Council, half of whose members are directly chosen by the Supreme Leader. They vetoed the same legislation when it was put forward a few years back, calling it non-compliant with the sharia law.

Analysts believe that even if the Councillors do not agree with the new inheritance law, they will pass it this time as it has the backing of a fatwa. Another raison d'être for this would be the increasing international pressure, as well as interior demands, to make laws equal for men and women.

Blood money that is payable to the family of someone who is killed as a result of manslaughter or an accident has also varied between the sexes; a man is worth two women in financial terms. This was addressed last summer when a law was passed, obliging insurance companies to make equal payments for men and women casualties.
 

Iranian women have been pursuing their rights with more confidence over the past few years. They already make up over 60 percent of university students. However, there are still many issues that are in contention. Child custody after divorce remains with the father although women are sometimes able to find ways around this. The new law is just one tiny step forward.

 

 Poll #xxxx Women’s Rights

Poll #1341525 Women’s Rights
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 0

What is the first priority for women in Iran?

After six months of detention and interrogation, Tehran’s Revolutionary Court convicted Alaei brothers for what has been called ‘designing a velvet revolution to overthrow the Iranian regime’, BBC reported.
 

Arash Alaei will be jailed for 6 years, while his brother Kamyar will spend 3 years in the famous Evin Prison in Tehran, although they have denied all allegations.
 

Arash and Kamyar Alaei are world-renowned HIV / AIDS physicians who have been active for over 20 years to introduce and provide treatment and prevention measures. They have carried out several projects and, since 1998, they have focused on harm reduction programmes for injecting drug addicts.
 

They have also trained Tajik and Afghan doctors as a part of their attempts to encourage regional cooperation in countering HIV / AIDS. According to Human Rights Watch ‘their efforts expanded the expertise of doctors in the region, advanced the progress of medical science, and earned Iran recognition as a model of best practice by the World Health Organization.’
 

Masoud Shafaei, lawyer to the Alaei brothers, told BBC Persian that the verdict was given to him on 20 January 2009 and added that he ‘will appeal for the defendants in due course’.
 

Alaei brothers were detained in June 2008 after allegations that they held conferences to recruit volunteers who would later be mobilised abroad to be trained in conducting a ‘velvet revolution’.
 

An Iranian counter-intelligence official said in a press conference on Monday that the confessions of the members of a network ‘designing a velvet revolution’ would be soon broadcast on the state television.
 

For a long period, the largest share of HIV / AIDS spread in Iran was blamed on injecting addicts. However, the Iranian Health Minister last month announced that ‘dangerous sexual behaviour’ has become a major worry in spreading the fatal disease.
 

Official figures in Iran suggest that about 18000 patients carry the virus, a number that is thought to be only the tip of an iceberg. The Ministry of Health publishes these statistics every three months and in their latest they have highlighted that most of the infected belong to the age range of 25 to 34, while over 93 per cent of them are men.
 

Sexual education is still a taboo in Iran before university. The officials are worried that a conservative portion of the society would be offended if any mention of sexuality is displayed in media. There are no adverts for condoms and any trace of cleavage or bare skin is censored from films.
 

The European Union called on Iran in August to release the Alaei brothers. Earlier in June, Physicians for Human Rights sent a letter to the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and asked him to free the two doctors. On January 13, the Human Rights Watch called on Iran to ‘acquit HIV / AIDS doctors prosecuted in unfair trial’.


Petition to the Government of Iran on Behalf of Doctors Kamiar Alaei and Arash Alaei



Poll #1337299 Detention
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 2

How long should governments be allowed to keep detainees?

 [A petrol station guarded by the police after a dozen were burnt in June 2007. Photo by AP.]

It seems that the days of buying petrol for a surreal price of 6p per litre are coming to an end in Iran. Many have seen that coming since the government of President Ahmadinejad introduced fuel rationing in June 2007. Analysts expected at the time that fuel rationing to about 100 litres per private vehicle per month would only be a short term tranquiliser for the ailing oil ministry. They also added that it was just a first step in increasing fuel prices to somewhere near their international value.

 

Such comments and long queues to refuel actually fuelled some unrest resulting in several petrol stations being burnt down by angry protesters when the rationing was introduced.  

 

 

( Read more... )

After nearly two years of military rule, Bangladesh held its parliamentary elections on 30 December and two former prime ministers fought for control over 300 seats. In a landslide victory the Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, grabbed 230 seats while Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) could only secure 29.

There were deep worries that the loser of the election would take it badly and encourage their supporters to come out to streets and protest. But thanks to the national and international monitors’ comments on the election’s credibility, BNP are not only hoping that Khaleda Zia will be invited to a meeting to discuss cooperation with the new PM, but surprisingly said, ‘We want to give the Awami League party the opportunity to run the country. We want to see them keep their promises to the people.’

( Read more... )

In her Christmas speech, the Queen manoeuvred around the economic crisis and the feeling of insecurity that it has brought. She also praised people who’d rather give than receive and serve rather than be served. When she talked about the Prince of Wales, whilst the BBC kindly portrayed a cuddly baby in some interesting outfit, it felt like HM was paving the way for her retirement in a temperate island. My British friends frowned at me for this ‘utterly silly thought’.

 

But this year’s alternative Christmas message on Channel 4 hosted ‘the leader of one of the most powerful states in the Middle East’, according to Dorothy Byrne, Channel 4 head of news and current affairs. She explained that ‘President Ahmadinejad's views are enormously influential’. Even before being broadcast, the ‘message of seasonal goodwill’ caused offence. Among the critics were a Foreign Office spokeswoman, MPs, diplomats and human rights activists.  

