Long Live Rock and Roll

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26473949

Linked is a video profiling one of Iran's most popular rock stars- that's right, rock star. Since the Islamic revolution, rock and roll along with other types of western music have been considered illegal in Iran. The offenses are punishable by incarceration, but that does not mean rock and roll doesn't exist "out of earshot" of the authorities. Globalization is at work in Iran whether the regime permits it or not, through music and clothing and social media. Authorities can only prohibit it for so long- regardless if the Authorities allow, Iran's youth are changing with the times, and when the cleavage is large enough they will leave their country behind... a revolution. These guys don't consider themselves revolutionaries, but their love for a certain type of music which their country prohibits is doing more for Iran politically than they could imagine.

Iranian Government Claims Medical Sanction from West

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/05/02/360982/iran-minister-slams-western-lies/

In the past week the Iranian Health Minister has made several public comments accusing the West of a medical sanction on Iran, endangering their patients. He claims the powers of the west "were lying and still are lying in this regard." Is this just an attack on "the big bad west," characteristic of the Iranian regime? Or have our economic sanctions on Iran extended into blocking medical supplies? Since no one knows what is really happening there, it is hard to speculate. On one hand, any accusation made by Iranian leaders against Western Powers has its political motivations, but our embargoes do too. If the US and the rest of the world really want to get to a nuclear agreement, would they go so far as Iranian Citizens? In all of this mess, freedom of press in Iran would substantially clear up many issues around it, and maybe offer a more truthful/trusted medium for Iran to express its concerns.

Play Nice or... You Can Still Play

http://www.npr.org/2014/05/05/309694689/west-urged-to-pressure-iran-on-its-human-rights-record

This NPR report highlights a foreign policy  issue in Iran that is commonly "overshadowed" by the nuclear talks. The multinational organizations associating with Iran need to inquire about Human Rights now rather than later or nothing will be done. Many want to  wait until the nuclear issues are solved, and the hard liners are a little broken, but currently the rest of the world is saying that Iran's neglect to respect basic civil rights, especially in its political prisons, is OK. Iranians supporting the cause believe the west should not even be negotiating with Iran until Human Rights standards are met, but the problem is  lack of consensus. Russia and China are much less concerned with it than the United States and Europe, therefore if we hold back we might end up putting ourselves in harms way when we are left out of the negotiation. Human Rights laws are followed by 99% of other countries, and if Iran wishes to participate in the world market they should too, but currently the stakes are too high for any one country to force it.

Hikers are Finally Freed and United, Iran Still Separate and Trapped

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2014/04/25/cnn-tonight-intv-american-hikers-iranian-prison-proposal.cnn.html

The content of this particular video is more infotainment than meaningful, but the story behind it is not. The hikers claim they were held for two years because of their nationality- Americans- that their punishment was political, the Iranian government knew they were not spies. This leads us back to one of our first questions about Iran, is it a rational actor? What exactly was it's political strategy or goal in detaining the vacationers? The Iranian theocracy has a continuous and growing inclination to be separated from Western Influence, because their ideals clash with the "divine law" of the land, but their behavior regarding issues as these is earning them more than separation, but rivalry. Not only did the hiker's detainment create enemies in the world but it divided Iran on the home-front; The world watched as Iran's religious leaders refused the release of the detainees after elected President Ahmadinejad had publicly announced it.This act was not rational, and among others it has widened a cleavage between Iran and the world, as well as a dangerous cleavage within Iran.

Someone's Just a Tad Bit Agressive.

The Iranian Navy Chief, Admiral Adi Fadavi (see above) has some very aggressive words about what he was planning to do to the US Navy. According to him, destroying the US Navy is a priority of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He brags that they are capable of sinking a US vessel in less than a minute and have been actively training on how to do this. He thinks by knocking out the US's air craft carriers, their fighters will also be destroyed and this will prevent any attacks. He's gearing up to fight the US in the Persian Gulf, but his attitude of confidence could come back to bite him. I'm curious as to how they know exactly how US air craft carriers are built and function to be this confident in destroying them. It could all be talk, but at the same time it's important not to look over threats.

For more on the story, read here.

