Green Years ...

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Getting Organized: Back to Life

Okay, it seemed a long time since my last post, although it wasn't that much long. It seems that it is the effects of two elections since last post. The first and second stage of Iranian presidential election happened during the last 2 weeks with surprisingly and shocking results of a hardliner outcome: Ahmadi Nejad, former Mayor of Tehran.

Alright, I went a lot of ups and downs during these periods. I was shocked, upset, then tried to think why, later wanted to adjust and get used to the results and see its positive sides. My final thinking was that this is part of the process of change, the social change. Not always changes are positive, some have to be negative direction, to go back and strengthen your weakness. So I see the election of AhmadiNejad, the hardliner, as an opportunity for the people and reformists, to analyze their failure reasons. Although personally I don't like the election outcomes, but it's like that I have like failed in my test in the school. Although it's very sad, but it's up to me to find a way to make a good outcome out of it. That's the life, with all its ups and downs.

Anyhow, it's interesting that the way that I felt after hearing the hardliner president became the outcome of election in Iran, my feeling was the same as Nov-02-2004, after the US election and Bush's winning. Both groups are too religious and superficial: hardliners in Iran and US. So I just felt that it seems that this sort of feeling is worldwide for me!

Friday, June 17, 2005

Election

Today is presidential election in Iran. As I have mentioned before, I think the 'conditional vote' to Moeen is the best choice in my opinion. I am optimistic about the democratic change in Iran, but it takes some time.

Although I would like to vote for Moeen, but the problem is the limited number of ballot box, here in the US. There is almost one per state (in average). So imagine for a big state, if somebody is so far away, has to go a long trip to vote and come back. Because of that, and since the voting day is a weekday, I didn't want to go and vote.

But now, I am in doubt. I think I should have participate in this step-by-step democratic changing process, although the election is not totally free, and there are lots of restrictions and limits that hardliners have put on the election. So I don't know what to do. I have to drive a long way, if I want to vote.

Monday, June 13, 2005

Bombings in Iran

Bombings have happened in different cities in Iran, during the last 2 weeks, while it's just 3-4 days before the presidential election. The reformist's candidate, Moeen is going to be ahead in most of the cities that bombing has happened. It should explain the link between the bombings and the hardliners specially some of them who were in army and now are Moeen's competitor, such as Qalibaf. Qalibaf, a former chief police, has stong links in the the army. The hardliners are getting angry because in spite of small ratio of people's possible participation in the election, Moeen is getting to be in a good position. So I guess, the increasing/decreasing of bombings in the coming days depend on Moeen's popularity and results of pre-voting pollings.

Michael not Guilty

Some hours ago, Michael Jackson has been acquitted of all charges against him. I am happy about that. I am not a fan of this Pop singer, neither his opposing, but something about him was really bothering me.

As long as, he was along with the main stream of the media, he seemed a good guy, there was no talking about his sexual assult or like that, but as soon as he became against the main stream of the power and media - specifically December 2003, they started to blame him using any possible method. He didn't give up, and finally won.

His story reminds me, kinda, the story of JFK and his assasination, Clinton and Levinski issue, Ali and his name changing. The common thing was all of these guys stayed behind what they had to say, and did not give up in front of the heads of powers and media.

Monday, June 06, 2005

Virtual World and Election

"For the first time the internet has weighed in as a major component of Iranian politics. In order not to be left behind, all presidential candidates have been forced to enter the internet fray. Internet users in Iran number at least six million and by some estimates as many as twelve ..." Says an article about the effects of internet on Iran's presidential election, from Rooz online news.

Thursday, June 02, 2005

Iran's Election: Ban or Participate or third method?

Iran's upcoming presidential election has divided the reformists into two parts: one group believes they should ban the election, another believes in voting to Moeen, the candidate for Progressive Reformists.

There are very high rank characters in both groups. For example, Abdollah Noori, one of the best ministers of Khatami in his first period, believes that in this system, under the rule of Khamenei, nothing can be done, and the result of even victory of Moeen can not change much, so why bother to participate in election.

On the other hand, some other reformists, including Mostafa Tajzadeh, one of the main figures among reformists, believes that they should not let hardliners make an absolutely totalitarian system, and should use this small opportunity.

I think that these two groups can be converged in one view: Limiting the power of Supreme Leader: Ali Khamenei. If Moeen can guarantee that he is capable of doing so, and people believe that they definitely vote for him. But how in this complicated system, power of the Supreme Leader can be reduced?

In my point of view, the next year election of October 2006 for electing "Experts" who are capable to "control, force to resign, and exchange" of the Supreme Leader, is very important. Unfortunately, reformists have not yet been noticing about this election. If reformists could win presidential elections and the October 2006 election, then they have control over Khamenei, and can even force him to resign and exchange him (Article 108, 110, 111 of Iran's Constitution).

If Moeen's team can show a practical method and their commitment about their maximum effort on October 2006 election for controlling Khamenei, then people who believe in banning the upcoming election, will be voting for Moeen.

NOTE: Submitted to IranScan1384 , a site about Iran's upcoming election managed by OpenDemocracy.net . I have also written a Persian article about this issue.

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

French and Persian Blogs

I have just launched a French blog and also a Persian blog. The French blog is to help me practice writing in French, while Persian blog hopefully helps me not forget my own mother language, and be connected to my friends.

A Short Documentary Movie

My two countries: America and Iran is the name of a short documentary movie written and directed by John Phillip Nybe, a Persian immigrant to the US. The movie starts with the early relationships between Iran and America, and shows most ups and downs in this relationships.

Google Bombing and Its Effects

Google bombing has been proven to be an effective way to gets public attention during the last 2-3 years. Google bombing means that when some bloggers want to get public attention start to give link to a special issue, and whenever that the number of links are too much over the net, the ranking of that special issue (keyword) for search in google takes place in a very high rank and maybe the first rank.

The google bombing in Persian blogospher first happened when Persian bloggers linked through a keyword Arabian Golf to a page explaining that "Arabian Golf does not exist and the correct name is Persian Gulf." Another big movement in google bombing in Persian blogospher happened last week, when Perisan bloggers, tried to force the hardliners in Iran to release journalist Akbar Ganji, by linking through the keyword "Human Rights" to a page about his imprisonment and torture. The Iranian hardliners noticed about that and smartly released him from jail after 5 years being in prison.