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Iran: Successful campaign against lashes for cartoonist

Hadi Nili — Tue, 15 May 2012 07:53:22 +0000

An online campaign against lashes for Iranian cartoonist turned to be successful. Mahmoud Shokrayeh was sentenced to 25 lashes for a caricature of a local MP, Ahmad Lotfi. Iranian cartoonists launched a campaign on Facebook and cyberspace to draw Mr. Lotfi's cartoons in condemning this verdict. You can see some of this cartoons here. Eventually the MP announced that he is withdrawing his complaint.

Iran: Cartoonist Eludes Sentence of 25 Lashes for Drawing Politician

Fred Petrossian — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:05:45 +0000

Cartoon of Ahmad Lotfi Ashtyani that landed Mahmoud Shokraye in trouble with authorities.

An Iranian cartoonist, Mahmoud Shokraye, was sentenced [fa] to 25 whiplashes for drawing a cartoon of former conservative member of parliament, Ahmad Lotfi Ashtyani in Amir Nameh magazine in Arak.

A campaign to support the cartoonist was launched online, and several cartoonists drew cartoons in support of Mahmoud Shokraye.

It seems the campaign was successful, since finally the former politician withdrew his complaint [fa] on Monday, May 14, 2012.

Mana Neyestani, a leading Iranian cartoonist who has also been jailed for his cartoons, made a cartoon to support the cause.

Cartoon by Mana Neyestani from Mardomak.org

Vahid Nikgoo drew a cartoon where Ahmad Lotfi Ashtyani looks himself in a mirror and says, “When I take you to court and sentence you to lashes, you will learn not to show me like that.”

An image can be worth more than 1000 words, but in Iran a cartoon can cost you jail and lashes.

Iran: 28.5 millions have access to Internet

Hadi Nili — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:05:55 +0000

According to official statistics,28.5 millions of Iranians are estimated to have access to Internet connection in 1154 cities of Iran. This figures says more than 2.1 millions of this Iranian users have ADSL connection and the rest are connected via dial-up. Iranian government has restricting rules for Internet connection of citizens and only academic and business users can have broadband connections more than 128 kbps.

Iran: Government prohibits ‘foreign' mail services

Hadi Nili — Thu, 10 May 2012 11:26:44 +0000

Iran's minister of communications prohibited using ‘foreign' mail services like Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, Hotmail, and MSN, since he believes ‘they are tools for information leak'. Reza Taghipour has asked Iranian state offices, universities and companies to use Iranian mail services ‘which are hosted in Iran'.

Iran: Street Sweeper Finds and Returns $500,000

Fred Petrossian — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:44:08 +0000

Headlines about multi-million dollar corruption often dance across the front pages of Iranian newspapers. There is currently hot news about Iran's biggest bank fraud, allegedly by people with ties to the government.

But all of a sudden a piece of positive news shined in Iran and outside country: A street sweeper named Ahmad Rabani from Bojnourd, 700km from Tehran, found 1 billion Toman (about $570,000 US dollars) and returned it to the owner.

As thanks, he received a 200,000 Toman ($120 US dollars) reward.

Iranian blogger Unirani praises the street sweeper and calls his actions a lesson for Islamic Republic officials involved with corruption. The blogger writes [fa]:

… a man from the working class and a member of the municipality found 1 billion Toman in a bag and returned it to its owner. We realise the worthiness of his actions when we learn he lived in poverty because of dire economic situation in country. Naturally he could have kept the money, resigned from his job, and become one of these millionaires. But he did not do it. Let that be a lesson to those thieves and corrupt people who steal everything in the country and with their impure policies that create endless economic difficulties.

Another blogger, Pesarirouni writes about this story and says [fa]:

Dignity still exists… in a time when a brother has no mercy for a brother… I was born in a working class family and I can sympathise with all the difficulties these people face… I praise his dignity, and think he should get a medal of honor for his actions.

Del2del writes [fa] that Rabani must have overcome big temptations to return the money, since he estimates the amount of money would equal 166 years of a street sweeper's salary.

