Even before the current political crisis began in June 2009, Iran’s economy was confronted with many daunting challenges. Investors were already feeling the pressures of inconsistent economic policies and intensifying international sanctions on their shoulders. The street protests and political unrest that have follwd the disputed election have led to further deterioration in the economic climate. Now the economic players must deal with a new level of political uncertainty unprecedented since the early years of the Islamic revolution.

The election dispute has evolved into a deep division in the highest ranks of the Islamic regime. So far the ruling faction of Ayatollah Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guard has been unable to neutralize the protest movement led by former candidates Mir Hossein Moussavi, and Mehdi Karroubi. These two opposition leaders also enjoy the support of former President Khatami and several high ranking Shi’ite clerics such as Ayatollah Montazeri. At the same time it appears that the protest movement is also unable to defeat the ruling faction or force it into a compromise anytime soon. Nearly five months have past since the initial street demonstrations and yet the total number of people who join the periodic street protests in Tehran does not exceed two or three hundred thousand.

Hence private investors and business owners are gradually arriving at the conclusion that unlike the 1979 Islamic revolution which reached a climax in a relatively short period of time, (period of intense street protests lasted no more than 9 months), the current power struggle can drag on for a significantly longer interval. There is also much uncertainty about how it might end and which faction will win. The worst possible outcome for Iran’s economy is the escalation of current protests into large scale political violence or a civil war similar to the Algerian experience in 1990s. Although the likelihood of such a scenario is small, it is a cause for concern among businessmen and investors and can discourage long-term investments.

Post-election protests have also increased the involvement of Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRG), in economic activities and economic policy-making. President Ahmadinejad has appointed a large number of former IRG members to key positions in government ministries and government-owned enterprises. He has also sold a number of strategic privatized firms to the IRG or its affiliated enterprises. The latest example of such transfer was the sale of a government-owned telecommunications firm to a group of IRG-affiliated firms in September. As a result of these steps the government has reinforced its control over the economy and IRG has emerged as a major economic player in Iranian economy. Firms affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards Corp now enjoy an advantage over private firms in government contract awards and access to government resources.

In addition to expanding the economic reach of the IRG, the ruling faction is also trying to increase its ability to distribute economic resources by enhancing its discretionary control over the proposed income support program. During recent parliamentary debates about replacement of current price subsidies with direct income subsidies, President Ahmadinejad has campaigned hard to make sure that the Presidents office will have discretionary control over the additional incomes of public enterprises after the removal of price subsidies on goods and services that they sell to the public. Critics are concerned that the President will use this privilege to distribute the cash and income subsidies in a fashion to enhance his political base and deny benefits to households that might be sympathetic to the post-election protest movement.

The post-election protests have also had an impact on Western nations’ approach to the nuclear dispute and might have an indirect effect on the course of economic sanctions against Iran. Initially the prospects for political reform and victory of the Green Movement led to a more flexible attitude toward nuclear negotiations in first few weeks of the protests. However, as it became clear that the protest movement did not have enough strength to bring about substantial political change in the short-run, the United States and European powers tried to speed up the negotiations and intensified the threat of sanctions. Continuation of the protests in the coming months and the Islamic regime’s violent reactions can lead to further isolation of Iran and give Western nations an excuse to further intensify the economic sanctions.

Yet at the same time, the domestic rift might weaken the bargaining power of Iranian government and force it to accept a compromise over its nuclear program in order to avoid further hostility from the international community. Hence the net impact of the protest movement on intensity of economic sanctions in the future is not clear. It could either force the Iranian government to compromise, which will help ease the sanctions, or can be used as an excuse by the Western nations to intensify the sanctions if the Iranian government does not compromise. For now the added uncertainty about economic sanctions will be viewed as an additional risk factor for Iranian economy. This risk factor will be of more concern to international investors than domestic ones.

Nader Habibi

Source: http://shooresh1917.blogspot.com/2009/11/irans-economic-climate-and-post.html

The Student’s movement has become even more extensive than previous years and shows no sign of ebbing. Instead, it quickly spreads to universities that haven’tt been as active or involved in student protests in recent years. This wide spread is due to changes in the student movement’s dynamism compared to previous years. Currently the dynamism and slogans come directly from the anti dictator movement on the streets that has been going on prior to universities re-opening.

In fact, those students involved in mass street protests towards the end of the previous academic year or prior to universities re-opening; are now continuing with their protests as university students and within the walls of campus. The roots of this dynamism and slogans of student and anti dictatorship movements are in a new era. The current student protests are pursuant of people’s freedom-seeking movement against dictatorship and tyranny. They were able to introduce themselves to the world by marching to the streets in millions. This annulled the analysis of those who would not recognize the basis of this movement in protest against the bloody and malevolent regime during the past 30 years.

Student protests from the aspect of universities involved and the sheer number of participants is so vast it cannot fit within the capacity of any student organization to be directed or influenced positively. Entire student organizations (be they leftist, liberal or Islamic) compared to the number of students involved in the movement are few and best suited to a time time when student movements did not consist of a large mass of students. Today, the situation has changed and student movement is in need of organizations that can respond to the issues of mass protest against dictatorship.

With the mass presence of university students at the frontline of the protests the student movement is in need of organization. The huge student mass must be organized at various levels; colleges, universities and throughout cities. They must connect with one another to discuss and decide their demands and ways to continue with the movement. The Iranian Revolutionary guard believes that by creating more and more restrictions against the current student movement, or by arresting, torturing and deporting student activists, they can stop the student movement. This movement and its its activists used to play an effective and central role in organizing student protests in previous years; however, they no longer have the active role of leadership in current protests and despite all the repressions the student movement is moving along with more energy and intensity.

By creating organizations that can coordinate the mass student’s movement; students will be able to plan and organize their social and political demands and ways to continue in their fight. Only in such circumstances can students influence the current situation and by standing next to other social movements and especially the worker and women movements, influence the current anti dictatorship movement. Previously, elite-oriented organizations were able to organize smaller groups of student movements; however, these organizations are no longer able to answer the immediate demands of the current movement.

The current mass movement demands an organization to organize the movement. This is the only route to enabling students to take control of their situation while actively participating in the anti-dictatorship movement and will not only follow the flow but will have the power to plan and determine their effective roles. The government’s reformists, particularly Moussavi want the students and generally all participants in public freedom seekers, unaligned. Moussavi and reformists goals are the people’s unorganized participation in the movement within friends and family relations only. This shapeless movement obviously doesn’t have the power to determine the future of the student movement. And structure-wise it follows their goal of an “Islamic Republic” nothing more! Reformists don’t even deny that whenever they reach a point of agreement point with the Supreme Leader and Revolutionary Guard, they have achieved their goal. Their declared purpose is to use the Islamic regime’s constitutions that according to reformists, in substance relate to people’s rights are currently not being followed and the modifying cycle of power among the regime’s factions are not being considered by the executive and legislative branches of the government. Reformists and Moussavi are expecting the current anti-dictatorship movement to pressure the coup d’état into increasing the right wing’s criticism of Ahmadinejad and his supporters to create a stream of mixed of characters from both reformists and conservatives to compromise. Until the day when they achieve their goal, for self preservation and the security of their families, Moussavi and other reformists are in need of the anti dictatorship movement.

Therefore, Moussavi and other reformist officials in fearing for their future are not directly criticizing other groups and parties who are following different goals and are clearly asking for the removal of the dictator regime in their slogans. Instead, they are insisting on their demand for an “Islamic Republic” nothing more. With the serious rise of compromising reformist politics and their direct criticism of the so called “extreme indulgence” of the anti dictatorship movement, it is becoming more obvious that they are preparing for reconciliation with the Supreme Leader and Revolutionary Guard. The compromise between the reformists and Moussavi with the dictators depends on lots of factors including the power of the anti dictatorship movement.

