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Home News News Archive Sports News Interesting Sites Directory Persian Calendar Bookstore Archive	November 2009 Iran Arrests Student Activists Ahead Of Student Day Iran has increased its pressure on student activists ahead of the national Student Day on December 7. Throughout Iran a dozen students are reported to have been jailed this week, including eight student activists arrested in Tehran on November 19. - 11/20/09 World Powers to Meet on Iran Nuclear Deal Representatives of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council: Britain, France, China, the United States, Russia plus Germany, will meet in Brussels Friday to discuss Iran's latest stand on its nuclear program. - 11/20/09 Interview with Gary Sick: Israel is not Going to Attack Iran Gary Sick was on the staff of the National Security Council under President Jimmy Carter and a White House aide during the Iranian Revolution and the hostage crisis. Currently, he is an adjunct professor at Columbia University and the director of Gulf/2000. He is also on the board of Human Rights Watch. He is the author of All Fall Down: America's Tragic Encounter with Iran. He recently spoke at a symposium at the University of Maryland titled "Iran after the 2009 Elections." -Fariba Amini - 11/20/09 Iran: Regime Seeks to Appoint New "Grand Ayatollahs" Following the escalation of protests by Iran's senior ayatollahs against the regime, some members of the Qom Seminary Teachers Association (the most important organization of clerics affiliated with the regime) are planning to present a new list of "grand ayatollahs" under the supervision of Mohammad Yazdi, Ahmad Jannati and Mesbah Yazdi. -Ali Farokhi, Rooz Online - 11/20/09 Iran: Continuing Persecution of Student Alumni Group Iranian authorities have arbitrarily arrested another member of the leading student alumni group ADVAR, and sentenced its spokesperson to an eight-year prison term, while other detained members are being mistreated, unfairly tried and sentenced to jail terms, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran reported today. - 11/20/09 Ahmadinejad sees end of liberal democracy Amidst persistent protests against the alleged fraud in the June presidential election in Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared today that the participation of 85 percent of the Iranian population in the elections marks the end of liberal democracy. - 11/20/09 Iran to launch Mesbah 2 satellite in 201 Iran is to launch another research satellite, the Mesbah 2, in 2011 as part of the country's effort for an independent space program. "We have developed our capability to launch satellites," Iran's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Reza Taqipour, told the Fars news agency on Thursday. - 11/20/09 Sane Iranians Attacked I know many of the players involved, in Iran and here, though not very well. They are, so far as I know, the good guys in all this--the people not only trying to find some means to a rapprochment between the U.S. and Iran, but also those who are hoping for a freer, less extreme government in Iran. -Joe Klein, TIME - 11/20/09 Kabul asks Tehran for more investment Iran is the fourth largest investor in Afghanistan. Iranian investments have been made on construction of roads and bridges, energy, agriculture and health care. - 11/20/09 Iran falls to 168 in Corruption Perception Index 2009 Iran has fallen from 141st on the list of 180 countries to 168th – one of the most marked declines. Countries where the political and security environment is particularly volatile, such as Yemen, Iran and Iraq rank at the bottom of the list. These countries face the challenge of establishing solid and transparent public institutions, with appropriate mechanisms for accountability: the essential elements for preventing and fighting corruption. Where these are absent, any kind of success is very difficult. - 11/19/09 Iran and the Oscars!! Following a short news article I read about the Academy of Motion Pictures visit to Iran, I decided to learn more about this important trip. My sense of curiosity was so heightened that I searched high and low for more information. To my surprise there were not too many news articles about what seemed to be an important mission in Iran. I immediately put my forces together and contacted The Academy who then invited me and the crew to the headquarters' office in Beverly Hills. -Parisa DeFaie - 11/19/09 Shajarian has not been arrested or subpoenaed: Attorney On Monday, certain Persian news websites published an interview VOA Persian conducted with attorney Mohammad-Hossein Aghasi, in which he announced that the leading Iranian vocalist had been summoned to a building on Jordan Street in Tehran upon his arrival at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport after his recent European concert tour in September. - 11/19/09 Prison sentences handed to Iranian political detainees Two student activists, Omid Lavasani and Alireza Aushouri were also handed six-year imprisonment sentences. Mr. Aushouri is a member of Mousavi campaign and Mr. Lavasani, according to his lawyer, was the web designer for MirHosein.com and not an actual member of the presidential candidate's campaign. - 11/19/09 Funeral of an Iranian Actress: Niku Kheradmand (1932-2009) The funeral procession for Iranian actress Niku Kheradmand was held on Thursday in front of Iran's House of Cinema in Tehran. She was buried in the artists' section of Tehran's Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery. An actress and film dubber, Kheradmand died Tuesday morning in a Tehran hospital. She was 77. - 11/19/09 Volleyball: Iran stuns African champ in World Grand Champions Cup Iran defeated Egypt in the Men's World Grand Champions Cup at Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium on Wednesday. Iran, runner-up to Japan in the Asian Championship, rallied back from losing the first set to win 21-25, 25-20, 25-21, 17-25, 15-10 for a dream start. - 11/19/09 U.S. Faces Difficult Decisions After Iran Rejects UN Nuclear Plan The problem is that imposing sanctions through the UN may be impossible. In meetings this week in China, U.S. President Barack Obama heard that he can't rely on Beijing to support sanctions. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has the right to veto any of the body's resolutions. - 11/19/09 Rafsanjani Sets Conditions for Friday Sermons Since July 17, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who heads the Expediency Council and the Assembly of Experts, and serves as one of Tehran's Friday prayer leaders, has refused to attend the sermons. His absence as Tehran's Friday prayer leader has been riddled with speculation in political circles. - 11/19/09 US behavior contradicts its change motto: Rafsanjani Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, meeting with Swedish ambassador to Tehran, Magnus Wernstedt, said recent behaviors by the US administration including its attempts to seize the belongings of Alavi Foundation and also allocation of 55 million dollars to Iran's opposition groups, are the same previous approaches taken by Washington or even worse than them. - 11/19/09 US Begins Talks on Iran Nuclear Proposal with International Partners U.S. President Barack Obama says the United States has begun talks with its international partners on the consequences of Iran's failure to respond to a proposed nuclear deal. Speaking in South Korea Thursday, President Obama said a package of potential steps will be developed during the next several weeks with the aim of sending a "clear message" to Iran. - 11/19/09 Persepolis Fortification Archive Project Annual Report 2008-2009 When we began to learn about the legal emergency that puts the Persepolis Fortification Archive in peril, a colleague couldn't resist quoting Samuel Johnson's old saw: "The prospect of hanging concentrates the mind wonderfully." The prospects of the Archive are still perilous, and the Persepolis Fortification Archive (PFA) Project's attention is still concentrated wonderfully on its emergency priorities: to make thorough records of the Archive and to distribute the records widely, freely, and continuously. - 11/18/09 Iran: Police Confirm Threats against Kahrizak Detention Center Physician Who Died Under Suspicious Circumstances Ramin Pourandarjani was a brilliant medical student with a promising future, until he was found dead in a dormitory at Tehran police headquarters last week. He is now the new cause célèbre of the Iranian Opposition, with MPs and Western organisations demanding an investigation into the death of a man who knew too much. Dr Pourandarjani, 26, attended a school for gifted children, graduated with distinction from the University of Tabriz and was doing his two-year national service at the Kahrizak detention centre in Tehran during the June protests. - 11/18/09 Photos: Parizad Khanom I just returned from Iran and did some new photos. As I was visiting and shooting a few of the Qajar palaces, I couldn't help but wondering about the Qajar harems. Nasseredin Shah Qaiar had about 100 wives. However, only a few were among the favorites, such as Anis Al-Doleh; many were overlooked. I wondered how lonely life must have been for the new brides who were never to be taken seriously. -Niki Koohpaima - 11/18/09 Photos: The Colorful Autumn, Chaharmahal o Bakhtiyari, Iran In these photos, Hossein Baharloo has captured the beautiful scenery and colorful autumn of Iran's Chaharmahal o Bakhtiyari province. Chaharmahal o Bakhtiyari is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. It lies in the southwestern part of the country. Its capital is Shahrekord. It has an area of 16,332 square kilometers and a population of 842,000 (2005 estimate). - 11/18/09 US Census 2010 - 10 question in 10 minutes Race is key to implementing many federal laws and is needed to monitir compliance with the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. Race data are also used to assess fairness of employment practices, to monitir racial disparities in characteristics such as health and education and to plan and obtain funds for public services. Iranian American 2010 Census Project recommendation : Mark "x" in the box that states "some other race" and print "Iranian" or "Iranian American" underneath it. - 11/18/09 Five Post-Election Eetainees Sentenced To Death By Iran Judiciary Iranian judiciary has issued the death sentence for five of the post-election detainees. The court announced that the accused were charged with membership in "anti-revolutionary, terrorist and adversary groups." The names of these convicts are not announced until the sentences are finalized. - 11/18/09 BAIAD Releases Official Statement about Recent Attacks on NIAC Recently, a few extreme right-wing circles have been confronting National Iranian American Council, NIAC, not by debating the merits of its positions and arguments, but through defamation and character assassination, accusing NIAC of being an agent of the Iranian government. - 11/18/09 Iranian Death Sentences Seen As Intimidation Move Over Postelection Unrest Five people have been sentenced to death in Iran in connection with the unrest that shook the Islamic republic following President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's hotly disputed reelection earlier this year. - 11/18/09 IAAB Announces Release of Survey for University Students Iranian Alliances Across Borders (IAAB) released a survey to assess the challenges and concerns facing university student leaders within their respective communities. Students of both