Kamangir (Archer)

300, or Thanks for Making Fun of Me

Kamangir | March 8, 2007 | Category Iran

1- I have not seen The 300.

2- To my understanding, any “great” empire, including the loveable Persian one, became an empire because cities and territories were conquered. I can not imagine conquering a place, without killing people who, “mysteriously”, think they own the land. Thus, I “admire” all great Iranian kings for their sharp swords. For the exact same reason, I “admire” G. W. Bush for his sophisticated aircraft carriers.

3- Novels, movies, celebrities, TV shows and other similar stuff are produced for entertainment. It is bad to portray a nasty picture of others in order to enjoy yourself, and make money, but it is not a crime. At most, you can sue them or do the same to them, as if there is no Iranian movie ridiculing Americans and others.

4- Using Google Bombs, protests, angry blog posts, and mass emails for protesting against a movie is an overreaction, to my understanding.

5- Don’t watch stuff you don’t like to see.

6- As I have not done a DNA check, I am not sure if the Iranian “monsters” in 300 are in fact my ancestors.

Plot: Exploding a German Plane over Iran (Update: German Police Denied) (Update II)

Kamangir | March 8, 2007 | Category Iran

Mehr writes that one man and two women, all Arab nationals, were arrested in Frankfort Airport. They are accused of plotting to explode a Lufthansa in the Iranian airspace, to, as Mehr writes, “initiate more propaganda against Iran and also to carry out another psycho-war”. Reportedly, two bombs were found, one in the engine and the other one in the structure of the plane. A few airport personnel have been arrested, too.

Update: German Police Denied.

Update: IRNA says it was only a bomb threat.

March 8th Protest, Police Attacked Again (Updated)

Kamangir | March 8, 2007 | Category Iran

Last Year’s Protest

The Police started the day in full preparedness (for background read this). According to this blogger, cellphone coverage was disrupted around the parliament. He remembers that the last time this was done, it was the July 1999 protests. He writes “you can imagine how much dangerous these women are considered to be”. In similar protests, cellphone and SMS are good means of communication and management. Parastoo writes, “two thousand people gathered in front of the parliament”. To force them to leave, the Special Police Force used batons and also “kicked them“. Ten to twelve more arrests are reported by this bloggers. The Police has announced only four arrests (link). More in Persian: BBC, DW-World, Balatarin. There is no picture available yet. The one shown in the above is from the same protest last year. More pictures here. This video shows scenes from last years.

In the time being, teachers are continuing their protest in front of the parliament.

Campaign to Free Women’s Rights Defenders in Iran, Press Release

Kamangir | March 8, 2007 | Category Iran

Press Release

Campaign to Free Women’s Rights Defenders in Iran

Three Women’s Rights Defenders Remain in Detention

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 8, 2007

This year, the International Women’s Day is marked by the attack, arrest and detention of women’s rights defenders in front of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court. On Sunday March 4 ^th, thirty three women were arrested following a peaceful demonstration. As of now thirty of these women have been released. Those released confirm that the remaining women— Shadi Sadr, Mahbubeh Abbasgholizadeh, and Jila Baniyaghoub,— are still in ward 209 of Evin Prison (run by the Ministry of Intelligence of Islamic Republic of Iran, designated primarily for the political prisoners). The reason for their detention is drafting a statement that called for the gathering.

On Sunday March 4, 2007, women’s right defenders gathered in front of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran to protest the court proceedings of Nooshin Amhadi Khorasani, Parvin Ardalan, Shahla Entesari and Susan Tahmasebi, Fariba Davoodi Mohajer—five prominent members of Iranian women’s organizations who were arrested in pervious peaceful gatherings. As indicated by the women’s right activists and their legal teams the charges are in violation of the article 27 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran, which guarantees the citizens’ right to assemble peacefully. In violation of such right, the security police forces attacked women’s legal and peaceful gathering and arrested thirty-three protestors.

On March 5, fifty family members and friends of detainees gathered in front of the main entrance of Evin prison to protest the illegal arrests of their loved ones and to demand their immediate release. Consequently, prison authorities declared that Evin prison does not have the authority to release the detainees, as they are kept in ward 209, which is monitored and supervised by the Ministry of Intelligence.

In the following days, two groups of women were released from prison. This morning, at around 2:00 am, another group of fifteen women were released. It seems the reason for keeping the three women in detention is that they have accepted full responsibility for drafting the call for the gathering that took place on March 4.

