Iran: Ahmadinejad Faces Growing Conservative Opposition
November 24th, 2010 by Evan
Writing at The Daily Beast, Reza Aslan argues the recently revealed plan to impeach President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is indicative of growing popular and elite displeasure with his policies. There is a sense in Iran that “with the protests having died down and the ‘Green Movement’ having been (for the moment) contained, the alliance of convenience that had formed among Iran’s feuding conservative factions would fracture, taking Ahmadinejad down with it,” Aslan writes. As opposition in parliament and on the street to Ahmadinejad’s planned subsidy reduction program grows the President’s position will likely become increasingly tenuous.
Posted in Iran, Islam and Democracy | Comment »
Iran: Ahmadinejad to be Impeached?
November 23rd, 2010 by Jason
Farnaz Fassihi reports in the Wall Street Journal that Iran’s parliament had a plan to “impeach President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad but refrained under orders from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “The possible impeachment charge stems from accusations that President Ahmadinejad and members of his government violated the law by “acting without the approval of the legislature. Charges include illegally importing gasoline and oil, failing to provide budgetary transparency and withdrawing millions of dollars from Iran’s foreign reserve fund without getting parliament’s approval.” U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told the Journal, “There are clear rivalries within the Iranian government and multiple camps around Ahmadinejad, Larijani and others […] Those tensions have certainly been exacerbated as Iran feels more pressure from sanctions and political isolation.”
Posted in Iran | Comment »
Iran: UN Adopts Resolution Criticizing Human Rights Abuses
November 22nd, 2010 by Evan
Last week, the Third Committee of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly approved a new resolution expressing “deep concern at serious ongoing and recurring human rights violations in Iran.” U.S. officials welcomed the resolution: “Iranian citizens and others continue to face abuses at the hands of the Iranian government. Those abuses undermine Iran’s standing in the international community and call into question the Government of Iran’s commitment to the principles of justice and the welfare of its citizens. […] By adopting the resolution, the international community has sent an unequivocal message to the Iranian government that universal rights must be respected,” said National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer. Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Iranian activist Shirin Ebadi also praised the resolution for showing the “gravity of the situation” in Iran.
Posted in Human Rights, Iran, United Nations | Comment »
Bloggers Under Fire in Kuwait, Iran, and Egypt
November 22nd, 2010 by Evan
Kuwaiti lawyer and blogger Mohammad Abdul Qadir Al Jasem was sentenced to one in year in prison after he was found guilty of defaming Kuwait’s Prime Minister Shaikh Nasser Al Mohammad Al Subah. Earlier this year, Al Jasem was detained for six weeks on charges that he had harmed Kuwait’s national interests by criticizing the Al-Sabah regime. Also, Reporters Without Boards recently released reports condemning the arrest and trial of 18-year-old blogger and women’s rights activist Navid Mohebbi in Iran and the court martial of blogger Ahmed Hassan Basiouny in Egypt.
Posted in Egypt, Human Rights, Iran, Journalism, Kuwait | Comment »
State Department Criticizes Iran’s Human Rights Record
November 19th, 2010 by Evan
Earlier this week State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley issued a statement expressing concern about continued human rights abuses in Iran. “The United States remains gravely concerned about Iran’s continued harassment, detention, and imprisonment of human rights defenders. For example, we understand that the trial of human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh is reportedly under way, but it is proceeding without the transparency and due process guaranteed under Iranian law. Iran’s leaders should know that their efforts to silence those Iranians who stand up for the rights of their fellow citizens does not go unnoticed. We once again join the international community in calling for the immediate release of all political prisoners, including those imprisoned for defending detainees or speaking out against human rights abuses, and urge Iran to afford its citizens those rights that are universal to all people,” Crowley said.
Posted in Human Rights, Iran | Comment »
Iran: New Report by USIP, Stimson Center
November 17th, 2010 by Jason
The Stimson Center and the United States Institute of Peace’s Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention released a new report yesterday titled “Engagement, Coercion, and Iran’s Nuclear Challenge.” The report was authored by Barry Blechman and Daniel Brumberg, with contributions from Steven Heydemann. Utilizing the knowledge of dozens of experts, the report seeks to explore the challenges of engagement with Iran on the nuclear issue and recommends policy prescriptions to the United States government as to how to move forward.