Iranian and non-Iranian descent are encouraged to respond, as the survey will help determine the topics addressed during the 2010 Student Summit. - 11/18/09 Low-enriched uranium stays in Iran: FM "Iran will not send its 3.5-percent-enriched uranium out of the country," ISNA quoted Mottaki as saying on Wednesday. "That means we are considering to exchange the enriched uranium inside Iran," he went on to explain. - 11/18/09 Iran: Opposition Leader Khatami Says Election Procedures Must Change Mohammad Khatami, Iran's former president and one of the leaders of the reform movement in Iran, told a group of Tehran University's student activists that the reform movement is "meaningless" without an overhaul of the election process in Iran. - 11/18/09 Experts See Sustained Human Rights Movement Emerging in Iran To overcome a legacy of suspicion and mistrust, the United States should inaugurate a process of long-term, patient engagement with Iran on a wide range of issues - including its nuclear and human rights policies - according to a distinguished panel of scholars and diplomats appearing on Capitol Hill November 4. -America.gov - 11/18/09 From Tehran to Toronto for the Times in many ways, Nazila Fathi's is the story of Iran's recent spiral into lawlessness and, perhaps worse, hopelessness. It's also the story of how, with depressing regularity, Canada is becoming a safe haven for the world's exiled journalists. It's not easy monitoring events from 10,000 kilometres away. But covering Iran from Toronto is still easier than it was in Tehran when Fathi was holed up in her apartment, watched by security agents, her phone and Internet connections compromised. -Toronto Star - 11/18/09 Iran Unveils New Plan to Counter Fuel Sanctions According to the plan, the Iranian petrochemical plants, such as Imam Khomeini, Bou Ali Sina and Borzouyeh, are equipped to produce about 14 million liters of gasoline per day if they have to. - 11/18/09 Deportation of Nobel Peace Prize Nominee "could backfire" on Morocco The detention and deportation of Western Sahara's most prominent human rights activist could backfire on Morocco as the action attracts worldwide condemnation. Aminatou Haidar, known has the "Sahrawi Gandhi", was deported from her home to Lanzarote by the Moroccans on Saturday and has been on hunger strike in the airport terminal ever since. -Stefan Simanowitz - 11/18/09 Photos: The Land of Love - Life of Nomads at Chaldoron Following photos show the life of the nomads in Chaldoron, Northwestern Iran. Due to its mild climate and green grazing fields, every year Chaldoran is host to nomads and their animals. In 1514 the Ottoman forces of Selim the Grim devastatingly defeated Safavid Shah Ismail's formerly invincible Persian-Azari army at Chaldoran. Of 27,000 Iranian soldiers a phenomenal 26,000 died, cut down by Selim's newfangled secret weapon, the cannon. - 11/17/09 Iran: Death of Kahrizak Detention Center Physician Under Investigation In the post-election unrest many reports of "murder, torture and sexual abuse" surfaced from Kahrizak detention centre. Mowjcamp, Mir Hosein Mousavi's website reports today that before his death, Dr. Pourandarjani "had revealed the details of Ruholamini's death and other crimes at Kahrizak in the special parliamentary committee probing the post-election violations against detainees and victims." - 11/17/09 109 Human Rights Groups Ask United Nations To Condemn Human Rights Violations In Iran Over one hundred independent human rights and civil society organizations from around the world have urged delegations to the United Nations to support a resolution in the General Assembly condemning human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI), and urging the IRI to abide by its international human rights obligations. - 11/17/09 Exhibit: Iranian banknotes uprising Anti-government activists are not allowed to express themselves in Iranian media, so theses activists have taken their expression to another high circulation mass-medium, banknotes. The Central Bank of Iran has tried to take these banknotes out of circulation, but there are just too many of them, and gave up. For the activists' people it's a way of saying "We are here, and the green movement is going on". - 11/17/09 Obama: Iran Must Prove Peaceful Nuclear Aims or Face Consequences U.S. President Barack Obama says Iran will face consequences if it fails to show its nuclear program is peaceful and transparent.President Obama told reporters in Beijing Tuesday that the U.S and China agree that Iran must provide assurance of its peaceful intentions to the international community. - 11/17/09 Iran: IAEA report refuted West's Fordo claims "The latest report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei proved that political hype and propaganda about Fordo plant were baseless," Mehr News Agency quoted Iranian Ambassador to the IAEA Ali-Asghar Soltaniyeh as saying on Tuesday. - 11/17/09 Iran Trying to Wage Media Battle Against US The Iranian parliament is considering a new media outlet in response to U.S. efforts toward Iran. Iran's new media apparatus may be placed in the hands of the hardline Revolutionary Guard, strengthening that already powerful body. - 11/17/09 Iran's Opposition Leader Karroubi Urges His Supporters To Avoid Violence Mehdi Karroubi, the disputing candidate of Iran's June presidential elections urged Iranian youth to stop "sick people" from leading them into violent behaviour. - 11/17/09 Families of the American Hikers Detained in Iran Express Growing Concern for their Welfare The families of Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal, the three American hikers detained in Iran, said today they are increasingly concerned for their children's emotional wellbeing after nearly 16 weeks in custody and again called on the Iranian authorities to release them. - 11/17/09 Iran's top general warns of Saudi 'Wahhabism Terrorism' Iran's top general says the involvement of the Saudi kingdom in massacring Shias in Yemen is the beginning of "State Wahhabism Terrorism." Major General Hassan Firouzabadi said in a statement Tuesday that statesmen in Yemen and Saudi Arabia must realize that the continuation of "Wahhabism Terrorism" would have consequences for the entire region. - 11/17/09 Russian Officials' Remarks on Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant "Are Odd" The Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee chairman has said that Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko's remarks about the Bushehr nuclear power plant are strange. "The hasty remarks by the Russians do not seem normal," MP Alaeddin Boroujerdi told the Mehr News Agency on Tuesday. - 11/17/09 Iranian FM, Indian PM discuss gas pipeline project Recently India announced its willingness to join the project which Iran calls the peace pipeline project. India withdrew from the talks last year, citing disagreements about prices and transit fees as well as chronic disputes with Pakistan. In talks with Mottaki on Monday, Singh said India is willing to go ahead with the gas pipeline project. - 11/17/09 Iran to import H1N1 vaccine from France Health Minister Marziyeh Vahid-Dastjerdi stated on Monday that Iran will import vaccine for the H1N1 virus from France in the near future. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with the former health ministers, she said health officials decided to import the vaccine from a reputable country and therefore France was selected. - 11/17/09 Plague of Hatred and Prejudice Sooner or later as the rule of nature ordains, there will be a change here. After all that this country has gone through in the past 30 years, the devastating state it is going through at the moment, the only thing that may save it from a civil war, revolution and similar bloody experiences repeated on this land and elsewhere throughout the human history, is an extreme alertness combined with 'love of humanity and the mother earth. -Roya Monajem, Tehran - 11/16/09 Iran: Ayatollah Sanei Slams Government Policies Reformist Shiite cleric Ayatollah Yousef Sanei says the Iranian establishment is trying to divert people's attention from the "poverty, unemployment and social discord," that plagues the country. - 11/16/09 Caspian Sea With A Few Good Friends I had felt like that for the last couple of months, and had got to the point that I had to do something about it seriously; so I decided to take off, out of the chaotic normality of everyday life in Tehran and with a few good friends headed to Shomal (Iran's North by Caspian Sea) for a few days. Even the warning of floods and rain did not change my plans. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 11/16/09 Grave of Neda Soltan desecrated by supporters of Iranian regime Supporters of Iran's regime have desecrated the grave of Neda Soltan, the student who became a symbol of the opposition after she was shot dead during an anti-goverment demonstration on June 20. -TIMES Online - 11/16/09 Russia Delays Launch of Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Plant, Again After skirting around the delivery of the S-300 air defense system to Tehran, Russia says it is also running late on the launch of a nuclear plant in southeastern Iran. - 11/16/09 Iran: Suspicious Death of the Notorious Kahrizak Detention Center's Physician Reformist news outlets report that Ramin Pourandarjani, "physician of Iran's Kahrizak detention centre" died last Tuesday. Norooz website reports that the 26-year-old physician died in his room at the medical building of Tehran's Security Forces. Reportedly, officials announced the cause of death to be "heart failure while sleeping." - 11/16/09 What Middle East Policy to Expect from the New German Government? On 28 October, a new German government took office. A coalition of Chancellor Angela Merkel's still ruling conservative Christian Democratic/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) as junior partner replaced the Grand Coalition of conservatives (CDU/CSU) and social-democrats (SPD). -Ali Fathollah-Nejad - 11/16/09 Full Text of Speech by Iran's "First Lady" Azam Farahi at NAM Meeting First ladies of Non-Aligned Movement states conferred the ways to annihilate poverty and hunger across the world in Rome. Also, Iran's first lady Azam Farahi, delivered speech at the meeting held on the sidelines of UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) meeting on food security - 11/16/09 Celebrities, Artists Come Out in Support of NIAC's Work In a remarkable weekend in September, intellectuals, artists, Congressional Representatives and Iranian Americans from all across California came out in support of NIAC and its work for the Iranian-American community. - 11/16/09 Iranian commandos sent to arrest Somali pirates Iran has decided to send more ships to the Gulf of Aden to protect Iranian merchant containers and oil tankers from Somali pirates in the volatile waters. A senior commander says Iranian special forces have bee sent to the Gulf of Aden to preserve shipping security and go ahead with a plan to arrest Somali pirates. - 11/16/09 Iran media plans stir talk of elite force at helm The portfolio of Iran's Revolutionary Guard keeps on growing. Its troops watch over nuclear facilities, its rocket scientists enlarge Iran's missile arsenal and its engineers have taken on a rail line as their latest big-ticket project. Could media mogul be next? -AP - 11/16/09 Iran's Parliament Speaker Blasts US Actions Iran's parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, has criticized U.S. President Barack Obama, arguing that his promise to change U.S. policy toward Tehran