Reformists and Moussavi don’t want consistent social and student movements and instead ask for a movement confined to family and friends such that no groups would be out there to resist in case of compromise with Khamenei and Revolutionary Guard. The unorganized mass of people who are fighting to overthrow the dictators, Islamic regime and the Supreme Leader hold no value for them and will be disillusioned if the reformists, Khamenei and others reach a agreement; simply because these unorganized groups don’t have the tools to continue with the anti dictatorship movement. An organized social and especially student movement in such critical times and when the compromise between the two parties is not yet strong, can play an important role. And if the two parties reach an agreement, these movements will be organized enough to lead the anti dictatorship movement to the final step to overthrow the Islamic regime. To achieve its objectives, every movement requires suitable organization. The type of organization that Moussavi calls social networks and includes family and friend relations only fulfills his goal to compromise and reconcile with Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guard. The type of movement reformists and Moussavi are aiming for has to be strong enough to bring about Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guard’s retreat, but not organized to stand against this reconciliation and continue the anti dictatorship movement. However, considering the liberal interest of people, organized movements are the only way to guarantee victory.

Lefties and the Student Movement

With the rise of the anti dictatorship movement and student activities, leftist students are put in a different situation. In less than two months since the start of the academic year, students protests are more extensive (the number of students and university participation) than the past few years. The movement’s quality has also advanced; Death to the Dictator slogans have targeted Khamenei who is the main pillar of the Islamic regime and is almost the same as the death to Shah during the 1979 revolution in Iran. Unlike the previous era, it is essential for the leftie student movement to adjust its objectives and methods according to the demands of the anti dictatorship movement. Growth and rapid expansion of leftie students is a response to the issues of the current movement. The entire student movement must be aware that the leftie student movement also wants to fulfill the goal of Death to the Dictator that they have chanted as one of its slogans and goals.

The student movement is now part of the broader people’s movement against the dictatorship that has been clearly addressed through their slogans and campaigns. This student movement must become aware of the leftist student movement’s slogans and methods to achieve the common goals of all students and be able to compare their objectives and methods with other student movements for the same reason. The leftist student movement too must compare its methods with the methods of other movements to end dictatorship and be able to explain and analyze various political platforms related to each movement. What can the source and focus of a student movement be if it is to prove the disability of Moussavi and reformists in fulfilling the goal of overthrowing the dictatorship. By explaining political reasons it can be proven that Moussavi and reformists are able to overthrow dictators – one of one the main goals of the student movement – and be the path to adopting socialism in the student movement.

A delay in the reconciliation of reformists and Moussavi with dictators will result in awareness and radicalism of the student movement. To achieve its goal of overthrowing the dictator, the student movement must be organized in millions to first fight with more power; second, not be harmed if such reconciliation with the dictatorship takes place and third, to be able to continue with its movement along with other social movements. The Leftist student movement is capable of playing the most important role in creating true mass student organization and overcome the inability of reformists and Moussavi to stand with the student movement until the dictator is overthrown. This can be the strategic plan of the leftist student movement in participating in the anti dictatorship movement.

Finally, ending the dictatorship and fulfilling the slogan of Death to Khamenei, is one of the student movement’s goals that has been expressed openly. Death to Khamenei has the same political function of Death to the Shah in the 1979 revolution that ended the monarchy regime. The student movement must be aware that Moussavi and the reformists will not remain by their side in achieving their goals. The minute Moussavi and the reformists achieve their own goals of compromise and reconciliation with the dictator, they will attempt to tame and impoverish the movement in favour of the dictator regime.

The student movement must prepare for the day when reformists and Moussavi leave the anti dictatorship movement, so they’re unaffected negatively by it. They must therefore be alert to the reformists and Moussavi’s inability to stand with the movement to overthrow dictator. They must be organized via organizations to become powerful enough to stand against any reconciliation lead other social movements until the Islamic regime is overthrown. The Leftist student movement can play an important role in achieving this goal by placing this goal as its top objective now.

Reza Moghadam

Source: http://shooresh1917.blogspot.com/2009/11/student-movement-in-this-new-era.html

This is a report for Föreningen SOFIA regarding my YIP Community Engagement – a program within a program, encouraging us (the participants of this course) to voluntarily find a local community project, organization or initiative that we can support with our individual qualities of youth.

It started in September with a presentation dinner where about 20 local project, organization and/or initiative leaders provided a bit of background and reasoning for us 40 YIP participants to volunteer with them. We sat in anticipation and listened one-by-one to the varying sales pitches vying for our considerate and enthusiastic attention. During this demonstration and in the open discussions that followed (where we got to further interrogate the presenters) I was intrigued by a number of them, especially those representing the curative education initiatives for which the surrounding area is well-known. In the following weeks I attempted to get involved in one of these institutions but lost courage to engage sincerely when I began to feel that their system was already so well developed and water-tight that there was really no special need for my volunteer services. I felt that the rest of the world had lots to learn from them, which was why I was drawn to this discipline, but I had no idea how to make this even remotely possible and I was not persistent enough to uncover further options for myself within this field. During this failed attempt I spent a number of afternoon hours tending a vegetable garden at one of the institutions, in the hope that I would get an interview with the manager, but our schedules did not allow us to meet and I eventually took it as a sign to find another community engagement – perhaps one that did not feel so much like Community Service, and where I could consciously make use of the best of my talents, besides plum-picking.

Thus, opportunity arose in a  promising twist of fate when I was called to a meeting with the current manager of Föreningen SOFIA and the director of the local culture house called Gula Villan. They wished to meet regarding my recent history of event management that I have been working with back home in Cape Town, such as the culturetalent initiative. A bit of framing – this year, these 2 organizations based in Järna are in the process of coordinating a renewed effort to include YOUTH as much as possible in their organizational outlook, and as I have been involved in such a preset in my career as a freelance consultant as of late, they thought we should meet to discuss the possibility of potential collaboration. I thought this was a great idea, and this was confirmed when we sat down for tea at one of their fine homes, at the edge of a pristine forest and idyllic homestead in the rolling Swedish countryside, to share some good-looking prospects for their social spaces. I began to consult and co-create an event design by which we could send a strong invitation out to their target market (local youth) to get involved in their organizations, obviously for all the right reasons. The arrangement felt good and I proposed to focus on this as my Community Engagement, which was a warmly welcomed initiative.

We set about working together and very soon there were consistent sparks of inspiration and the overall plan began to materialize. We created a way forward and took the necessary steps, with fantastic progress due to the strength of their combined skill sets and relevant contacts. Pretty soon it became a strong focal point for a few individuals including myself, and the snowball effect swept us off our feet, and we went with it. I continued to work beyond the course outline for Community Engagements, and put in double of the time and effort I originally expected to give towards this specific goal.

The purpose of the event was clear and it took the form of a collaborative youth meeting, a time and place where young people can come together to celebrate culture in a shared space dedicated to something called ’social initiative’, with access to multiple creative workshops that would support the growth of their own individual initiative. All the tricks we could pull out of the hat were then applied to making this dream a reality, and within a number of weeks we had a well-formed program with about 20 talented contributors, 30 volunteers from YIP, a dynamic project budget, an extensive table of tasks and requirements, and a lot of good intentions which paved a road to the goal in sight – a weekend of celebrating youth and realizing the collective value of such a space. We wanted to get a sense for the sum of the whole that was greater than these parts, and this for me was the single most successful outcome of the whole thing. Ultimately, I did feel a huge difference to the combined social space before and after the event, through the considerable unification of effort that took place during this weekend, and the amplified qualities of youth that exploded with colorful insight.

