In the BBC documentary, “America Held Hostage”, Bahman Kalbasi tells the story of the Iran Hostage Crisis with accounts by American officials held at the American embassy for the 444 day ordeal.

The documentary features footage from November 4, 1979 when students mobbed the embassy in about an hour’s time, by the account of former NIAC Advisory Board member and current Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iran, John Limbert.

Out of the fourteen months he was held, Limbert spent nine in solitary confinement. Recounting some of his tense experience, he said

The most frightening was one night he just dragged us all out of where we were, middle of the night and lined us up against the wall and started cocking their weapons as though they were going to execute us.

Another hostage, Bill Daugherty, then CIA, recalls the frantic shredding of documents as the embassy was being stormed. He nervously offered an alibi, feigning ignorance as a recent foreign service hire, not knowing the hostage-takers had already infiltrated the safe of L. Bruce Laingen, senior American official at the embassy, which contained  a cable outing him as CIA. One young student, about 19 or 20, had an Uzi pointed at his stomach with the safety off.  Daugherty recalls, almost comically:

“…I thought, ‘all this kid had to do was sneeze’…”

Laingen spoke of his anger and frustration over the 444 days of the hostage crisis. He said at one point to the hostage takers that they had no right morally and legally to take these actions, especially to visitors to Iran. In response he was told: “You have no rights to complain. You took a whole country hostage in 1953.”

President Jimmy Carter had stopped all imports from Iran, froze Iranian assets, and tried all diplomatic channels to no avail; his administration was made to look impotent as the hostages remained captive. Their final release came the day Ronald Reagan became President to the great relief of the hostages and their families. It was to be the beginning of Iran’s isolation.

November 13, 2009

Persian- Freedom Messenger // English- P2E

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At Least 8 Students in Shiraz Remain Imprisoned

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This is the fourth day of hunger strike by Kazem Rezaie (a detained and expelled student in Shiraz who was arrested after the security forces stormed the university on November 4th).

According to this report, Kazem Rezaie who was arrested by plainclothes agents along with 30 other students at University of Shiraz on November 4th, was initially transferred to Adel-Abad prison. A few days later he was transferred to the intelligence detention center of Shiraz, known as Section 100. According to his friends there is no status update regarding his health. It’s worth noting that this is the third time that Kazem Rezaie has been detained in the the Shiraz intelligence detention center.

This report says that out of 30 students who were arrested following a barbaric attack by Basij and security forces of the coup regime on November 4th in Shiraz University, Saeid Rezaie, Ahmad Aref, Kheybar Safarpour, Ayoub Pourfathi, Ehsan Poursoltan, Abol-Harari and possibly a few other students are still at Adel-Abad prison in Shiraz.

As indicated by the video clips, the barbaric security forces beat male and female students.

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دست كم هشت دانشجو دانشگاه شيراز همچنان زنداني ميباشند

اين گزارش حاكيست كه از 30 دانشجو بازداشتي دانشگاه شيراز كه در حمله وحشيانه نيروهاي بسيجي و امنيتي حامي كودتا به اين دانشگاه در روز 13 آبان بازداشت شدند ، همچنان سعید رضایی ، احمد عارف ، خیبر صفرپور ، ایوب پورفتحی ، احسان پورسلطان ،ابوالاحراري و احتمالا چند تن ديگر از دانشجويان در زندان عادل آباد شیراز زنداني ميباشند.
گفتني است تجمع اعتراضي دانشجويان دانشگاه شيراز در روز 13 آبان با هجوم وحشيانه نيروهاي لباس شخصي ، بسيجي و امنيتي با حمايت گارد يگان ويژه نيروي انتظامي به داخل اين دانشگاه به خشونت كشيده شد و بر اساس فيلم هاي منتشر شده از اين حمله نيروهاي مهاجم به ضرب و شتم شديد دانشجويان دختر و پسر پرداختند.

November 4, 2009
Persian- Salam News // English- P2E

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Ayatollah Montazeri’s Strategies for Saving the
Government from the Current Crisis

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In my opinion, the government can make a brave and wise decision to release all political prisoners immediately, lift the bans on media, dissolve the inquisition units, and stop the system of selecting people for positions in universities and businesses according to their beliefs- instead they can choose more capable and skillful people. With such revolutionary and God-friendly decision-making, the government can retake the lost power, since only in this case can the government enter negotiations with power and dignity.

The following are the answers to some questions that  “Mowj-e Sabz-e Azadi” website asked the great Ayatollah Montazeri:

In the name of God,

Dear great Ayatollah Montazeri,

With greetings and respect,

We hope that you are well and healthy. We are contacting you from the internet site “Mowj-e Sabz-e Azadi”, and we would like to ask you some questions regarding to the anniversary of occupying the US embassy in Iran (13 Aban/November 4th), and we hope that your answers will be a very good guidance to solve the current problems.

We would like to thank you for helping us in this issue.  Signed, editor of Mowj-e Sabz-e Azadi.

First Question- In your opinion, occupying the U.S. embassy by Iranian students who followed Imam Khomeini is considered a wrong act, while you were one of those who supported this act at the time it happened. What were your reasons in that time for supporting it and what are your reasons now for considering it wrong?