Accused of Molesting Children, Iranian Diplomat Leaves Brazil

Fred Petrossian — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:53:37 +0000

An Iranian diplomat based in the capital of Brazil, Brasilia, was accused of molesting underage girls at a swimming pool on April 14, 2012. The Iranian official was questioned by police following complaints from parents, and was eventually released after invoking diplomatic immunity. While Iran's embassy denied the allegations, and said they were the result of a “cultural misunderstanding”, netizens both from Iran and Brazil didn't take long to react.

According to a video report [pt] on Brazilian TV, witnesses said that the diplomat had been pretending to swim around the pool in a “duck-diving” manner. While underwater he allegedly fondled four girls between the ages of nine and fifteen, police said. Some of the girls began screaming and their parents confronted the man. After being questioned by police, the diplomat left the country.

Screenshot from a Brazilian TV report.

Iranians were astonished to hear the news and criticized the Islamic regime for imposing a strict gender separation in the country, while diplomats of the country enjoy swimming in a mixed swimming pool. They also ridiculed the excuse of “cultural misunderstanding”.

Azarakan writes with irony about “cultural misunderstanidng” and says [fa]:

I think the islamic republic is right about cultural difference because this regime has raped its own people for many years without shame… have you heard that one of the Islamic regime's representatives was caught for his dirty activities? Can the regime escape the pressure of international public opinion this time?

In Brazil reactions came up on Twitter. Magalhães A.S, questioned [pt]:

@tovaga: Justiça e grande justiça, para que servem? É justo que o diplomata iraniano com “imunidade diplomática” abuse de crianças do DF? Só no Irã

@tovaga: Justice and great justice, what for? Is it fair that the Iranian diplomat with “diplomatic immunity” abuses children in DF [Federal District]? Only in Iran

"Grandfather says how many times I told you not to swim in this pool, there is a diplomat here". Cartoon by Mana Neyestani in Mardomak (used with permission)

Conservative journalist Reinaldo Azevedo, on his blog, also critized [pt] the allegation of “cultural differences” in the note from the Embassy - wondering how such an incident would be solved in Iran - and added:

É muito atrevimento a embaixada de um país que vive sob uma ditadura religiosa, que trata a divergência na base da bala e do porrete, que discrimina as mulheres, que as condena ainda ao apedrejamento, criticar a imprensa de um país livre.

It is very bold for an embassy of a country living under religious dictatorship, which responds to divergence with bullets and sticks, that discriminates against women, that condemns them to being stoned, criticizes the press in a free country.

From Iran, Jomhouriat writes [fa]:

The Brazil scandal displays the fall of the Iranian regime's morality. This disaster is just a window for the world to learn about behaviour of representatives of the regime… in our prisons there are many cases of torture and rape.

This post was co-authored by Sara Moreira

Iran: Pet Dogs Seized by Security Forces Once Again

Fred Petrossian — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 21:32:33 +0000

Dogs Arrested by security forces in Tehran. Photo by Iranspca.com, used with permission.

Pet dogs have been arrested in Tehran, Iran again by security forces, and it's a deja vu of events in 2007 and 2011. Surreal but true. The Iranian Society for Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals report [fa] that last week about 20 dogs in Pardisan Park were arrested as their owners walked them. They were moved to a center, let's call it jail. Owners have so far failed to have their pets released them. The video below shows the creatures disturbed behind bars. It seems “man's best friend” is an enemy to the Islamic Republic.

Iran's government considers keeping pet dogs un-Islamic, but has mostly tolerated it. It is possible that because the people most likely to keep dogs are Iran's urban and educated youth, dogs may be generating more official hostility again.

Iran: Ahmadinejad's Car, A Woman, And a Hungry Old Man

Fred Petrossian — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 15:20:11 +0000

An online video showing a young woman jumping onto the hood of the car of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad while he was visiting Bandar-Abbass (a southern coastal city of Iran) on 10 April, 2012, is making a big splash.

The young woman speaks briefly to the president whose vehicle is surrounded by onlookers. Meanwhile, an old man also tries to approach Ahmadinejad. He cries out, “Ahmadinejad, I am hungry! Ahmadinejad, I am hungry!” Ahmadinejad keeps smiling and waving as he peers out from the sunroof of the car.