And the organisers learned a lot more from each other than expected. To illustrate this, one story comes to light, which I call…

The Story of the Rose

In the absence of extravagance, in standard soil, a plant begins to grow. And when the nutrients of this soil are consumed in healthy balance with the uptake of water, the fall of sunlight, and the uninterrupted air of this growth, a new bud begins to push forth. And when this bud does not have enough of any one of these required ingredients in relation to the others, it suddenly falls off the stem, and in it’s place a sharp spike forms. This is a failed attempt for this one form of life to produce what some would argue to be the most elegant species of flower – a rose. And in order to produce this flower, sufficient thorns have to first be produced in order to protect this plant for long enough to one day find the balance, and effortlessly present this most elegant gift to the senses, which ultimately happens – when we are ready for it.

And this is the beauty of combined effort.

Crystal Palace 3-0 Watford

Two goals in the first five minutes sent Palace on their way to a comfortable 3-0 victory at home to Watford.

Victor Moses and Alan Lee made the telling contribution in the first half when they scored a goal each early in the game – something of a rarity for Palace, with it being only the third time we’ve scored in the first half this season.

Watford were given a glimmer of hope late in the first half however, when Alan Lee was adjudged to have upended Henri Lansbury in the penalty area. Video replays suggest that the challenge was made outside the box, so Palace will have felt that justice was done when Julian Speroni made a magnificent save from Danny Graham’s penalty.

And it was goal-machine Darren Ambrose who rounded off the scoring for Palace with a magnificent goal from a perfectly weighted Moses pass. It was to be the former Charlton man’s sixth in six games.

Manager Neil Warnock told BBC London that he was delighted with Victor Moses’ entertaining contribution to the match.

He said: ”When he’s (Moses) like that, he’s unplayable. It was a great game for him, but we all played our part today in a cracking match.

“He’s had good games, and I thought today his contribution won us the game. It was a thoroughly professional performance.”

Palace face Doncaster Rovers next weekend, followed by a trip to Reading on the following Tuesday.

Antelope Valley, California Real Estate

We here at the Gockel Group, continuously monitor local real estate statistics to keep our clients informed and ahead of the real estate trends. Below you will find Antelope Valley, California real estate statistics for the last thirty days.

Total inventory today is: 758
   Of these, the number that are short pays is: 248
Number of homes entering the market in the last 30 days: 297
   Of these, the number that are short pays is: 72
Number of homes entering escrow in the last 30 days: 510
Number of homes closing escrow (sold) in the last 30 days: 490
   Of these, the number that are short pays is: 53
Number of homes cancelled/removed/expired/withdrawn from the market in the last 30 days: 171

See my 24 hour Market Report of the entire Antelope Valley by viewing A.V. Real Estate Trends (or paste www.gockelgroup.com/charts to your browser)

View my top 10 listing picks of the day for this area.

To find the true value of your home with a free, over-the-net home evaluation, please visit: Palmdale, Lancaster & Antelope Valley Real Estate Online (or paste www.homes-on-the-web.com to your browser).

Now you can locate homes that match your needs as you drive through the neighborhood. This custom application runs on your bluetooth enable phone and makes use of the built in GPS technology. Try this simple and free application now, just click HERE to start using this new technology to find your dream home, or text HOTW to 87778.

If you would like a free list of homes for sale in the area, would like more information about East Lancaster or would like to speak directly to a professional agent, then give me a call:

Don Gockel, GRI, Realtor®
DRE #01319651
The Gockel Group
888-455-1543

Palmdale, Lancaster & Antelope Valley Real Estate Online
(or paste www.homes-on-the-web.com to your browser)
To send me email – click here
(don@homes-on-the-web.com)

Tabnak | Nov. 27, 2009

Of the 35 members of International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors, 25 voted in favor of the suspension of the Fordo nuclear plant’s activities, three voted nay and six abstained from vote.

The nay votes belonged to Malaysia, Venezuela and Cuba.

The six countries that abstained were Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, Pakistan, South Africa and Turkey.

Azerbaijan left the hall as voting commenced.

The countries that voted in favor of the suspension of the Fordo plant include: 1. Argentina; 2. Australia; 3. Burkina Faso; 4. Cameron; 5. Canada; 6. China; 7. Denmark; 8. France; 9. Germany; 10. India; 11. Japan; 12. Kenya; 13. South Korea; 14. Mongolia; 15. The Netherlands; 16. New Zealand; 17. Peru; 18. Romania; 19. Russia; 20. Spain; 21. Switzerland; 22. Ukraine; 23. UK; 24. US; 25. Uruguay.

Related: Background Briefing with Senior U.S. Administration Officials on IAEA Board of Governors’ Resolution on Iran.”

Official calls for trial of opposition leaders

Fars | Nov. 27, 2009

One of the legal experts serving on the Guardian Council called for the immediate trial of the post-election opposition leaders, saying it has been postponed long enough.

“It is already too late for the trial of the post-election heads of sedition, as if they had been tried sooner we would not be in this situation today… this has no legal justification, ” Fars News Agency quoted Gholam-Hossein Elham as saying.

“We gave everyone the chance to present themselves [to the public] in the recent election and they [opposition figures] can make no claims because they were given a chance and they used every campaigning opportunity and they were not under financial supervision,” he said.

“Any one of the candidates who had won enough votes could have become the president but before the vote was over they [Mir-Hossein Mousavi] proclaimed themselves as the winner of the race… the people participated in the election and there were monitors but even before the votes were counted they announced that if we are not the winner, there has been fraud and this marked the beginning of sedition… They hurled the greatest insult at the nation by questioning [Ahmadinejad's] provincial tours and asking why the debates were held in that manner.”

“The efficiency of an establishment is judged by the services it renders to the people and this is why the people, who witnessed the proficiency of the 9th government, voted for it again.”

White House Praises IAEA Rebuke Of Iran

ABC News | Nov. 27, 2009

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said today’s “overwhelming vote” by the International Atomic Energy Agency condemning Iran for its secret uranium enrichment plant reflects international resolve that Iran be more transparent in its nuclear pursuits.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog voted 25 to 3, with backing from Russia and China, to pass the resolution, which also urged Iran to immediately freeze nuclear enrichment activity at the Fordow enrichment facility.

“The fact that 25 countries from all parts of the world cast their votes in favor shows the urgent need for Iran to address the growing international deficit of confidence in its intentions,” Gibbs said in a statement.

The vote also seemed to indicate international frustration with Iran’s apparent about-face on a draft agreement with the IAEA in which Iran would have parted with its enriched uranium in exchange for fuel for a medical nuclear reactor.

Diplomats: Iran censured at UN nuclear meeting

AP | Nov. 27, 2009

The U.N. nuclear watchdog’s board censured Iran on Friday, with 25 nations backing a resolution demanding that Tehran immediately freeze construction of its newly revealed nuclear facility and heed Security Council resolutions to stop uranium enrichment.

Iran remained defiant, with its chief representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency declaring that his country would resist “pressure, resolutions, sanction(s) and threat of military attack.”

Delegate Ali Asghar Soltanieh of Iran shrugged off the vote.

“Neither resolutions of the board of governors nor those of the United Nations Security Council … neither sanctions nor the threat of military attacks can interrupt peaceful nuclear activities in Iran, even a second,” he told the closed-door meeting, in remarks made available to reporters.