Second question- What is your opinion of the the relationship between Iran and the US being on rocky grounds ? And in your opinion, how would it affect Iran’s interests to continue keeping this relationship in its current state?

Third Question- Currently, Russia and China have taken the place of America and Europe in Iran’s politics and economy. How should they be treated?  Does such communication meet the interest of the country and the revolution ?

Fourth Question- Regarding the conditions of the presidential election, the government support, trust, and legitimacy among people is lost. In such a situation, whether the negotiations of Iran and the U.S. together would be coupled with power and esteem, or would it be a negotiation from the position of weakness?

Fifth Question- What is the meaning of arrogant contention? Does this term mean to defend and fight arrogance or does it mean war, and especially beginning a war ? Considering the fact that the rules of international law is accepted by the majority of the nations of the world, what is the meaning for the concept of arrogant contention in this situation? Regarding national interests, how should one react to unjust international laws ?

Grand Ayatollah Montazeri’s response:

In the name of God

With greetings and thanks for showing attention to the important current issues of the country.

Answer1- Right after the victory of the revolution, the act of occupying the US embassy was supported by most revolutionary groups and people including Imam Khomeini and also me. However, with all the negative results and the serious sensitivity created in American people, the effects of which still remain, it proved to not be a right decision. Basically, the embassy of a country is considered a part of that country, and while a country is not at war with us, occupying that country’s embassy would mean declaration of war against that country, which is not right. As far as I know, some young people who were heavily involved in this work also believe it to be wrong.

Answer2- Considering the fact that the US caused the coup against Dr. Mossaddegh and returned the Shah, and after the coup was handling all economical and political issues of the country while supporting the former regime in all cases, and after the revolution blocked all of Iran’s assets (and in general was not dealing with the revolution in an appropriate way), people became angry with the US. As a result, some students occupied the US embassy in Iran. Consequently, America stopped relations with Iran.

Accordingly, Imam Khomeini disagreed in having this connection again. It is obvious that such a ruling is temporary and will change according to political and economical conditions. Such a relationship depends on the country’s interests such as a relationship between two independent countries.
Considering the country’s interests, if it is required that a relationship with America is established, it is not to cause tension and distrust with empty and meaningless slogans. Unfortunately, the leaders of the country do not want relations due to the obvious and important fact that Israel and its lobby have always been against Iran and the US having relations and finds interests in saving the current crisis.

Answer3- It is absolutely wrong that Iran’s government becomes dependent on eastern countries and support their own satisfaction rather national interests. This is also against one of the basic slogans which our people emphasized: “Nor Eastern and Neither Western.” What is the deference between Russia and America? Why should we trust Russia too much and donate huge amounts of our national assets to them generously, and when it comes to America, we refuse any kind of negotiation, even if it would be beneficial for our country ?

Answer4- It is clear that the government will not be able to have a strong position in front of powerful countries, because of the crisis that the government has created for itself after the glorious election. The government is changing its decisions and positions repeatedly, which ultimately harms the country and the people, and results in disadvantages and losses.

The regime would not gain any power by repression and obligatory silence. Only the true and free support of the people would give real strength to a government. In my opinion, the government can make a brave and wise decision to release all political prisoners immidiately, lift bans on the media, dissolve the inquisition units, and stop the system of selecting people for jobs in universities and offices according to their beliefs. Instead they should choose more capable and skillfull people. With such revolutionary and God-friendly decision making, the govenment can retake the lost power, since only in this case the govenment can enter the negotiations with power and dignity.

Answer5- Arrogant contention does not mean declaration of war against other countries, nor offending other nations and making them sensitive, neither creating enemies and isolating the country. By arrogant contention we mean defending the nation’s rights against covetousness and excessive policy of the arrogant, so there is no distinction between East and West, and nor totalitarian and arrogant people. A government who is keeping people dissatisfied and unhappy, trespassing and oppressing them, jailing a great number of people (including a lot of elites, political activists, and freedom fighters), continuing to trial and condemn them for untrue and imaginary charges, cannot claim contention against arrogants.  Arrogant contention cannot be practiced without getting people’s support and fulfilling their rights (regardless of which group or classes they belong to). It also means freedom of speech and expressing ideas. Only with such a national support can a country strongly resist against foreign impositions and show the proper reaction.

I wish you success from the almightly God and also dignity and honour of the noble Iranian nation.

May God keep his mercy on you.

Persian of this news

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Agents Attempt to Arrest Azad University Activists

HRA- Agents from the Intelligence Ministry attempted to arrest Azad University student activists.

The student unit of HRA reports that, in the early hours of November 4th, 2009, agents from the Intelligence Ministry arrested Farzad Esalmi, a student at Azad University. The agents then went to the homes of three other student activists to arrest them but had to return because they were not at home. The three students are Salman Sina, Mohammad Shourab, and Hossein Masoumi.

The agents went to the house of a relative of one of the students today and said they are determined to arrest all three students.

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نیروهای امنیتی برای بازداشت تنی از فعالان دانشجویی دانشگاه آزاد اقدام کرده اند.

