Welcome IRAQ!

Healing Iraq

When I was a kid/the tail end of my bike/had a red reflector/which glowed in the dark/like the eyes of a cat/illuminated by the headlights/of distant cars/Tiny bits of phosphorus/White phosphorus/illuminated the skies of Fallujah/five years ago/and now/infants are born there with two heads/or/without eyes.

by Iraqi Poet Sinan Antoon

by Slavoj Žižek in LRB

When an authoritarian regime approaches its final crisis, but before its actual collapse, a mysterious rupture often takes place. All of a sudden, people know the game is up: they simply cease to be afraid. [..]

There are many versions of last month’s events in Tehran. Some see in the protests the culmination of the pro-Western ‘reform movement’, something along the lines of the colour-coded revolutions in Ukraine and Georgia. [..]

The events in Iran can also be read as a comment on the platitudes of Obama’s Cairo speech, which focused on the dialogue between religions: no, we don’t need a dialogue between religions (or civilisations), we need a bond of political solidarity between those who struggle for justice in Muslim countries and those who participate in the same struggle elsewhere.

Two crucial observations follow. First, Ahmadinejad is not the hero of the Islamist poor, but a corrupt Islamofascist populist, a kind of Iranian Berlusconi whose mixture of clownish posturing and ruthless power politics is causing unease even among the ayatollahs. [..]

What all this means is that there is a genuinely liberatory potential in Islam: we don’t have to go back to the tenth century to find a ‘good’ Islam, we have it right here, in front of us. [..]

Is there a link between Ahmadinejad and Berlusconi? Isn’t it preposterous even to compare Ahmadinejad with a democratically elected Western leader? Unfortunately, it isn’t: the two are part of the same global process. [..]

‘If democracy means representation,’ Badiou writes in De quoi Sarkozy est-il le nom?, ‘it is first of all the representation of the general system that bears its forms. In other words: electoral democracy is only representative in so far as it is first of all the consensual representation of capitalism, or of what today has been renamed the “market economy”. This is its underlying corruption.’[..]

This is not to say that democratic elections should be despised; the point is only to insist that they are not in themselves an indication of the true state of affairs; as a rule, they tend to reflect the predominant doxa. [..]

Berlusconi acts more and more shamelessly: not only ignoring or neutralising legal investigations into his private business interests, but behaving in such a way as to undermine his dignity as head of state. [..]

The wager behind Berlusconi’s vulgarities is that the people will identify with him as embodying the mythic image of the average Italian: I am one of you, a little bit corrupt, in trouble with the law, in trouble with my wife because I’m attracted to other women. [..] Perhaps by laughing at Berlusconi we are already playing his game. [..]

Our governments righteously reject populist racism as ‘unreasonable’ by our democratic standards, and instead endorse ‘reasonably’ racist protective measures. ‘We grant ourselves permission to applaud African and Eastern European sportsmen, Asian doctors, Indian software programmers,’ today’s Brasillachs, some of them social democrats, are telling us. ‘We don’t want to kill anyone, we don’t want to organise any pogroms. But we also think that the best way to hinder the always unpredictable, violent actions of the instinctual anti-immigrant is to organise reasonable anti-immigrant protection.’ A clear passage from direct barbarism to Berlusconian barbarism with a human face. -- [link]

by Arash Salehi Shahrabi, special to Streamtime

More than a month after the controversial Iranian presidential elections of the 12th of June, this Friday protesters showed one more time that the game still is not over and in spite of the severe suppression still run rallies in the heart of Tehran.

But this Friday was in its nature something very unique; from the same tribune from which supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei approved the elections and threatened demonstrators to be suppressed, this Friday protesters and their leaders used that same stage to reflect their voice.
They gathered in the place for the Friday prayers in front of the University of Tehran and the surrounding streets to show their will and power.

But why did they chose this place, which is usually a turbine for attacking reformists?

The reason is that these Friday prayers were led by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the former president who had a critical approach towards Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; in the eve of elections and in a very rare letter Hashemi Rafsanjani had warned the supreme leader, and had asked Khamenei to guarantee people’s vote in the interests of the country itself; which many believe did not happen.

Another reason is that the Friday prayers are an established state ceremony that does not need permission. So thousands of people found this opportunity with their leader, including Mirhossein Mousavi who declared he is the winner of the elections instead of Ahmadinejad.