Iran defends its freezing of Nobel Laureate’s assets

NYT | Nov. 27, 2009

Iran denounced Friday charges by Norwegian government that it had illegally confiscated the a Nobel Peace Prize winner’s medal and frozen her bank account, the IRNA news agency reported. Iran called the action an interference into its internal affairs and said the winner, Shirin Ebadi, owed money to the government in taxes.

“We are surprised that Norwegian officials can make such hasty and biased comments and disregard the laws and regulations of other countries,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast, was quoted as saying, adding that Ms. Ebadi, a human rights lawyer, had refused to pay taxes on her prize.

Ebadi: Iran ‘lying’ over Nobel prize medal

AFP | Nov. 27, 2009

Iranian rights activist Shirin Ebadi on Friday insisted Tehran had confiscated her Nobel Peace Prize medal and rejected accusations about her tax affairs after her assets were frozen.

“They are not telling the truth,” Ebadi told BBC World Service radio in an interview in London. “They seized my bank account and stopped my retirement pension and also my husband’s bank account and pension.

“My husband also had a deposit box in the bank and in that was my Nobel Prize and the medal of the Legion d’Honneur,” she said, referring to France’s top honour.

Speaking through a translator, she added: “The Nobel Prize was in the deposit box in Tejarat bank and they seized that deposit box.”

“Assuming they are telling the truth and I have to pay tax on this prize, why have they confiscated and seized the box belonging to my husband?

“Besides, the order to seize our bank accounts should have come from the tax authorities and the order to seize the box came from the Revolutionary Court.”

It is the first time in Nobel history that a medal has been confiscated.

“If the Islamic republic is angry about the publication of human rights reports, they would do better by improving the human rights situation,” she told the US-funded radio station.

Shah-era anthem broadcast on state TV

Norooz | Nov. 26, 2009

Three decades after the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the Pahlavi-era national anthem played in Venezuela to greet the Iranian president.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad displayed no reaction to the diplomatic blunder and instead marched in tune with the anthem.

The ceremony was broadcast live on IRIB. In the video footage of the incident, the presenter’s voice is heard saying, “This is the fourth visit by our president to Venezuela; the Venezuelan president visited Iran on August…”

After the incident, the pro-government Khabar Online website ran a story which said, “Following the live broadcast of Ahmadinejad’s welcoming ceremony in Venezuela from INN [Iranian News Network] rumors began to circulate that the Pahlavi-era anthem was played at the ceremony. While it is obvious that the national anthem of the Islamic Republic of Iran was not played at the ceremony, it has not been confirmed that the anthem played was the Pahlavi-era one.”

Hugo Chavez did not receive Ahmadinejad and the official welcoming ceremony originally scheduled for Wednesday afternoon was postponed until Thursday.

While Ahmadinejad’s wife had accompanied him on the trip, she was not warmly received and was only on camera only for a few minutes.

A few stories from the last week…

Mortazavi responds to Zakani’s Kahrizak allegations

Tabnak | Nov. 24, 2009

Former Tehran prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi said Ali-Reza Zakani has been inflicted with the disease to altercate with others and create tension.

“Mr. Zakani has the sickness that makes him want to create tension and pick fights with others,” Fars News Agency quoted Mortazavi as saying.

Mortazavi, who is currently the deputy prosecutor general, was accused by Zakani of ordering the transfer of post-election detainees to the notorious Kahrizak Detention Center.

“I don’t intend to respond to Mr. Zakani’s accusations,” he said. “I think the best response to him is silence and my response to him is what I have said before and of course everything that he has said [about me] is false and meaningless.”

Mortazavi added that while he was serving in the capacity of deputy prosecutor general, there was a possibility of him joining the cabinet.

Mohsen Hashemi responds to Zakani allegations

Tabnak | Nov. 24, 2009

The son of influential cleric Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani responded to accusations made against the Rafsanjani family by Tehran MP Ali Reza Zakani.

According to the Islamic Student News Agency, Mohsen Hashemi wrote in the letter, “I read your recent remarks made at the “Sedition and Outcome” summit for the student Basij of Imam Sadeq University and I was surprised that a person, such as yourself, who upholds religious piety, made such statements that are against ethical and religious principals and in violation of the Leadership’s order to not make allegations about the
Hashemi family until they are proven in a court of law and before the charges have been heard in court.”

Mohsen Hashemi rejected having ever been subjected to legal prosecution or having been tried for corruption. He rejected having been summoned by the judiciary and denied that lawsuits had been filed against his brother in more than ten years.

“Unfortunately, our complaints have not been dealt with so far and we have not been provided with airtime to respond to the allegations raised against us on state television. Even the letter sent to the judiciary chief to request a probe into the allegations made against rumors circulating about us remains unanswered,” the letter stated.

Elham: Hamshahri ban pleased all Iranians

Parlemann | Nov. 24, 2009

Gholam-Hossein Elham, one of the legal experts on the Guardian Council, said that Iranians were pleased with the ban on the popular Hamshahri daily.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of Ali Kordan’s funeral, Elham said, “This was not the first time that Hamshahri violated the law. It had committed such follies in the past.”

“People are happy with the ban on this daily,” he opined.

Meanwhile, the editor-in-chief of the popular daily told reporters, “in one of the ads published in Hamshahri there was a picture of a building that according to the Media Supervisory Committee belongs to the Baha’i sect.”

“This picture had been used by other newspapers such as Khorshid (Sun) and Iran but they were never reprimanded for it,” he said.

Rahimi says ruthless behavior let Kordan to death

Tabnak | Nov. 24, 2009

First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi said the treatment Ali Kordan received was the reason for his untimely demise.

When asked if Kordan was a chemically-wounded veteran of war [in the 1980s] and had achieved martyrdom through his death, Rahimi said, “This is up to the Foundation of the Martyrs [of the Islamic Revolution] to decide, and they must look into the matter and pass a verdict.”

“Apparently when Mr. Kordan visited Piranshahr after the chemical bombardment of the city by Iraq, he came into contact with chemical compounds. I should note that even we, who were his friends, were not aware of this, and he only pointed to the issue in his impeachment hearing.”

Rahimi went on to say that he had realized that a number of media outlets had claimed that Kordan had been suffering from an incurable disease that led to his death.

“This is while, according to what his physician said, no traces of his previous illness were left in him and in my opinion the treatment handed to Kordan was one of the main reasons that he was forced to meet his maker in such an untimely manner,” he said.

He concluded by advising all to draw upon the exemplary ‘life and death of Kordan,’ adding that Kordan had fallen victim to countless baseless allegations.

Source: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2009/11/selected-headlines-74.html

Antelope Valley, California Real Estate

We here at the Gockel Group, continuously monitor local real estate statistics to keep our clients informed and ahead of the real estate trends. Below you will find Antelope Valley, California real estate statistics for the last seven days.

Total inventory today is: 757
   Of these, the number that are short pays is: 248
Number of homes entering the market in the last 7 days: 121
   Of these, the number that are short pays is: 20
Number of homes entering escrow in the last 7 days: 138
Number of homes closing escrow (sold) in the last 7 days: 112
   Of these, the number that are short pays is: 12
Number of homes cancelled/removed/expired/withdrawn from the market in the last 7 days: 40

See my 24 hour Market Report of the entire Antelope Valley by viewing A.V. Real Estate Trends (or paste www.gockelgroup.com/charts to your browser)

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If you would like a free list of homes for sale in the area, would like more information about East Lancaster or would like to speak directly to a professional agent, then give me a call:

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Finance Ministry has floated a new committee to study foreign investment in India.