به گزارش واحد دانشجویی مجموعه فعالان حقوق بشر در ایران، نیروهای امنیتی بامداد 13 آبان ماه پس از بازداشت فرزاد اسلامی، فعال دانشجویی دانشگاه آزاد به منازل سلمان سیما، محمد شورآب و حسین معصومی سه تن دیگر از فعالان این دانشگاه برای بازداشت آنان مراجعه می کنند که بعلت فقدان حضور این افراد در منزل موفق به بازداشت آنان نشده اند.

گزارش شده است نیروهای امنیتی روز جاری با مراجعه به منزل یکی از نزدیکان یک تن از دانشجویان مورد اشاره عنوان داشته اند رد بازداشت این افراد مصمم هستند.

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A Letter from a Protester in Iran: My Experience on 13 Aban

Yesterday was extremely frightening. It was like I was inside a lion’s mouth! Karroubi had said to be on 7tir at 10:30am. I went with a few friends, thinking that we could walk peacefully behind Karroubi, like the Qods Day demonstration.

I arrived to 7tir around 9:30am and saw a massive number of Basij. I had never witnessed Basij in such large numbers. There were also a large number of police and plainclothes armed with batons. I got out of the taxi to bypass the traffic.  I walked inconspicuously among the  crowd of  security forces to meet up with friends.

On my way, I witnessed the arrest of several green-clad individuals. I met up with my friends and we began to walk toward 7tir. My friend’s brave cousin was wearing a green scarf and was passing by the Basiji with a smile! When the crowd grew larger, we began raising our hands and chanting “Allah-o-Akbar,” and “Death to dictator.” Initially the police didn’t react. The people asked the police not to allow the Basij to beat them up, but the police laughed at them.

While we were chanting, the Basij eventually came toward us to attack. We all ran away. It was truly terrifying!

We started chanting again, “Russian embassy is the house of spies” and “Death to the dictator.” Suddenly the Basij attacked again, and we ran. I was holding Niloofar’s (a friend) hand, when we got hit by a baton from behind.  I just screamed, “Don’t hit!” A couple of the Basijis were somewhat humane and just told us to leave, so we did. I got separated from Niloofar. I was running alone when another Basij appeared in front of me. I knew he wanted to attack me, so I screamed at him to not hit me. He kicked me in the chest. He seemed like he knew martial arts. The Basij hit me and ran.

I was in pain as I ran and cried. I ran into Atefeh (another friend). Her brave cousin had gone off to Vali-Asr since she had heard Mousavi would be there. Atefeh and I searched for Niloofar. Everywhere we looked, there were police and Basij carrying batons. It was clear that they were intentionally amongst the crowd to create fights in order to make the crowed seem violent.  It was all a show!

In the middle of all the violence I saw a Basij with an electric baton- it was terrifying! The poor people were all dispersed. We chanted,  “Not America, not Russia, our movement is by the people.” But the violence was so intense that the crowed couldn’t stay together, and I was feeling extreme pain- it was driving me insane. My brave friend Atefeh kept telling me, “Suck it up, we’re here to take their beating!” But I couldn’t bare it any longer, so I asked Atefeh to leave with me before we got arrested by the savages. Atefeh didn’t listen and decided to stay behind. I went home alone and in pain.

I was worried about Niloofar, since I had lost her in the attack. When I arrived home, I received a call from Atefeh. She informed me that she, along with a few other people, got attacked and was able to find refuge in the parking space of a home. She said that she was able to take a few good hits at the police! Two hours later, I received a call from Niloofar. She had arrived home safely, but told me that she walked by Tehran University and everyone was in green chanting from inside the university, and the police were all gathered in front of the university, but weren’t doing anything.

Between 3:00pm and 4:00pm, Atefeh called again. She had finally arrived home, but the poor girl had been beat pretty bad, and had to hide in three different parking lots of people’s homes! Later, I found out demonstrations took place all over Tehran: Vali Asr, Enghelab, Taleghan, Ferdosi, Vanak, Arjantin, Seid Khandan, but the violence was the most intense at 7tir since Karroubi was there. Even Karroubi got attacked by tear gas and was soon taken away.

This is my report. Unfortunately, I couldn’t be too active to chant. The truth is that I’m not that brave. If there is a chance I could get arrested, I would not continue.  I don’t mind being beaten, but being arrested is unbearable. The uprising wasn’t just in Tehran. It was also in Tabriz, Esfahan, and even Shiraz!

(Note: the following is a first-hand account of a young woman protester and her experience on 13 Aban. Text has been translated from Persian to English. Thanks to Cheyenne for the translation)

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سلام….فیلتر شکن قدیمیم خراب شده بود دیشب نتونستم بیام اهو اطلاع رسانی کنم!…..دیروز خیلی وحشتناک بود…من بیچاره که قشنگ تو دهان شیر بودم…چون کروبی گفت بود ساعت ۱۰:۳۰ ۷اتیر منم به خیال خودم که مس روز قدس بدون درگیری دنبال کروبی را میفتیم میریم رافتم ۷عاایه تیر با دوستم :نیلوفر…عاطفه….و ۲خاطر دای عاطفه که خیلی شجاعی اهو از مدفیین حقوق زنان تو ایران اهو با شیرین ابدیو اینا رابطه داره!خلاصه من صبح زود رفتم که تو ترافیک نمونم!