 

However, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad talked of ‘demand for change’ around the globe and the importance of responding to these needs in a ‘real and true’ way. In his stereotypical prophetic tone, the Iranian President blamed the present crises on straying far from ‘human values’ and the teaching of the prophets, on following Satan and forgetting God and his prophets.

 

In parallel to world problems, Mr. Ahmadinejad talked of a wave of hope which is on the rise; hope for the future, for righteous governments, justice and for real peace. He assured his audience that Jesus Christ will come with one of the children of Mohammad and will change the world to utopia.

 

Unlike his past controversial comments on a whole array of issues, the Iranian President was well scrubbed and attempted to cause minimum offence to the westerners watching him. Although one could say his understanding of Christianity was perhaps rather misguided, he tried to focus on common ground and to avoid talking of its differences with Islam.

 

This year sees the 16^th alternative Christmas message and this one was aired in Farsi with English subtitles. Previous guests included an injured veteran from the war in Afghanistan, Quentin Crisp, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Genelle Guzman, a 9/11 survivor, The Simpsons, TV chef Jamie Oliver , French actress Brigitte Bardot and former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne.

 

However, all this happens in the midst of worries about BBC journalists in Iran. The Iranian Intelligence Minister denied detention of any ‘British nationals’ in a press conference yesterday, but only a few days back a member of the national security committee at the Majlis (the Iranian Parliament) announced that BBC journalists had been detained on suspicion of spying.

 

Now here is the main concern: the BBC Trust held online and overseas training for young Iranian journalists and bloggers, and since then they have contributed to the websites of BBC Persian. It appears that some of the participants may now have been detained. 

 

After a year of many ups and downs and, of course, the death of the king of realism, Harold Pinter, just on Christmas Eve, this Christmas can only be described as Pinteresque. And a quote from his work may be very relevant:

 

‘The past is what you remember, imagine you remember, convince yourself you remember, or pretend you remember.’

 

(Photo: Channel 4)

The excited students broke the doors to the hall before Mohammad Khatami, the former Iranian president, started speaking at the University of Tehran yesterday. There were speculations that he would announce his candidacy for the summer elections, but he deflated hopes by insisting that a candidate should be chosen about whom there is not a lot of sensitivity.

 

He’s rightly reminding his supporters that without backing of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the road ahead could be very bumpy. Khatami is the right man to say so, as he’s tried it for eight years.

 

This was all reignited a few days ago when Mr. Khamenei harshly criticised the affairs of the country under Mohammad Khatami. He also added that even if the nation is courageous, coward authorities can ruin their might. And like before, Ayatollah Khamenei strongly supported the attitude of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government towards western powers.

 

The credit crunch and financial crisis may not have changed hearts of the Iranian powerful, but is the story the same for normal Iranians? And If Khatami is so afraid of all the sensitivity on him, who would be the alternative?

 

Abdollah Nouri, who worked for Mr. Khatami as minister for interior affairs (which is the most powerful post in the cabinet) and impeached by then conservative Majlis, seems to be getting into gear. But, alas, the weight of sensitivity factor he carries is not at all that light.

 

Mahdi Karroubi, an all-time player in Iranian politics and a former speaker of Majlis, may be seen as a less controversial figure and in closer conformity to the Ayatollah’s views. However, I suspect how much support the veteran can enlist.

 

 

Ali Khamenei appears to be happy with his tough guy president and wouldn’t mind at all to see him busy for four more years. This explicit support of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may stop anyone with more diplomatic views to run. It certainly has invoked the butterflies for Mohammad Khatami.

(Photos: FARS and ISNA)

The Media Exhibition in Tehran provides an annual opportunity for journalists across the fields of print, news agency and radio to come together and engage in dialogue with each other and their audiences. It is open to the public and visitors may vary from a hospital gardener to a president. During his visit, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that the Iranian economy would not be influenced by the global economic meltdown and in a very bold statement he claimed: ‘I will run the country even if oil drops to $5 per barrel’.

In major exhibitions in this country, spaces are normally allocated alphabetically (based on organisation names) or by category. But as I entered the exhibition, the enormous logo of Vatane Emrouz started dancing in red and white. Now, ‘v’ in Persian alphabet is the one before last; that’s that. This newspaper has a track record of about a month and its managing director is a young man, reputed to be one of Ahmadinejad’s closest allies.

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An attention-grabbing view on the upcoming Iranian elections came from an interview that Etemaad newspaper conducted with Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, a prominent reformist journalist. Shamsolvaezin believes that Ahmadinejad was the right choice for the Bush years and the right reaction against American neocons couldn't be anything but selecting an Iranian hard-line conservative; hawk to hawk.

He suggests that, for the same reason, the principled conservatives (Ossolgaras) will not nominate Ahmadinejad for a second term. If that happens, it will be novel in the history of the Islamic Republic.

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The University of Tehran, the oldest modern university in the country, has always been a cradle for politics. That may explain Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's choice of a chancellor; Farhad Rahbar, a previous Deputy Minister for Intelligence who was in charge of economic intelligence and counter trafficking for four years.

Let me remind you that 1999 witnessed UT student protests and blood on the walls of the halls of residence. Not only has UT not forgotten dissent ever since, but it prides itself on being a major force in toppling the monarchy in 1979 and in the victory of the Islamic Revolution.

 

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