• To review the existing policy on foreign inflows, other than Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), such as foreign portfolio investments by Foreign institutional investors (FIIs)/ Non Resident Indians (NRIs) and other foreign investments like Foreign Venture Capital Investor (FVCI) and Private equity entities and suggesting rationalisation of the same with a view to encourage foreign investment and reducing policy hurdles in this regard while maintaining the Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements. 
• To identify challenges in meeting the financing needs of the lndian economy through the foreign investment. Foreign investment for this purpose to be understood broadly and can include investment in listed and unlisted equity, derivatives and debt including the markets for government bonds, corporate bonds and external commercial borrowings. 
• To study the arrangements relating to the use of Participatory Notes and suggest any change in the policy if required from KYC and other point of view. 
• To reexamine the rationale of taxation of transactions through the STT and stamp duty. 
• To review the legal and regulatory framework of foreign investment in order to identify specific bottlenecks impeding the servicing of these financing needs. 
• To suggest specific short, medium and long term legal, regulatory and other policy change; in respect to foreign investment keeping in view of the suggestions expert committee reports such as the Committee on Fuller Capital Account Convertibility, the Committee on Financial Sector Reforms and the High Powered Expert Committee on Making Mumbai an lnternational Financial Centre.

I don’t understand but there is no member from RBI. Why should this be? I think I already know the recommendations of the committee (don’t ask me why). There would be 2 scenarios:

1. The committee would go all out on opening India’s shores to all kinds of capital, remove all restrictions, remove RBI’s supervision over financial markets, RBI should adopt inflation targeting framework, Mumbai should become an international finance centre (like Iceland, London) etc. It would be centred on how bad our financial system regulation is and we need to adopt these changes else we are doomed. It would add it is a mistake to think since we have largely avoided the financial crisis, that we don’t revamp the financial system. Let’s do it all real fast. The criticism would be mainly on RBI for keeping such a tight control on financial system.
2. The committee report is going to be cautious about the volume of capital inflows in the country. India should invite capital flows but should but with some checks in place. It would say we should learn lessons from the ongoing crisis and not think all capital flows are necessarily good. It would instead suggest incremental changes.

Some people would ask, so what is different and what is new? This is the nature of all committee reports w.r.t. capital flows. Well, nothing is new. But this is how things usually are.

If the second version goes through, it is likely to be followed by dissent notes from a few members who would vote for the first version. The dissent notes are going to be highlighted by the media as somehow most people in media feel the first version is the only model.  

So let’s see how it goes. It is going to be tabled in 4 months from now. I hope I am all  wrong about this one. And we see some progress.

In a recent debate at the Scottish parliament the SNP were accused of not living up to expectations and “wasting the last two years” with regards to the £1.25 billion school re-building programme.
            The SNP were voted into government in the hope that they would continue labour’s plans to refurbish or rebuild every school in Scotland to an acceptable standard. However, many schools have been delayed until 2018 and 200,000 pupils are said to remain being educated in sub-standard buildings. 
A Cambuslang labour MP stated that the title of the campaign should be re-named “Welcome to Fantasy-Land” as it is moving at “snail’s pace”.
            However Fiona Hyslop, cabinet secretary for the SNP, attempted to defend them with a claim -
“The SNP has passed two mile stones, there have been 200 schools built by 2009 taking the total number of schools built under the SNP’s leadership to 239”.
The SNP also announced that an average of 1.2 schools is being built per week. This statistic was not satisfactory for Fiona Brankin who stated,
            “I make no apology for preferring extra schools.”
            “The SNP have failed parents and pupils.”
Patricia Ferguson later stepped in to defend the SNP,
            “Labour made promise after promise and broken every single one of them.”
            “Thousands of pupils are in better schools today because of the SNP.”
            “We’re building Scotland up; labour should not be talking Scotland down.”
An issue which stands in the way of the SNP’s plans to re-build the schools is the current economic situation. For this reason, it is expected to take up to 20 years to get all Scotland’s schools up to standard despite the fact an average of 700 million pounds a year is being spent on it.
            A labour MP noted the effects that this would have on those who voted for the SNP.
“Parents who voted for the SNP in the hope of improvements to schools may well be attending their children’s graduation before the changes take place.”
Investing money in more schools would help to create more jobs for construction workers as well as seeing schools fit for the 21^st century.

Newspapers have acted as the primary source of news across the world for centuries. They stand as symbol a of journalism itself and are associated with the most quality news in the industry. Yet across the UK and indeed the world, newspapers have been experiencing a noticeable decrease in popularity as sales have steadily dropped since the late 90s hitting the industry and those within it hard. In most recent years especially, newspapers have been forced to lay off countless journalists just to see profit and post pone death. Indeed, recent trends in market would suggest the future of newspapers does not look very positive.

According to research conducted by the ‘Audit Bureau of Circulations’; ‘While British Newspapers such as the Times may have enjoyed a steady 726,349 newspaper sales a month in 2000; it’s readership has now dropped to 617,483; a drop of over 100,000 readers a month, and it would be fair to say newspapers such as the Times are the lucky ones. ‘Popular’ and ‘low brow’ red banner, the Sun, has experienced a readership drop of over 400,000 a month since 2000. It’s also important to note that these falling rates in newspaper sales, are not exclusive to the British isles. American newspapers such as the New York Times have also reported a fall in sales as well as those in Europe and Asia.

Unless people in general just aren’t as interested in the news today as they were ten years ago, the figures from this research would suggest that a vast amount of the general public are now getting their news from a new and more appealing source, which in many ways is exactly what they are doing.

The ‘Internet’ or, ‘World Wide Web’ as it is sometimes known came into existence in the 1980s but use of it by the general public did not become really popular until the 90s. The internet today is now extremely accessible, as anyone within walking distance to one of the millions of internet cafes or a simple laptop or even mobile phone, can now ’surf the web’. The internet has affected society far and wide. Similar to the ‘East India Trading Company’, railways, the telegraph, or the telephone in their day, the internet has changed the face of the world. If pre- mentioned company brought about globalisation for countries, the internet has brought globalisation to the people themselves. Almost every single individual in the world has access to the internet and so in theory, everyone can contribute to ‘the death of journalism either by using it as a new primary source of news, neglecting newspapers, or by creating their own news feed heightening competition with the industry.

The internet holds many advantages over other sources of news perhaps explaining why internet journalism is fast becoming the most popular news medium both for retrieving and receiving news. Every second, an unfathomable amount of data is uploaded to the internet every single second, thanks to websites such as word press, and youtube that rely on user generated content and legitimate news sites such as bbc news and online newspapers. With the internet, publshing is easier then ever.

Newspapers even before their decline in popularity were quite exclusive when it came to who and what was published in them. This is because many newspaper have a target audience to whom they wish to appeal to meaning certain news was highlighted more then others as well in a certain style and certain angles taken. This is to help ensure their continuation and survival. Because of this the most many new journalists could ever hope for was to have letters published on the comment pages as it was difficult to break into and is possibly another reason why they are in decline today.