ساعت ۹:۳۰ رسدیم ۷عاایه تیر دیدم اندازهٔ کل تهران بسیجی آوردن…تا حالا انقد بسیجی ندیده بودم یه جا هماشون شبیه بن لادن بودن(شهرم :د ) همه دستشون باتوم بود ….یه عالم پلیسه اهو گرد ویژه هم با باتوم بودن..هر جا که فک کنی وایساده بودن…هر جا!!!!!!!!یعنی به اندازهٔ هر یه عدم فک کنم ۱۰ تا باتوم وجود داشت…من زود رفته بودم هنوز سبزا جم نشده بودن دیدم خیلی ترافیک پیاده شدم از تاکسی پیاده رفتم که برسم سر قرار پیش دوستم….خلاصه کلی پیاده از بین بسیجیا رفتم اما با یک قیفیی رفته بودم که اصلا بهم شک نمیکردن :د

تو راهم دیدم چن نفرو که سبز پوشیده بودن گرفتن..رسدیم به دوستامو شروع کردیم به سمت ۷عاایه تیر رفتن…۲خاطر دای عاطفهام که اصلا نمیترس یه شال سبز انداخته بود گردنشو صورتشم نپوشوند بود اهو با لبخند از جلو بسیجیا رعد میشد :د یه کم که زیاد شده بودیم دستمونو بردیم بالا اهو شروع کردیم الله اکبر گفتن….مرگ بر دیکتاتور گفتن اهو اینا پلیسه ا اولش کریمون نداشتن….مردم به پلیکا ا میگفتن نذارین بسیجیا بزننمون..پلیسه احمقم میخندید..خلاصه همینجوری که شعر میگفتیم رسیدیم به بیجیسا چشت روز بد نبینه یهو حمل کردن…ماام دویدیم …واقعا وحشتناک بود!

دوباره شروع کردیم شعر دادن…سفارته روسیه لانه جاسوسی!مرگ بر دیکتاتور….ناگهان حمل کردن باز دویدیم من اهو نیلوفر دستمون تو دست هم بود که از پشت با باتوم زدنمون من فقط داد زدم آقا نزاان که یکی ۲ نفرشون مثکه یکم انسان بودن هنوز نزدنو گفتن برین برییین…ماام دویدیم من از نیلوفر جدا شدم همینجوری که داشتم تنها میدوییدم یه بسیجی جلوم سبز شد میدونستم میخواد بزنتم فقط فرصت کردم بگم نزن اما پاشو تا سرش آورد بالا اهو محکم زد تو سینم فک کنم کرتکر بود!:د

زدو رفت منم از درد خم شدم اهو همینطوری که گریه میکردم میدییدم دوستم نیلوفرو گم کردم …اما عاطفه رو پیدا کردم ۲خاطر دای عاطفه هم که هموز اول از ما جدا شدو رفت سمت ولی عصر چون شنیده بود موسوی میخواد بیاد ولی عصر…من اهو عاطفه دنبال نیلوفر میگشتیم….مردم کلا مهاساره شده بودن…هر طرف نگا میکردی پلیسه بود اهو بسیجی با باتوم…و این دفعه یه شگردی که استفاده کردن این بود که لبلی مردم وایساده بودن اهو دعواهای الکی اهو ساختگی درس کرده بودن که بگن مردم دارن دعوا میکنن اما کاملا مشخص بود که همش فیلم!

وسعت اون دعواهای الکی یهو میدید دست یکیشون بتم برقی :-اهو….خیلی ترسناک بود…مردم بیچاره همش پراکنده شده بودن…یه ذره شعر میدادیم نه آمریکا نه روسیه جنبش ما مردمی…اما انقد ترسناک بود نمیتونستیم جام سهیم منم حالم واقعا بود…داشتم دیوونه میشودم اما ایآان دوستم عاطفه انقد شجاعی(اینا خانوادگی شجن خیلی)هی میگفت بیا بریم بابا ما آمدیم کتک بخوریم..گفتن عاطفه آخه امروز خیلی خطرناکه بیا بریم خون گوف نه من میخوام برم…خلاصه یکم باهاش رفتم اما دیدم واقعا نمیتونم دست این بسیجیا بیفتم گفتم عاطفه امروز خیلی خطرناکه من میرم خون اونم گفت باشه برو گفتم عاطفه میگیرنت اینا وحشین اما گوش نداد خدافظی کردیم اهو رفتم خون!با اون حال خرابم!

نگران نیلوفر هم بودم چون تو اون هملها همدیگه رو گم کردیم…رفتم خون که عاطفه زنگ زد بهم گفت من تو خیابون قرنی بودم که حمل کردن اما با چن نفر از مردم تو پارکینگه یه خون قیم شدیم…میگفت اما منام یه عالم از پلیسه ا رو زادیم اهو سنگ زادیم بیهشون اهو لبسشونو پاره کردیم :د گفتم مراقب خودت باش تو رو خدا …یه ۲ ساعت بعد نیلوفر بهم زنگ زد اهو گفت منم رسیدم خون..گوف از جلو دانشگاه تهران رعد شدم دیدم دنشجوا همه سبز بودن اهو از تو دانشگاه شعر میدادن پلیسه اام جلو دانشگاه جم شده بودن اما کریشون نداشتن!

