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POPSIranians Rape Virgin Girls Before Executing Them
And they would always fight back, so we would have to put sleeping pills in their food. By morning the girls would have an empty expression; it seemed like they were ready or wanted to die. "I remember hearing them cry and scream after was over," he said. "I will never forget how this one girl clawed at her own face and neck with her finger nails afterwards. She had deep scratches all over her." Apparently, this was known. From a book review in 2002: It remains to be said that the fate of women in the prisons of the Iranian Islamic Revolution is worse than the fate of men. It is not necessarily because women are less resistant and less tolerant to torture, but because women are considered from the theological perspective of the Iranian regime to be an element of seduction, and their bodies a place of evil and impurity. The torture of a woman's body may take the form of rape. Despite the necessity of secrecy that imposes itself in these cases . . .
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POPSShowdown as Mousavi Attends Friday Prayers In his sermon broadcast live on radio nationwide, Rafsanjani reprimanded the clerical leadership for not listening to the controversy over the election, which was declared a victory for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in results that Mousavi's supporters say were fraudulent. "Doubt has been created (about the election results)," Rafsanjani said. "There is a large portion of the wise people who say they have doubts. We need to take action to remove this doubt." Rafsanjani couched his sermon in calls for unity in support of Iran's Islamic Republic. But his sermon was an unmistakable " if implicit " challenge to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has declared Ahmadinejad's victory valid and demanded an end to questioning of the results. Rafsanjani said the people's voice must be considered. "We believe in the Islamic Republic ... they have to stand together," he said. "If 'Islamic' doesn't exist, we will go astray. And if 'republic' is not there,
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POPSAli Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Friday Prayer A caller to EPersianRadio.com says he is a former Revolutionary Guard member. Via a reader, "He said that mentally it's so hard, that the basiji forces may not be able to hold up. He said he served 10 years ago and he knows what goes in their mind and how much effect it has on them. Otherwise, why are they asking for volunteers now? He said when they were on alert he couldn't get any sleep and he knows how scared the forces are themselves." 9:01 AM ET -- Demonstrators reportedly swarming state media HQ. Iranians calling into EPersianRadio.com say that large crowds have gathered outside the headquarters of the state media outlet IRIB. One caller said the building was surrounded by thousands of people, and that demonstrators were trying to break in. 9:25 AM ET -- "Something profound has changed." "Iranians are losing their fear and mock the official line." http://www.flickr.com/photos/fhashemi (486 items)
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POPSThe Green Brief #25 by Josh Shahryar 5.Ayatollah Montazeri has released a Fatwa that is very supportive of protesters and their cause. In the Fatwa, Montazeri "condemned violence against protesters as un-Islamic." He's pleaded with the government to not play with the name of Shi'ism and Islam with their actions. He hinted that Khamenei's leadership is standing against Islam, human rationale and National interests " and that he was clearly in the wrong. Reports of Ayatollah Ustadi - Qom's temporary Friday Prayer's Imam - resigning his position and calling a strike could not be confirmed. 6.In an open letter released to the media, the women's wing of Mousavi's Participation Front have said that Iranian mothers were awaiting the release of their loved ones with teary eyes and aching hearts. Government / International 7.Iranian Foreign Minister, Manuchehr Motaki, has stated that Iran is willing to discuss issues with the West, but claimed that the government was going to present a package of issues for discussion "
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POPSThe Green Brief #23 18tir Jul 9, 2009 People were joined by their wives, fathers, mothers and children. Contrary to most reports, many elderly people were also reported to have joined the protests. At times, pedestrians would join protesters in order to increase their numbers " making it more difficult for security forces to attack. 4. Protesters chanted "Mir Hossein, Ya Hossein!" and "Death to the Dictator." Strangely enough, some slogans were directed at Mojtaba Khamenei " the son of Ayatollah Khamenei. Mojtaba Khamenei has allegedly taken control of the Basiji and is heavily involved in the government's attempt at brutally suppressing the protests. 5. Estimating how many people actually gathered in Tehran is almost impossible. What can be safely asserted, from eyewitness accounts and examination of videos, is that the numbers were more than 35,000 - that's including all the protesters and some pedestrians who joined them. Again, this number is only an estimate. http://greenbrief.newsvine.com/
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POPSThe Green Brief #16 @Iran_Translator(July 02) 4. Samareh Hashemi, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's campaign manager, told PressTV today that the SMS outage and cell phone service restrictions were put in place to "ensure security" 5. More international pressure is being mounted on Iran's Government. There will be an EU meeting next week where it is reported that member nations will consider pulling their ambassadors from Iran. 6. Al-Arabiya's website has stated that an Egyptian lawyer belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, Mamdouh Ismail has filed a complaint in Egypt's Prosecutor General's Office. He has asked them to ban Ahmadinejad from entering Egypt next month to attend a diplomatic meeting. He has accused Ahmadinejad of winning the election erroneously and for insulting two of Prophet Mohammed's companions. 7. Seven people were arrested in Qazvin today in connection with the protests. The head of Participation Front in Hormozgan Province, Mr. Ramezanpour, was also arrested.