Looking back at the impact of the internet on newspapers and journalism as an industry, in many respects the internet is the liberator of the people by given each individual the potential to voice their opinion to the world. Citizen journalism is the act of journalism practised by an individual without extensive experience or training in the field. The first use of it was in newspapers or magazines when photographs were sent in by the public. Today however, citizen journalism has entered a completely new generation. Now anyone, with access to the internet has the ability to be a published journalist through blogging. Blogging is now the most common form of citizen journalism in the world with literally millions of individuals practicing it. According to Biz Stone, co- founder and director of the popular blogging website ‘Twitter’:

“Blogging kick started a revolution in hyperconnectivity…we now know that the potential exists for everyone to have a voice”

The act of blogging is the collection of information or data on a space of the internet known as a blog. There the user known as a ‘blogger’ can write whatever he or she wants to be viewed by everyone on the internet. Blogging exists in many forms with many sites offering people the ability to blog. On the video hosting site ‘youtube’, individuals can create video blogs and on ‘wordpress’ videos, text and sound bytes can all be used to express oneself freely, and for no fee. In many respects blogging is a good thing as it gives people the ability to document current affairs and news, communicate with each other, express themselves more freely promoting democracy, and offering a genuine insight into everyday occurrences. This offers users millions of different views and perspectives, and offers documentation of how people lived for future generations to study. A downside to this however is that with so many people blogging, it’s difficult for an internet user to differentiate between quality blogs and those that are not, and even harder for a blogger to become well known. Most popular blogs are those written by celebrities either in journalism, or identified as one in another field. Most people view these blogs simply for entertainment purposes,or a supplement to news obtained either via newspaper or online new sites. However, there are journalists in the industry that believe citizen journalism is in effect stealing their readerships which is a worrying thought as news often found on a blog website is unregulated and so open to manipulation, bias and opinion.

Because many those who practice Citizen journalism through blogs are laymen and the work goes unregulated, it means that news written by them does not need to meet professional standards and in most cases does not. When writing for a publication or company, journalists are obligated to follow a code of conduct and any piece of work that does not abide by the rules of it shall, or should be, rejected by the editor of the company. This means that those who rely on citizen journalists solely for the purpose of news are in danger of being mislead, whether it be the intention of the citizen journalist, or by mistake. However, one must remember that blogs are foremost used for entertainment. Although there are blogs that offer true, and intellectual insight into current affairs the vast majority of them do not and should not be considered real news.

The internet is also capable of supplying to the it’s users twenty four hours news, a feat that newspapers cannot match. In her book; “Qualitve Research in Journalism” Sharon Hartin fully and effectively explains its still growing significance to 21^st century journalists and the transformation of news it has brought with it. She states that:

“Shocking world event can now be viewed almost at the instant they happen- then observed as they continue to develop”

The twenty four news cycle that was first introduced by cable news channels in television and is yet another supposed woe for the professional journalist and indeed newspapers. In the twenty four hour news cycle, newsrooms and news itself moves at a much faster pace. Rather then stories being presented as news on a daily basis as you would find in a newspaper or regular news broadcast, twenty four hour news runs on a twenty four hour basis, processing stories as they come in and presenting them to the public as soon as possible. In theory, it never stops. Whilst from a consumer point of view, twenty four hour news is a good thing, it is yet another factor leading to the demise of newspapers as demand for twenty four news heightens, newspapers being left behind as they are often a day to late in reporting.

Another contributing factor to newspapers demise is the growing realisation that news in no longer localised any more. With the internet also came the a for mentioned ‘globalisation’. Although small and isolated communities do exist, a great majority of the worlds populations live in cities and other urban areas. Localised news no longer has meaning or relevance for many people as everywhere is now interconnected via the web and newspapers cannot communicate on a global scale as the internet can.

Seeing the potential to broadcast news and perhaps, some newspapers set up websites in the 90s, one of the earliest being The Guardian newspaper which founded the Guardian Online in 1999. In this way the internet has created a whole new breed of twenty four hours news. Now news articles can be written, edited, and published even quicker then twenty four hour broadcast on cable television can. Many newspapers now have two newsrooms, one for print journalism and the other for online. Although the online websites make profit from online advertising, it is not enough to compensate for the loss of revenue from falling newspaper sales and so if, it would seem if journalists and newspapers wish to survive as suppliers of news, they must change how they broadcast it; making a transition from print to focus more primarily on internet news- the more popular of the two mediums. This of course does not solve the problem of funding; though recent developments in ‘News Corp’ offer a possible solution.

As of August 09, the billionaire media baron, Rupert Murdoch, head of ‘News Corp’ announced he was planning to begin charging for access to the new sites The Times online, The Sunday Times online, The Sun and News of the world; a move he believes will save the industry and ensure the future of quality journalism and the journalists who practice it. This certainly is a possibility as ‘Wall Street Journal’ has already proved subscription fees to news and articles can be successful. However, Jason Whittaker in his book ‘Web production for writers and journalists’ may disagree. In the book he offers a useful insight into the idea charging for online content puts forward, the following theory.

“The idea is that at present , users may be unwilling to pay for content, but when a fifty- year old database becomes a fully searchable archive, the text and graphics we tend to treat as ephemeral are suddenly given a new lease of life”

There is however issues that first must be addressed before all of journalism conforms to this. Just as musicians and film makers struggle to prevent piracy of their property so to, would journalists and their news. It would be very possible for an independent journalist or indeed another company to pay a subscription and then copy and upload the news data a offer it for free, essentially stealing it. However, should system appear that would solve this problem, online websites such as the Guardian online could well become the new, central, and only home of the Guardian.

Whilst newspapers do still sell, trends suggest that they are to be it quite frankly, a dyeing medium. Being seen as the traditional source of news simply isn’t enough to guarantee its survival as younger generations now turn to the more practical and in many ways superior internet, that can offer twenty four hour news, in text, audio or video form and at any time or anywhere. It’s simply a case of technological triumph over an older form media, much in the same way the dvd replaced the video tape.

Iran has a long undistinguished history of prisons. The best-known is Evin prison, where hundreds of political prisoners were executed before, and thousands after, the 1979 revolution. Another infamous prison was Qasr [palace] in Tehran where long-term political prisoners were held before the Revolution; it was shut down after the revolution.

Then there were the provincial jails. Because of the harsh climate in certain provinces, certain political prisoners were banished there for punishment. Examples included the prisons in Borazjan [in the province of Bushehr in southern Iran], Gonabad [in the province of Southern Khorasan], and Zabol [in province of Sistan and Baluchestan, on the border with Afghanistan and Pakistan]. These three are still used to hold political prisoners.

After the 1979 Revolution, Evin preserved its infamy. But other prisons emerged as well and quickly became notorious for their harsh treatment of political prisoners. One such place was Prison 59, a jail in Eshratabad military base in central Tehran. It was run by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and fell outside the control of the judiciary. Many journalists and members of the opposition Nationalist-Religious Coalition were held and tortured there. After reformists dominated the elections for the 6th Majles (parliament) in February 2000, they revealed secrets about the prison that prompted the IRGC to close the jail. But the IRGC then just transferred the prison to a newly built part of Evin; it still reportedly falls outside the jurisdiction of the judiciary.

Evin prison itself has the notorious “Section 209,” where well-known political prisoners are held and first interrogated. Many in this section are often held in solitary confinement. After their harsh interrogation, often accompanied by torture, political prisoners are transferred to the general section.

Another infamous prison is in Rajaei Shahr, near Karaj, a town about 50 km west of Tehran. Although common criminals are held there, some political prisoners, especially young university students, are also transferred there to humiliate them.

As a result of the rigged June 12 presidential election and its aftermath, a new detention center came to light: Kahrizak. This notorious detention center is on the southern edge of Tehran near Beshesht-e Zahra, Tehran’s main cemetery. Kahrizak was apparently built in 2001, and used by the government as a temporary jail for drug addicts and traffickers, and other common criminals.

In 2007 Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Radan was appointed to the post of Tehran police chief. He and Brigadier General Esmail Ahmadi Moghaddam, the commander of the police forces (and brother-in-law of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad), devised the so-called “Public Security Plan,” which was supposed to target the so-called “thugs and louts” who endanger public morality. The “thugs and louts” were reportedly detained at Kahrizak.