خلاصه عاطفه ساعت ۳ اهو ۴ زنگ زد بیچاره کلی کتک خورده بود اهو تا اون ساعت تو پارکینگه ۳ تا خون قیم شده بود اما خدا رو شکر سالم رسیده بود خون!بعدا فمیدم که همه جا شلوغ بوده…ولی عصر…انقلاب..طالقانی..فرد

In honour of our Beloved Guardian -who passed away today- Shoghi Effendi, who was the great-grandson of Baha’u'llah wrote many, many books and letters to believers to explain and clarify certain questions and doubts about the Writings of His Great-Grandfather and Grandfather (‘Abdu’l-Baha). One of the many amazing things written, that has been attributed to Shoghi Effendi was what we know as the Dynamics of Prayer which describes the process of decision-making when using prayer as a tool. So here it goes from the book Compilations, Principles of Bahá’í Administration, p. 90:

1st: Pray and meditate about it. Use the prayers of the Manifestations of God as they have the greatest power. Then remain in the silence of contemplation for a few minutes.

2nd: Arrive at a decision and hold this. This decision is usually born during the contemplation. It may seem almost impossible of accomplishment but if it seems to be as answer to a prayer or a way of solving the problem, then immediately take the next step.

3rd: Have determination to carry the decision through. Many fail here. The decision, budding into determination, is blighted and instead becomes a wish or a vague longing. When determination is born, immediately take the next step.

4th: Have faith and confidence that the power will flow through you, the right way will appear, the door will open, the right thought, the right message, the right principle or the right book will be given you. Have confidence, and the right thing will come to your need. Then, as you rise from prayer, take at once the fifth step.

5th: Then, he said, lastly, ACT; act as though it had all been answered. Then act with tireless, ceaseless energy. And as you act, you, yourself, will become a magnet, which will attract more power to your being, until you become an unobstructed channel for the Divine power to flow through you. Many pray but do not remain for the last half of the first step. Some who meditate arrive at a decision, but fail to hold it. Few have the determination to carry the decision through, still fewer have the confidence that the right thing will come to their need. But how many remember to act as though it had all been answered?

How true are those words – “Greater than the prayer is the spirit in which it is uttered” and greater than the way it is uttered is the spirit in which it is carried out.

Relative calm has returned to Iran after a day of protests. Widespread pro- and anti-government protests, and the police forces’, Basij’s, and IRGC’s attempts to suppress the Green movement using force have come to an end.

Here is the second part of the Green Freedom Wave’s report on anti-government protests across Iran:

(Again, translation copyright New York Times Company – please give credit if you quote it)

Today’s demonstrations all across Iran were the scene of the widespread presence of Greens protesting the Coup d’etat of Khordad 1388. The scene of the protests in most of the cities across Iran today was the scene of complete aggression. An aggression without guise and naked, in which the main actors were plainclothes civilian forces using maces, Basij forces using weapons, and riot control police and people without any refuge, whose only crime was wanting to participate in demonstrations, were the innocent sacrifices of these forces. Green Freedom Wave’s reporters in Tehran and across Iran inform us about bullets being fired in the air and the irregular usage of pepper spray and tear gas, by the riot control police, in order to disperse the assemblies of the people. And in addition to this, as we reported before, Mehdi Karroubi and two of his bodyguards were subject to brutal attacks by uniformed Basij forces and were targeted by bullets. The condition of one of his bodyguards is serious and they have transferred him to a hospital. Likewise repressive forces opposite the Iranian Academy of Arts did not allow Mir Hossein Mousavi’s entourage to move towards the demonstrations. And they began attacks and beatings and creating fear amongst the people by spreading tear gas in the area.

Based on the reports that have come into the Green Freedom Wave, in addition to the injuring of a number of patiots resulting from baton beatings and the use of tear gas, a number of demonstrators today have been sent to the hostpitals and a minority have been arrested. Amongst the arrested are political activists such as Mohammad Hashemi [A leading hostage taker in 1979 and husband of Massoumeh Ebtekar their spokeswoman] central member of the Office of Unity, Fayyeseh Za’-Kohan a journalist, Hojjat Sharifi a member of the Bureau of Consolidating Unity (the leading student protest group), Vahideh Molavi a member of the group Women’s Square, Ali Mashmooli – member of the Islamic Students of Sharif University of Technology, Ali Malihi – member of the Bureau for Consolidating Unity, Hamad Sadeghi — member of the Bureau for Consolidating Unity, and Hassan Asadi-Zaydabadi — member of the Bureau for Consolidating Unity. A small number of the protesters were taken from the streets and transferred to strange, unmarked homes and we do not know what has happened to them.

The reports of the Green Freedom Wave from Neyshapur (near Mashhad) indicate that there was a widespread contingent of Green-wearing protesters in the streets there and they have recorded the people’s attempts to escape the from the hands of the coup d’etat government. In this city two girls who were being attacked by plain clothes forces were given a chance to escape by some people standing nearby and the Green Freedom Wave finds this report very interesting. Likewise the brave artists and teachers of this city were present at the Green demonstrations and they played an important role in guiding the people away from the hands of the repressive forces. Quoting from the Wave’s reporter in Neyshapur, teachers used their educational ID cards to protect people who were under threat of being arrested.