amounts to nothing. Speaker Larijani said after a year of U.S. President Barack Obama's speeches and slogans, it is a "disgrace" the U.S. president's actions are the same as his predecessor. - 11/16/09 Neocons, Islamist Marxists attack Iranian-Americans as way of Getting at Obama Daniel Luban shows that the assault on the National Iranian-American Council by the rightwing Israel lobbies and their allies in the People's Jihadi Organization [Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK or MKO)], a Marxist-Islamist political cult is actually an attempt to mortally wound the Obama administration. -Juan Cole - 11/16/09 Yemen and Saudi Arabia Continue to Battle Houthi Rebels Yemen says it has recaptured ground from the Houthi rebels in the northern Saada province, while Saudi Arabia says its paratroopers are conducting mop-up operations along the border. - 11/16/09 Armenia 'Honoring' Gas Deal With Iran Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsisian says that despite complaints by Iranian officials Yerevan is fully complying with an agreement to import natural gas from Iran, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports. - 11/16/09 The Latest on Imprisoned Iranian Women Activists Unfortunately, although near five months have passed since the elections ,detainment of prisoners still continues , last month Hangameh Shahidi was released on bail only after months of imprisonment and Vahideh Molavi , Raheleh Asgarizadeh and Somayeh Rashidi who had been arrested on Nov.4th were released on third party guaranty -Feminist School - 11/15/09 Iran's Green Movement Spreading Despite Crackdown The presidential election of June 12, which Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared to have won, gave birth to a grassroots movement that has been evolving politically, embracing broader segments of the population, discovering new methods of struggle, and refusing to die despite widespread government violence. It has bewildered the conservatives, surpassed the political limits of the reformists, and become a wildcard with a potential to change Iran in profound ways. -Behzad Yaghmaian - 11/15/09 Iran police defends its actions against protesters On November 4, the day Iran's protesters to the alleged fraudulent re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took to the streets once more to voice their demands, police and officials in plain clothes attacked the gatherings with tear gas bombs and batons. - 11/15/09 NIAC Stands by its Record of Pursuing Peace Through Diplomacy NIAC is proud of its work to advance US national security through a smarter and more effective policy on Iran. NIAC rejects the insinuations made by Washington Times that its activities are in violation of tax laws, the Foreign Agents Registration Act and lobbying disclosure laws. - 11/15/09 Photos: Harvesting Cotton in Shams Abad, Qom The following photos by Abolfazl Maahrokh show the harvesting of cotton in the Shams Abad region of central city of Qom in Iran. Qom lies 156 kilometers by road southwest of Tehran and is the capital of Qom Province. It has an estimated population of 1,042,309 in 2005. - 11/15/09 Obama, Medvedev Discuss New START Treaty, Iran U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev say they still plan to have a replacement START nuclear arms reduction treaty ready by the end of the year. - 11/15/09 Iranian father-son musical perform for peace It's a seemingly simple approach to one of the modern world's most complicated political problems: By marrying the dainty lutes of the East with thrumming violas of the West, composer Hafez Nazeri says he wants to create harmony between the U.S. and his native Iran. -NPR - 11/15/09 Ahmadinejad's wife to attend "NAM first ladies summit" in Rome Iran President's wife, Azam Farahi, is to take part in Non-Aligned Movement first ladies summit in Rome on Sunday. - 11/15/09 Iran's Parliament Approves Ahmadinejad's New Cabinet Ministers Iran's state-run media say the country's parliament has approved the remaining three Cabinet nominees proposed by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. - 11/15/09 Obama Presses Iran On Atomic Deal; Tehran Defiant U.S. President Barack Obama has said time is running out for diplomacy in a dispute over Iran's nuclear program, but a top Iranian official said it was up to the West to show it sincerely wanted a deal. -Reuters - 11/15/09 Iran Opposition Leaders Condemn State Violence Mir Hosein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, the two chief opposition leaders met at the home of Mr. Karroubi to further discuss the political situation of Iran. They condemned government violence against election protesters and especially slammed the excessive violence used against women protesters. - 11/14/09 Khatami criticizes "martial management" of society Iran's former president, Mohammad Khatami criticized the "restricted atmosphere" of the country in a meeting with Scientific Society of Elm-o-Sanat University. - 11/14/09 The Fight Over Tehran Metro: Ahmadinejad vs. Hashemi Following the surfacing of Mohsen Hashemi's speech, in which he strongly criticizes Ahmadinejad for his accusations against Hashemi's family during his election debates, Ahmadinejad is attempting to take the control of the subway system from Tehran's City Hall. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, announced that not only his administration will take over Tehran's subway system; it will also appoint its president. - 11/14/09 Iran: Academy of Arts Members Criticize Modification of Charter by Ahmadinejad to Remove Mousavi as President Ahmadinejad in an unprecedented act, as the head of the Revolutionary Cultural Council, by issuing a new memo changed the existing constitution of the Academy of Arts so that it would lay the grounds for dismissing Mir Hossein Mousavi as the president of the Academy. - 11/14/09 Iran: Student Activist Abdollah Momeni Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison Iranian student activist, Abdollah Momeni has been sentenced to 8 years in prison by Iranian judiciary. Fatemeh Adinehvand, the accused's wife told Zamaneh that Mr. Momeni has been sentenced to six years in prison for "participating in post-election gatherings" on top of a two year sentence which he received for earlier charge of "activities against national security." - 11/14/09 Photos: Masters Reopen Music Museum of Iran Masters of music reopened the Music Museum of Iran during a ceremony held on Friday evening. Great musicians and singers Mohammadreza Shajarian, Hossein Dehlavi, Hossein Alizadeh, Davud Ganjeii, Mohammad Sarir, Dariush Pirniakan, Hushang Kamkar, Dariush Talaii and Farhad Fakhreddini were seen among the guests at the opening ceremony. - 11/14/09 Soccer: Iran defeats Jordan 1-0 at Tehran's Azadi Stadium Iran captain Javad Nekounam scored on a header to give Iran a 1-0 victory over Jordan football team in the 2011 Asian Cup qualifiers on Saturday. - 11/14/09 Iranian Police Set Up 'Internet Crime' Unit A top Iranian police official says that a new police unit has been set up to combat what he calls "Internet crime". Analysts, however, are interpreting the move as another step by the government to crack down on the opposition, which uses the Internet heavily to communicate and spread its message. - 11/14/09 Winners of Avicenna International Awards announced A Hungarian scholar and four Iranian researchers have won the Avicenna International Awards. The winners were announced Friday in Hamdan during the closing ceremony of the three-day Festival of Avicenna Theosophy. - 11/14/09 US Moves to Seize Mosques, Properties of Group Linked to Iran Federal prosecutors continued legal action on Friday to seize properties, including several mosques, owned by a non-profit Muslim organization with alleged ties to the Iranian government. Federal Marshals delivered notices initiating possible seizure proceedings against the Islamic Education Center in Potomac, Maryland just outside Washington. Authorities are moving against properties linked to the New York based Alavi Foundation. - 11/14/09 Photos: Mobile cultural programs on buses entertain Tehrani citizens The Art and Cultural Organization of Tehran Municipality has launched a new project using buses in different districts of the city as a mobile means of presenting cultural programs to its citizens. - 11/14/09 Case against Iranian foundation threatens mosques The organization that federal investigators say is a front for the Iranian government has spent millions of dollars over the years on philanthropy: buying property for four U.S. mosques, funding religious schools and language classes, and translating books on Islam. -AP - 11/14/09 Making a U.S.-Iranian Nuclear Deal Most experts say that Iran's turbulent domestic politics explain the country's "equivocation" after agreeing to a nuclear deal with the United States. But that explanation of Iran's behavior fails to account for the profound historical and psychological factors that impede Iran-U.S. nuclear negotiations. -R.K. Ramazani - 11/13/09 Iranian American 2010 Census Coalition Mobilizes The Iranian American 2010 Census Coalition is taking a proactive role to ensure that our community's statistics are accurately reflected and that it has access to key services and an enhanced political voice. With that in mind, the Iranian American 2010 Census Coalition has assembled an informational and instructional pamphlet, available in both English and Persian, to answer questions about the U.S. Census. - 11/13/09 Families of Iranian political detainees demand justice For the third time in recent months, families of political detainees gathered in front of Tehran judiciary buildings to demand justice for their loved ones. "Timely trials and release, access to legal presentation as well as open and official trials" are amongst their demands from the judiciary. - 11/13/09 Happy Children at Mexican Embassy in Tehran Some months ago Cultural section of the Mexican Embassy in Tehran sent out an invitation to many of Tehran schools inviting their students to take part in 13th Children's drawing Contest" launched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, primarily aimed at Mexicans children abroad, but also open to children around the world. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 11/13/09 Iran's Economic Climate and the Post-election Political Crisis Even before the current political crisis began in June 2009 the Iranian economy was confronted with many daunting challenges. Investors were already feeling the pressures of inconsistent domestic economic policies and intensifying international economic/financial sanctions on their shoulders. The street protests and political unrests that have followed the disputed election have led to further deterioration of the economic climate. -Nader Habibi - 11/13/09 NIAC And J Street, Progressive Foreign Policy Groups, Become Political Targets In the usually wonky world of non-profit issue-advocacy organizations, a decidedly political campaign has been waged against foreign policy institutions that promote diplomacy over militarism. Two relatively new organizations -- each covering distinctly opposite ends on the spectrum of Middle Eastern affairs -- have been the target of withering public relations attacks in recent weeks and months. -Sam Stein - 11/13/09 Farshid Amin Sings National Anthem at NBA Game as part of "Iran Heritage Night" On November 4, 2009, Iranian American composer and singer Farshid Amin sang the American National Anthem at the Oracle Arena for the Grizzlies-Warriors game. This marks the first time an Iranian American has been invited by the NBA to sing the National Anthem. His emotional performance was arranged by Grizzlies center Hamed Haddadi as part of the Iran Heritage Night. - 11/13/09 Ahmedinejad Uses Conciliatory Tone Over Nuclear Deal Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad says Iran and the West have "entered a period of cooperation" concerning its nuclear program. The Iranian president did not reply to specifics of a pending nuclear deal during a televised address. - 11/13/09 Turkey-Iran Ties Continue to Worry West Relations between Turkey and Iran appear to be getting closer and those ties are raising concerns among some of Turkey's Western allies. This past weekend, Turkish President Abdullah Gul said at a meeting in Ankara that his country is keen to bolster relations with neighboring Iran. - 11/13/09 Feds move to seize 4 mosques, tower linked to Iran Federal prosecutors took steps Thursday to seize four U.S. mosques and a Fifth Avenue skyscraper owned by a nonprofit Muslim organization long suspected of being secretly controlled by the Iranian government.