The following review of The Blogging Revolution is published by the Committee to Protect Bloggers: I told Antony Loewenstein well over a month ago that I would review his book, “The Blogging Revolution.” I’ve put it off not because the book’s no good but because I simply hate reviewing books. It takes forever and, if…
Showing all posts tagged Iran
Eating the evidence
Just another day in the life of Western media mis-translating and mis-understanding the reality of Iranian life.
Facing the reality
Trita Parsi, Rootless Cosmopolitan, October 15: Olmert’s valedictory interview may be the first small steps towards a Plan B on Iran – one that takes as its point of departure the new regional realities: A balance of power that has shifted away from Israel, and an Iran that is unlikely to unlearn the technology of…
Australia embraces web censorship
My following article appears on the Global Voices Advocacy site: The issue of internet censorship generally involves countries deemed non-democratic or “repressive” (something I discuss in my new book, The Blogging Revolution.) We regularly read reports about the regimes in China or Iran blocking countless “subversive” websites for overtly political gain. Alas, a growing number…
An Iranian force
From The Paris Review: In 2003 the first group of female cadets graduated from Iran’s police academy. Tehran’s police chief Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf—now the mayor of Tehran—had obtained permission from the country’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, to create the all-female police units, and these policewomen were the products of a three-year training program. Abbas Kowsari…
The real picture on Iran
Akbar Ganji, Foreign Affairs, November/December: As the Iranian parliamentary elections of March 2008 approached, many Iranians wondered nostalgically: If a reformist had won the 2005 presidential election instead of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, would Iran be in its current dismal state? For Abdollah Ramezanzadeh, a former government spokesperson, Iran’s situation is “worse today that it has ever…
How to dress like an Iranian woman
Starring in a Hollywood political thriller requires complex negotiations for actresses from the Islamic Republic: When Iranian movie star Golshifteh Farahani moved from Tehran to Hollywood, she didn’t bring along her head scarf, which is obligatory in her own country. The 25-year-old actress appeared at the New York red-carpet premiere of Ridley Scott‘s new action…
Digging beneath the surface
In Iran, a consumerist economy and a hardline government have corroded interest in… politics. The blogosphere and campuses reflect the… shift. But Iranians… retain their capacity to surprise, writes Nasrin Alavi.
A funny kind of enemy
Zionist fanatic Joe Lieberman worries that Barack Obama may not have the “right stuff” to bomb Iran. This is supposed to be a serious politician talking about serious foreign affairs issues. Back in the real world: In an effort to help the United States counter al-Qaida after the 9/11 attack, Iran rounded up hundreds of…
For women who like to hold the wheel
Ladies in Iran, a car designed for your needs will soon be available for your driving pleasure.