Women: Struggle for Rights Continues
December 21st, 2009 by Jason
Paul Handley in Middle East Online reports on a new survey of Saudi university students. While the majority of male graduates believe women should enter the workplace, only 22 percent agree that female graduates should compete with men directly. However, 80 percent of graduate women seek to enter the same professional fields as men.
Josie Ensor explores the “modern-day slavery” endured by many female domestic workers in the Middle East. She observes “up to 30 women have committed suicide, or died trying to escape intolerable working conditions in the last few weeks alone.”
Finally, an Egyptian administrative court has annuled a decree from the education minister banning the niqab in dormitories on the Ain Shams University campus. The judge declared the niqab a “personal freedom” so long as it did not threaten public order.
Posted in Egypt, Freedom, Human Rights, Judiciary, Legislation, Saudi Arabia, Women | Comment »
Iran: Ayatollah Montazeri Funeral Today
December 21st, 2009 by Jason
Over the weekend, one of Iran’s most respected religious scholars and outspoken critics of the regime, Grand Ayatollah Hosein-Ali Montazeri, died in his sleep. As Time Magazine reports, Montazeri “was known as Iran’s defiant cleric, first in challenging the autocratic rule of the Shah, and then later in confronting the very revolution he had helped foment.” In Montazeri’s own words, “The goal (of the revolution) was not simply to change the names and slogans but keep the same oppression and abuses practiced by the previous regime.”
The Guardian offers an obituary, praising Montazeri for expanding “the boundaries of Shia jurisprudence into the realm of human rights.” Muhammad Sahimi at Tehran Bureau profiles the life of Montazeri, who taught “that one can be a Muslim, but also a progressive and a democrat and to be proud of it.” Juan Cole explains how Montazeri “became an Islamist democrat, putting more emphasis on popular sovereignty, without denying a role for learned clerics in guiding society.” Thus Cole contends “Montazeri aspired to be the Gorbachev of the Khomeinist regime, but although he died in his own bed, he was more analogous to its Trotsky, a road not taken.”
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Posted in Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Islam and Democracy, Israel, Judiciary, Political Islam, Protests, US foreign policy, United Nations, sanctions | 1 Comment »
AfPak: Corruption and Graft
December 18th, 2009 by Jason
Simon Tisdall argues corruption is a larger and more difficult problem than most people realize. He cites Lorenzo Delesgues of Integrity Watch who observes that some USAID programs lose up to 90 cents on the dollar to corruption and fraud.
Juan Cole relays several articles from Afghanistan translated by the USG Open source Center on economic development. Among many other topics, there are articles concerning a fatwa against poppies, the growing role of China, and obstacles to trade with Pakistan.
In addition, Cole discusses a recent travel ban on Pakistan’s interior minister due to charges of graft. While some analysts have fed into the “hysteria” of a coup, Cole interprets the development instead as “an outbreak of the civil rule of law.” He argues “the rule of law is more important for the structural integrity of Pakistani society and politics than the back door deals of the Musharrafs, Bushes, Rices, and Cheneys.”
However, Omar Waraich in Time calls the renewal of the corruption case against President Zardari “bad news” for the U.S.
Posted in Afghanistan, Foreign Aid, Judiciary, Military, Pakistan, Taliban, US foreign policy, United Nations | Comment »
Turkey: Kurds Reconsider Resignations
December 18th, 2009 by Jason
Reuters reports that the Turkish government announced it will continue as planned with reforms expanding Kurdish rights despite a court ruling that banned (see previous post) the Democratic Society Party (DTP). According to Interior Minister Besir Atalay, “the Kurdish initiative will continue with determination, the necessary regulations will be accelerated.”
Nonetheless, Christian Science Monitor wonders whether the ban on the DTP and subsequent violent protests will undermine reform efforts. According to Dilek Kurban of the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV), the ban “has made it increasingly difficult for Kurds to see a space for themselves in legitimate political life in Turkey.”
Meanwhile, according to al-Jazeera, a group of DTP politicians have reconsidered their resignation from parliament. According to DTP leader Ahmet Turk, “this decision is a clear demonstration that we have faith in democracy […] and that we advocate peace and not violence.” It is reported that their decision came after PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, currently imprisoned, sent a message through his lawyers urging them to not abandon the political process. The DTP members will now join the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) instead of serving as independents.
Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Judiciary, Kurds, NGOs, PKK, Protests, Reform, Turkey | Comment »
Jordan: Crusade against Corruption
December 18th, 2009 by Jason
Bikya Masr reports that the new Jordanian Prime Minister, Samir Rifai, has pledged to launch a “crusade” against corruption and nepotism. Rifai affirmed “there will be no leniency in dealing with corruption and the corrupt, and no one will be above the law.”
According to King Abdullah II, “the forthcoming elections should represent a qualitative transition in Jordan’s democratic march and presents the kingdom as a model in transparency, fairness and impartiality.” In response, a member of the opposition party Islamic Action Front, Mohamed Ghanem, said “we will wait and see if the King comes through on his promises of a better country where democracy can flourish.”
Posted in Elections, Jordan, Judiciary, Political Islam, Political Parties, Reform | Comment »
Egypt: Brotherhood Members Released
December 17th, 2009 by Jason
al-Masry al-Youm reports that nine Muslim Brotherhood members were released Wednesday after completing jail sentences handed down by a military court in 2008. Meanwhile, a Cairo Criminal Court also ordered the release of ten other MB members who were recently detained in Beheira.
The editorial staff at al-Masry al-Youm criticizes the state-run media’s recent attacks on Mohamed elBaradei after he announced his potential presidential candidacy, a sentiment also shared by Hamdi Kandil.
Bikya Masr reports that the ministry of interior has for a third time ignored a court’s order to release the Egyptian-Christian blogger Hani Nazeer Aziz. They also report that the Under-Secretary of the Egyptian National Council for Human Rights, Dr. Mona Zou El Fokar, has called for the abolition of the death penalty and warned against the overcrowding of Egypt’s prisons.
An Egyptian MP for al-Shaab party has filed a lawsuit against a journalist who purportedly has promoted vice for publishing an article asking why women can’t practice polygamy given that men can marry more than one woman.
Finally, residents facing eviction in a Cairo neighborhood clashed violently with police, causing one death and injuring 28 people, including 17 policemen.
Posted in Egypt, Freedom, Human Rights, Journalism, Judiciary, Muslim Brotherhood, NGOs, Political Parties, Protests, Reform, Women | Comment »
Lebanon: Justice Development
December 16th, 2009 by Zack
Lebanese Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar met with his French counterpart to discuss a bilateral judicial cooperation agreement that Najjar hopes will be signed soon. The Lebanese judiciary has requested the immediate release of an Iraqi refugee who was deemed to have been held in prison arbitrarily for more than six months. The court that made the decision reportedly based its decision on an international agreement signed by Lebanon stipulating that foreigners cannot be deported if they face danger in their home country.
The Daily Star reports that Palestinian Fatah representatives in Lebanon affirmed that refugee camps will not become independent from the Lebanese state and that reports of sleeper cells are overblown, despite claims by Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) leader Ahmad Jibril’s that the group will not surrender its weapons to the Lebanese government. Jibril also urged Lebanon to adopt laws “similar to the one in Syria” dealing with the political situation, as well as the living and social conditions, of Palestinian refugees.
Finally, Michael Allen relays an article by Rafid Fadhil Ali that argues Hezbollah has downplayed its “radical Shiite rhetoric” but, at the same time, “the group’s regional and international strategy have changed little.”
Posted in Diplomacy, Hezbollah, Judiciary, Lebanon, Reform | Comment »
Iran: Gasoline Sanctions Debate Today
December 15th, 2009 by Jason
The House is currently debating the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act (H.R. 2194), and they will likely pass the legislation before the end of today. That news likely comfort Ephraim Kam, who writes in Haaretz that the West must impose “harsher sanctions” and threaten Tehran with potential violence.
Nonetheless, niacINsight urges the U.S. to “stand with the Iranian people” by opposing the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act, which many members of the green movement have said would hurt the Iranian people and not the regime. Jamal Abdi warns such sanctions “may isolate us from our closest allies and biggest trading partners, pose momentous new challenges for our efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq and the greater Middle East, undermine the Iranian people’s struggle for democracy, and once again place the United States on the gave path towards military confrontation.”
Instead, niacINsight hails the introduction of the Stand with the Iranian People Act (SWIPA H.R. 4303) introduced by Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) and the Iranian Digital Empowerment Act (IDEA H.R. 4301) introduced by Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA). Both of these acts were introduced yesterday. SWIPA would enable Americans and Iranians to work together to promote human rights or for projects like building hospitals and schools, while also imposing targeted sanctions on the regime and companies that work with it. IDEA would legalize the transfer of communication and anti-censorship tools between the U.S. and Iran.
