Flirting with the Islamic Republic, Salvation for Hossein Derakhshan (Updated)
By Kamangir • Jan 17th, 2008 • Category: Iran, Islamic RepublicHossein Deakhshan’s repeated attempts to be given the green light to go back to the country seem to have been accepted.
In August 2007 he wrote,
I wish the Islamic Republic.. would be tolerant enough to give financial support to any Iranian who was willing to get back to the country, whether or not they said their prayers, supported the veil, ate alcohol and pork, and supported the ideology of the Islamic Republic [Persian].
That was when he was in urgent need for financial support to pay off his tuitions. His appeals were followed by the state-run newspaper Kayhan citing his defamatory comments against figures in the Iranian opposition [Persian].
Today, the state-run national television recited one of his recent posts [Persian], in which he apologized for an article he wrote in the New Scientist back in 2006 and argued against the passion of the Islamic Republic for “nuclear energy”. “I apologize from the people of Iran for being stupid”, he was quoted by IRIB (direct link to video).
Update: Response from Hossein Derakhshan, received on February 6th, 2008,
Dear Arash,
Your recent post about me, titled ‘Flirting with the Islamic Republic, Salvation for Hossein Derakhshan’ is untruthful and unfair.
The Iranian state TV has decided on its own, without even with my knowledge or consent, to quote part of from my blog about a new rebirth of nuclear energy around the world which apparently they had liked. I have written that post exlusively in my blog, without having had any contact with anyone, or having recieved any money for it, as you imply. This could happen to anyone who publishes online, including yourself. Using it like this against me is very unfair.
I also see that you have twisted and selected my words in your translation of a post I had written a while ago about my tuition fee. This is the correct translation of that paragraph:
“To be honest, I wish the Islmaic Republic that controls the oil revenue which belong to all of us was tolerant enough, as shah was to students even critical of him with generously sponsorships, to financialy support the education in abroad of any Iranian student who would plan to go back to Iran, no matter what their atiitude toward praying, hejab, alcohol, pork or Velayat-e Faqih [as signs a devotee Muslim].”
Original:
http://sarkhod.blogspot.com/2007/08/blog-post_4190.html
http://i.hoder.com/archives/2007/08/070811_016359.shtmlI have never recieved any funding from any state, or state-related organization or individual and my Masters degree’s tution fee was funded by both my family and my own savings from my freelance web design work n the past few years.
I understand that we have major political differences, but that does not mean we can cross the lines of accuracy and fairness.
Thank you,
- Hossein Derakhshan
Posted by Kamangir
Author's email address: arash@kamangir.net | All posts by Kamangir
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Wouldn’t going back to Iran be tantamount to suicide, for Hossein Deakhshan? Apology or not, to the people of Iran, isn’t there an element of unforgivable danger from the Islamists in power?
Kamangir: I don’t think the people of Iran care about him. This apology, to my understanding, was not from them. It was from the regime. That is of course my personal opinion.
-That is too obscene a thought to comtemplate, Arash;
however in the light of your next post, about the torture and death of the Iranian student, maybe not.
Arash, do you think it’s possible Hossein is planning an “escape” back to Iran in case he cannot pay for Khalaji’s lawsuit?
Kamangir: I hadn’t even thought about this. Maybe yes. Though, even having the backing of the Islamic Republic propaganda would be enough for him to play the role of a victim, in case Khalaji manages to win the case.
Considering that Hossein Derakhshan has used foul language to insult you - and many others - on his blog on innumerable occasions, and given that he exposed your identity in a move that could have endangered your life or put your family’s safety at risk, I really find it *incredible* that he accuses you of being unfair to him with your fairly worded post. Is he making a feeble attempt at humour?
I also see no difference between your translation of the excerpt from Hoder’s post and his own translation - except that Hoder’s translation contains several errors in spelling, grammar and usage.
Finally, I find Hoder’s claim that “anyone” could have been quoted by Iran’s state-run media hilariously disingenuous. He knows very well that his blog is regularly quoted in Keyhan, and certainly he has enough connections in Iran to know when the government is paying attention to his writing.
I do agree that, in the end, it is pointless to speculate regarding the source of Hoder’s tuition funding. I suppose it’s none of our business, really, although his claim that he saved money from what he was paid for freelance web designing is laughable. Tuition in England is thousands of pounds per semester. Hossein has worked very little over the past few years and web designers are not paid that much.
I do admit, though, that I am curious as to how a man with poor-to-mediocre English and no undergraduate degree was accepted to a graduate program at a British university.