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Green Movement in Iran Issues New Manifesto in Wake of Arab Uprising
Editor’s Note: The following text was given to insideIRAN.org by a group of intellectuals who are leaders in the Green Movement in Tehran. They are also the authors of this manifesto.
We, dozens of groups of Green activists in Iran, have…
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Greens Issue Farsi Version of Manifesto
Editor’s note: The text below (pdf file) is the Farsi version of a new manifesto written by a group of active Greens in Iran. The authors provided this copy due to increasing requests for the Farsi version. more»
Manifesto Authors Respond to Criticism
Editor’s Note: Since the publication on this website of a new Green Movement manifesto, authored by intellectuals inside Iran, there has been much criticism of the authors and the document’s contents. The authors, therefore, offer their response.
more»Iran’s Greens Call on Diaspora to Speak with One Voice
Editor’s Note: The following article was written by a leader in the Green movement in Iran who wishes to remain anonymous.
TEHRAN — The unfolding drama in the Arab world that has already brought down despots in Tunisia and Egypt has been watched closely here in Iran—and with a degree of amazement and envy on our part. We Green activists, along with the daily growing number of ‘regular’ people disgusted with the religious despotism of Ayatollah Khamenei and with the daily deteriorating economic situation more»
Iran: Ahmadinejad vs Khamenei
Geneive Abdo
This article was first published in Al Jazeera.
Few could have imagined two years ago that the man who caused a Tehran spring that nearly brought down the Iranian regime, only for it to be saved by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, would today be reduced to political impotence. But after a three-month conflict, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad should be grateful Khamenei has not ordered his arrest, and, at least for now, is content for him to serve out his term as a lame duck.
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Media Analysis
Grand Ayatollah Urges Boycott of Elections
Shayan Ghajar
On July 25, one of Iran’s most prominent dissident clerics, Grand Ayatollah Ali-Mohammad Dastgheib, issued a lengthy statement condemning the current political atmosphere in Iran and urging non-participation in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The Grand Ayatollah, known for his outspoken criticism of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, also called for oversight of Khamenei’s position, as stipulated in the Iranian Constitution. more»Khamenei Steps In to Rescue Economy
Shayan Ghajar
On July 19 Iran’s highest authority, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, published a “General Employment Policy” consisting of 13 goals or strategies to improve employment in Iran. The plan was an indirect but telling acknowledgement of Iran’s massive unemployment problem–it follows just a week after statements by Khamenei to Iran’s Chamber of Commerce in which the Supreme Leader urged economic optimism and restraint in publishing discouraging items regarding the economy. The statement was published to virtually every state-owned or affiliated news agency in Farsi, as well as the the Supreme Leader’s website. more»Assembly of Experts Chairman Attempts to Silence Regime Acrimony
Staff
The Chairman of the Assembly of Experts, tasked with oversight of the Supreme Leader, made a speech on July 20 widely reported in Iranian state-owned or affiliated media. Chairman Ayatollah Mahdavi-Kani, who won the seat from Ayatollah Rafsanjani in early March, cautioned against public infighting between officials in the government and urged adherence to the Supreme Leader’s edicts in his speech during a convening of the Assembly. more»Iran’s Central Bank Under Fire
Shayan Ghajar
Iran’s Central Bank faces criticism on July 13 surrounding two separate announcements regarding the nation’s fiscal situation and policy. The first announcement, made by Yahya Al-Ishaq, head of Tehran’s Chamber of Commerce, was the declaration that the central bank would not be releasing any statistical information on Iran’s economy for the previous month for the first time in decades. The second surprise announcement by the Central Bank consisted of a statement of intention to knock four zeros off of Iran’s rial to combat inflation.
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Critical Comments
Iran and Turkey Divided over Syria
Shayan Ghajar
Though Turkey has invested a great deal of effort into its policy of maintaining good relations with neighboring states, the Arab winter of discontent has severely weakened the ability of the Turkish government to do so. Syria, which shares a border with Turkey stretching hundreds of miles, has proved particularly damaging to Turkey’s regional foreign policy. Forced to speak out on Syria’s burgeoning humanitarian crisis as Bashar al-Assad’s troops drive thousands to seek safety on the border between the two nations, Turkey’s stance has set it at odds with Syria’s staunch ally, Iran. more»
Ahmadinejad’s Fall Unlikely to Influence Nuclear Talks
Shayan Ghajar
While the unrelenting attacks on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continue to curtail his power, some analysts in the United States mistakenly argue that his fall from grace may prevent future nuclear talks between Iran and the West. However, it is more likely that Ahmadinejad’s marginalization will have little impact on the nuclear impasse, as neither he nor his enemies in Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s faction have any motivation for real compromise on Iran’s enrichment program at present. more»
Is Ahmadinejad on His Way Out?
Shayan Ghajar
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad currently faces the strongest opposition of any president of the Islamic Republic in three decades. The attacks on Ahmadinejad are astounding, both in their scope and severity, and unprecedented in their consequences for the Iranian government.
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