Arguing in favor of SWIPA and IDEA and against IRPSA, Patrick Disney contends, “the yardstick for an effective Iran policy is not how much pain and suffering it will cause among innocent Iranians. Rather, changing the policies and behavior of Tehran’s repressive government should be our ultimate goal. This means that when it comes to sanctions, bigger is not always better.”
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Posted in Congress, Diplomacy, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Islam and Democracy, Journalism, Judiciary, Legislation, Military, Oil, Protests, Technology, US foreign policy, US politics, sanctions | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Democratization as a Source of Tension between the U.S. and Egypt”
December 15th, 2009 by Jason
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars hosted a lecture Monday by Heba el-Koudsy about American democracy promotion in Egypt and its effectiveness. According to the Center’s Middle East Program Director Haleh Esfandiari, every year the Center brings in an Arab journalist to conduct research as a resident scholar. This year’s scholar is el-Koudsy, who has over 15 years experience in Arab journalism and currently works for the Egyptian paper al-Masry al-Youm.
For POMED’s full PDF version of the notes, click here. Otherwise, keep reading below the fold.
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Posted in DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Journalism, Judiciary, Legislation, NGOs, Political Parties, Protests, Reform, Secularism, US foreign policy, Women | Comment »
Secretary Clinton: Major Human Rights Speech at Georgetown
December 14th, 2009 by Jason
Secretary Clinton delivered an important address (PDF transcript) on the Obama administration’s approach to human rights today at Georgetown University.
Reinforcing the message of President Obama’s Nobel speech, Clinton affirmed “the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are not only the source of our strength and endurance, they are the birthright of every woman, man, and child on earth.” As such, Clinton defined America’s mission as “expanding the circle of rights and opportunities to all people - advancing their freedoms and possibilities.”
Furthermore, a just society must not only respect civil and political freedoms, but also protect its citizens from the “oppression of want - want of food, want of health, want of education, and want of equality in law and fact.” In fact, “democracies that deliver on rights, opportunities, and development for their people are stable, strong, and most likely to enable people to live up to their potential.” As such, Clinton asserted “supporting democracy and fostering development are cornerstones of our 21st century human rights agenda.”
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Posted in Afghanistan, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, EU, Egypt, Foreign Aid, Human Rights, Iran, Iraq, Journalism, Judiciary, Multilateralism, NGOs, Technology, US foreign policy, Uncategorized, United Nations, Women | 3 Comments »
Egypt: Kefaya Boycotts Election
December 14th, 2009 by Jason
The Kefaya movement announced it will boycott the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections in Egypt. According to their leader, Abdel Halim Qandil, Kefaya instead intends to elect “an alternative president” who will seek to pressure the regime into transferring power. Once accomplished, the alternative president would then host fair and free national elections.
Discussing Mohamed ElBaradei’s announcement that he would only run as an independent in the presidential election, Qandil commended ElBaradei for his efforts but also explained “our issue now is not about individual people however. It is about how do we open the way to free elections?”
Bikya Masr passes on a report from the blog “From Mahalla to Cairo” that an entire family was detained and tortured in Alexandria.
The Arabist comments on the post from POMED’s Weekly Wire detailing Congress’ decision to allocate $50 million for an Economic Support Fund, saying the amount is less than the Egyptians had hoped for and that it is unclear if the fund will be earmarked for specific programs. Either way, it is clear that “the US-Egypt aid relationship continues to move away to any notion of conditionality, as it has since the beginning of the Obama administration or possibly the last year or two of the Bush administration.”
Posted in Egypt, Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Judiciary, NGOs, Protests, Reform | Comment »
Report: Human Rights on the Decline Part II
December 12th, 2009 by Jason
As we reported earlier, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) has released a comprehensive and thorough report, called “Bastion of Impunity, Mirage of Reform,” on the state of human rights throughout the Arab world. The full report in Arabic spans 254 pages and chronicles in detail the backsliding on human rights in the region while also identifying a few points of optimism. In addition to the full report, CIHRS has released a translation of the report’s introduction written by their general director, Bahey eldin Hassan, as well as a 21-page summary of the report in English.