It was in July 2007 that the first reports of harsh conditions at Kahrizak began to emerge. A report by the Committee of Human Rights Reporters (CHRR) stated that the detention center was actually underground. The detainees were not allowed to come outside for fresh air and sunlight. They could use the toilet only once a day, and were scarcely allowed to bathe. Their water ration was one glass per day. They were given only one meal a day, which often consisted of a baked potato and a piece of bread, or at most, a boiled egg. Several detainees are known to have died at Kahrizak from 2007 to 2008, but the exact number is not known.

There were reports that some university student activists had been arrested and held at Kahrizak. Maysam Lotfi, from the University of Tehran, was one such student. She had been arrested during demonstrations at the dormitories and given a death sentence; she was later transferred to Kahrizak. The CHRR report also stated that some detainees who had been released had reported that they had been beaten by “Lebanese agents” who were working for Iran’s security forces.

There were also reports that when in 2003-2004 hundreds of al-Qaeda members had escaped to Iran, they had been arrested and held at Kahrizak [most of them have been repatriated to their country of origin]. There were also rumors that the infamous detention center had even been used by the Lebanese Hezbollah to hold its prisoners, away from the chaos of Lebanon. Even if such reports are not true or exaggerated, the very fact that they exist and widely circulate are indications of the macabre nature of Kahrizak.

After the June 12 election, many of the demonstrators who were arrested were taken to Kahrizak. The prison supposedly has a capacity of 50, but even General Ahmadi Moghaddam admitted that 140 prisoners had been held there. The order for sending them there was issued by Saeed Mortazavi, then the Tehran Prosecutor General. [Mortazavi has since been fired and his whereabouts are unclear.]

General Radan was personally in charge of the detainees at Kahrizak. There have been numerous reports of Radan personally beating many of the prisoners. Among the prisoners was Mohsen Ruholamini Najafabadi, a 25-year-old graduate student of computer engineering at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Tehran, and a supporter of Mir Hossein Mousavi, the main reformist candidate.

Mohsen’s father, Dr. Abdolhossein Ruholamini [a veterinarian], is a conservative politician who was a member of the Basij militia in his youth. He was a member of the campaign committee of Mohsen Rezaei, the conservative candidate in the June 12 election and Secretary General of the Expediency Council, a former top commander of the IRGC; and head of the Pasteur Institute.

His son, Mohsen, was arrested on July 9. His parents were told that he was in Evin and that he would be released soon. Two weeks later, his dead body was delivered to his parents. He had been held in Kahrizak, where he had been savagely tortured. His jaw had been broken and severe infections had developed in his wounds. Because the authorities had not allowed proper treatment to be given to him, the infection had spread, and eventually killed him. At least two other young people died there, although there has beena report suggesting that the number killed there was actually higher.

After the crimes at Kahrizah were revealed, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was forced to order its closure. As first reported by the author, the order was first resisted by Mortazavi and Radan, but they eventually complied. Later, Mortazavi denied that he had resisted the order, and attributed the delay to miscommunication between him and the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).

The physician working at Kahrizak was Dr. Ramin Pourandarjani, who was 26. He was born on June 9, 1983, in Tabriz in northwestern Iran. In 1994, at the age of 11, he was recognized as a gifted student and admitted to a school for advanced students. In 1996, at the age of 13, he won a national poetry competition. He graduated in 2001 and was admitted to medical school in Ardabil. He then was transferred to the medical school at the University of Tabriz, his hometown, graduating with distinction in 2008. He was fluent in both English and French.

As part of his two-year military service, he had been appointed to work with the Greater Tehran police. In March 2009 he was sent to the province of Sistan and Baluchestan for one month. After returning to Tehran, he was assigned to Kahrizak.

It was Dr. Pourandarjani who wrote up the report on Mohsen Ruholamini’s conditions and the others who had been tortured and injured at Kahrizak; he later issued the death certificate for him. The certificate stated that Ruholamini had suffered blows to the head. Another report, also written by Dr. Pourandarjani and submitted to the judiciary, stated that Ruholamini had died due to “physical stress, being held in bad conditions, multiple blows, and severe injuries to the body.”

At first, the hardliners tried to make Dr. Pourandarjani the scapegoat. He was blamed for poor treatment of the people at the detention center, never mind the question of why they needed treatment in the first place. General Ahmadi Moghaddam said on Sunday November 22 that, “The accusation against the Kahrizak doctor [Dr. Pourandarjani] is that he did not treat the patients well.”

Then, the hardliners claimed that there was an outbreak of meningitis at the detention center, possibly contributing to the death of the prisoners. They claimed that Mohammad Kamrani, one of the three who had been killed, died of meningitis, even though his relatives said that there was evidence that he had been raped. Amir Javadifar was the first to die at Kahrizak.

But Kahrizak would not go away. There were too many reports about prisoner abuse, charges amplified by Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, prompting the SNSC to investigate the crime. The report was never publicized, but a page leaked from it reportedly said, “Rape, mental and physical torture, malnutrition, and inhuman treatment of the detainees had taken place.” The Majles also formed a special investigating committee to look into the matter. Dr. Pourandarjani was summoned to the special committee to testify.

Many reformist websites claimed that before testifying, Dr. Pourandarjani had been detained for one week. Jahan News, a website controlled by the IRGC, confirmed that Dr. Pourandarjani had been arrested and later released after posting bail. He was reportedly threatened by General Radan, who had told him that he would be imprisoned and lose his medical license if he spoke publicly about the real cause of Ruholamini’s death [and others] at Kahrizak. Last month Radan called the murders at Kahrizak a “minor incident.” Radan had reportedly pressured Dr. Pourandarjani to certify that Mohsen Ruholamini had died of meningitis, but he had refused.

Mowjcamp, a credible reformist website, reported that Dr. Pourandarjani told the committee that “He [Ruholamini] was brought to me [two days before he died] after being severely tortured physically. He was in a dreadful physical condition and I had limited medical supplies, but I did my best to save him. It was then that I was threatened by the authorities at Kahrizak that if I disclose the cause of death and injuries of the detainees, I will cease to live.” The government has, however, denied that the meeting took place.

Norooz, the website that acts as the mouthpiece of Islamic Iran Participation Front [Iran's largest party and most important reformist group], reported that, “He [Dr. Pourandarjani] had received many anonymous threats to keep him from disclosing the truth [about the events in Kahrizak] as he had full knowledge about the details of what had happened there. He had told several friends about what had happened in Kahrizak, and had expressed fear for his life.”

On November 10, several reformist websites reported that Dr. Pourandarjani was dead. It was later confirmed by government officials, but the cause of death they presented kept changing. First, it was announced that Dr. Pourandarjani had died of a heart attack in his sleep. His father Reza-Gholi Pourandarjani said that his son was a non-smoker, led a clean life, and enjoyed perfect heath. He rejected the possibility that his son may have died of a heart attack. Then it was claimed that he had died of poisoning. But that was set aside when Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi, Tehran’s Prosecutor General, declared that a “preliminary autopsy revealed that he had not been poisoned.”

Then it was claimed that he had committed suicide. This was also rejected by the elder Pourandarjani. He told the AP that, “Just the night before his death, my child talked to me on the phone. It was around 8:00 or 9:00 pm. He sounded great, very dignified, showing no sign of someone who is about to commit suicide. He was full of hope, making plans with his friends.” His mother told Rooz, the online daily, that “Ramin was not a person who would commit suicide. God will not forgive those who accuse my child of committing suicide.”