Likewise Green Freedom Wave’s reporting from Rasht (in the north of Iran) records that there was a large presence of Green-wearing protesters in this city, and they were subject to violence by coup d’etat government officials. According to the Wave’s report, news media report that Green supporting youth were marching from Toshiba Square towards Culture Square when, after having marched half of their path, a group of plainclothes security forces and men on motorcycles attacked them wildly. But the green youth changed their patht o move towards the University of Sciences of Gilan and they moved in that direction. A number of students were trying to enter the main area of the University when plainclothes security forces suddenly showed up and prevented them from entering the University. Students linked up with the people standing opposite the University gates and shouted the slogans “Death to the dictator!” “Down with Russia and the eyeless government!” Likewise in the Government’s office square in Rasht which was on the official demonstration’s path, reports indicate many confrontations occurred. This happened while the champion of Gilan’s local government, alongside Ayatollah Ghorbani (the Supreme Leader’s Representative in Gilan), and Bijan Nowbaveh an MP from Tehran, who had a special presence as the main speaker at the government’s ceremony, were all present at a special location. While the Basijis and government-supporting teachers were shouting slogans from loudspeakers, a number of young boys and girls suddenly began chanting in response: “Our nation says Death to Russia!” and their numbers quietly increased – shocking the audience. Plainclothes security forces first looked at this scene with surprise but then they suddenly attacked these protesters using batons. Police forces entered the scene after the Basij attack, as they usually have in recent months, and instead of helping the people they arrested a number of protesters. There still is no accurate information on the number of arrested in Rasht but eyewitnesses inform the Wave’s reporter in Rasht that about 15 people were arrested in the government office’s square. It is still unclear where these people were transferred to.

Green Freedom Wave’s reporter in Mashhad also report a self-organized movement of students at the Ferdowsi University in Mashhad, who began marching in front of the Engineering University in Mashhad and moved towards the Engineering department, the Mathematics department, the administrative sciences department, and continued towards the Dentistry department, and later moved out of the University towards Freedom Square. At about 1 in the afternoon they were on Vakilabad street towards Freedom Square – near Ali al-Khosoos across from Ferdowsi University – when they met with heavy traffic. They could see Special Forces police units across from the main gate of Ferdowsi University. At the same time, at the start of the protests, the Basij forces received help from University teachers in using loudspeakers and other tools to create disorder in the protests, to which students responded with slogans like “Basiji, be Ashamed! Free the University [from your terror]!” Green students at Ferdowsi University who were increasing by the minute, were being filmed by forces covering their faces, to which they responded “Turn off your cameras! Listen to what we say!” They also shouted “Ahmadinejad, show us where you got your 63% from!”

Likewise eye witness reports in Mashhad indicate that many students carried signs saying “Independence, Freedom, Iranian Republic” (as opposed to Khomeini’s slogan, “Independence, Freedom, Islamic Republic”), and they shouted the slogan “The Embassy of Russia is the Den of Spies” (Iran calls the ex-US Embassy the Den of Spies). It is said that the students living on campus were preparing to continue their protests into the night.

Allameh Tabatabaie University was also the site of a widespread Green protest. According to Green Freedom Wave’s reporter in Tehran, today in the Econmoics department at Allameh, located at AbbasAbad street on the intersection with Bucharest street, nearly 200 students assembled near the south door of the University and shouted anti-government slogans, and they were met by support from the people living on AbbasAbad street. Nearly 2000 students assembled outside the university on AbbasAbad. After nearly 30 minutes of the students’ assembly, IRGC forces (wearing IRGC uniforms!) broke down the doors to enter the University and they proceeded to beat a number of male and female students severely – which resulted in one of the students getting a fractured skull. Likewise many tear gas canisters were fired into the University and 3 students were hit directly by these canisters. These IRGC forces who had violated the privacy of the University were confronted by even the university’s Basij student contingent – and they physically confronted the Basij students and intimidated them. All of the classes at Allameh were cancelled for the day.

Likewise thousands of students at Qazvin Free University (in the north of Iran) organized pro-Green assemblies there. These students shouted slogans supporting Mousavi and Karroubi.

Scattered reports across Tehran and from universities across the nation indicate that people are going to shout “Allah Akbar” tonight from 9pm to 10pm.

Today is Wednesday, Nov. 4, the 308th day of 2009. There are 57 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History

One year ago, on Nov. 4, 2008, Democrat Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the United States, defeating Republican John McCain; Democrats gained seats in the Senate and House.

On this date

In 1791, in what became known as St. Clair’s Defeat, U.S. General Arthur St. Clair was beaten by the British-supported Northwest Indian Confederation.

In 1842, Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd in Springfield, Ill.

In 1879, Will Rogers, the American actor and comedian, was born.

In 1880, the first cash register was patented by James and John Ritty of Dayton, Ohio.

In 1884, Democrat Grover Cleveland was elected to his first term as president, defeating Republican James G. Blaine.

In 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen.

In 1924, Nellie T. Ross of Wyoming was elected the nation’s first female governor to serve out the remaining term of her late husband, William B. Ross.

In 1939, the United States modified its neutrality stance in World War II, allowing “cash and carry” purchases of arms by belligerents, a policy favoring Britain and France.

In 1942, during World War II, Axis forces retreated from El Alamein in North Africa in a major victory for British forces commanded by Lt. Gen. Bernard Montgomery.

