Global Voices » Fred Petrossian

Iran: LGBT, an online reality?

Fred Petrossian — Wed, 30 May 2012 18:40:25 +0000

“LGBT Republic of Iran: An Online reality?” a new study published by “Small Media”,a London based non profit organization, shows how Iranian's LGBT communities use internet in their daily lives.

Iran: Deprivation of Medical Care Jeopardizes Blogger’s Life

Fred Petrossian — Sun, 27 May 2012 10:10:29 +0000

Hossein Ronaghi Maleki, Iranian blogger, is in dire condition serving 15-year prison term.Father says months-long torture caused kidney failure.

Iran: “Let's Save Lake Urmia With Our Tears”

Fred Petrossian — Wed, 23 May 2012 21:45:15 +0000

Protesters fighting to save Lake Urmia in Iran from permanent environmental damage have not given up. On May 21, 2012, once again people in Urmia and several other cities in the Azerbaijan region of Iran have called on the government to save the dying Lake Urmia, one of the world's largest salt water lakes. In Khoy (photo above) protesters hung a banner on a bridge saying “the death of Lake Urmia is the death of Azerbaijan.” One blogger published a cartoon saying “Let's save Lake Urmia with our tears.”

Here are a couple of videos shared by Iranian citizens of demonstrations in Urmia.

Heavy security presence

Police strike back

Iran: Cyber Hezbollah Meeting

Fred Petrossian — Wed, 23 May 2012 05:41:34 +0000

Farsnews reported “Cyber Hezbollah' will hold its eighth meeting in Tehran on Wendesday.One of main points of discussion is Shahin Najafi's “insults regarding one Shi'ite Saint.”

Iran: Hadi Net,a new religious Social Networking

Fred Petrossian — Wed, 23 May 2012 05:31:45 +0000

Islamic Republic has launched a new social networking called “Hadi Net“. Iranian media reported[fa] this social networking is an answer to Shahin Najafi's “insults regarding one Shi'ite Imam.”

Iran: Protesting against Google

Fred Petrossian — Sun, 20 May 2012 10:44:32 +0000

Iranians have been complaining that Google Maps now has no name on the body of water called the Persian Gulf.IranFarda says [fa] Mr.Google do you like we call you, Yahoo?

Iran: Buying book can become dangerous

Fred Petrossian — Sun, 20 May 2012 10:30:30 +0000

Several bloggers published a photo where a woman pushed to the ground by the security forces in a book fair. Gargagarga writes it happens in book fair and everybody is watching. It seems people get used to seeing such scenes.

Iran: A blogger was arrested

Fred Petrossian — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:03:20 +0000

Iranian cyber police (Fata) announced [fa] a blogger in the northern city of Rasht was arrested. The blogger was accused of writing in his blog against Rasht's authorities and trying to “disturb public opinion”.
Iranian police did not mention the blogger's name.

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: Calls for killing of ‘apostate’ rap artist

Fred Petrossian — Fri, 11 May 2012 22:38:30 +0000

Several bloggers announced their support to Shahin Najafi, Europe based Iran singer.A Shi’ite cleric, has issued a death sentence against rap artist Shahin Najafi for apostasy. The sentence was issued after Najafi released a controversial song called “Naqi” (a Shi'ite saint).

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.

Iran: Cockroaches and New Hijab Crackdown

Fred Petrossian — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 11:54:04 +0000

Iranian bloggers protested against security forces who launched new hijab(veil) crackdown in Tehran. A Balatarin user published a photo of two agents and write they are like cockroaches when the weather becomes hot, they reappear.

Iran: Jailed blogger's open letter to Head of the Judiciary

Fred Petrossian — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 11:40:36 +0000

Jailed blogger and human rights activist,Hossein Ronaghi Maleki,wrote [fa] an open letter to Iranian Head of the Judiciary,Amoli Larijani to protest against his conditions. The blogger says he refuses to be operated in prison and he wants to go to hospital.

Iran: Opposition sites under cyber attack

Fred Petrossian — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:21:18 +0000

Several blogs and sites reported [fa] in recent days several Iranian reformist and green sites such as daneshjoonews have been under cyber attack.

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