Posted in Iran, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: “A Changing Middle East: Iran, Turkey, and Prospects for Peace”
November 16th, 2010 by Jason
On Monday evening, as part of the 2010 Foreign Policy Initiative Forum, a panel discussion was held titled “A Changing Middle East: Iran, Turkey, and Prospects for Peace.” The discussants were Elliot Abrams, of the Council on Foreign Relations, Ambassador Eric Edelman, of the Foreign Policy Initiative and Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, and Reuel Gerecht of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. The discussion was moderated by Lee Smith of the Weekly Standard.
(To read full notes, continue below the fold or click here for pdf.)
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Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Islamist movements, Israel, Middle Eastern Media, Palestine, Political Parties, Reform, Turkey, US foreign policy | Comment »
“Islamic Feminism and Beyond”
November 15th, 2010 by Jason
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Middle East Program released a new paper (pdf) today, titled “Islamic Feminism and Beyond: The New Frontier.” The introduction is written by Haleh Esfandiari and Margot Badran, and the paper includes six sections covering a range of topics and countries. The articles include “Feminist Activism for Change in Family Laws and Practices: Lessons from the Egyptian Past for the Global Present” by Margot Badran, “Recent Amendments in the Turkish Civil and Criminal Codes and the Role of Feminist NGOs” by Binnaz Toprak, “Women and the Politics of Reform in Morocco” by Souad Eddouada, “Beyond Islamic Feminism: Women and Representation in Iran’s Democracy Movement” by Nayereh Tohidi, “The Personal Status Code and Women’s Celibacy in Tunisia” by Lilia Labidi, and “Analyzing Reform Successes and Failures: The Personal Status Regime in the Arab World” by Amaney Jamal.
Posted in Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Human Rights, Iran, Morocco, Reform, Tunisia, Turkey, Women | Comment »
Iran: BBC Returns to Iran, Green Movement Programming Weak
November 10th, 2010 by Anna
Ian Black reports in the Guardian today that the BBC will resume broadcasting in Iran after an 18-month lapse. Its correspondent Jon Leyne was asked to leave in June 2009 during the post-election unrest, and the government accused him of organizing the shooting of protester Neda Agha-Soltani. Some observers have interpreted the agreement to return British journalists to the country as a “slight thaw” in Iran’s relations with the West. Former Beijing correspondent James Reynolds will take the position in Tehran.
As Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports, however, opposition programming in Iran may be weak. One blogger (Persian) is skeptical that the Green Movement’s new satellite TV channel, called “Rasa,” will attract a substantial audience. Although its programming is “interesting,” the channel “is producing only one to two hours of weak programs everyday. Also, it’s available through Telstar [satellite], which can’t be accessed by many people.”
Posted in Iran, Journalism | Comment »
Iran: Put Human Rights on the Table
November 9th, 2010 by Jason
Massoumeh Torfeh argues at The Guardian’s Comment is Free that the issue of human rights can not be forgotten as Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany) prepare for the resumption of talks on Iran’s nuclear program. Torfeh reminds readers of several Iranian citizens currently languishing in prison; Nasrin Sotudeh, a human rights lawyer currently on hunger strike, Mohammad Seifzadeh, a lawyer sentenced to nine years in prison, and Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, convicted of adultery and now facing a sentence of stoning. Iranian lawyers have also issued a statement, which Torfeh describes as “urg(ing) the international community not to ‘deflect attention’ from Iran’s human rights violations just because Iran has agreed to talks with 5+1.”
Posted in Human Rights, Iran, US foreign policy, United Nations | Comment »
Iran: Controls on Education Tighten
November 3rd, 2010 by Jason
Following a decision to stop teaching certain social sciences deemed too “Western,” the Iranian government has now closed the Iran University for Medical Sciences in Tehran. Ali Chenar writes at Tehran Bureau that the recent moves reveal the governments strategy to “[revive] a strict centralism in the field of higher education, focused on conservative ideological values.” Control over the education sector had loosened during the presidency of Mohammad Khatami, but since Ahmadinejad’s election in 2005 things have changed. “‘From day one, Ahmadinejad sought to control the universities. He appointed his close allies to run the nation’s prestigious schools, ignoring the faculty’s views or objections,’” says a lecturer at the University of Tehran. According to another professor, “‘All of this is happening at a crucial time. In the past two decades, Iranian universities and colleges have been building up their academic strength. There is a huge demand for their expansion into graduate studies […] We need stability and peace to carry on teaching and research.’”
Update: Radio Free Europe is reporting that “Iran’s Education Ministry has issued new directives barring the employment as school teachers of persons affiliated with “illegal” parties, organizations, and groups.”