In 1952, Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected president, defeating Democrat Adlai Stevenson.

In 1955, Baseball Hall of Famer Cy Young died at age 88.

In 1956, Soviet troops moved in to crush a revolt in Hungary.

In 1979, the Iran hostage crisis began as militants stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran, seizing its occupants; for some, it was the start of 444 days of captivity.

In 1980, Ronald Reagan won the White House as he defeated President Jimmy Carter by a strong margin.

In 1991, Ronald Reagan opened his presidential library in Simi Valley, Calif., with a dedication attended by President George H.W. Bush and former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald R. Ford and Richard Nixon – the first-ever gathering of five past and present U.S. chief executives.

In 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing Israeli minutes after attending a festive peace rally.

In 1999, ten years ago, Aaron McKinney, who beat gay college student Matthew Shepard and left him to die on the Wyoming prairie, avoided the death penalty by agreeing to serve life in prison without parole and promising never to appeal his conviction.

In 1999, some 10,000 Iranian students rallied outside the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran to mark the 20th anniversary of its seizure by Islamic militants.

In 2004, five years ago, following his re-election victory, President George W. Bush pledged to aggressively pursue major changes in Social Security, the tax code and medical malpractice awards.

In 2004, it was announced that Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former Democratic vice-presidential candidate John Edwards, had been diagnosed with breast cancer the same day her husband and Sen. John Kerry conceded the presidential race.

In 2008, one year ago, California voters approved Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage, overturning a state Supreme Court decision that gave gay couples the right to wed just months earlier.

In 2008, author Michael Crichton died in Los Angeles at age 66.

Today’s Birthdays

Actress Doris Roberts is 79. Actress Loretta Swit is 72. R&B singer Harry Elston (Friends of Distinction) is 71. Blues singer Delbert McClinton is 69. Former First Lady Laura Bush is 63. Actress Markie Post is 59. Rock singer-musician Chris Difford (Squeeze) is 55. Country singer Kim Forester (The Forester Sisters) is 49. Actress-comedian Kathy Griffin is 49. Actor Ralph Macchio is 48. “Survivor” host Jeff Probst is 48. Rock singer-musician Wayne Static (Static-X) is 44. Actor Matthew McConaughey is 40. Rapper-producer Sean “Diddy” Combs is 40. R&B singer Shawn Rivera (Az Yet) is 38. Actress Heather Tom is 34. R&B/gospel singer George Huff is 29.

Today’s Historic Birthdays

Guido Reni
11/4/1575 – 8/18/1642
Italian painter

Thomas Johnson
11/4/1732 – 10/26/1819
American Revolutionary War leader; governor of Maryland (1777-9); associate justice (1792-93) of U.S. Supreme Court

Gaspard Gourgaud
11/4/1783 – 7/25/1852
French historian

James Douglas
11/4/1837 – 6/25/1918
Canadian industrialist

George Edward Moore
11/4/1873 – 10/24/1958
British philosoher

Charles Despiau
11/4/1874 – 10/30/1946
French sculptor

Will Rogers
11/4/1879 – 8/15/1935
American humorist

Harry George Ferguson
11/4/1884 – 10/25/1960
British designer

Carlos Garcia
11/4/1896 – 6/14/1971
Philippine president (1957-61)

Thought for Today

“There is no such thing as a little freedom. Either you are all free, or you are not free.” – Walter Cronkite, American news anchorman (born this date in 1916, died 2009).

__________

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/04/AR2009110400003.html

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/20091104.html

http://www.britannica.com/eb/dailycontent/rss

This just in from the Green Freedom Wave:

(Translation copyright New York Times Company. Please do not repost without giving credit)

Based on the latest reports from the earliest hours of today’s protests, Green-wearing protesters have flooded the streets in Tehran and the provinces once again renewed their commitment to the ideals of the martyrs of the Green movement and the political prisoners.

Once again, the Coup detat supporters have proven that in order to quench the widespread wave of Green protesters, they are willing to use any weapon/tactic. At the intersection of Haft Tir square & Tehran University and likewise on Vali Asr street (the main avenue in Tehran), police/riot control forces fired bullets in the crowd, and multiple times eyewitnesses heard the sound of their bullets firing during the demonstrations. (It is not clear if bullets were fired AT the protesters or just into the air.)

Plain-clothes security forces attacked and went after students using batons and maces, and used tear gas to separate the people from each other. But a few minutes was enough before the Green Wave was once again they regrouped/steeped (?) themselves on Far’ei Street near the main avenue. Likewise on the outskirts of Kargar Shomali-Amirabadi street, plainclothes civilian forces attacked the people. At about 11 in the morning, Sheykh Mehdi Karroubi joined the lines of demonstrators received an outstanding welcome to chants of “Karroubi, Karroubi, we support you!” After a few minutes of walking alongside the people, the brave leader of the movement was subjected to attacks and violence from Coup d’etat-supporting forces and was forced to leave the scene of the protests.