According to Mowjcamp, Dr. Pourandarjani had told his friends that he was going to visit his parents in Tabriz. He had also been admitted to a German university to receive his specialization. He was planning to move there after finishing his military service. In short, nothing in the young man’s life suggested he was suicidal.

In a written statement given to the BBC, several of Dr. Porandarjani’s friends stated that, “Given his [Dr. Pourandarjani's] high spirit, religious beliefs, and his emotional attachment to, and sense of responsibility toward his family, and his conversation with his family the night before his death that had indicated his high morale, the possibility that he had committed suicide is nonexistent.”

Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, a Tabriz deputy to the Majles who was Minister of Health in the administration of former president Mohammad Khatami, said that, “committing suicide by someone who had no [mental] problem or illness, and was at Kahrizak when the events there took place is, in our view, questionable. The coroner’s office has not declared that his death was caused by suicide. This is just a rumor.”

But General Ahmadi Moghaddam insisted that Dr. Pourandarjani had committed suicide. He said that, “After being summoned by the judiciary in connection with the Kahrizak investigation, fear of imprisonment had led him [Dr. Pourandarjani] to commit suicide.” But Vali Esmaili, a hard-line Majles deputy, told Mehr News Agency that, “There is no connection between the suicide of the Kahrizak doctor and the post-election events.”

The day after the phone conversation between Dr. Pourandarjani and his father, the elder Pourandarjani was called from Tehran and was told that his son had been in an accident and needed surgery. He was told that he needed to go to Tehran to give his consent for the surgery. But when the elder Pourandarjani arrived in Tehran, he realized that there had been no accident. Instead, he was told that his son had passed away.

Following the Islamic traditions, Dr. Porandarjani’s body was washed and shrouded in Behesht-e Zahra cemetery [not in Tabriz, his hometown], and flown to Tabriz. According to Islamic tradition, once a dead person is shrouded, the shroud is not allowed to be opened or removed, except for the head when the dead person is interned in his grave. Thus, this may have been an attempt to hide any sign that the body may have had signs of foul play [if there were such signs]. Dr. Pourandarjani was laid to rest last Thursday amid tight security. His family had been told that they were not allowed to have an independent autopsy of their son.

Norooz reported that right before Dr. Pourandarjani passed away, his mother had called Dr. Ruholamini and had told him that her son’s life was in danger for “having revealed certain facts about the torture and death” of Mohsen Ruholamini.

As the London Director of Human Rights Watch, Tom Porteous, told The Times of London, “The Circumstances of [Dr.] Pourandarjani’s reported death raise serious concerns. At the very least, there is a need for a full, independent and transparent inquiry.”

As a young and bright medical student, Dr. Pourandarjani was also involved in medical research. He co-authored an article with colleagues Babak Rahimi-Ardabili of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Peiman Habibollahi of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and Amir Mualeki of TUMS, entitled, “Finasteride induced depression: a prospective study.” It was published in BMC Clinical Pharmacology, volume 6, p. 7 (2006) on finasteride, which is used for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and rogenetic alopecia. Their study suggested that finasteride might induce depressive symptoms and, therefore, it should be prescribed cautiously for patients with a high risk of depression. This appears to be a novel result not noted previously.

The rigged presidential election of June 12 continues to claim innocent victims. As of writing of this article, no one of any stature had been punished for the crimes at Kahrizak detention center. As Mir Hossein Mousavi noted,

How can it be that the leaders of our country do not cry out and shed tears about these tragedies? Can they not see it, or feel it? These things are darkening our country, darkening our hearts. If we remain silent, it will destroy us all and take us to hell.

Source: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2009/11/the-mysterious-death-of-the-kahrizak-doctor.html

Atrianfar released on bail

Bultan News │Nov. 24, 2009

The Tehran Prosecutor’s office announced that Reformist politician Mohammad Atrianfar has been released on a $500,000 bail.

Bashiri told ISNA that Atrianfar’s temporary detention order was switched to release on bail and that he was released from Evin Prison after his bail was posted on Monday morning.

“Atrianfar has been sentenced by Judge Salavti of the Revolutionary Court to six years in prison but the verdict is subject to appeal,” Bashiri said.

Ban on popular Hamshahri daily lifted

Press TV │ Nov. 24, 2009

A day after Iran banned its best-selling newspaper for publishing a picture of a temple belonging to the outlawed Baha’i sect, the country’s Judiciary lifted the ban.

An informed source told Mehr News Agency on Tuesday that the Judiciary lifted a temporary ban slapped on the popular daily Hamshahri (Citizen), by the Press Supervisory Board on Monday.

Hamshahri was shut down on Monday afternoon for publishing a picture of the Baha’i lotus temple in India and encouraging tourists to visit the place on its front page, Iran’s Labor News Agency (ILNA) reported on Monday.

The daily had received a formal letter of complaint by the Iranian government’s press watchdog and therefore offered apologies on its Monday issue, according to Mehr News Agency.

Third Sanandaj prison inmate transferred to hospital

Harana │ Nov. 24, 2009

Loqman Rahmani is the third inmate at Sanandaj penitentiary in the province of Kurdistan to be hospitalized because of declining health.

Earlier reports indicated that two other prisoners at this prison, Kamal Ahmadi and Khosro Izadi, died in prison under suspicious circumstances.

No reasons have been given about the death of the two inmates so far.

Former ministers appointed ambassadors

Tabnak │ Nov. 22, 2009

Two former Ahmadinejad ministers have been appointed as the new Iranian ambassadors to Malaysia and Venezuela.

According to IRNA, former minister of science Mohammad-Mehdi Zahedi has been tapped as Tehran’s new envoy to Kuala Lumpur. Former welfare minister Abdolreza Mesri has been appointed as the new ambassador to Caracas.

Meanwhile, former foreign ministry director Seyyed Javad Rasouli-Mahalati has been designated as Iran’s top diplomat in Saudi Arabia.

Tajernia sentenced for insulting Ahmadinejad

Khabar Online │Nov. 24, 2009

The Revolutionary Court sentenced Ali Tajernia, a member of the Participation Front, to six years in prison and 74 whip lashes for insulting Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Tajernia’s lawyer Hamid Fatehnia told ILNA that the verdict was announced on Monday.

“My client was found guilty of conspiring to disrupt public order, for propagating lies against the establishment, and for insulting the president and his cabinet,” Fatehnia said.

Tajernia was arrested on June 19 and released on November 7 after posting a $100,000 bail.

Ahmadinejad entourage too big for Mehr reporters

Tabnak │Nov. 22, 2009

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s tour of three Latin American and two African countries with a 300-member entourage drew the ire of reporters who were left behind.

Despite an invitation extended by the presidential office to Mehr news agency reporters and photographers to accompany Ahmadinejad on his tour, the four designated journalists were informed at the last minute that the Iranian delegation would leave without them.

The public relations liaison of the presidential office announced a day ahead of the trip that due to the large number of officials accompanying the Iranian president, the four journalists could not be accommodated.

Source: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2009/11/selected-headlines-72.html

­Gartner has identified its top 10 consumer mobile applications for 2012. Gartner listed applications based on their impact on consumers and industry players, considering revenue, loyalty, business model, consumer value and estimated market penetration.

1- Money Transfer

2- Location-Based Services

3- Mobile Search

4- Mobile Browsing

5- Mobile Health Monitoring

6- Mobile Payment

7- NFC Service

8- Mobile Advertising

9- Mobile Instant Message

10- Mobile Music

Source: http://www.cellular-news.com/story/40702.php