According to Hassan’s introduction, while there have been important strides to “ease repressive measures” in the Middle East under the Forum of the Future regional initiative, in no country were there “real constitutional, legislative, or institutional gains that could upset the balance of power between authoritarian regimes and the forces of reform.” Hassan blames this failure on the narrow focus on electoral reform at the expense of human rights, the contradictory actions of the G-8 countries, attempts by the Arab League to co-opt reform with their own homegrown initiatives, and the European and American fear of Islamist electoral victories. Finally, Hassan contends “the last spark in the initiatives was quashed once and for all with the arrival of a new US administration” apparently unwilling to support democracy rhetorically.
Now, Hassan warns that the minor gains made over the past five years are under a “counterattack by Arab governments. Among other examples of backtracking, the Arab league disabled the Arab Charter on Human Rights, which only had 10 of 22 signatory countries to begin with. As with the CIHRS report last year, Hassan concludes that “lack of political will on the part of most regimes in the Arab region was the key to understanding and explaining chronic human rights problems in the region.”
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Posted in Algeria, Arab League, Bahrain, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, EU, Egypt, Elections, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Gulf, Hamas, Hezbollah, Human Rights, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Israel, Jordan, Journalism, Judiciary, Kurds, Lebanon, Legislation, Military, Morocco, Multilateralism, Muslim Brotherhood, NGOs, Palestine, Political Islam, Political Parties, Protests, Public Opinion, Publications, Reform, Saudi Arabia, Sectarianism, Syria, Tunisia, US foreign policy, United Nations, Western Sahara, Women, Yemen | 1 Comment »
Lebanon: Debating Hezbollah
December 8th, 2009 by Zack
Elaheh Khayyat, the pen name of a Lebanon-based journalist and human rights activist, argues in the Guardian that Lebanon needs to stand up to Saudi Arabia in the case of Ali Sibat. Sibat, a Lebanese self-styled psychic that often appeared on Lebanese television to offer psychic advice, has been sentenced to death by the Saudi moral police after being arrested while on a pilgrimage more that a year ago. Khayyat states that Sibat has in no way harmed anyone and this incident underscores Saudi Arabia’s vague and arbitrary penal system, arguing that “the Lebanese government, which itself has introduced a moratorium on capital punishment, should stand up to Riyadh and demand that Sibat’s senseless sentence be overturned.”
The Daily Star reports that Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar has publicly committed to reforming and rebuilding the Lebanese judiciary. In an interview he explained that “the Constitutional Council could not interpret the Constitution since this was the task of the Parliament” and that the country needs “courageous and honest judges.” At the same time, civil society officials have launched a report, “Invisible Citizens: Legal Study on Statelessness in Lebanon,” that claims nearly 80,000 Lebanese are “stateless,” living without legal status, excluding the 3,000 - 5,000 Palestinian refugees in the country. According to Bema Habib of the NGO Frontiers Ruwad Association, stateless people are those not considered citizens of any state, or those who “have citizenship but are unable to prove it.” The report calls on Lebanon to develop a legal body that can adjudicate citizenship issues and allow people to apply for nationalization.
Despite reports that most Palestinian refugee in Lebanon are living a subsistence lifestyle with little hope escaping their overcrowded and dreary camps, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, following a meeting with Lebanese President Sleiman, asserts that Palestinians in Lebanon are under the complete governance of the Lebanese government and that “There are no legions under the command of the Palestinian authority in refugee camps.” Abbas said the status of these refugees will remain unchanged until there is a comprehensive peace agreement and that the Palestinian Authority will help extend Lebanese laws into the refugee camps. Abbas also met with parliament speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad Hariri to discuss bilateral ties.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has made a speech arguing that Hezbollah is becoming the de facto Lebanese military and that, as the Lebanese government and Hezbollah become more intertwined, the government becomes more responsible for “any attack on Israel.” Netanyahu also stated that he is willing to resume peace negotiations with Syria without any reservations. Eyal Zisser argues that, from an Israeli perspective, the Lebanese government is a fragile balance between Hezbollah and its opponents, but that the political system has not addressed underlying hostilities and as such conflict, both internal and with Israel, could erupt at any time.
Babylon and Beyond reports that Washington is also displeased with the unity cabinet’s decision to gloss over Hezbollah’s arsenal and to assert the group’s right to resist. According to a State Department official, Washington will not cooperate with Hezbollah lawmakers and Nicole Shampaine, head of the department’s Office for Egypt and the Levant questions whether the statement “helps progress toward peace and security in the region.”