On the outskirts of Mefteh (“key”) street, Pol-e Karim Khan (“Karim Khan’s bridge”) street, opposite the main entrance of Tehran University, and also on Vali Asr avenue, to this very minute the conflicts continue. The people are active on the path of the demonstrations with slogans like “Death to the Dictator,” “Ahmadinejad is their exemplar, he’s so unsophisticated.” In the moments when they were firing tear gas toward the people, the people were still chanting the slogans “Do not fear, do not fear, we are all together!” and keeping each others’ spirits high. According to the reports of Green Freedom Wave’s reporters on the front lines of the demonstrations, the plainclothes civilian forces have used naked force to disperse the people. Like always, the plainclothes forces are using tear gas and batons for repressing the people. A number of patriots have been arrested in today’s demonstrations. There are still no accurate/confirmed reports about the state of the arrested.

It is worth mentioning that most of the streets leading to the American Embassy and the the Russian Embassy and likewise Ferdowsi Square have been blocked off, and a large number of Basij forces from a few hours ago were standing outside the Embassy [of America] wearing “special uniforms.” [Gholam Ali] Haddad-Adel (former Speaker of Parliament and conservative MP) gave a 40 minute speech at the today’s ceremony, which was broadcast over the radio, and during the broadcast the chanting of “Death to the dictator!” could clearly be heard from the audience.

Around 11:40 in the morning today, it was announced that the cellphone systems along the paths of the demonstrations were disabled by radio interference/disturbance. Despite this, the people recorded movies and took pictures of the scene of the demonstrations using their cellphones and many of these reports have been published on this site and for the next few hours we will continue to publish these independent reports on this very news website.

The Green Wave was not only present in Tehran demonstrations. In the provincial cities there are also reports indicating that demonstrators wearing green clothes and wristbands were present at demonstrations. From Shiraz news arrives that there was a very large-scale presence of people wearing green at the Shah Cheragh (“King of Light”) Shrine (one of the most beautiful religious sites in Shiraz), and there was an assembly at the student square of this city, where they shouted slogans like “Death to the dictator!” and “Ya Hossein, Mir Hossein.” Reports that have come into Green Freedom Wave from the town of Arak report that there was a widespread presence of demonstrators wearing green who shouted the slogan “Death to the dictator!” From Tabriz, also, news reaches us that during the first minutes of the protests in this city, plainclothes civilian forces and a Special Police Unit attacked the people like wild animals.

In this wild animal attack, people were arrested and taken en masse to Hotel Tabriz, and then were moved towards Fellekeh University, where plainclothes security forces attacked them using pepper spray, and people around the square of Fellekeh University in Tabriz were able to breath only with great difficulty. Likewise scattered confrontations continue in Tabriz. There is no accurate information on the number of injured or arrested in the provincial cities.

Universities across the nation were the scene of a blossoming presence of Green students. According to news that we have obtained from the city of Kerman, students began demonstrations around 9am, and until 12 noon the assembly of Green students opposite Vahdat (“unity”) Hall continued, and these students shouted slogans like “Mousavi, Karroubi, we support you!” and “Coup de’tat government, Resign, resign!”

The Greens in Tehran and the provincial cities holding up placards and shouting slogans in support of the leaders of the Green movement to this very moment on November 4 has been unforgettable, and this Green legacy will continue.

YDP brings you Sleigh Bells, the unsigned fast growing sensation out of Brooklyn is playing at Andrew W.K.’s Santos Party House tonight with The Very Best. Kindof like a rock and roll Crystal Castles but instead of video game sounds they stick some intense guitar grooves and fuzz.

Not quite the Sleigh Bells you grew up with

More after the jump…

Their myspace page below:

http://www.myspace.com/sleighbellsmusic

Sigmund Freud, by Max Halberstadt, 1914 for LIFE Magazine

November 4, 1899: Sigmund Freud’s book The Interpretation of Dreams is first published in German and post-dated to 1900. Freud was an Austrian neurologist who took up the study of brain functioning and interpretation. He was born in 1856, a brilliant child who excelled in academic endeavors. He went to medical school, one of the few options available to Jews in that place and time.

His study and lectures offered him a decent living. This book, however, was not a “best-seller” at the time of its first publication. It took several years for the first printing of 600 books to finally sell. Freud was paid around $209 for the book. He revised it a total of eight times. It was first translated into English and Russian in 1913 and six other languages by 1938.

The book discusses the idea of sublimation of thoughts by the subconscious during waking hours. At night, without strict control, the preconscious allows these thoughts to emerge in a warped sense into the conscious. One must interpret the meaning behind the warped images to understand the essence of the dreams. In this book, Freud first mentioned that sexuality was an important part of childhood – an idea that was shocking at the time. Freud called dreams the “royal road to the unconscious” which  mirrored “wish fulfillment” in the awakened dreamer.

Freud first introduced the ego, super-ego, and id – his names for the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious respectively – in an essay written in 1920 called Beyond the Pleasure Principle. He expanded these ideas in a book entitled The Ego and The Id that was published in 1923.

“What a distressing contrast there is between the radiant intelligence of the child and the feeble mentality of the average adult.”

“Just as no one can be forced into belief, so no one can be forced into unbelief.”

“If you can’t do it, give up!”

“The first human who hurled an insult instead of a stone was the founder of civilization.”

“The mind is like an iceberg, it floats with one-seventh of its bulk above water.” – all from Sigmund Freud

Also on this day, in 1839 the Newport Rising failed miserably.