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POPSReport: Hospitalized Iranians Seized "The point is, when they are being taken to the hospital they don't actually get there," her friend who accompanied her told CNN last week. "Just like the reporters are being told not to report what they really see. Human Rights Watch, citing interviews with people in Iran, said Friday the Basij is carrying out brutal nighttime raids, destroying property in private homes and beating civilians in an attempt to stop nightly rooftop chants of "Allahu Akbar" (God is great). The nighttime chanting is emblematic of the protests 30 years ago during the Iranian revolution, which toppled the monarchy of the shah. "While most of the world's attention is focused on the beatings in the streets of Iran during the day, the Basiji are carrying out brutal raids on people's apartments during the night," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director for Human Rights Watch. Residents from northern Tehran neighborhoods told Human Rights Watch that the Basij fired live rounds into the air . . .
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POPSIranian Suffering Dwarfed By Jackson Death Is the West morally bankrupt? If the media is correct, and more people are interested in Michael Jackson's death that what's being done to protesters in Iran, then the answer would seem to be yes.
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POPSMore Iran News Friday, June 26, 2009 The Spirit of Man ~ History, Liberty & Destiny *** Just talked to a relative who said it is really hard to access Persian news channels of VOA and BBC through satellite receivers. Most channels are jammed for most of the day and internet is basically shut off. Some SMS services are restored and city of Tehran looks like a combat zone with thousands of Basiji militias roaming the city arresting or harassing any one who could appear like a protester or a trouble maker. Surely, the US is not willing to help. I guess it makes the room for EU, Canada and Israelis to come to our aid.
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POPSIran Crisis 25 June 2009 Youtube commentors offer these translations: Basically: last night several man in military uniforms with arabic accents attacked this building and several others in the same street. They broke the door, and made their way into the building all the way to the rooftop, and broke the a/c units, throwing some of them to the street. They also broke the cars in the street. 6.18pm: A reliable twitterer says that a group of mourners went to Neda Agha-Soltan's grave today but were turned back by security forces, who consisted of the usual mix of riot police, plain clothes cops and basiji militiamen. The twitter says they detained people who were carrying green signs or refused an order to disperse. 6.12pm: Our video production team knit together this montage of amateur footage from yesterday's protests. Amateur videos of clashes between protesters and the authorities in Tehran continue to be posted online
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POPSThe Latest From Iran What should President Obama do about Iran? He can do what he does best: Talk. He should roll out the TOTUS and give the Iranian mullahs and moguls an old-fashioned spanking. Complete with direct quotes from the Koran. Alas, this will not happen. Dr. Charles Krauthammer this week said of President Obama: “All hangs in the balance. The Khamenei regime is deciding whether to do a Tiananmen. And what side is the Obama administration taking? None.” Ouch. I feel the pain not for the target of Dr. Krauthammer’s words, but for the rest of us. 53% of the nation gave 100% of the world a leader of the free world someone who, when danger comes, dares to vote " present. Such a timorous approach to adversity is decidedly James Buchanan-like, as opposed to Harry Trumanesque or John Kennedyesque. There is much intelligence in not taking unnecessary risks. There is greater ignorance in trying to avoid all risks at all times.