Brain Drain

The best and brightest of Iran's students are leaving and not coming back. This has a great deal to do with the current state of the economy. Only 2.5 percent of the GDP was set aside for science and technology research and less than that is actually being allotted to this. There is no industry for this in Iran, and if they want to keep up with the West when it comes to technology this needs to change. 89% of Medical Students in the US from Iran don't go back. The salaries don't compare whatsoever in Iran compared to Canada, where many of the Iranian scientists are flocking to. People see leaving as their only option to find success in this industry and with the way things are, that is understandable. There is going to need to be significant change, funding wise and the in the minds of the people for this to change and this doesn't seem to be part of the agenda in the near future. In a class of 50 physics students 2 stayed in the country. It's situations like this that show that Iran needs to change to even think of competing internationally to keep up, but their focuses tend to be elsewhere, so this change could be a long way up the road.

Read more here.

Fashion Forward?

While social media has often been seen as a cause of unrest with the people and the government in Iran, it is being used positively by female fashion designers to share their work with the world. The Fajr Fashion Festival was a big event held at a local concert venue as a way for people to buy clothing at more reasonable prices. This along with 400 other venues across the country had these opportunities for the Iranian people. Clothing is priced to a point that most middle class families are able to afford it and it is a sign to the rest of the world that Iran is doing its best to keep up fashion wise and doing so in a way that is practical for the people. These exhibitions are home to around 35,000 different manufacturers, who often start small. They are able to find success from humble beginnings often through social media that quickly spreads the word of who they are and what they create. There are a number of "maisons" that provide quality and custom-made clothing for people without being too overly priced as boutiques are. These have become quite popular throughout Iran for the middle and upper classes and have also used social media to advertise safely. While Iran is often seen as closed off from the West and backwards in their way of doing things, this is a great example of how they have combined both Western practices with their own traditions and customs and been very successful with it.

For more information, click here.

Government Vs. Social Media

               Government Vs. Social Media

The popular app “Whatsapp” has caused Iran a great deal of trouble. Recently the app has been banned in Iran, this has thought to be because the owner -Mark Zuckerburgs- is Jewish, although he has never commented on Isreal or religion in general. Some Iranian bloggers have also commented that the government in Iran is scared of social media and the exchange of information. Facebook and Twitter are just some of the sites blocked in Iran because of their self declared moderate president. 

An Eye For An Eye

An Eye For An Eye

In Iran many crimes end in an execution, such as murder and drug smuggling, but one mother is breaking this cycle. Samereh Alinejad’s son, 17, had been killed years ago in a street fight which led to a knife being stabbed fattily into his neck. Six years later his mother is finally getting the opportunity to give the killer what he deserves, death. For years Alinejad had been deciding whether or not she would get revenge for her sons death…she decided she would let the killer go. 

Typically when a family lets the killer go they do this for blood money- $35,000 or more! This is not the only case where a mother has let the killer go last minute for mercy but it certainly made an impact on the community with people clapping and cheering and others shocked in silence. 

The killer has served 6 of his 12 year sentence. The family of the victim also refused any blood money for letting him go, insisting that any money be donated to charities or improving local schools. 


http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/iran-mother-recalls-act-mercy-sons-killer-23552509

Actress Faces Prison Time

In this article, the actress Nazanin Boniadi writes about human rights in Iran. She talks about how her counterpart, an actress and activist, in Iran faces prison time for her peaceful support of the opposition candidate in the 2009 and 2011 elections, and her support of women and young people. She, along with around 845 other Iranians, faces prison time for simply supporting her own independent views. Boniadi stresses how the mass media always covers Iran's nuclear news, but does not give the same amount of coverage time to the equally important human rights issues. It is especially important for young students such as those in ap government to be aware of the human rights conflicts in Iran.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/02/opinion/boniadi-activists-kail-iran/index.html?iref=allsearch

The Deaths are Piling Up

In a region that has experienced bloody violence resulting in over 4000 deaths of soldiers or police officers in the last 30 years, 16 "rebels" were killed near the border of Pakistan. This region is home Sunni Muslims in a country that is very much Shiite dominated. This came as a result of the deaths of 14 border guards during a clash. This area has faced a great amount of unrest due to trafficking that comes through this border of both drugs and immigrants as well as Sunni militants. Soldiers have been taken hostage into Pakistan and Iran is taking steps to insure their release,  it seems they're using violence to try to accomplish this goal. I highly doubt killing people that are a "threat" to the regime is going to solve the trafficking problem, but at the very least it's showing people that they are understand there is an issue at hand. I don't agree with their means of doing so, but at least they're taking action.