Posted in Freedom, Iran | Comment »
Iran: Khamenei Courts the Clerical Establishment
November 1st, 2010 by Jason
In a new, detailed piece at Tehran Bureau, Muhammad Sahimi explains the history of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s troubles with the clerical establishment, and what, if anything, his recent trip to the holy city of Qom accomplished. “Unlike his predecessor as Supreme Leader — Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini — Khamenei has never had his own independent base of popular support.” The process through which Khamenei rose to the position of Supreme Leader was heavily influenced by Hashemi Rafsanjani, who thought Khamenei was “weak in religious credentials and therefore pliable.” The recent trip to Qom was an effort to “have the most senior grand ayatollahs and ayatollahs greet him as he entered the holy city, where about 30 Marjas taghlid currently reside. It became quickly clear, however, that aside from Khamenei’s reactionary supporters…no credible cleric would agree to that.”
Sahimi calls into question reports that Khamenei was able to achieve the main goals of the trip: to officially become a Marja taghlid, or figure of emulation, and to be named the Marja-e omoom, the foremost of the Marja. He said that it does not matter how various “daily hardline mouthpieces” and “other reactionary websites” refer to Khamenei. “The great aspect of Shiism is that it is the people who decide whom they want to follow, whom they want to emulate, whom they consider a true and pious Marja,” he says.
Posted in Iran, Islam and Democracy, Political Islam | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Human Rights in Iran”
October 28th, 2010 by Jason
The Brookings Institution held a panel discussion on Thursday titled “Human Rights in Iran.” The discussion was moderated by Kenneth Pollack, Senior Fellow and Director, Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. The panelists were Geneive Abdo, Director of the Iran Program at the Century Foundation, Philo Dibble, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Markus Löning, Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin, and Mojtaba Vahedi, political advisor to former Iranian presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi.
(To read full notes, continue below the fold or click here for pdf.)
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Posted in Civil Society, Diplomacy, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Reform, US foreign policy, sanctions | Comment »
Transparency International Releases Corruption Rankings
October 26th, 2010 by Evan
Transparency International (TI)
released its annual Corruption Perceptions Index today. In the Middle East, little changed over the past year. Iraq, Sudan, Yemen, Iran and Libya continued to experience dangerous levels of corruption all scoring 2.2 or under on TI’s 10 point scale (10 being “very clean” and 3, “very corrupt”). Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Israel once again led the region in transparency, all scoring above 6.
Posted in Iran, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Qatar, Reform, Sudan, UAE, Yemen | Comment »
Firewall-Busting Technology Holds Potential in Democracy Promotion
October 25th, 2010 by Anna
In the Washington Post today, Jackson Diehl describes the role of firewall-busting technology in facilitating opposition movements in authoritarian states. One company, called UltraReach, enables people to access web sites banned by their governments, and about half of the system’s users are Iranian. With additional funding, the company’s founders say they could “effectively destroy the Internet controls of Iran and most other dictatorships,” writes Diehl. There have been some small efforts in Congress to help fund firewall-busting firms, which have collectively formed the Global Internet Freedom Consortium. State Department funding for internet freedom programs has been limited by “bureaucratic slowness,” however, in spite of calls from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Michael Posner to defeat internet censorship by authoritarian regimes. Diehl laments that although the technology and funding exist, “the agency still hesitates to act.”
Posted in Civil Society, Iran, Technology, US foreign policy | Comment »
Iran: Regime Encourages Citizen Journalism, Restricts University Curricula
October 25th, 2010 by Anna
Golnaz Esfandiari at Radio Free Europe follows up on last week’s reports that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Iranians to report on his trip to Qom through photo and video footage, which has been published on his website. IRNA, Iran’s state news agency, has also been encouraging (Farsi) citizen journalism, asking average Iranians to become “honorary journalist[s]” by reporting on events they see in their communities. Esfandiari predicts that “the citizen journalism the Iranian establishment is promoting is likely to be tightly monitored and subject to censorship.”
Also related to censorship, Iranian leaders announced a review of university curricula on Sunday. Abolfazl Hassani, head of Education Development at the Ministry of Education, reportedly said: “Expansion of 12 disciplines in the social sciences like law, women’s studies, human rights, management, sociology, philosophy….psychology and political sciences will be reviewed,” in part because they have been deemed too “Western.” New university departments in these fields will not be permitted, and existing curricula will be “revised,” according to Reuters.