Curiously, while most western media have been talking about the girl, Iranian bloggers focused on the hungry old man.

Karansadr says [fa]:

This old man who shouts “I am hungry, I am retired” shows that all of Ahmadinejad's promises were false. We still remember when he said that Iran is the only country where there is no hunger.

Babak Dad writes [fa]:

One day, these people will ask us, “What were you doing when we used to struggle with hunger?” Do we have an answer? I have doubts.

Iran: Mad Graffiti Week for Political Prisoners

Fred Petrossian — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:01:00 +0000

From April 1-7, 2012 the Facebook group Mad Graffiti Week Iran called on everyone, to stencil in honor of hundreds of Iranian political prisoners.

People left their marks on shirts, fences, their homes and clothing.

The effort was inspired and supported by the Egyptian “Mad Graffiti Week” which drew thousands of followers in protest against the current military regime.

Linking the virtual world to the real

Here is a step by step guide on YouTube explaining how to make a stencil and use it in real world.

There are several photos from around the world shared in the Mad Graffiti Week Facebook photo album showing how people around the world supported the initiative.

Amsterdam

Oakland, California

Washington DC

Graffiti on behalf of Iranian prisoners has appeared in The Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Egypt, many United States cities and beyond, bringing the faces of political prisoners we have grown accustomed to seeing online into a real world environment.

Iran: Turning a Page on Racism Against Afghans

Fred Petrossian — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:01:33 +0000

Several bloggers expressed their disgust at learning that Afghans living in Isfahan, Iran were banned from a park by the authorities on April 1, 2012, the 13th day of Nowruz New Year celebrations. It is customary to mark this day by spending the day outdoors picnicking.

Although an official in Isfahan denied [fa] that Afghans had been targeted, a Facebook event was created to encourage Iranians to fight racism. The logo on the page says, “We are all Afghans”. Nearly 4000 people supported the campaign.

Aside from many legal Afghan immigrants and refugees, over one million undocumented Afghan refugees currently live in Iran, according to some reports.

Iranian blogger Sepid and Siah (meaning White and Black) says [fa]:

My Afghan brother and sister I am ashamed. I am ashamed that my country where you took refuge, is not a good host to you… But what can I expect from some people within establishment who try to humiliate you for years, they have already humiliated Iranians. But I am ashamed that my own people do not understand you.

Khorshidneshan writes [fa]:

Racism is one of the characteristics of Iranians. The problem is not only the Islamic Republic and a stupid official in Isfahan who orders to ban Afghans from gathering in park. The problem comes from us, [Iranian] people because we support it and do not protest… The discrimination against them is not a new thing. It is very difficult or impossible for Afghans to get an Iranian identity card even after living for long years in the country or marrying an Iranian.

Shahin Shar blog says [fa] let's end racism against Afghans today in Iran. The blogger has published several photos showing, in one case, how Afghans are banned from a swimming pool.

Because of the heavy censorship in Iran may we never know what really happened that day in the park. Meanwhile we can be sure that many Iranians know there is persistant discrimination against Afghans, and they wish to turn a page.

Iran's “Electronic Curtain” Animated by U.S. State Department

Fred Petrossian — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:55:46 +0000

In a message to Iranians on the occasion of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year on March 20, 2012, United States President Barack Obama condemned Iran for the creation of an “electronic curtain” which stops the free flow of information and ideas into the country.

Now the U.S. Department of State's Bureau for International Information Programs has released an animation about the electronic curtain on YouTube and is leveraging the internet to pass on the message. They encourage using the hashtag #ConnectIran.

The video is also available in Spanish and French, Chinese, and Russian.

Also on March 20, the U.S. Department of Treasury announced the easing of sanctions on some Internet services. See our interview with Iranians: Does Easing Internet Sanctions Make Any Difference?

Iran: Instagram users to lose access

Hadi Nili — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:32:40 +0000

A few hours after announcement on Facebook acquisition of famous mobile application Instagram, Iranian users are complaining about losing access to their older photos on the service. Mehrdad, based in Tehran, says [Fa]: ‘I can not load any image older than a couple of days without anti-filter tools'.