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POPS No Happy Ending …? Neutrality Isn’t an Option By Mark Steyn You always have a dog in the fight, whether you know it or not. “Supreme Leader”? I thought that was official house style for Barack Obama at Newsweek and MSNBC. But no. It’s also the title held by Ayatollah Khamenei for the last couple of decades. If it sounds odd from the lips of an American president, that’s because none has ever been as deferential in observing the Islamic republic’s dictatorial protocol. Like President Obama’s deep, ostentatious bow to the king of Saudi Arabia, it signals a fresh start in our relations with the Muslim world, “mutually respectful” and unilaterally fawning. And how did it go down? At Friday prayers in Tehran, Ayotollah Khamenei attacked “dirty Zionists” and “bad British radio” (presumably a reference to the BBC’s Farsi news service rather than the non-stop Herman’s Hermits marathon on Supergold Oldies FM). http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MDlhMmZmY2I1MjI0MTZlNDBhZmI3N2Y3ZDk2ZGZlYjA=
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POPSWhat Is Freedom Worth? These are moments in history whose salience it is simply impossible to know as they happen. But today has already demonstrated both the total bankruptcy of the current Iranian regime and the immense bravery, humanity and genius of the Iranian people. 1.45 pm. Shiraz erupts. 1.44 pm. Via NIAC, translation of the chants: “I welcome death I welcome death But not subjugation But not subjugation” 1.36 pm. Kristol and Hayes want Obama to say what the regime now falsely accuses him of saying. No, they won't learn. Their ideology is too rigid for actual judgment and their partisanship too deep to support the president at a moment like this. 1.33 pm. Kevin Sullivan: "There is a list of embassies in Tehran floating around, as injured protesters are being encouraged to go to them instead of hospitals. The hospitals are very like stocked full of Basijis. Question: If the embassies become overwhelmed, what happens then? In 1906, over 10,000 Persian constitutionalists occupied
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POPSIran protests: live blogging @Guardian 2.15pm: Witnesses: police using tear gas, water cannons to disperse thousands of protesters in Tehran, says a flash on AP. Supporters of defeated reformist presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi demonstrate in Tehran, Iran. Photograph: Getty Images/Getty Images 2.25pm: One person has been killed in an explosion near the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in Tehran, according to the Fars News Agency. Two people were injured, Reuters quotes it saying. State TV has the same report, according to AP. 2.20pm: There are heavy clashes on Azadi Street, and chants of death to Khamenei, according to this regularly updated live blog from Iran. It also reports intense clashes on Enghelab Square. It's impossible to verify this at the moment. 2.15pm: Witnesses: police using tear gas, water cannons to disperse thousands of protesters in Tehran, says a flash on AP. Realtime results for #iranelection @TWITTER http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23iranelection
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POPS Deadly Game British special forces have carried out several operations inside Iran in recent months in an attempt to prevent the Revolutionary Guard's Al-Quds force from shipping weapons to Iraq.
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POPSIran's parallel judicial system From source: This is true even if the killer mistakenly identified the victim as corrupt. In that case, the law requires "blood money" to be paid to the family. Every year in Iran, a senior cleric determines the amount of blood money required in such cases. This year it is $40,000 if the victim is a Muslim man, and half that for a Muslim woman or a non-Muslim. Hossein Nejad Malayeri, the brother of Gholamreza Nejad Malayeri, who was killed by the group in Kerman, said: "Such laws are not acceptable in our society today. That means if somebody has money, he can kill, and claim the victim was corrupt."
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POPS Ahmadinejad's Demons The sacrifice of the Basiji was ghastly. And yet, today, it is a source not of national shame, but of growing pride."We had child-volunteers: 14-, 15-, and 16-year-olds. They went into the minefields. Their eyes saw nothing. Their ears heard nothing. And then, a few moments later, one saw clouds of dust. When the dust had settled again, there was nothing more to be seen of them. Somewhere, widely scattered in the landscape, there lay scraps of burnt flesh and pieces of bone." Such scenes would henceforth be avoided, Ettelaat assured its readers. "Before entering the minefields, the children wrap themselves in blankets and they roll on the ground, so that their body parts stay together after the explosion of the mines and one can carry them to the graves."
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