Clipmarks | arifsali's 'iran' clips

BBC NEWS: INSIDE IRAN

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 03:39:54 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Rageh Omaar embarks on a unique journey inside what he describes as one of the most misunderstood countries in the world, looking at the country through the eyes of people rarely heard - ordinary Iranians.

It took a year of wrangling to get permission to film inside Iran but the result is an amazing portrayal of an energetic and vibrant country that is completely different to the usual images seen in the media.

This film is not political at all. It does not discuss the nuclear debate or American intervention in Iran. We posted it because its very interesting and we feel that the Iranian people have been misrepresented in the media. Historically, before every war politicians and the media paint the enemy as very differenent from ourselves. Its easier to hate or fear when you dont understand or relate to your enemy.

Tags: iran, documentary, film

Forget Harvard—one of the world's best undergraduate colleges is in Iran

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:21:21 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.newsweek.com

In 2003, administrators at Stanford University's Electrical Engineering Department were startled when a group of foreign students aced the notoriously difficult Ph.D. entrance exam, getting some of the highest scores ever. That the whiz kids weren't American wasn't odd; students from Asia and elsewhere excel in U.S. programs. The surprising thing, say Stanford administrators, is that the majority came from one country and one school: Sharif University of Science and Technology in Iran.

Stanford has become a favorite destination of Sharif grads. Bruce A. Wooley, a former chair of the Electrical Engineering Department, has said that's because Sharif now has one of the best undergraduate electrical-engineering programs in the world. That's no small praise given its competition: MIT, Caltech and Stanford in the United States, Tsinghua in China and Cambridge in Britain.

Tags: iran, education

Kiarostami - the godfather of Iranian cinema

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:55:49 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: Looking at Tazieh clearly invites westerners to step into Iranians' shoes. "Of course, I feel pain when I see that my country is considered evil," he says. "So in all my films, my wish is to give a kinder and a warmer image of human beings and of my country. Every morning, when I wake up, I have to say hello to my neighbours. And this is what I like to show in my films: friendship, love between people".

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Kiarostami - the godfather of Iranian cinema, a director who has won so many international awards that he long ago stopped accepting them - still seems very much the outsider in the western cities that celebrate him as one of the greatest film-makers of all time. Unlike other Iranian directors who fled abroad, he still lives in Tehran, despite a regime that has not permitted his films to be shown there for the past 10 years. Yet Kiarostami does not overtly preach politics, saying the regime does its thing, he does his - his thing being to capture Iranians' everyday lives with a tenderness and gentle humour that makes western audiences melt.

At a time when Iran has been cast as the very axle of the "axis of evil", Kiarostami reminds us that there are real people living there; his work invites us to form a bond with them, creating "a feeling of empathy between people who have nothing in common". He says: "That's really my definition of art. Art's only mission is to make people feel closer

Tags: iran, art, films

How Tenet Betrayed the CIA on WMD in Iraq

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 06:15:59 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: Habbush explained to the British official that Saddam tried to maintain the impression that he did have such weapons in order to impress Iran.

Suskind writes that the head of MI6, Richard Dearlove, flew to Washington to present details of the Habbush report to Tenet, who then briefed National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice. Soon after that, the CIA informed the British that the Bush administration was not interested in keeping the Habbush channel open, according to Suskind’s account.

Clip Source: www.ipsnews.net

Journalist Ron Suskind’s revelation that Saddam Hussein’s intelligence chief was a prewar intelligence source reporting to the British that Saddam had no weapons of mass destruction (WMD) adds yet another dimension to the systematic effort by then Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director George Tenet to quash any evidence -- no matter how credible -- that conflicted with the George W. Bush administration’s propaganda line that Saddam was actively pursuing a nuclear weapons programme.

According to Suskind’s new book, ‘The Way of the World’, Iraqi Director of Intelligence Tahir Jalil Habbush al-Tikriti had been passing on sensitive intelligence to the UK’s MI6 intelligence service for more than a year before the U.S invasion. In early 2003, Suskind writes, Habbush told MI6 official Michael Shipster in Jordan that Saddam had ended his nuclear programme in 1991 and his biological weapons programme in 1996.

Tags: iraq, bush administration

Women of Cover

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 05:22:15 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: Interesting blog post

Clip Source: www.paulstravelblog.com

In our travels thus far through the Middle East, we've seen a variety of different styles of cover for women, and I thought that it would be interesting to compare them. Please note that this is intended to be something of a fashion post, rather than a post debating the hejab (Islamic dress code) itself. [Note: None of the individuals pictured was a source of any information for this or any post.]