-AP - 11/13/09 Two Cemeteries in Washington and Tehran As you read these lines, you will probably hear the latest on the Iranian nuclear negotiations. Tehran's response to the latest Western offer – to further develop Iran's low-enriched uranium in France and Russia and return it to Iran – is likely to be negative. -Barin Kayaoglu, JTW - 11/13/09 Tehran Turmoil Clouds Prospects for Captive U.S. Hikers The three Americans arrested in July for illegally crossing the border into Iran could hardly have chosen a worse time to go hiking in the mountains of northern Iraq without a local guide. Though merely left-wing activists on an ill-conceived adventure, Shane BauerSarah Shourd and Josh Fattal were accused of espionage this week by the Tehran prosecutor's office. -TIME - 11/13/09 PAAIA Releases 2009 National Survey of Iranian Americans The particular focus of this poll is to gauge how the Iranian American community's perceptions and views may have shifted following the historic events that occurred in Iran in the aftermath of the disputed June 12th presidential election. More specifically, views of Iranian Americans on issues such as recent developments in Iran, U.S.-Iran relations, the Obama Administration's response to recent developments in Iran, and the role, if any, that the Iranian Diaspora could or should play with respect to developments in Iran, are explored in this survey. - 11/12/09 Photos: Women Rowing Team Practicing in Zayandeh Rud, Isfahan Following photos by Hossein Baharloo show the women rowing team practicing on the beautiful Zayandeh Rud river in the historic city of Isfahan in the shadows of the ancient Sio-seh-pol bridge. - 11/12/09 War With Iran? America's Titanic Rushes The Iceberg A very strange thing must have happened to Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), on his way to his recent talk at Washington's National Press Club. He oddly asserted that Iran was indeed an "existential threat" to Israel (nice of the Israelis to have provided that sound bite), that he was open to a US attack on Iran (which is no threat whatsoever to the US) to forestall that supposed danger to Israel, and that the attack "would also be incredibly destabilizing." -Alan Sabrosky - 11/12/09 Online Exhibition by Touka Neyestani at Gallery Mamak: "I Think Therefore I Am More" Born in 1960, in Shahroud, Iran, Touka Neyestani studied architecture at the Science and Industry University of Tehran from which he graduated with a Masters degree. Upon graduation, he started working with several weekly publications including the famous Ketab-e-Jomeh whose editor was none other than Ahmad Shamloo, one of Iran's most famous contemporary poets. - 11/12/09 The Bakhtiari Alphabet: Cima Sedigh's Educational Documentary The educational documentary movie, The Bakhtiari Alphabet, closely follows the harmonic and sustainable journey of life as practiced daily by one of the still major migratory tribes in south/southwest Iran, the Bakhtiaris. The lifestyle of hunter-gatherer-herders, as practiced by our common human ancestry throughout most our history, is now practiced by a sporadic number of tribes in the world and as typified by the Bakhtiari and Qashqai tribes of Iran. -Davood N. Rahni - 11/12/09 Mouffetard: A Cozy Old Restaurant In Tehran City Center The Mouffetard Restaurant was a place that we used to frequent a lot when were much younger. It had decent food, decent service and even sometimes music. I had not been there for years even though I had often passed it by during the day. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 11/12/09 Protesters In Tehran Call For Extradition Of Neda Doctor A group of Iranian women staged a protest today in Tehran, in front of the British embassy, calling for the extradition of an Iranian doctor, Arash Hejazi, who tried to save Neda Agha Soltan's life after she was shot during a June protest in the Iranian capital. - 11/12/09 Iranian Nobel Laureate Ebadi Criticizes Human Rights in Iran Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi urged the international community Wednesday to throw its support behind a U.N. General Assembly resolution condemning the lack of human rights in her native Iran. Ebadi said she has invited the U.N. Secretary-General to visit Iran and see for himself the deteriorating state of freedoms there. - 11/12/09 Russia still studying S-300 deliveries to Iran: Official A senior Russian military official says Moscow is still reviewing the possible delivery of the S-300 air defense systems to Iran. - 11/12/09 Swine flu death toll stands at 58 in Iran Swine flu has claimed the lives of 58 people in Iran so far, said Dr. Mohamad-Mehdi Guya, the Health Ministry director for the Infectious Diseases, on Wednesday. At least 25 new deaths were reported over the past weeks, Guya told reporters. - 11/12/09 Russian Gas: Pipelines, Politics and Money Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has warned Ukraine he will cut off the country's gas supplies if it siphons fuel from export lines. Mr. Putin made the statement in Moscow following a meeting with Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann. His warning carries an implicit threat that Europeans this winter could again face shortages of gas they receive from Russia via pipelines that go through Ukraine. - 11/12/09 NEW GOLF AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT IN IRAN: Interview with Nasser Farzaneh Nasser Farzaneh, Managing Director of the Spanish Iranian Company "Anglo Hispano Spain" revealed today in an interview with The Travelling Golfer's Guide that his company is well into its plans to create a golf and sports development in Iran. "We have been sitting on them for a couple of years", he admitted "But it wasn't the time to launch such a revolutionary project, especially as it is centered around Golf. - 11/11/09 Photos: Kermanshah Museum - 32 years in the making! According to a report by ISNA, the construction of the biggest museum in western Iran, in the city of Kermanshah, has not been completed after about 32 years from start. According to another report by ISNA, some statistics put the number of unfinished projects across Iran at about 50,000. This is one of the biggest economic problems for the country where year after year the projects consume the funds and resources without any benefits to the people. - 11/11/09 Oxford defends establishment of Neda Agha-Soltan scholarship Oxford University's Queen's College announced that, thanks to two generous gifts, it has been able to establish a graduate scholarship in Philosophy in memory of Neda Agha-Soltan, the 27-year-old Iranian philosophy student who was killed in Tehran on 20 June during the protests over the outcome of the 2009 Iranian presidential election. - 11/11/09 Iranian American 2010 Census Coalition Mobilizes A critical component needed to empower the Iranian American community is to secure an accurate count of the total number of Iranian Americans residing in the United States. With the 2010 Census just around the corner, Iranian Americans have a great opportunity to stand up and be counted. - 11/11/09 Pipeline blast halts Iran gas export to Armenia Iran's gas exports to Armenia was temporarily interrupted Wednesday due to an explosion which took place in the Armenian section of the conveyance pipeline. - 11/11/09 Cyrus Cylinder to travel home for a short while After talks between the Keeper of British Museum on Middle East section John Curtis and the Iranian cultural heritage officials, two sides agreed to display the cylinder in Iran for four months from January 16 - 11/11/09 Iran: Advar Members Arbitrarily Detained The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) express their profound concern over the arbitrary arrest and detention of peaceful activists in Iran. Both organisations fear that they are at risk of torture and other ill-treatment while in detention. - 11/11/09 An Iranian couple's revolution Both were members of the Basiji elite, the hard-line Iranian militia. Over time, they took different paths, one embracing feminism and the other mellowing, then turning back to the use of force. -Los Angeles Times - 11/11/09 NIAC rejects Rep. Kirk's accusation Representative Kirk spoke last week before the US Institute of Peace, and issued his allegation against NIAC saying: "Regime-sympathizers like the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) came to Capitol Hill urging members of Congress to cut off U.S. funding for democracy programs in Iran. - 11/11/09 Human Rights Watch Urges Iran To Halt Execution Of Kurdish Activist A court sentenced Fattahian, a Kurdish activist, to death after reportedly closed proceedings in which, according to his lawyer, no evidence was presented that he had engaged in violence. Fattahian has said he was tortured for three months in detention. - 11/11/09 Starting Iran's Basij Young A leader of Iran's Student Basij organization has announced that 6,000 Basij units will be created in Iran's elementary schools. - 11/11/09 Leave Punishing Iran to Iranians By pushing Russia to consider the option of greater sanctions on Iran in her meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev this week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton may be endorsing a policy that will end up biting her in the back of her pantsuit. -Melody Moezzi, Huffington Post - 11/11/09 Iran ignores calls to stop Fatahian execution Head of Kurdistan judiciary AliAkbar Gerousi announced that Ehsan Fatahian was hanged today in the central prison of Sanadaj. Fars news agency reports that the sentence was carried out this morning, on Wednesday in the presence of security and judiciary officials. - 11/11/09 Iran's Guards in $2.5bn rail deal Iran's Revolutionary Guards have won a $2.5bn tender to build a railway route linking the south-eastern port of Chabahar to Iran's rail network. -BBC - 11/11/09 More Civilians Fleeing Conflict In Northern Yemen; Iran Denies Backing Rebels Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki denies his country is aiding rebel groups in Yemen. Reports of fighting along the Yemen-Saudi border continue, with conflicting accounts of who is attacking whom. In addition to denying the charge, the foreign minister countered with a warning to others bordering Yemen not to meddle in the country's internal affairs. - 11/11/09 Iran, biggest Shariah-compliant market: The Banker Iran is the largest market for Shariah-compliant assets, accounting for 35.6 percent of the global aggregate, The Banker magazine's "Top 500 Islamic Financial Institutions" ranking shows, reported ISNA news agency. - 11/11/09 Italian company says no launch for Iran satellite An Italian company that helped build a communications satellite for Iran said Wednesday there are no plans to launch it, denying an announcement made in Tehran this week. Iran's government said Tuesday that it will use Italy to launch the satellite some time after March 2011, after waiting years for Russia to do the job -AP - 11/11/09 Former Iranian Election Detainee: Mr. Interrogator! Thank you. Zhila Bani-Yaghoub, Iranian women's activist and journalist was released on August 18 with a one-billion-rial bail after two months in Evin prison. She was arrested on June 20 along with her husband, Bahman Ahmadi Amouyi, economic analyst and journalist. Ms. Bani-Yaghoub's concern for her husband is touchingly documented in her November 5th post on her website - 11/10/09 1001 colors: Contemporary art from Iran New York is set to hold an exhibition of paintings by 23 internationally-renowned and emerging contemporary artists from Iran. 1001 Colors, Contemporary Art from Iran will present 50 artworks created in various styles including expressionism and abstract, addressing the interplay between the traditional and modern Iranian culture. - 11/10/09 Aun Gallery: The latest talk of the town in Tehran Tehran is full of surprises these days, and one of these has been the opening of a new gallery, which must make many artists green with envy to be able to show their work there. Aun Gallery was designed and built by Ms. Afarin Neyssari, an architect who is one of the owners; although due to her busy schedule it took longer than intended. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 11/10/09 Iranian Labor Activists Begin Prison Terms Four leaders of the Syndicate of Workers of Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company (Syndikaa e Kargaran e Karkhaneh Neyshekar), including Fereydoun Nikoufard, Jalil Ahmadi, Ghorban Alipour and Mohammad Haydari have been summoned by intelligence officials and arrested to begin serving prison terms, and are being held in Dezful prison, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today. - 11/10/09 Ayatollah Montazeri: Interrogators Are Guilty and Criminals In his interview with Rooz, regarding the confessions which have served as the basis for the heavy sentences after the elections, ayatollah Montazeri said: The confessions that have been extracted in prison have absolutely no religious or legal value and cannot be the basis for the death or prison punishments that have been issued. - 11/10/09 Former US Embassy detainee handed Iran post The United States has appointed veteran diplomat John Limbert, who was held hostage at the US embassy in Tehran in 1979, as its senior Iran official at the State Department. - 11/10/09 Iran Parliament Procrastinates on Subsidy Reform Although Iran's parliament has passed the general outlines of a massive overhaul of the country's unwieldy fuel and food subsidy system, much of the detail remains to be worked out and there are signs of wavering in the passing of the proposed legislation. -Mitra Farnik - 11/10/09 Tehran prosecutor warns internet news outlets Tehran Prosecutor, Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi warned internet news sites that they will be confronted by the law for "publishing lies and subverting public perception." - 11/10/09 U.S. Calls Spying Charges Against American Hikers Detained In Iran 'Outrageous' U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in Berlin to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, said the U.S. government strongly believes there is no evidence to support any charges against the three Americans. - 11/10/09 Iranian translator Mehdi Sahabi dies at 66 The Iranian writer, painter and translator Mehdi Sahabi died of heart attack in Paris on Monday. He was 66. - 11/10/09 Football Under Cover in Vancouver, Canada On November 26th DOXA will present the multiple award-winning Football Under Cover from directors Ayat Najafi and David Assman (Iran/Germany). Since its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival, Football Under Cover has picked up numerous awards. This will be the BC premiere. - 11/10/09 Iran: Four Journalists Receive Hellman/Hammett Grants Iranian authorities have suppressed the work of these writers and journalists, and have targeted them with arbitrary arrests and false charges. Mohammad Sadiq Kaboudvand, one of this year's recipients, has been in prison since his arrest in 2007. The three others who received awards are Asieh Amini, Yusuf Azizi Banitorof, and Arash Sigarchi. - 11/10/09 Vanished Persian army said found in desert The remains of a mighty Persian army said to have drowned in the sands of the western Egyptian desert 2,500 years ago might have been finally located, solving one of archaeology's biggest outstanding mysteries, according to Italian researchers.-Discovery News - 11/10/09 Morteza Baharloo, Noted Iranian American Author, Joins The Board Of The Asian American Writers' Workshop The Asian American Writers' Workshop, one of the most prominent Asian American groups in the country, announced the confirmation of Morteza Baharloo to the Workshop board. Baharloo is the author of the novel The Quince Seed Potion and is the first Iranian American to join the Workshop's board. - 11/10/09 Iran to launch Mesbah satellite by March 2011 Iran will launch the Mesbah communications satellite by the end of March 2011, the director of Iranian Aerospace Industries announced on Tuesday. The low-orbit satellite will be launched from a launch pad in Italy, Mahdi Farahi told the Mehr News Agency. - 11/10/09 Tensions in an Iranian Exile Camp in Iraq There seems, as with many problems in Iraq, no good answer for Camp Ashraf, as tensions here rise and American soldiers get closer to leaving: what to do with the few thousand Iranian dissidents here trained in explosives and proficient with tanks and machine guns who have sworn to overthrow the government in Tehran? -New York Times - 11/10/09 International Energy Agency Predicts Natural Gas Prices To Fall Global gas markets have evolved from a seller’s market, driven by tight supply and demand, to a buyer’s market as demand weakens while new supply comes on stream. - 11/10/09 Iran: Families of political detainees protest prison conditions According to the letter, the post-election detainees in the general holding cells of Evin prison, especially sections 7 and 8, lack all forms of hygienic provisions and are in dire conditions. Reportedly, 50 political detainees are currently in this section and due to lack of space sleep in the halls of the section. Those who protested the condition were reportedly transferred to solitary confinement last week. - 11/9/09 Support the photographers and the artistic programs at the Omid Foundation, where dreams become reality FROM INCEPTION TO EXECUTION is a virtual exhibition of photographs created by the young women of the Omid-e-Mehr Foundation in Tehran during workshops conducted by Hengameh Golestan and Omid Salehi in 2008 and 2009. All photographs are signed and printed in an edition of ten. - 11/9/09 Photos: Workers at Qazvin Bazaar These photos by Sina Shiri are snapshots from the life of some of the people working at the Bazzar in Qazvin, Iran. The livelihood of these people is dependent on a small cart that they use to carry products around the Bazaar. - 11/9/09 Iran: Relatives of Victims Unable to Mourn The families of many of the young people killed in post-election unrest have been unable to mourn properly because the authorities have banned ceremonies for the dead, hampering the grieving process. Some have not had their loved ones' bodies returned or have had to wait weeks, and there have been reports of the authorities burying frozen bodies en masse. -Artemis Danekar - 11/9/09 Iranian-Canadian scholar's commitment to non-violence garners Spanish peace prize University of Toronto political philosopher Ramin Jahanbegloo is the recipient of the 2009 Peace Prize awarded by the Association for the United Nations in Spain. The award recognizes Jahanbegloo's extensive intellectual work advancing non-violence both as a philosophy and a political strategy, supporting the ideal of universal freedom of thought, and the promotion of dialogue and building bridges between different cultures. - 11/9/09 Parviz Tanavoli and Abbas Kiarostami Exhibition in Dubai Meem Gallery is pleased to present the opening of a joint exhibition displaying the work of two of the Middle East's most significant artists, Parviz Tanavoli and Abbas Kiarostami on 9 November. The exhibition will feature 30 pieces by Tanavoli, Iran's most eminent sculptor, and 13 photographic works by celebrated filmmaker and photographer Kiarostami. - 11/9/09 Human Rights and the Battle for Iran "It is in the national interest of the United States to press the human rights issue in Iran," said Professor Mehrzad Boroujerdi, of the political science department at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. His comments came as part of the first of two panel discussions at NIAC's Capitol Hill conference -NIAC - 11/9/09 Hossein Derakhshan's Arrest: One Year Later It's been over a year now since the arrest of Hossein Derakhshan, popularly known as Hoder. Ever since he wrote the first Persian-language blogging guide in November 2001, he has helped pioneer the Iranian blogging community while living in his adopted home of Toronto. -PBS - 11/9/09 U.S. Willing To Give Iran Space To Accept Atom Deal The United States is willing to give Iran time to decide whether to accept a UN draft deal that is meant to defuse nuclear tensions with world powers but has drawn Iranian objections, a U.S. diplomat has said. - 11/9/09 Sale of Telecommunication Company of Iran finalized An Iranian consortium has signed a deal to buy 50 percent plus one of the shares of Telecommunication Company of Iran (TCI) for around eight billion dollars. - 11/9/09 Russia-Iran Relations Balancing on Nuclear Issue A senior Iranian lawmaker has warned Russia that continuing to delay the delivery of a missile-defense system to Iran will harm relations between the two countries. The comments were made as Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was scheduled to visit Tehran. - 11/9/09 The Enigma of Religion The purpose of this article is to share some ideas which involve religion in our daily lives. Religion promises great things after life. It offers incentives to do honorable and good deeds. Is there life after death? -Mohammad Ala - 11/9/09 GECF experts hold 3rd meeting in Qatar Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) experts held the 3rd executive committee meeting in Qatar on Monday. GECF ministerial meeting will be held in December in Qatar to pick the Secretary General. Iran has offered to assume the responsibility. - 11/9/09 Iran authorities confirm location of detained November 4 protesters Concerns over the transference of detained protesters of November 4 demonstrations to the undesirable detention centre in Varamin was put to rest by Sohrab Soleymani, head of Tehran prisons. Mr. Soleymani told Mehr news agency that "Khoreyn" detention centre is only used for the "general criminals of the area" and there are 40 to 50 female criminals at this site and neither of them was arrested on November 4th. - 11/8/09 Sadi Afshar stresses need to teach the youth siah-bazi The veteran Iranian performer of siah-bazi Sadi Afshar said that these traditional types of plays should be taught to the younger generation. Siah-bazi, a type of folk play