From an other side Mr Hashemi Rafsanjani perhaps made the most important political act and speech of his life. He is the head of the Council of Experts which *technically* can impeach the supreme leader. He also is the head of the Expediency Discernment Council of the System which has an important role in the general policies of Iran.

For Mr Hashemi Rafsanjani it was a very decisive day: supporting the supreme leader or the oppositions. He chose for the second and explicitly criticized the Presidential elections and its aftermath events.

While the supreme leader said the election was fair and free, he explicitly said that the people are not satisfied.

He criticized the guardian council which is the observer of the electoral process; it must be mentioned that the half of this council (six clerics) are directly appointed by the leader and most of the others are his supporters.

Mr. Rafsanjani also demanded to release the political prisoners that have been arrested after the elections, and for freedom of the media.

He also showed his regret over the National radio and television’s role during the elections; the Head of the National radio and television also is an appointee of the supreme leader.

Rafsanjani criticized in the Friday prayers the suppressing of the demonstrations after the elections and showed his sympathy with families who lost their relatives.

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said that the Quran refers to the “people” nearly 500 times. He said that Prophet Mohammad had told the first Shiite imam, Ali, that if the people do not want you, you cannot govern them by force; which means even a saint cannot be the head of society, so imagine ordinary people.

The Friday prayers were colored green this 17th July, and many people and youth for the first time participated in this ceremony. Even some Christians who wanted to show their solidarity participated!

It were the biggest Friday prayers ever since the Islamic revolution. But not every Friday prayers were tolerated by the establishment. Anti riot police and militia were there and beat up protesters, fired tear gas and arrested several of them.

The slogans were not “death to America” but “death to Russia and China”!

Friday was the revival of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and the day of the green movement of Iran.

ZMag

By Saeed Rahnema

-- The electoral coup and the subsequent uprising and suppression of the revolting voters in Iran have prompted all sorts of analyses in Western media from both the Right and the Left. The Right, mostly inspired by the neo-con ideology and reactionary perspectives, dreams of the re-creation of the Shah's Iran, looks for pro-American/pro-Israeli allies among the disgruntled Iranian public, and seeks an Eastern European type velvet revolution. As there is very little substance to these analyses, they are hardly worth much critical review; and one cannot expect them to try to understand the complexities of Iranian politics and society.

As for the Left in the West, confusions abound. -- /snap/ [link]

United for Iran

Skies

[Babel] -- "There is a book I see every now and then named “inventing Iraq”. The cover contains something like a war scene. There was something British in the cover but I cannot remember what it is now. And I got a friend with a big belly who said once: “Iraq is a wrong name, it is the wrong Arabic utterance of the word Iran, it is Iran where it came from, it is the origin”. An Arabic journalist asked Mithal Al Alusi once: “Have I heard you saying the Iraqi Nation? Is there an Iraqi nation?”

After I have seen all that I wanted to go more into the original neglected part of Babel.

The area was empty. With some fear in my heart I walked slowly into that area. I saw holes in the old walls, I thought about snakes. I thought about how far the medical clinic is from me. I stopped, changed my way into another area which was as old as the first but less frightening.
And in a matter of seconds I was next to Marduk.

Now that I am writing about that visit to Babel, I remembered my first experiences in Hilla. It is the Enuma Elish." snap/ [link]

3eeraqimedic

[UK] -- "Well to be honest, after the first episode my immediate response was what a load of c***p
But having persevered with the second episode I admit it is getting better

A BBC Ireland production, a drama of three episodes aired over three consecutive nights on BBC1.

The first episode tells the story of three “brave lads” from Manchester, soldiers in the first wave of “liberators” entering Basra in April 2003.

They are involved in a messy raid on a residential block of flats that ends with an explosion that costs one of their mates his leg, and nearly kills young Maysaa, an Iraqi girl, cue violins as brave Brit (James Nesbitt) runs across the screen carrying blood stained child into Basra hospital.

When the three return home, Maysaa and Aliyah her chain-smoking Iraqi doctor (Belgian / Moroccan Lubna Azabal) are flown to Manchester to receive treatment at the local hospital.

Within a year all three of our “brave lads” return to Basra." /snap/ [link]

Last-of-Iraqis

[Baghdad] -- "The US troops will withdraw from the Iraqi streets and be deployed in their bases and Iraq will gain its "sovereignty" as they say in the next few days, but what is behind the news? What is really happening on the ground? And what are the possible scenarios? And that will be what I'll discuss in this post.