Young women in Syria. In Syria, the scarf is very much a fashion accessory in addition to a religious and customary expectation. In the big cities, many women choose to go without.

Ladies' police uniforms, Bahrain

Television personality, Bahrain

Trendy mother and daughter, Iran

We never confirmed this, but this style of headscarf must be required in schools and certain jobs, as they are quite common in Iran.

Getting away with showing a lot of hair, Iran

Kuwait. Kuwaiti women all seem to wear their hair in huge buns.

Bahrain

A bedouin woman, looking quite stylish in Aleppo, Syria

India

Tags: women

Iran's stunning wooden village

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:02:56 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: deputy-dog.com

Tags: iran

The dilemma of anti-extremist Pakistanis

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:03:00 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: The whole piece is worth reading.

Clip Source: icga.blogspot.com

Yesterday the New York Times ran a front-page article on the growth of al-Qaida in Pakistan and the failure of the Bush administration to devise any strategy to confront it.

(Instead they are apparently thinking again about attacking Iran.

As usual, the Times article presented the alternatives as do nothing, Predator missile strikes, or invasion by U.S. Special Forces, without any discussion of competing Pakistani and Pashtun political agendas for the tribal agencies.

American hypocrisy has played into the hands of Islamic militants. They have been vigorously promoting the notion that this is a bipolar conflict of Islam, which they claim to represent, versus imperialism. Many Pakistanis, who desperately want someone to stand up to the Americans, buy into this.

According to Khattak, one part of the "government of Pakistan" is at war with groups created by another part of the "government of Pakistan." A policy toward "Pakistan" cannot address this problem.

Tags: terrorism, united states, pakistan

Afghanistan’s international donors

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:37:09 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: This is a good break down of what people have committed and have delivered, I would click on the source to see it in color to make some sense. You may also find recent news at the source on the conference which was held with all the top statesmen of the world.

Clip Source: ismailimail.wordpress.com

Reuters - Afghanistan will ask international donors at a Paris conference on Thursday for $50 billion over five years to bolster its economy.

Following is a breakdown of the nearly $25 billion donated for Afghanistan’s reconstruction since 2001

DONOR AID DISBURSED / AID COMMITTED BUT NOT DISBURSED

United States 5022.9 5377
Japan 1393.52 16.9
United Kingdom 16.3 188.87
European Commission 1074.1 646.68
World Bank 852.72 750.72
Germany 767.84 458.2
Canada 730.71 48.12
Asian Development Bank 547.8 1009.7
Italy 424.41 0
Netherlands 407.1 85.5
Norway 277 122.3
Sweden 217.26 41.15
Iran 213.87 13.89
ECHO* 207.68 2.23
India 204.26 650.85
Australia 194.81 0
U.N. agencies** 171 0
Denmark 152.79 59.38
Russia 139 0
Aga Khan Foundation 119.3 0
France 79.93 29.47
Saudi Arabia 76.9 30
Finland 64.06 29.92
Switzerland 51.55 43.96
China 41 20.35
Spain 25.6 37.15
Turkey 20.8 22.82

Tags: afghanistan, aid

Where Are Those Iranian Weapons in Iraq?

Thu, 22 May 2008 20:39:12 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.ipsnews.net

The U.S. military command in Iraq continues to talk about an alleged pipeline of Iranian weapons to Iraqi Shiites opposing the U.S. occupation, implying that they have become dependent on Iran for indirect-fire weapons and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs).

But U.S. officials have failed thus far to provide evidence that would support that claim, and a long-delayed U.S. military report on Iranian arms is unlikely to offer any data on what proportion of the weapons in the hands of Shiite fighters are from Iran and what proportion comes from purchases on the open market.

When Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner was asked that question at a briefing May 8, he did not answer it directly. Instead Bergner reverted to a standard U.S. military line that these groups "could not do what they're doing without the support of foreign support [sic]." Then he defined "foreign support" to include training and funding as well as weapons, implicitly conceding that he did not have much of a case based on weapons alone.

Tags: iraq, iran, united states, politics, weapons, war

11-Year-Old Wins National Geographic Bee

Thu, 22 May 2008 20:24:25 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

Eleven-year-old Akshay Rajagopal knew, and with the answer—Bolivia—he won the 20th annual National Geographic Bee today in Washington, D.C.

The national finals tested the geographic knowledge of 55 U.S. students in fourth through eighth grade—each contestant was already a winner at the state or territory level. Each finalist is allowed one wrong answer.

