Monthly Archives: April 2013

UC Berkeley: ASUC Senate passes divestment bill SB 160 11-9

Posted on April 18, 2013 by iPouya

Today, I’m especially proud to be a Cal alum: – The Daily Cal: In a dramatic vote that was emotional for all sides, the ASUC Senate voted 11-9 to divest from companies affiliated with Israel’s military early Thursday morning. The … Continue reading →

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Iran’s MEK to open Washington office

Posted on April 12, 2013 by iPouya

The “People’s Mujahideen” or Mujahideen-e Khalq Organization (MEK) went from being listed as a terrorist organization for years to moments later opening up an office in DC.  I wonder what they had to do in order to get the official … Continue reading →

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Iraq’s Branch of Al Qaeda Merges With Syria Jihadists

Posted on April 10, 2013 by iPouya

I have long said that the war in Syria is very much connected to Iraq. Now, unfortunately, it’s official. A lot of the jihadists fighting in Syria are jihadists who fought in Iraq but were driven out of the country … Continue reading →

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Photos: Syria in Ruins

Posted on April 8, 2013 by iPouya

I visited Syria in the summer of 2008. I can’t believe large swaths of the country now amount to such harrowing images of destruction. See the photos here.

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A Journey to IRAN by ISA at Penn State University

Posted on April 8, 2013 by iPouya

This is a magnificent video compilation that captures Iran’s diversity, both cultural and geographical. It’s a nice change beyond the regular depictions of a menacing Iranian monolith.

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Syrian government guerrilla fighters being sent to Iran for training

Posted on April 6, 2013 by iPouya

Reuters: The Syrian government is sending members of its irregular militias for guerrilla combat training at a secret base in Iran, in a move to bolster its armed forces drained by two years of fighting and defections, fighters and activists … Continue reading →

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The Unknown Arab Uprising: Shia Muslims in Saudi Arabia Keep the Protest Movement Alive

Posted on April 5, 2013 by iPouya

The Global Post: Editor’s Note: When Arab Spring protests broke out in Saudi Arabia in 2011, the government reacted quickly. It pumped $130 billion into the economy, including hiring 300,000 new state workers and raising salaries. It also brutally cracked … Continue reading →

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Iraqi Sunnis await a Baghdad spring

Posted on April 3, 2013 by iPouya

The Guardian: Abu Saleh sits in a striped tent pitched by the side of the highway joining Jordan and Syria with Iraq and reflects on the latest, improbable twist in his 10-year career fighting those he considers the enemies of … Continue reading →

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Caught Shopping While Iranian: Diasporic Solidarity and the Globalization of Collective Punishment

Posted on April 3, 2013 by iPouya

Jadaliyya: In recent years, the Iranian New Year, Norooz, has become a fairly predictable time for US presidents to gesture towards “dialogue” and mutual respect between the United States and the Iranian people, while criticizing the repressive policies and nuclear … Continue reading →

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