 (More)

C.R.I.M.E. Report - Civil Rights in the Middle-East

-- Back in April The CRIME Report reported that Nokia had provided the Iranian regime with an advanced data monitoring center. The full implications of Nokia’s partnership did not become clear until a few days ago, when the Iranian government began arresting hundreds of peaceful dissenters tracked via intercepted wireless communications. In the wake of post-election protests, Iran has put Nokia’s technology to use on a massive scale.

Under the title “Nokia: Jailing People” (a parody of Nokia’s slogan “Connecting People”), an urgent campaign has been launched to pressure Nokia to immediately end its contract with the Iranian regime, disable its monitoring center, and explain how Iranians can circumvent the monitoring system. At the site www.NokiaNo.com, over five thousand people in just five days have signed a petition and simultaneously sent an email to Nokia executives. Supporters have pledged to boycott Nokia products until Nokia stops helping Iran jail peaceful dissenters. -- /snap/ [link]

Unheard Voice

-- Hanif Yazdi is an Iranian student in Dhaka. Last week, his grandfather was one of the hundreds arrested by the Iranian state in response to election protests. His op-ed addressed to the Bangladeshi people came out today in Daily Star:

Iran Protests
“I never, not in my wildest dreams, imagined that the first time I would vote in an Iranian election, I would be doing it in Bangladesh. On June 12, 2009, I voted at the Iranian embassy in Dhaka. I was proud to play my part, proud to ride a wave of hope that was sweeping our world. More than anything, I believed that this election would bring us a more just, humane, and representative government. The days that followed revealed in no ambiguous terms that the Iranian government had declared war on our people. The officials who were charged with representing us, and the police who were sworn to protect us, have betrayed our trust. No matter what your political beliefs, or what you think of the Iran elections, no government has the right to treat us this way.” -- /snap/ [link]

The netstrike against Iran seems to be ceasing, as some protestor's websites are reporting that "the electronic sit-in may be affecting networks other than the intended target sites". That's arguably true, considering most of the netstrike protest comes from the outside.

Meanwhile the article "A Deeper Look at The Iranian Firewall" gives us an update about protocols (or are those just ports?) being blocked.

As isolation seems to increase progressively, the resource of external proxy servers becomes more and more important to reach the outside, as outlined by the article "The Proxy Fight for Iranian Democracy".

Niac-blog

-- A friend of NIAC passes on this message, perhaps the most detailed description of yesterday that I’ve seen anywhere, from the perspective of a young woman in Tehran.

Tehran, 4.30 local time, Enghelab Street -

I meet with my students on Saturdays for a private class. We cook and eat together, then talk of philosophy. This time there is no class. We only try to keep up our morale. We are very determined but scared. That is how I can describe most of the people who came out to attend the demonstration today. After the Supreme Leader’s fierce speech at the Friday prayers, we knew that today we would be different. We feel so vulnerable, more than ever, but at the same time are aware of our power. No matter how strong it is collectively, it will do little to protect us today. We could only take our bones and flesh to the streets and expose them to batons and bullets. Two different feelings fight inside me without mixing with one another. To live or to just be alive, that’s the question.

There is another student who would have her lunch with us, but is not coming to the demonstration. She’s too scared and while pretending to be in control bursts into tears. She says she hates to see people suffer. We tell here we have suffered for years. She says she doesn’t want people to die. I tell her tens of thousands die each year on the roads in Iran, at least this time it would be for a good cause. She says we are elites and can save ourselves for better times when we can be more useful. We reply there is no difference between people when we are all in such a condition.

We finish the lunch and sit to read poems of Mirzadeh Eshgi." /snap/ [link]

Netstrikers from all over the world are targeting governmental websites in Iran, with an on-line protest that is rapidly bringing down their frontend servers.

Websites like this are popping up on various internet servers and will presumably gather millions of clicks in the coming days, this might actually silence all "official" communication channels, reaching the point when bloggers voices will actually have more outreach than state, corporate and religious powers.

The netstrike protest form was born in the nineties by initiative of the pro-Zapatista Electronic Civil Disobedience group as well the European Counter Network in Italy who made the first on-line demonstration against French nuclear tests in Mururoa and police brutality at anti-G8 rallies.