featuring a blackfaced harlequin who stirs the audience to laughter with amusing improvisations, is very difficult to teach and perhaps only two artists per year learn this art form, he said. - 11/8/09 Iran's Opposition Leader Karroubi Slams Ahmadinejad Dealings With US Opposition leader, Mehdi Karroubi posted a video message on Tagheer website criticizing the "double-dealings" of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government in its relations with the US. On the video massage which was posted on the Etemaad-e Melli Party website, Mr. Karroubi claimed to be "perplexed" by the Islamic Republic's foreign policies which have all the signs of being "lost." - 11/8/09 Iran achieves millennium goals in reducing maternal mortality The maternal mortality rate in Iran now stands at 22 per 100,000 births which was 250 per 100,000 childbirths in 1979, the Iran Women News Agency (IWNA) quoted the woman minister as saying. - 11/8/09 Iran finishes 5th in Asian Indoor Games Iran ranked fifth in the third edition of the Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam. Iran won 17 gold medals, 17 silvers and 13 bronzes. - 11/8/09 Interview: Iranian-American Author Discusses Islamic Dress Iranian-American Azadeh Moaveni, is the author of the best-selling memoirs "Honeymoon in Tehran" and "Lipstick Jihad." She spoke to RFE/RL correspondent Kristin Deasy about Iran's strict Islamic dress code on one hand, and the banning of Islamic headscarves in Uzbekistan on the other. - 11/8/09 Iran: Stop Covering Up Sexual Assaults in Prison Iran's judiciary should immediately investigate cases of sexual assaults in prison and prosecute those responsible, instead of covering up these crimes, Human Rights Watch said today. - 11/8/09 Iran: 271 schools in Tehran Province temporarily closed due to swine flu Some 271 schools in cities across Tehran Province have been temporarily closed due to the swine flu epidemic, the Tehran Education Department's public relations officer for provincial cities said on Saturday. The Health Ministry has said 23 citizens have died of the H1N1 virus so far. - 11/8/09 Caspian Sea states getting closer to finalizing legal regime agreement Iran's Special Representative for Caspian Sea Affairs Mehdi Safari said littoral states of the sea have agreed on over 70 percent of the convention text to finalize Caspian Sea legal regime - 11/8/09 Senior U.S. Diplomat Says Obama Foreign-Policy Approach Paying Off U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Phillip Gordon has defended the Obama administration's new approach to Russia and denied that the United States has sacrificed its allies in Central and Eastern Europe in the process of "resetting" U.S.-Russian relations. - 11/8/09 Iran: Authorities confirm over 100 arrests during November 4 protests Tehran's Commander of Security Forces announced that 109 people were arrested during November 4 ceremonies. Security and police forces once more confronted peaceful protesters with violence and used batons, tear gas and plastic bullets to disperse them. In addition to Tehran numerous major cities such as Zahedan, Esfahan, Mashad, Tabriz, and Rasht staged similar demonstrations which met with the violent attacks of government forces. - 11/7/09 Photos: Iran's sitting volleyball team wins World Championship Iran finished first on Saturday in the 3rd edition of the Junior World Sitting Volleyball Championships for the third time consecutively. In the match held in Mashhad's Shahid Beheshti Gym, Iran beat Russia 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-14) and claimed the title. - 11/7/09 Iran's Khatami: Accept there is a national crisis! Mohammad Khatami, Iran's former president and one of the leaders of recent protests against the alleged fraudulent victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, addressing the "leaders" of Islamic Republic maintained that accepting that there is "a problem and a crisis" is the first step toward actualizing "national unity and understanding." - 11/7/09 Iran's futsal team claims title in Asian Indoor Games Iran's futsal team defeated Thailand and won the championship of the 3rd Asian Indoor Games on Saturday. Iranians had also won gold medals in the last two editions. - 11/7/09 Conference at Columbia University: (Iran) After The Election The recent elections in Iran, and subsequent challenges to their legitimacy, have been a matter of enormous internal conflict in Iran, and of seemingly endless debate in the rest of the world. As protesters continue to take to the Iranian street to voice their opposition to the elections, fault-lines are emerging amongst the ruling elite. - 11/7/09 Iranian Publishers Hit by Government Curbs Even the Tehran International Book Fair, one of the country's most important cultural events, was not impervious to the election buzz. The fair, which took place about a month before the elections, became a venue for criticism of Ahmadinejad's cultural policies. Renowned writers and publishers complained in interviews about the difficulty of obtaining publishing permits. They said that permission had been revoked for many books that had previously been allowed. -Pedram Fathi, Tehran - 11/7/09 Iran Lawmakers Say Tehran Will Reject UN-Backed Nuclear Deal Israel's deputy foreign minister says Israel will attack Iran if it continues on a path of nuclear defiance. Danny Ayalon told Britain's Sky News that Iran has expressed no desire to halt its nuclear program. - 11/7/09 Health officials want to cancel hajj for Iranians due to swine flu The Health Ministry and the Majlis Health Committee are seriously opposed to allowing Iranians to go on hajj this year due to the swine flu epidemic, MP Mohammad-Reza Rezaii-Kouchi said on Saturday. - 11/7/09 Iran rejects Israel's claim on weapon shipment As the UN Fact-Finding committee's report on Gaza issue led by Richard Goldstone was being examined in the UN General Assembly meeting, Israeli representative at the UN pointed out to seizure of the ship and said anti-tank missiles were seen among the weapons and claimed that the weapons were heading for Hezbollah in Lebanon. - 11/7/09 Iran To Give UN Watchdog More Details On Nuclear Fuel Plan Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki says Iran is preparing to give the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) more details of its response to proposals from the major powers for the supply of nuclear fuel. - 11/7/09 Iran to share power with Russia, Persian Gulf states Iran plans to connect its national power grid with Russia and the Persian Gulf states, energy ministry caretaker said in Tehran on Saturday. - 11/7/09 Lebanon Opposition Agrees to Unity Government The new 30-minister Cabinet will include 15 ministers from Mr. Hariri's coalition, 10 from the opposition, and five to be appointed by President Michel Suleiman. - 11/7/09 Photos: Earthquake injures 700 in southern Iran Iran's state news agency says an earthquake has injured at least 700 people in the country's south. The 4.9-magnitude quake struck the southern port city of Bandar Abbas at 2:56 a.m. local time, cutting power and telephone lines and sending residents streaming into the streets. - 11/6/09 What Does Iran's Green Movement Want From Obama? Members of the Green movement opposed to Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad voiced a clear demand to U.S. President Barack Obama this week. Thousands protesting in Tehran streets on the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Embassy takeover on November 4 called on Obama to choose sides with either the Iranian government, or their struggle against that government, which they don't consider legitimate. - 11/6/09 Iranian Enlightenment Week - New York City Nov 6-14; Asia Society: Women of Iran Film Series: Border Cafe; Leila Taghinia-Milani Heller Gallery: Roya Akhavan: Nexus; Open Center: Lecture, An Evening of Persian Mystical Poetry and Wisdom' New York University: Hafez Nazeri, Meet the Artist; Asia Society: A Conversation/Demonstration, Shahram and Hafez Nazeri; Carnegie Hall: Rumi Symphony Project: Cycle 1 performance - 11/6/09 Iran eliminated from U-17 World Cup after loss to Uruguay A pair of late goals from Sebastian Gallegos have helped Uruguay defeat Iran 2-1 in extra-time at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup underway in Nigeria. - 11/6/09 The future of Iranian-American relations despite concerted efforts by the Israeli right wing and its allies in the US Senate to escalate the situation and manufacture the next war in western Asia, there has been movement toward a "cold peace" between Iran and the United States. The changed rhetoric of Obama has been seen as an opening by the foreign policy establishment in Iran, which has, in recent months, increased its independence from the fractious domestic politics of the country. -Arshin Adib-Moghaddam - 11/6/09 Math student Mahmoud Vahidnia stuns Iran by criticizing supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei An unassuming college math student has become an unlikely hero to many in Iran for daring to criticize the country's most powerful man to his face. -New York Times - 11/6/09 Iran Khodro unveils nanotech car Iran's first car equipped with nano technology built by Iran Khodro Industrial Group (IKCO) was showcased at nano festival from November 4 to 8. The new Samand Soren is equipped with nano technology, adding that nano composites are used in the dash board, engine parts, filters and lubrications. - 11/6/09 Danish student 'arrested in Iran' A Danish journalism student has been arrested in Iran after covering anti-government protests, unions say. A Canadian, a Japanese and an Iranian journalist are also being held for covering the protests without permits, the semi-official Fars agency reports. -BBC - 11/6/09 France Withdraws From Tehran-Caspian Freeway Project The idea to construct the Tehran-Shomal Freeway was for the first time proposed in 1965, but was never put to action until 1996. The giant plan includes construction of more than 30 twin tunnels. The Alborz tunnel situated at an altitude of 2,450 meters will be the longest with a length of 6,300 meters. - 11/6/09 Clinton Holds Emotional Meeting with Families of Hikers Held in Iran .S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held an emotional meeting Thursday with the families of three American hikers being detained in Iran and renewed appeals for their release. - 11/6/09 Iran's Nuclear Diversion As the Obama administration grapples with the conundrum of Iran, it must balance its proliferation concerns with its moral responsibilities. Iran's post-election tremors have hardly subsided; in fact, the regime is systematically eviscerating its democratic opposition. -Ray Takeyh, CFR - 11/6/09 Persian National Music Ensemble Concert: A Night with Omar Khayyam A night of Persian Traditional/Folk Music and Omar Khayyam’s poetry. A combination of dynamic rhythms coming from different ethnic groups in Iran. Saturday November 7,2009- 7:00 PM, Recital Hall Center for the Arts, Towson University, Maryland - 11/6/09 US announces sanctions on subsidiary of Iranian bank The US Department of the Treasury today designated First East Export Bank (FEEB), a Bank Mellat subsidiary located in Malaysia, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13382 for being owned or controlled by Bank Mellat. - 11/6/09 Tehran police clashes with families of detainees Reports from Tehran tell of clashes between families of yesterday's detainees and security forces in Tehran in front of Vozara detention centre. Radio Zamaneh has been told that over 50 people, all families of the detainees who were arrested yesterday in the Novemeber 4th ceremonies, had gathered since this morning in front of the detention centre to follow up on the situation of their loved ones. - 11/5/09 Iran: Leaders of Advar Tahkim Student Group Arrested At about 7pm on Tuesday night security agents in Tehran arrested three leadership members of the student alumni opposition group known as Advar Tahkim Vahdat. The three members of the organization's central council, Hassan Assadi Zeidabadi, Mohammad Sadeghi and Ali Malihi were taken to prison on Tuesday night. - 11/5/09 US calls for end to violence in Iran The international community reacted to clashes between Iranian people and security forces today on the anniversary of the occupation of the US embassy 30 years ago. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said: "We obviously have seen and are following the reports of this, and hope greatly that violence will not spread," according to Associated Press. - 11/5/09 Iranian Americans in November 3rd Elections: Farokhi Set for December Runoff Three Iranian American candidates were on the ballot on Election Day, November 3rd. Amir Farokhi ran for the Post 2 At-Large seat while Bahareh Azizi ran for the District 6 seat, both on Atlanta's City Council. Nina Mohadjer ran for the Board of Education in Ridgefield, Connecticut. - 11/5/09 Father of Modern Laparoscopy, Dr. Camran Nezhat, Revolutionizes Modern Surgery Camran Nezhat, M.D. is an internationally renowned Laparoscopic Surgeon, Scientist and Innovator at Stanford University Medical Center. He has been practicing medicine and surgery at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto since 1993. - 11/5/09 Iran: Peaceful Demonstrators Faced Disproportionate Use of Force Security forces and militia used brutal force to disperse thousands of protesters on the streets of Tehran and other cities today, resulting in a number of injuries and arrests, in violation of international standards regarding the proportionate use of force against peaceful demonstrations, according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. - 11/5/09 Elbaradei Reports On Global Nuclear Activity "We have no indication, no complete proof, that Iran has an ongoing nuclear weapons program," said Mohamed ElBaradei. "Iran's program is an effort to force recognition of its role as a regional power. In my view Iran's nuclear program is a means to an end. It wants to be recognized as a regional power. They believe the nuclear know-how brings prestige, brings power and they would like to see the U.S. engaging them. " - 11/5/09 IAEA Chief: Iran's Nuclear Program About Winning Recognition, Prestige As he prepares to step down as head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at the end of this month, Muhammad el-Baradei has been speaking a lot about Iran and its nuclear program and the challenges that will face the international community. - 11/5/09 Unmasking The Truth About Swine Flu Just about everybody knows the H1N1 virus -- popularly known as swine flu -- has spread around the globe since it was first identified in Mexico in April. But few people realize that the spread has been so thorough that doctors now consider the H1N1 virus to be the dominant flu strain in the world today. That means that doctors will assume that you have swine flu if you fall ill with influenza this season. -Charles Recknagel - 11/5/09 With whom to engage? Last week, I had the opportunity to address over forty members of the United States Congress with the goal to encourage their recognition of the importance of engaging the Iranian people and their ongoing struggle for human rights and democracy. -Reza Pahlavi - 11/5/09 Support the Iranian people’s struggle for rights Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-TX) has introduced a resolution expressing continued support for the Iranian people as they stand up for freedom, human rights, and fundamental elements of democracy. -NIAC - 11/5/09 Tension and Hope in the Streets of Tehran This morning the sun was shining and mountains were covered by white beautiful snow; and the deep sense of tension was strongly at large. From every corner of town, but specially from central parts, people called to say that the spirit of opposition to demand change, to struggle for air of some kind of a civil society in 21st century, was high. -Citizen Journalist, Tehran - 11/4/09 Photos and Vidoes of November 4 Anti-Government Protests in Iran Despite threats by police and revolutionary guards that any protests will be severely crushed, people today (the 30th anniversary of the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran) took to the streets of Tehran and other Iranian cities to continue their post-election protests against the government. Security forces clashed in the capital with opposition supporters. Videos show indiscriminate beating of defenseless protesters and bystanders. - 11/4/09 Protesters, Police Clash In Tehran On Anniversary Of U.S. Embassy Takeover As Iran held anti-U.S. rallies to mark the 30th anniversary of the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, security forces clashed in the capital with opposition supporters who renewed their protest against the reelection of President Mahmud Ahmadinejad. The opposition demonstrators were defying Iranian officials' orders not to use the day to stage antigovernment protests. - 11/4/09 Iranians Rally on Anniversary of American Embassy Takeover On the eve of the anniversary of the embassy takeover, President Obama said, "We have heard for 30 years what the Iranian government is against; the question, now, is what kind of future is it for." - 11/4/09 Ayatollah Montazeri: Occupying US embassy was a mistake! On the occasion of the anniversary of the occupation of the US embassy in Tehran, moderate cleric, Ayatollah Hoseinali Montazeri, revisited the event which he had approved of at the time, and claimed "considering the negative effects and heightened sensitivity" it produced amongst Americans, he believes it was a "mistaken" act. - 11/4/09 On the Iranian Diaspora Iran is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. But what of the over three million Iranians outside Iran? -Sam Sasan Shoamanesh - 11/4/09 MTV-U's Poet Laureate: Simin Behbahani MTV (Music Television) "University" has selected Simin Behbahani, "the poet who never sold her soul or her pen," to be its second poet laureate. For a visually challenged 82-years-young Iranian, how cool is that? Beginning Monday, Nov. 2nd Behbahani's poems will be featured on MTV-U in a series of 19 short films. -Scott Harrop - 11/4/09 Opposition Leader Mehdi Karroubi Attacked During Protests In Tehran During today’s November 4th ceremonies in Tehran, Mehdi Karroubi, disputing candidate of Iran’s presidential elections was target of a direct attack by government forces which injured two of his bodyguards. - 11/4/09 Interview: Former U.S. Hostage Calls For Iran To Change Thirty years ago, a group of Iranian students stormed into the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took more than 50 U.S. diplomats and embassy staff hostage. They were held in Tehran for 444 days. Bruce Laingen, who was the U.S. charge d'affaires at the time, was among them. But despite his painful experience, he says that the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran should find a basis for a new relationship. - 11/4/09 Strengthening of the IRGC’s Intelligence Arm Two weeks after Ayatollah Khamenei approved sweeping changes to the structure of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and remarks by Mohammad Ali Jafari about the necessity of the IRGC’s engagement in intelligence and security affairs, the website “Basirat,” run by the IRGC’s political affairs division, announced the imminent appointment of Gholamhossein Ramezani as the IRGC’s counter-intelligence and security director. - 11/4/09 Revolutionary Guards Extend Reach to Iran's Media Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps, already an economic, political and military power, is quietly pushing into a new domain: the media. By March, the Revolutionary Guards plan to launch Atlas, a news agency modeled on services such as the Associated Press and the British Broadcasting Corp., according to semiofficial Iranian news sites. -Farnaz Fassihi, WSJ - 11/4/09 Former Iran Hostages Recall US Embassy Takeover 30 Years Ago On November 4, 1979,the United States embassy in Tehran was seized by militants in the name of Iran's new leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. For the next 444 days, it was the scene of captivity for 49 Americans - 11/4/09 Face To Face With Iran' Supreme Leader: Khamenei Criticized by University Student Mahmoud Vahidnia, a distinguished mathematics whiz from the Sharif Technical University, frankly criticized the supreme leader during his meeting with students, as state-run media outlets were unable to censor the remarks. -Nazanin Kamdar - 11/3/09 Photos: Ahmadinejad Gets Cold Reception in Mashhad Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s "first provincial" tour since he was appointed president for the second time this year ended on Friday as administration efforts to demonstrate that he enjoyed popular support ended in failure while a quarter of the space in the eight Shiite Imam mausoleum in Mashhad remained empty as he delivered his public speech. -Shirin Karimi - 11/3/09 Photos: National Electric Cars Competition of Iranian Universities The finals of the national auto design competition among Iranian university students were held in Tehran in mid-October. This year the competition's subject was two-passengers electric cars. 89 students teams from 19 provinces registered in the competitions. 72 teams completed the design phase, and 52 teams made it to the production phase. -Photos by Alireza Sotakbar, ISNA - 11/3/09 Hunger-Striking Iranian Journalist Released, A Second Remains In Prison Journalist Fariba Pejoh is still being held in section 209 of the same prison. Her family, who visited her yesterday, said that she had ended her hunger strike, begun on 26 October, because of very serious health problems. One worried family member told Reporters Without Borders, “She is very weak and can no longer bear her prison conditions”. - 11/3/09 Exhibition: A Diasporic offering to the Ancestors Join Priya Assal and many other SF BayArea artists at Oakland’s Gallery 550 from Nov 6th to 28th 2009. This is a group show by 30 edgy artists and is NOT TO BE MISSED! - 11/3/09 Iran's Opposition Leader Mousavi: Prisoners Have Challenged Their Keepers Opposition leader, MirHosein Mousavi in a visit with the family of Feizollah Arabsorkhi, one of the post-election detainees, claimed the political prisoners have truly “challenged” their keepers. Feizollah Arabsorkhi is one of the prominent members of the reform group, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution and has been in prison for over four months. - 11/3/09 Iranian Researchers Create Green Mice Iranian scientists have created green-glowing mice to demonstrate their expertise in sophisticated genetic-engineering techniques. - 11/3/09 Clinton: Nuclear Offer to Iran Will Not Change U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says there will be no changes to an international offer to end the dispute over Iran's nuclear program by having its low-grade uranium processed and enriched abroad. That proposal is still being considered by the government in Tehran. - 11/3/09 Tehran Police Sets Location For Annual Anti-US rally, Warns Opposition The police statement added that holding any other