Posted in Iran, Journalism, Technology | Comment »
POMED Notes: “19th Annual Arab-US Policymakers Conference”
October 22nd, 2010 by Jason
The National Council on US-Arab Relations held its 19th annual Arab-US Policymakers Conference on Thursday. Opening remarks were made by Dr. John Duke Anthony, President and CEO of the National Council on US-Arab Relations and Rear Admiral Harold J. Bernsen, chairman of the Board of Directors at the National Council on US-Arab Relations. The first talk on the agenda was entitled “Arab-US Relations: Misadventures Past and Present,” and was given by The Honorable Chas W. Freeman Jr., former Ambassador and Assistant Secretary of Defense.
(To read full notes, continue below the fold or go here for pdf.)
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Posted in Diplomacy, Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Military, Neocons, Political Parties, Sectarianism, Terrorism, US foreign policy | Comment »
New “World Press Freedom Index” Shows Decline in Middle East Media Freedom
October 20th, 2010 by Anna
Reporters Without Borders released its annual World Press Freedom Index today. In the Middle East and North Africa, press freedom saw mild improvements in some places, but deterioration overall. Morocco dropped 8 places in the global ranking, which the report’s authors attribute to “the arbitrary closing down of a newspaper, the financial ruin of another newspaper, orchestrated by the authorities, etc.” Tunisia’s score also worsened “because of its policy of systematic repression enforced by government leaders in Tunis against any person who expresses an idea contrary to that of the regime,” as well as a new amendment to the penal code that essentially criminalizes contact with foreign organizations that could damage national economic interests. In Syria and Yemen, press freedom continues to suffer as arbitrary arrests and torture are “still routine,” and crackdowns in Iran have kept that country at the near-bottom of the index. The rankings went down for Bahrain and Kuwait due to an uptick in charges against bloggers, including prominent Kuwaiti blogger Mohammed Abdel Qader Al-Jassem. The Palestinian Territories rose 11 places because “the violations committed in the year just ended are simply ‘less serious’ than in 2009,” and Algeria also saw mild improvements in media freedom. In Iraq, a higher score reflects the fact that journalists now work in safer conditions than in the past.
Posted in Bahrain, Freedom, Gulf, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Middle Eastern Media, Palestine, Syria, Technology, Tunisia | Comment »
Iran: USIP Releases “The Iran Primer”
October 18th, 2010 by Jason
The United States Institute of Peace announced the release of “The Iran Primer: Power, Politics, and U.S. Policy” today. The primer includes pieces from over 50 foreign policy experts including Daniel Brumberg, Juan Cole, Haleh Esfandiari, Karim Sadjadpour, Steven Heydemann, Richard Haass, and Anthony Cordesman, among others. The book includes short sections by each author on a range of topics involving Iran, including the Islamic Revolution of 1979, opposition movements, economic issues, and the inside perspectives of individuals involved in the formulation of policy towards Iran from every U.S. Administration since Carter. The collection was edited by Robin Wright, and is now available online with a print edition due in December.
Posted in Iran, Publications | Comment »
Iraq: Is Iran the Kingmaker?
October 18th, 2010 by Jason
Iran’s influence over political developments in Iraq was the subject of several articles over the weekend. In the Guardian, Martin Chulov writes that Muqtada Al-Sadr’s support for Prime Minister Maliki is the equivalent of “putting [Maliki’s] key rival, Iyad Allawi, in check.” Chulov goes on to describe a byzantine process involving players from Iran, Syria, and Lebanon. He quotes an American official describing the prominence of the Sadrist’s in the new government: “‘This is nothing less than a strategic defeat.’”
Another article in the Guardian, written by Michael Knights, is less perturbed by Iran’s influence. “Any assessment of Iran’s influence in Iraq must centre on a review of Tehran’s interests and objectives vis-a-vis its neighbour and historic rival.” Knight posits that Iran’s true aim is to ensure that Iraq cannot threaten it again militarily. The Iranians are protecting their interests by “seek[ing] to complicate the task of negotiating a post-2011 US-Iraqi security agreement and to restrict the scale and effectiveness of American security assistance to Iraq’s external security forces,” as well as “establish[ing] a balance of trade and economic co-dependencies that favour Tehran and protect it.” He concludes by noting: “Iran probably faces a future in which Iraqi nationalism grows as a force, whilst the current crop of Iranian-favoured politicians will fade away. This all suggests that Iran, like the United States, will have to continue to vie for influence in Iraq, year after year, decade after decade.”
Posted in Elections, Iran, Iraq, Political Parties, Sectarianism, US foreign policy | Comment »
