-
“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance; it is the illusion of knowledge.”
Meta
Category Archives: Iran
Syrian government guerrilla fighters being sent to Iran for training
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
The Unknown Arab Uprising: Shia Muslims in Saudi Arabia Keep the Protest Movement Alive
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
Posted in Arab Spring, Bahrain, Iran, Saudi Arabia, US Foreign Policy
Comments Off on The Unknown Arab Uprising: Shia Muslims in Saudi Arabia Keep the Protest Movement Alive
Iraqi Sunnis await a Baghdad spring
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
Posted in Arab Spring, Iran, Iraq, Syria
Comments Off on Iraqi Sunnis await a Baghdad spring
Caught Shopping While Iranian: Diasporic Solidarity and the Globalization of Collective Punishment
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
Posted in Iran, Racism, US-Iran Relations
Comments Off on Caught Shopping While Iranian: Diasporic Solidarity and the Globalization of Collective Punishment
Happy Nowruz to you all!
To mark the festive occasion, I’d like to share this awesome video with you… a classic never dies! The header above is a spectacular image of Chaharshanbeh Soori festivities in Iran.
12 Iranians, 12 Opinions, 1 Stance
“We might disagree on a lot of things, but we are all opposed to blind and broad sanctions on Iran.” See the video here.
Posted in Iran, US Foreign Policy
Comments Off on 12 Iranians, 12 Opinions, 1 Stance
Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad criticised for hugging mother of Hugo Chavez
There is a tremendous amount of controversy regarding this little news story (posted below). Some Iranians are convinced that it was photoshopped in order to embarrass Ahmadinejad. I do not think it was altered whatsoever. Others have rightly criticized him … Continue reading
Posted in Iran
Comments Off on Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad criticised for hugging mother of Hugo Chavez
Argo as Best Picture?
I’ve noticed that some of my Iranian friends on Facebook celebrated Argo’s Best Picture win, which blows my mind. They act as if it’s a win for all Iranians or it’s a story that for once shows us in a … Continue reading
Ahmadinejad in Egypt and the Shaykhs of Al-Azhar
Ahmadinejad is in Egypt right for the first visit by an Iranian head-of-state in decades. The shaykhs of Al-Azhar have shared their criticism of Iran’s regional policies with Ahmadinejad. They have expressed their concern with Iranian “meddling” in the Persian … Continue reading
Posted in Egypt, Iran
4 Comments
Why did men stop wearing high heels?
The BBC: For generations they have signified femininity and glamour – but a pair of high heels was once an essential accessory for men. Beautiful, provocative, sexy – high heels may be all these things and more, but even their … Continue reading
Ben Affleck’s Argo and the Problem With Viewing Iran Through a Narrow Lens
Here is my latest piece on The Huffington Post: The season in which studios begin to roll out their Oscar contenders is upon us. Ben Affleck’s third and probably most important directorial feat, Argo, will certainly receive due attention from … Continue reading
Posted in Film, Iran
5 Comments
Iran sanctions now causing food insecurity, mass suffering
Glenn Greenwald: “Six years ago, when America and Europe were putting in place the first raft of measures to press Iran to come clean over its nuclear ambitions, the talk was of “smart” sanctions. The West, it was stressed, had … Continue reading
Dangerous Misconceptions About Sanctions on Iran and Its Nuclear Program
Here is a joint piece by me and my friend Nema Milaninia at the Huffington Post: On August 27, 2012, the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA), an organization whose stated goal is to serve the interests of Iranian … Continue reading
Posted in Iran, US-Iran Relations
Comments Off on Dangerous Misconceptions About Sanctions on Iran and Its Nuclear Program
The Diplomatic Opportunity in Iran’s Dashed Hopes for the ‘Arab Spring’
My latest piece at Tehran Bureau (PBS): Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi’s recent visit to Iran to attend the 120-member gathering of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) represents monumental shifts rooted in the Arab uprisings that have significant ramifications for Egypt and Iran. … Continue reading
Posted in Arab Spring, Iran
Comments Off on The Diplomatic Opportunity in Iran’s Dashed Hopes for the ‘Arab Spring’
Revisiting the Flawed Policy of Sanctioning Iran: How Sanctions Hurt the Reformers
Here is the article I mentioned I was writing in the previous post. It is now up at The Huffington Post: The recent devastating earthquake in Iran has brought the issue of the U.S.-EU sanctions on Iran back to the … Continue reading
Posted in Iran
2 Comments