demonstrations elsewhere in the city is “illegal". "The police will strongly confront people or groups intending to create unrest and unlawful behavior, based on its legal responsibilities," it added. The opposition, which considers Ahmadinejad's government as illegitimate, plans to hold its own rallies continuing the post-election protests. - 11/3/09 Iran's Supreme Leader Says He Won't be Deceived by US Iran's supreme leader says he will not be deceived by U.S. statements supporting reconciliation between the two nations. Speaking to Iranian state media, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tehran will not be fooled by what he called a superficial conciliatory tone coming from Washington. - 11/3/09 Iran's government, parliament disagree on subsidy bill There was a brief argument Tuesday morning on the floor of the Majlis as Speaker Ali Larijani, responding to the President's request to speak before the parliament as the government's representative, said, "The government is allowed five minutes to express its views." - 11/3/09 Iran's WTO membership In the next general assembly meeting of the World Trade Organization on December 17, Iran's workgroup will officially be admitted in the organization and the process for accession to WTO will formally start. - 11/3/09 Ignored Realities and Unpleasant Truths: How will it all play out for Iran? Let's start with the vignette of a brief televised ceremony at a military base honoring a young soldier who had lost his life recently in Afghanistan. We were told he had lost his life fighting to preserve our freedom. What are we really fighting for in Afghanistan? If it is truly fighting for our freedom, wouldn't it make sense to define the concept of freedom for which we are fighting: freedom to be what and to do what? -Kam Zarrabi - 11/2/09 Iran's Economic Daily Sarmayeh banned Another Iranian newspaper was shut down by the order of Iran’s ministry of culture. ILNA reports that Sarmayeh (Capital) daily has lost its publishing privileges after “repeated violations” of specific media regulations. - 11/2/09 Revolutionary Guards warn against Nov. 4th "disturbances" Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards, the elite corps largely responsible for the crackdown on the protesters of the June presidential elections, published an announcement today to warn against the proposed protest march being organized by the opposition for November 4. - 11/2/09 Dream the Impossible Dream October has been a strange month like the rest of this year and we have been wondering, worrying about little big things or big little things and friends and the pain and worry that their loved ones endure and what kills me most is the fact that there is very little we can do, yet in my heart I am optimistic although I feel totally exhausted. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 11/2/09 The Bakhtiari Alphabet, a documentary on nomadic life in Iran, to be screened at Sacred Heart University Directed by Reza Ghadiani and Sacred Heart University Associate Professor Cima Sedigh, this film follows the Bakhtiari tribe, a nomadic community in Iran. It provides cultural insight and engaging issues related to the challenges of educating children in a nomadic community. - 11/2/09 Opposition in Iran Urges Continuing Challenge As Iran prepares for a major commemorative rally on Wednesday, the leaders of the opposition movement called over the weekend for a renewed challenge to the government, setting the stage for a possible showdown between protesters and the police. -New York Times - 11/2/09 Iran: Some Journalists Freed, Many Still In Prison Maziar Bahari and Mohammad Ghouchani were released on bail on 17 and 29 October respectively. At least three other journalists are still detained in Evin prison, Tehran, where they are at risk of ill-treatment. They are prisoners of conscience. - 11/2/09 Iran shuts down major economic daily An Iranian government-run press supervisory body shut down the country's major reformist and economic newspaper, Sarmayeh, ISNA news agency reported on Monday. -AFP - 11/2/09 Uncertainties halt privatization of Telecommunications Company of Iran Three Iranian firms, part of a consortium named Etemad Mobin Development, bought 50 percent plus one share of Telecommunication Company of Iran for US$7.8 billion on September 20, 2009. The importance of this deal is that TCI has monopoly over Iran''s fixed line infrastructure, Iran''s largest cellular operator (MCI), and Iran''s major Internet service provider and data communication operator (DCI). - 11/2/09 Iran's Poor Face a Logjam in the Labyrinths of Work When you get lost in the commotion of the city, it is only the workers who can show you extreme pain and expose you to the unsavory smell of life. Believe me, this is true. Given the current Iranian economy, being a worker is very difficult. It permanently exposes you to the bitter taste of life. -ILNA - 11/2/09 Iran's Caspian Sea share at around 20%: Official Tehran’s representative to Caspian Sea affairs insists that Iran’s share of the Caspian Sea stands at around 20 percent. However this does not mean that the sea is divided into five equal parts among the five Caspian Sea states, Mahdi Safari told the ISNA news agency in an interview published on Sunday. - 11/2/09 Iran: Mass Summons of Women Activists to Security Branch of the Revolutionary Courts In a sweeping move, courts officials have summoned a number of Campaign activists to the Revolutionary Courts. Campaign activists began receiving telephone calls over the past weeks to appear in the third security branch of the Revolutionary Courts. -Change for Equality - 11/2/09 Iran's unlovable opposition Ataollah Mohajerani, who has been a spokesman in Europe for presidential candidate-turned-dissident Mehdi Karroubi, came to Washington to address the annual conference of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. The mostly pro-Israel crowd was primed to cheer what they expected would be a harsh condemnation of Ahmadinejad and his bellicose rhetoric, and a promise of change by the green coalition. -Washington Post - 11/2/09 Green Scroll March to the Capitol on November 15 The Green Scroll is a mile long petition signed in a 195 cities all over the world. This is a petition that simply states Ahmadinejad is NOT Iran's president. This is a petition against a government that responds to peaceful protests of its own people with violence, torture, bullets, murder and rape. This is a petition that supports human rights, freedom, and the right for democracy for the oppressed. - 11/2/09 Afghan Election Officials Declare Karzai Winner The commission chief Azizullah Ludin said Monday President Karzai would keep his post because he was the winner of the first round of voting in August, and the only candidate in the second round which had been scheduled for November 7. - 11/2/09 Russia's Gazprom inks MOU for development of Iran's Azar oilfield Iran's Petroleum Engineering and Development Company (PEDCO) and Russia's Gazprom signed a memorandum of understanding for development of Azar oilfield, west of Iran. - 11/2/09 Persian Inspired Saree Collection This new Persian inspired saree collection is elegant, beautiful, rustic and on the cutting edge of Desi fashion. Because of it's Persian influence, these majestic creations feature intricate and detailed embroidery in traditional paisley, floral and vine motifs. The ambiance these sarees create is a mixture of rustic, regal and rich. You'll definitely feel like a Persian (or Indian) queen in these sarees. - 11/2/09 Iranian American Professor Helps Quadriplegics Gain Independence Maysam Ghovanloo, Assistant Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, is changing the lives of persons with high level spinal cord injuries through his innovative tongue driven wheelchair. -PAAIA - 11/2/09 The Bakhtiari Alphabet Returns to Sacred Heart University The documentary follows seven years of in-depth educational research in Iran by Professor Sedigh, who directed alongside Reza Ghadiani. Through cold winters, howling wind, and severe snow storms, the crew triumphed over the elements with ardent passion to capture the true voyage of the Bakhtiari tribe. -Jennifer L. Hernandez, The SOP - 11/2/09 Photos: H1N1 in Tehran Streets Media activist Farvartish Rezvanieh protested the inactivity of the Iranian officials in fighting the spread of Swine Flu. In a symbolic gesture, Farvartish wore an H1N1 bunny suite and walked in the streets of Tehran in order to bring public awareness about this deadly virus. In response, one of the officials of the Health Ministry called Farvartish's move useless and said he should be sent to a mental hospital! - 11/1/09 Open Letter to UN Secretary General by Group of Writers, Artists, Journalists, and Academicians about the Situation of Iranian Political Prisoners Over the past months you have witnessed the Iranian people’s immense and awe-inspiring non-violent demonstrations, rejecting the results of a widely organized fraudulent presidential election. Iranian people expressed their demand for free elections deliberately and peacefully. However, the Islamic Republic responded to their legitimate demand for civil liberty and justice with the bloody attacks committed by its military and paramilitary forces. - 11/1/09 Iran's Opposition Leader Karroubi Renews Allegations Of Vote Fraud Mehdi Karroubi, who spoke in a meeting with the Central Council of University Alumni today, maintained that in the tenth presidential election in Iran votes were “rationed.” Mr. Karroubi claimed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was allotted 25 million of the votes and his own allotment was 330 thousand. - 11/1/09 Iran: Sentences issued for 50 political detainees The first deputy of the judiciary mentioned that Ayatollah Khamenei has announced that questioning the veracity of the elections is a “great crime;” therefore, “those who have proposed the elections were fraudulent and created doubt in the public’s mind have undoubtedly committed a grave crime and naturally will have to answer for the crime they have committed.” - 11/1/09 Iran finishes 3rd in Holland's football-7-aside tourney Iran claimed the bronze medal in the 2009 CPISRA Football 7-a-side Championships in Arnhem, The Netherlands. Iran beat Brazil 1-0 in the match played at the National Sports Center Papendal on Saturday and finished in third place. - 11/1/09 Iran's Culture Ministry pursues cineastes' recent concern Deputy Culture Minister for Cinematic Affairs Javad Shamaqdari is pursuing the recent statement released by cineastes warning against the marginalization of Iran's independent cinema. - 11/1/09 Former Iranian President Khatami: Deviations of the system must be rectified Khatami speaking in the Tehran University Islamic Association said the Islamic Republic system has suffered “deviations” which need to be rectified on the basis of “religious and revolutionary principles.” - 11/1/09 Project: One Day - A Collective Narrative of Tehran Featuring the work of eight artists living in Tehran, Iran; Nima Alizadeh, Saba Alizadeh, Mohammad Ghazali, Ghazaleh Hedayat, Abbas Kowsari, Mehran Mohajer, Neda Razavipour, and Homayoun Sirizi – alongside new work by San Francisco-based artist Taraneh Hemami. - 11/1/09 Transit of goods through Iran soars In the first six month of the Iranian calendar year (March 22- September 22) over 3 million tons of goods worth some $11.3 billion were transited through Iran which shows a 4.5 and 19.8 percent growth in volume and value, respectively. - 11/1/09 © Copyright 2009 NetNative (All Rights Reserved)