Posted in Diplomacy, Hezbollah, Human Rights, Israel, Judiciary, Lebanon, Mideast Peace Plan, Political Parties, Syria | 1 Comment »
Egypt: MB Members Detained
December 8th, 2009 by Zack
Babylon and Beyond has picked up the story about Mohamed ELBaradei’s willingness to run for president if elections are free and fair (see our post). The Arabist sees “ElBaradei’s candidacy has the potential to turn into the first moment in which Egypt has had a plausible face for its opposition for a long time.” His running would shift the focus onto the Mubarak regime both at home and abroad. ElBaradei also gave an interview (toward the end of the recording) with Fareed Zakaria in which he reiterates the need for free and fair elections.
AFP reports that Egyptian authorities have detained 10 senior Muslim Brotherhood members at a meeting on Saturday. According to Mahmoud Ezzat, the group’s secretary general, the police offered no reason for the arrests. Ezzat also added that the government was currently tearing down a building intended to be a hospital in the Cairo district of Heliopolis because it was set up and funded by a charity affiliated with the group.
Daily News Egypt reports that the trial has begun for three officers accused of torturing and illegally detaining 24-year-old Shady Maged Saad Zaghloul after an officer slapped him for refusing to present his ID card. Zaghloul and his were also detained for four days when he went to local police station to file a complaint.
Finally, the AP has a story about the debate in Egypt over the growing popularity of the niqab, or face veil. Government decisions to ban the niqab in university dorms and classrooms have been met with strong protests, underscoring how “public conservatism is at odds with a government that is viewed not only as secular but as autocratic, corrupt and uncaring.”
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Elections, Freedom, Judiciary, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Parties, Reform | Comment »
Iran: Internal IRGC Coup?
November 30th, 2009 by Jason
In response to an IAEA resolution criticizing Iran’s failure to cooperate with its nuclear program (see here for full text), Iran has declared it will no longer voluntarily cooperate with the IAEA and announced its intention to build 10 new nuclear enrichment sites. In addition, one conservative legislator threatened that Iran will pull out of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty altogether, a threat that most analysts consider empty. In related news, Yukiya Amano of Japan has now replaced Mohamed ElBaradei as IAEA chief.
Gary Sick provides some skepticism of the plan to build so many nuclear sites, calling it a “classic Ahmadinejad bluster response to the recent IAEA resolution.” Specifically, he cites the immense practical difficulties the plan would present as well as the oddity that the decision came from the presidential cabinet and not the Supreme National Security Council as would be typical. Sick’s skepticism was also echoed by U.S. officials, according to Laura Rozen.
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Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Israel, Judiciary, Legislation, Military, Oil, Reform, US foreign policy, United Nations, sanctions | Comment »
Iraq: Elections Can’t be Held in January
November 30th, 2009 by Zack
Babylon and Beyond reports that, as a result of the ongoing election law impasse, Iraqi election officials have announced it is already too late to hold parliamentary elections, constitutionally mandated to be held before January 31. The NY Times reports that parliament is actively searching for a compromise, but despite mixed messages of reconciliation from VP Tariq al-Hashimi who said his concerns could be addressed by adjustments to the parliament’s seat allocation rather than by changing the law itself, a new law is unlikely to be passed before December. VP Joe Biden pressed government officials over the weekend and the administration is hopeful that a tentative deal will allow a parliament to be elected and seated by March 15.
John Hughes writes that Arab women are seizing their freedom as fifty Iraqi women were sworn in as senior officers of the national police force. Al-Arabiyya is carrying a profile of a judge in Mosul and the constant threats on his life that plague his work. Lastly, IraqPundit contends that a NY Times dismal portrayal of Iraqi society overshadows the country’s vibrant culture and history and he questions the Time’s motives for painting such a bleak picture.
Posted in Diplomacy, Elections, Freedom, Iraq, Judiciary, Legislation, Political Parties, Reform, Women | Comment »
Morocco: Jail Sentence for HR Activist
November 25th, 2009 by Jason
A court upheld a three-year prison sentence for prominent Moroccan human rights activist Chakib Khayari. More information can be found on POMED’s Morocco Country Page here.