Many international human rights and women organizations and prominent figures including Iranian political and social activists, lawyers, writers, journalists, and academics have denounced the arrest of women’s rights advocates demanding their immediate and unconditional release, including Louise Arbor, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Irene Khan, Amnesty International General Secretary, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights First, Women Living Under Muslim Laws, Women’s Initiative for Gender Justice and the Observatory. Yet, more women’s rights advocates are being summoned to the court and threatened by arrest. This is while the authorities are promising release of more detainees.

The Campaign to Free Women Rights Defenders in Iran

The campaign has been launched immediately after the arrest of women activists by a group of transnational activists. For more information about the campaign and the complete list of supporters, please visit the site:

http://www.meydaan.org/English/campaign.aspx?cid=52

Contacts For Updated and Detailed Information:

The Free Women’s Rights Defenders in Iran Campaign coordinators are ready to provide detailed information about the status of women detainees.

The coordinators are willing to put reporters and news agencies in touch with the families and lawyers of the women in custody. The campaign coordinators can be contacted by phone or email.

Soheila Vahdati, soheilavahdati@gmail.com +1.510.813.7786

Sanam Dolatshahi, sanamdi@gmail.com +1.352.359.3789

Mahbubeh Abbasgholizadeh is the editor of the Zanan quarterly journal and is a key member of the Campaign Against Stoning. She has also served as the director of the NGO Training Center. In November 2004, Mahboobeh Abbasgholozadeh was arrested as a result of her activism on women’s rights and was detained for over a month.

Shadi Sadr is a prominent lawyer, journalist, and activist. She founded Zanan-e Iran, the first website dedicated to the work of Iranian women’s rights activists, and she has written numerous articles and several books on the subject of Iranian women and their legal rights. Shadi Sadr has represented a number of persecuted activists and journalists and has donated her time in successfully overturning the convictions of several women sentenced to execution.

Jila Baniyaghoub is a well-known journalist. She is the editor of the website of the Iranian Women’s Society and the editor of the society and women’s sections of Sarmaye newspaper . She is best-known for her book on Iranian women’s journalism and for her reports from Iraq and Afghanistan.

More Protests

Kamangir | March 8, 2007 | Category Iran

1- For March 8th, women’s movements have declared a protest in front of the parliament, without any banners, “to avoid more arrests” (link).

2- More than 20 teachers were arrested overnight (link). They are the organizers of the current series of protests in front of the parliament.

I feel pity for the old dictators. They are weak and everyone knows that.

Five Poor People Less

Kamangir | March 8, 2007 | Category Iran

According to Tehran-Emrooz, yesterday in the morning, five executions were carried out in Evin Prison,

1- Three years ago, Adel and his wife came to Tehran, to visit a shrine south of Tehran. There, they took a taxi to go somewhere, but when the driver asked for a fare about 50c more than what Adel had in mind, he stabbed him to death.

2- Mohammad Reza went to his friend’s photography store to ask him to return the $2000 he owed him. A fight started and he hit him in the head by a sculpture. He was captured while pulling his body around and shouting “I killed him”.

3-Mohammad Hasan tried to steal pet pigeons from a rooftop when he saw two teenagers sleeping there. He hit the younger boy in the head when he saw him. Then the older brother woke up, only to be stabbed by him. He was then surrendered to the Police by his father.

4,5- Siamak and Babak killed the owner of an automobile gallery.

A sixth man was planned to be hung up for killing his brother in law. He was given six months to pay the ransom.

“The Revolt of Women”, Update

Kamangir | March 8, 2007 | Category Iran

1- According to Parastoo, who was released earlier, all arrested women except for Shadi Sadr, Mahboubeb Abbasgholizadeh, and Jila Bani Yaghoub are set free.

2- More than 620 activists wrote an open letter to the head of the Judiciary. The letter refers to Article 27 in the constitution and asks for the immediate release of the detainees.

Article 27 [Freedom of Assembly]
Public gatherings and marches may be freely held, provided arms are not carried and that they are not detrimental to the fundamental principles of Islam.

3-This is a song sang a few years ago by the arrested women. It starts with this,

The time for being a slave has passed.

Another world is possible.

Our efforts will build it.

This is the voice of freedom.

This voice is the revolt of women.

The freedom of women is possible.

This movement will make it happen.

Thanks to Haleh for the link.[audio:http://kamangir.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/znan.mp3]