Iran: Electronic Curtain in Animation

Hadi Nili — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 08:31:00 +0000

Here is a video cartoon, portraying what Iranian users face in Iran for connecting to the Internet. The video invites online users around the world to follow #ConnectIran tag on twitter.

Iran: Earth Hour celebrated in Tehran

Hadi Nili — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 16:24:22 +0000

Iranians are going to celebrate the “Earth Hour” today Saturday 31st of March. Here in this Farsi-language website, Iranians are organizing the “Earth Hour” events, including turning-off lights for an hour ‘to protect the planet'. Parham, an Isfahan-based user, tweets: ‘They are going to turn off Si-o-se Pol (historical bridge) in Isfahan. I guess this is the first time I would see this bridge to be in darkness'.

Iran: Does Easing Internet Sanctions Make Any Difference?

Fred Petrossian — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:46:48 +0000

The U.S. Department of Treasury is easing sanctions on a list of services “incident to the exchange of personal communications over the Internet or software necessary to enable such services.”

According to an announcement on March 20, 2012, these services include Yahoo Messanger, Google Talk, Skype (non-fee based), Acrobat Reader, Flashplayer, Java and GoogleChrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer.

Most Iranian Internet users would this is welcome news, but will it make any real difference to Iranians? What services ought to be on the list? And what do Iranians in Iran think about it?

Five netizens share their opinion and knowledge with Global Voices below.

Impact: Curb your enthusiasm

Hadi Nili, a journalist and Global Voices author:

I guess such a decision would not mean so much to Iranians since they have already coped with this restrictions and there are many alternative ways for them to find access to what recently eased.

Tori Egherman, a civil society activist and American blogger who lived several years in Iran:

On one hand, this is a long time coming. On the other, it is a cosmetic change that won't do most Iranians much good. Bad economic policy combined with sanctions are crippling the economy so much that an internet connection will become a luxury for most in Iran. The problem with the sanctions is that the goal is to bring Iran to its knees, rather than promote a more open and democratic society. In the end, they are a gift to the regime and give them more control over the population.

Arash Kamangir, a blogger, researcher and jury member for Deutsche Welle's Best of Blogs (The BOBs):

The ultimate problem in Iran is how to connect to the Internet. How the person is going to interact with the net is a secondary question, quite often eclipsed by the primary one. But that doesn't mean that what has happened will not have any impact. The importance of the new developments is mostly psychological. It is helpful when Iranians can see the US is with them, and not against them. The easing of the sanctions can help in this respect.

Amin Sabeti, a blogger and freelance media analyst:

I don't think it has a significant impact on Iranians because they have already downloaded all of them from mirror websites or using VPNs to download GTalk, Yahoo Messenger, etc. But I believe this is good starting point that convince US companies to lift sanctions against Iranian users.

Mehid Yahyanejad, a Balatarin founder:

I think this will have a positive impact for the Internet users in Iran. The access of Iranians to Internet is mostly crippled by the Iranian government and there is are only limited things that the US government can do to make any impact in this regard.

Any missed services?

Our five netizens' choices are: PGP encryption, anti-virus software and their updates, the Android Market, VPNs and being being able to host a website outside of Iran.

Any news from inside?

Hadi Nili:

I have not seen so much enthusiasm and excitement over this recent decision. Iranians have already been coping with this restrictions. There have been some misapprehensions that they thought U.S. administrations is going to ease financial sanctions.

Tori Egherman:

Everyone I speak with is stressed about war, the economy, and the rising prices. No one I speak with has the energy or time for anything else. Today a dear friend told me jokingly, “This is our year of production. That's all we can do.”

Arash Kamangir:

Yes. There is some level of excitement. One major reaction to this development is that many of the services involve financial transactions, which is virtually an impossibility for Iranian residents. Some argue that with this decision private companies will be less anxious when doing business with Iranian customers.

Amin Sabeti:

The interesting point is feedbacks from Iran and I didn't find any feedbacks in social networks like Twitter, Friendfeed or Facebook! It proves my claim in 1st question that it hasn't a significant impact on Iranian users because they know how to solve their problems by downloading Skype, GTalk, etc by other means.

Mehdi Yahyanejad:

Not yet.