Posted in Human Rights, Judiciary, Morocco | Comment »
Libya: Legalizing NGO’s
November 25th, 2009 by Zack
While Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi played host to Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, he announced that he will personally intercede to bridge the rift between Egypt and Algeria. Middle East Online is reporting that legislation has been proposed that will allow citizens to create civil associations “on condition that they are apolitical.” To further the prospect that such a law will be adopted, Abdelrahman Boutouta, the head of a legal committee tasked with amending Libya’s penal code, confirms that he intends to decriminalize the creation and membership of NGOs, which previously carried the death penalty. However, the report notes that Boutouta gave no time-frame for these changes.
Posted in Freedom, Judiciary, Legislation, Libya, NGOs, Reform, Turkey | Comment »
Iran: Wholesale Crackdown on Students
November 25th, 2009 by Jason
The Huffington Post reports that the P5+1 countries have prepared a resolution criticizing Iran’s nuclear program expressing their frustration with Iran’s inability or unwillingness to make a deal. Such unified measures have led Michael Crowley to ask whether Russia is “finally getting serious about Iran” and will cooperate with sanctions. Meanwhile, George Friedman analyzes the general concept of sanctions. He posits, “the ultimate virtue of sanctions is that they provide a platform between acquiescence and war.”
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, led by human rights activist Hadi Ghaemi, has condemned the “wholesale crackdown on Iranian students.” The government has arrested over 60 students in the past month in an attempt to preempt planned opposition protests on Student Day next month. Edith Novy at insideIran contends that the growing influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) “shows that Iran’s leadership is seriously threatened by the opposition and plans an unlimited crackdown for the foreseeable future.” Nonetheless, the opposition is not intimidated, as Mir Hossein Moussavi has declared, “This movement will continue and we are ready to pay any price.”
Many opposition members are paying a price in Iran’s multiple prisons. Muhammad Sahimi at Tehran Bureau explores the “long undistinguished history of prisons” in Iran and especially the emergency of a particularly harsh prison called Kahrizak. A doctor working at Kahrizak, Dr. Ramin Pourandarjani, recently died under suspicious circumstances after he came out publicly against the wretched conditions in the prison.
Meanwhile, the government has lifted the ban on the popular newspaperthat published a picture of a templing belonging to the illegal Baha’i religion. The government has arrested seven alleged members of Jundallah, the militant group that bombed a high-level meeting of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Sistan-Baluchestan province in October.
Posted in Freedom, Hezbollah, Human Rights, Iran, Journalism, Judiciary, Multilateralism, NGOs, Terrorism, US foreign policy, sanctions | Comment »
Iran: More Censorship, More Arrests
November 24th, 2009 by Jason
After apparently rejecting a nuclear deal last week, Iran signaled it could send its uranium abroad for enrichment if given “100 percent guarantees” it would be returned. However, Michael Crowley at the Plank quotes George Perkovich, who warns that nuclear negotiations cannot succeed while Iranian internal politics remains under such disarray.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reports that the Iranian regime ”appears to be starting a far more ambitious effort to discredit its opponents and re-educate Iran’s mostly young and restive population.” Among other initiatives, they have deployed Basij militia to teach the Islamic Revolution in elementary schools, the Revolutionary Guards have acquired the country’s telecommunications monopoly, and the Guards will open a news agency within the next few months. But, according to Mehrzad Boroujerdiof Syracuse University, similar “previous efforts to reinstall orthodoxy have only exacerbated cleavages between citizens and the state.” Iranian authorities have also banned the country’s largest-circulation newspaper after it published a photograph of a Baha’i temple. Approximately 300,000 Baha’is live in Iran, but they are often persecuted as a minority faith.
Despite these initiatives, Omid Memarian praises Frontline’s “A Death in Tehran” documentary that “exposes the Iranian government’s fierce but failed endeavors to manipulate the truth.” According to Memarian, the spread of the Internet and mobile devices represents a “paradigm shift” in communication that the Iranian government is ill-equipped to control. However, the regime can still imprison its citizens. The journalist Ahmad Zeidabadi was sentenced to five years in prison and, earlier this month, student leader Abdollah Momeni was sentenced to eight years. Furthermore, prominent reformist Mohammad Atrianfar was released on $500,000 bail after being sentenced to a six-year prison term. In response to the continued crackdown, the opposition has called for another protest on December 7th, known in Iran as Student Day.
Posted in EU, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Journalism, Judiciary, Middle Eastern Media, US foreign policy, sanctions | Comment »