Find out more about this story here.

Iran's own Guantanamo Bay?

Iran's own Guantanamo Bay?

Recent reports have emerged from banned Iranian news stations explaining how a recent violent prison crackdown is trying to be covered up in the Iranian government. More than 30 reported injuries were sustained during this crackdown and many prisoners were taken into solitary confinement in the local hospital. Although the national Iranian news stations have not reported any violence towards prisoners in this prison many people and family members went out to protest the attacks in the capital. One moderate member of the Iranian parliament went out to these demonstrations.  Since 2009 the issue of prisons in Iran have been a very sensitive topic and no real actions have been taken to fix these problems. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/22/world/middleeast/iran-disputes-reports-of-violent-crackdown-in-prisons-political-detainee-block.html?_r=0

A Big Bite For Iran

A Big Bite For Iran

Crocodiles are not typically the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Iran, but one woman has proven differently. The Iranian government has encouraged the people of Iran to come up with more jobs so that they do not rely so heavily on OPEC. Mojgan Roostaei has built a crocodile farm in Queshm Island in Iran. This farm exports crocodile meat to other countries- since humans cannot consume crocodile meat in Islamic law- and they are also made into high-fashion purses, belts, and other accessories. Not only does this new company provide more exports for Iran but the farm is now a large tourist attraction for Iran. The farm has employed 20 locals and many others have set up stores near the farm. This boosts the local economy and once they turn into a large scale industrial farm it will boost the economy overall in Iran. 

Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/world/iran-gets-snappier-businesses-to-boost-economy-1508759.html?utm_source=ref_article

Tensions Between U.S. and Iran

This article is a CNN Report from April 9th 2014 that explained how the Supreme Leader gave the green light for Iran to participate in the Nuclear talks with the rest of the world leaders. Even though this article contains information that is a little bit dated, there is an interesting statement in it that relates to our AP government class. In the article, the Supreme leader accuses the U.S. of fueling "nuclear hype" about Iran's interest in nuclear weapons. This is an example of the inflammatory and accusing statements often made by both U.S. and Iranian officials about each other's country. The statement exemplifies the tensions between the U.S. and Iran that have existed ever since the U.S. supported the last Shah and attempted to exploit Iran for its oil.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/04/iranian-supreme-leader-approves-nuclear-talks-20144916913934690.html

Iranian Students Banned from Education in Norway

The Norwegian Police Security Service sent a number of Iranian students back to Iran due to their fears that the students would use their education for nuclear program by the Iranian regime. The decision dates back to 2012, where there was a large number of visa applications from Iran to Norway for "work, research, and studies in areas that have what they call 'multipurpose use'". So because of this, Norway refuses to provide education to Iranians. This is a very troubling matter because of their assumption that every Iranian student is planning on using their education for nuclear agendas and not for their own advancement in society. Norway doesn't want Iranians to learn about technology or engineering based on this. While their worry is obviously understandable, it is also a bit racist. The Norwegian Police Security Service is assuming that just because a student happens to be Iranian, they plan on working in some underground factory producing nuclear bombs and weapons of mass destruction. It is quite troubling to hear and unfortunate for the Iranian students.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/05/05/361425/iran-seeks-to-assert-nuclear-realities/

Manouchehri Street

This article touches on a source of rising tension in Iran. Each day on Manouchehri Street Iranian men meet to buy and sell American dollars. Their reason for doing this is that their confidence in the Iranian currency, the rial, is collapsing. Although, the police are cracking down on these types of trades, most men believe that it is worth it. In Iran food prices are going up and many workers salaries is not enough to provide for them and their families. Although an actual economic collapse has not occurred yet, many citizens fear war and economic pain in the near future. On top of this, as economic conditions threaten to worsen, many Iranians become more and more resentful of the west, an idea that we talked about in class. The article is interesting because it portrays Iran's economic struggles not through GDP per capita or through World Bank statistics, but through an interesting case of ordinary Iranians trying to make a good life for their families. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/07/world/middleeast/irans-middle-class-on-edge-as-international-tensions-rise.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Iran's Nuclear Activities are Peaceful, says Rouhani