Asked what country lies east of Iran and holds the city of Balkh—the supposed birthplace of the ancient 13th-century Persian poet Rumi—Rajagopal wasn't sure.

With magic marker, he wrote "Afghanistan" on his card. His guess was right.

(Watch video of the final tense minutes of the bee.)

Tags: knowledge, geography

Baha'is worried about Iranian community

Wed, 21 May 2008 03:06:44 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.jpost.com

The head of the Baha'i International Community, based in Haifa, said Tuesday that last week's arrest of seven Baha'i leaders was the latest in an ongoing wave of persecution in Iran that has been escalating since the beginning of 2008.

"The latest incident is a ripple on the top of a wave," said Albert Lincoln, secretary-general of the Baha'i International Community. "It is just the tip of the iceberg."

Lincoln said that over the past few months, there have been numerous incidents of arson, threats, kidnappings and beatings directed at the Baha'i community of 300,000 in Iran.

"People's houses and shops are being burned or bulldozed down, they are being kidnapped and beaten. Baha'i cemeteries are being plowed up, and members of the Baha'i community who have worked for the state of Iran for decades and are now retired are being asked to pay back the pensions they have received," he said.

Tags: iran, minorities

Iranian Clerics Tell the President to Leave the Theology to Them

Wed, 21 May 2008 02:51:08 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

TEHRAN — In his almost three years as president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been harshly criticized in the West. But he is increasingly drawing fire from Shiite clerics here, who accuse him of using religion to distract attention from his government’s failure to deliver on promises of prosperity and political freedoms.

In a news conference last week, the president lashed out at those who were “insulting and mocking” him about a Shiite belief that he said was based on Islamic teachings.

“Mr. Ahmadinejad’s remarks are common beliefs in Shiite Islam, but they were never brought up in politics and for political purposes by a noncleric,” said Farid Moddaressi, a religion reporter in Tehran. “Mr. Ahmadinejad’s views come from a religion which is defined by its clerics, but they believe that he is not a religious authority to make such remarks.”

Tags: iran, religion, politics

Tehran Opens Controversial Women-Only Park

Tue, 20 May 2008 03:36:56 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: So what do they do in this park which we can't see?

Clip Source: www.rferl.org

In an official ceremony in Tehran this week, Mayor Mohammad Baqir Ghalibaf opened a new, sex-segregated park designed exclusively for women's leisure and sport.

In the new park, called "Mothers' Paradise," women can walk, jog, and engage in other athletic activities without having to cover their heads.

Men can reportedly not see inside the park since it is surrounded by green walls and covered by bright-colored materials.

Some Tehran residents welcomed the launch of the park as an opportunity for women to act freely. Many others, however, criticized it as yet another step in what they call widespread discrimination against women.

Tags: women, iran

US confession: Weapons were not made in Iran after all

Wed, 14 May 2008 20:56:07 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.campaigniran.org

In a sharp reversal of its longstanding accusations against Iran arming militants in Iraq , the US military has made an unprecedented albeit quiet confession: the weapons they had recently found in Iraq were not made in Iran at all.

According to a report by the LA Times correspondent Tina Susman in Baghdad: “A plan to show some alleged Iranian-supplied explosives to journalists last week in Karbala and then destroy them was canceled after the United States realized none of them was from Iran. A U.S. military spokesman attributed the confusion to a misunderstanding that emerged after an Iraqi Army general in Karbala erroneously reported the items were of Iranian origin. When U.S. explosives experts went to investigate, they discovered they were not Iranian after all.”

Tags: iran, united states, politics

Hotelier's passion for Persia given free rein on Iranian island

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:50:31 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.iht.com

The indoor dolphin show was in full swing as Hossein Sabet walked in to a burst of applause from the 1,200 people in attendance. Clad in tight beige equestrian pants and long black boots, he waved at the crowd and went straight to his office behind the pool.

Sabet, 58, an Iranian expatriate who spends most of his time in Germany, is no performer, however. He is a businessman and something of a local legend, having invested more than $300 million here in hotels and attractions like the dolphin show, the only one in the Middle East.

He has built this island's fanciest establishment, the Dariush Grand Hotel, modeled after the Persian capital of Persepolis, which dates from 500 B.C. He also owns 11 hotels in Europe and the Canary Islands.

One of the Iranian islands in the Gulf, Kish is accessible to foreigners without a visa and to Iranians looking to vacation in a relatively relaxed atmosphere, though things are not as relaxed now as they were before President

Ahmadinejad came to power

Tags: iran, development