Human Rights Abuse in Iran

Tonight we were confronted by a very sticky, yet important, issue in Iran: human rights abuses. What was said is that the Iranian government has systematically tortured, jailed and executed dissidents without due process of law in many cases. But there's much more to it than that and I don't feel like we addressed your questions sufficiently. So I feel obligated at this point to direct you to more reliable, substantive sources. Check out this coverage by the Human Rights Watch. Also, check out this short article by Amnesty International. If you're interested in writing about this for your final paper, please email us with you specific topic.

Again, I encourage ALL of you to search further in the topic of human rights in Iran. A lot is shrouded in mystery, but most of the cases cannot be denied by the Islamic Republic.

- Keyan

Iran's Nuclear Challenge

Hey Class,

This week's topic was Iran's highly-contested nuclear program. Unfortunately, we had to condense our lecture into 2 hours, so we weren't able to listen to all your questions, concerns and opinions. Now you have the opportunity express them in your comments. If needed, here are some questions to guide you:

- Dariush Zahedi said that Iran might be trying to "pre-empt a preemptive strike." Do you think this is a good idea? What are some of the consequences?

- How does the nuclear issue relate to, and shape, the national psyche?

- What are some of the domestic economic benefits? (Please assume that Iran will not invest in it's capacity to refine oil and will continue importing.)

- Lastly, how does this issue impact the delicate balance of powers in the region? What could happen if the United States (or Israel, or both) strikes Iran?

See you next week,

Keyan

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Hello class. The topic for this week was, of course, President Ahmadinejad. You guys definitely have some strong opinions about him.

You will need to comment on Ahmadinejad's letter to Americans. The link to it is on the left, under the link menu.

Basically, as an American, or at least someone who currently resides here, what is your reaction to this letter? What would you like to say to him as a reply?

Be sure to come up with some issues that came up this week in lecture.

Have a good break!

-Amir

The Rise and Fall of the Reformists

This week consisted of Khatami and the reform movement in Iran. For this post, you will need to answer at least one of the following three questions:

1. Describe some of the impediments Khatami experienced during his presidency. Why did the reformists "fall," so to speak? What is it about the Iranian power structure that hindered his efforts?

2. Do you feel that the "dialogue of civilizations" is an idea that can succeed in the world we live in? Does it deviate from our Western mode of thinking? Use citations from Khatami's text, located in the reader.

3. Do you think Khatami made the right choice by not overtly supporting the student uprising of 1999? What could have been some consequences?

A Glimpse into Friday's Parliamentary Elections

Here are the voices of five Iranian voters who during the course of their interviews reveal their political preferences and are critical of the election process. The content of the interviews is related to what I was saying about ex-President Khatami and his reformist bloc during yesterday's lecture. You can still find indications of people investing confidence and hope in the reformist candidates (who have been extremely limited due to the Guardian Council's disqualifications), but are mostly skeptical about their chances of being able to implement bills that would change the system.
Let us know what you think of these interviews either through the comments section on this blog or in class on Tuesday!
The interviews can be accessed through: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/7256509.stm
- Keyan

Iran: New parliment, new policies?

Hey guys. I'm sorry we couldn't finish the lecture today, its apparent that I talk too much.

This article is from the Economist, and it ties quite nicely into the contemporary Iranian government structure that we were talking about today. It also serves to give you guys a taste of what is to come in the future of the course.

Just read the article and give us your thoughts. You guys had some great comments this week so I trust that this will be interesting.

Good luck on midterms and see you next week.

-Amir

The Art of State Building

If you remember from Tuesday, I was quite intrigued by the short video that said "the Iran-Iraq war saved the Islamic revolution."
Now my question to you is: to what extent is this true? Your reply should contain information about Khomeini's consolidation, the acceleration of organization in the military and the surge of nationalism.
If you disagree, you might be able to substantiate your claims by mentioning some economic variables (something I discussed briefly during lecture towards the end)

See you on Tuesday!

Keyan

The Iran-Iraq War

This week we went over the Iran-Iraq war.

You can view a gallery of photos here. You can also view the surprisingly catchy Iranian propaganda song and video here.

For this post, I am interested to hear some of your views on many of the controversial moves on behalf of Iran and the world during the war. Once again you can answer as many of these questions as you like.

Without knowing the outcome, was the decision of Iran to counter-invade Iraq after two years the right one?

Do you feel it was right for the world, which felt threatened by Iran, to provide Iraq with both military support and chemical weapons?

How do you feel about Iran using human wave attacks, child soldiers, and human mine detectors (knowing that they helped Iran defend itself)?

In light of understanding more about the war, do you feel like you understand Iran's position (in terms of foreign policy) better?

Have a good week guys, keep on the lookout for more opportunities to post.

-Amir