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during a meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian wanted the world to know that there's nothing to worry about when it comes to Iran's nuclear activities. Rouhani asserted that their nuclear program and activities have "always been transparent and peaceful". The meeting stemmed from world-wide tension from Iran's nuclear activities. The UN Security Council, consisting of the U.S.A., China, Russia, France, and Britain plus Germany are set to hold a fresh hold of high-level nuclear talks in Vienna on May 13. The political tensions between Iran and the UN Security Council are due to the belief that Iran is using their nuclear weapon program for non-peaceful motives. The meeting will hopefully resolve the 10 year old conflict over Tehran's nuclear energy program. Rouhani hoped that the talks would help ease the tension between Iran and Armenia and produce future trade and economic  opportunities. The Armenian Foreign Minister was all for negotiations and talks between the two countries and hoped a resolution would be found.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian (L) and Iran President Hassan Rouhani (R)

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/05/05/361425/iran-seeks-to-assert-nuclear-realities/

Youth in Iran

This article is centered around a series of photographs that captures the life of youth in Iran. The photographer, Mr. Fatemi, portrays these youth through an interesting social lens. The photographs are all of young Iranians participating in officially illegal, and often "western", activities. These activities include socializing with the opposite sex, owning pets, and playing rock music. The article displays a counter culture that is often over looked by the mass media and world reporters. It illustrates how everyday, the Iranian youth find a way to push back against the ever more oppressive government and to strive to live the freer lives that they want to live. It proves that even if the youth's movement for freedom is sometimes missed, it is still thriving in its own way.
http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/16/youth-in-iran-inside-and-out/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=1&

Iran Bans WhatsApp because of its Jewish Owner

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is pretty cool with social media; he has a Twitter account (although he doesn't personally tweet them). However when it comes to social media apps owned by Jews. That's right. The regime banned the social messaging site WhatsApp because the man who bought the company is a American Zionist. That man would be Mark Zuckerberg. Abdolsamad Khorramabadi, head of the Committee on Internet Crimes, said that "The reason for this is the assumption of WhatsApp by the Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who is an American Zionist." Because social media and messaging is so popular in the country and appeals to young adults, some believe that the government fears about the exchange of information and the power of social media. 

Rumors circulate that network sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other blogging sites could be next in line for government censorship, or banned. Protesters have turned to social media as a means of voicing their political outrage safely. Ironically, there are several regime officials who regularly use Twitter and Facebook as a means of communication. 

Former Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi taking a selfie with former President Mohammad Khatami on Instagram 

The move to potentially remove social networking period will no doubt cause outrage. On October 2012 Iran cyber police arrested 35 year Sattar Beheshti, a blogger, for crimes "against national security on social networks and Facebook." Beheshti openly criticized the government online and was found dead in his prison cell less than a month later. The government denies accusations that he was tortured to death. It's only a matter of time before the Iranian regime begins to take down all major social network sites. 

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/05/04/iran-bans-whatsapp-because-link-to-american-zionist-mark-zuckerberg/

Iran and Russia: Energy Partners?

On April 28, news broke out that Iran and Russia were under negotiations on a reported $8 billion to $10 billion energy deal. This deal would bring complications on the Obama administration's strategy of punishingRussia with economic sanctions over the crisis in the Ukraine. The deal would be the second significant economic collaboration between the two countries that could potentially lessen the effectiveness of the sanctions on Iran.

Russia would export reportedly 500 megawatts of electricity to Iran and also construct new thermal and hydroelectric generating plants and a transmission network. The deal was discussed on Sunday between Iranian energy minister Hamid Chitchian and Russian energy minister Alexander Novak.

A previous negotiation between Iran and Russia, worth $20 billion, under which the Iranians would trade 500,000 barrels of oil a day for Russian goods, angered the Obama administration. The officials said such a agreement would violate the sanctions on Iran.

Iranian officials have become increasingly comfortable with Russian officials as of late despite their past history. The Iranians believe in Putin's anti-American and anti-Western stances and feel comfortable with doing business and striking a deal with them.


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/29/world/middleeast/russia-and-iran-in-talks-over-energy-deal.html