A sky news report on last week's rally - at least it is factual

I have just come across what I consider some rather ridiculous statements from the Iran Press. The latest happens to be that "the regime has caught people who had penetrated the ranks of the police and basij and it was these people who had fired upon the crowd". On the BS meter that has to score a 10/10 for BS. The report actually claimed that the Basij and police are not allowed to be armed. They even produced some people who claimed that they were encouraged by the BBC Persian TV to go out on the streets with ..... wait for it.... hand grenades..... those poor women having to sign and repeat such lies!!

Gateway Pundit has some more video evidence of Basij shooting at demonstrators from the rooftop. Well I clicked on some of the other Youtube links, and I found one that showed the shooter leaning out of a window with his gun... make no mistake he is Basij.... and the other one that I include here is a Sky News report. It is very factual....

Women in Iran

Iran's women have been the victims of a misogynist regime. They have suffered a lot of indignity at the hands of a regime that treats women as second class citizens. In the courts their testimony is not equal to that of a man. They are punished for lesser crimes by hanging, or even being stoned to death. The women of Iran have their own testimony to the brutality of the Khamenei-Ahmadinejad regime. I just found this video which depicts the sufferings of the women of Iran:



I cannot understand what is being said, but the images tell me everything about what these women have suffered at the hands of the basij.

More reports out of Iran

The news from Tehran is not good. The latest is that Iranian employees of the British Embassy have been arrested and detained. The great lie from Khamenei is that the UK is responsible for the unrest, which of course is b.s. The turmoil is due to the coup d'etat in Iran that was conducted by the military, Ahmadinejad and Khamenei.

I have just seen a video concerning two very brave women who have managed to flee Iran and return to family in the USA. These women have a story to tell. One of them has a broken ankle and arm due to being trampled as a result of the brutality of the basij on the demonstrators. What the one woman has to say is a message that everyone should hear:

Missing student activist turns up in Tehran morgue - authorities refuse to hand over his body to relatives

His name is Kianoosh Assa. He disappeared on Monday 22 June 2009.  His grieving family had been trying to locate him, and they found his badly beaten body in a Tehran morgue. The authorities are refusing to hand over his body because he is tagged as I.D. unknown.  

Personally? I think that it is BS for the authorities to refuse to hand his body over to the grieving family. God only knows what Kianoosh suffered before his death. I would guess that the extent of the beatings shows that he was treated in an extremely brutal manner. 

It is now imperative that the international community starts taking a stand against the Khamenei regime with all of its repressive brutality. There are other students who have been taken by the basij to an unknown location. There are many who have disappeared from the streets. The death toll is more likely now to be at least 500 - we do not know how many have been murdered behind closed doors. The basij have been making sure that there is no proper body count because they take the bodies away on trucks. 

It is up to us to speak out on behalf of the Iranian people, and to pressure the United Nations to take a stronger stand against the human rights abuses in Iran. It is up to us to shame Amnesty International to make a stand against the Khamenei regime.  It is up to us to shame the POTUS into condemning the repressive Iranian regime and to cut off all diplomatic ties with Iran. It is also up to POTUS to agree to a boycott of Iran. There must be a constant external pressure on this illegitimate regime until all of the political prisoners are released. Nothing else is good enough.

Beat It Ahmadi

Even if it is a photoshop, this image is just great and it represents so well the daughters of this revolution.

When I saw it I had to laugh and yes Michael Jackson's "Beat it" is so very fitting.

Berman Post has more news and information here.

In Memory and the 200 plus who have been murdered by the Iranian regime

I do not believe the official toll of 17 dead. From everything that I have read since the people took to the streets, it would seem that the toll is a lot higher. I have not seen any verification of 8 basij dead - I think that it is a regime lie.

The people have not been allowed to mourn their dead, and I find that the attempt to stop the mourning is despicable. Neda's parents have been forced to move from their home, and no one in the apartment block has been allowed to mourn for a daughter of the new revolution, who was an innocent bystander. The same goes for the youth who died on the same day - a victim of the basij who just shot anybody.

What is more despicable is the attempt by the regime to cover up their own actions, first by accusing a British journalist and then by the Iranian ambassador to Mexico making the absurd claim that Neda was shot in the back of the head, CIA execution style. Well, having seen the video, I know that it is not true, and people should believe nothing claimed by this illegitimate Iranian regime.

Khamenei has lost all credibility as leader in Iran. He did it because he wanted to have power. He did it because of a belief in the fantasy of the 12th imam.

An Iranian tribute to the late Michael Jackson - a message for Ahmadinejad

The production of the video is really good. It has a message and it is to the tune of Jackson's "Beat It" - very appropriate:

Watching the riots live and live blogging in Iran

There is a lot of material that is becoming available from people in Iran. They have been quite resourceful in managing to capture the brutality of the Khamenei regime and goons. Here is an example of the montage of videos, some are high quality and others are not so high in quality:

Hijab - check, handbag - check, rocks - check

The young and older woman of Iran are to be admired for their tenacity in the face of everything that they have suffered at the hands of a brutal mullah regime. It is becoming increasingly clear that the women are fighting back, not just about the fraudulent election results, but because of what they have endured at the hands of the regime and the basij. They are ready and they are saying: enough is enough. We want our freedom.

Gateway Pundit produced this image that shows the women have a new fashion accessory:

The women have been targeted by the Basij. Neda was only one of many of these brave women who became a target for the misogynist regime who insists on battering women in public. The violence of the Basij is without parallel, such that the women are beginning to strike back.

In terms of Star Wars we have seen the uprising, more or less like the good guys in the Federation who are fighting the evil Emperor and his Basij. The crackdown is like "The Empire Strikes Back", but you have to remember the ending of that episode to get a glimpse of what is to come. Just as Luke Skywalker did not give in, and there were guiding forces, I envision that the people who have taken to the streets might retreat for a time but there will be "The Return of the Jedi". This is an unfolding story, and it will not end despite this evil regime's efforts to clamp down upon its opposition.

Some of the more recent developments make me feel very worried about those who have been arrested. The thug judge who is to try those arrested is a known butcher. Already the Canadian government is protesting in the strongest of language about this man and with good reason. The latest to be arrested has been 70 university professors who visited Mousavi. This is unacceptable to say the least. It is also unacceptable that people were arrested in the middle of the night, or they were dragged away from the hospitals even though they had severe wounds and other injuries.

As for the notion that 8 Basij died in clashes, well I do not believe it, or at least I want to see the proof. The numbers of official dead is way too low for what is the reality. They are only reporting 1/10 of the deaths associated with these protests.

It is an outrage - Regime with no heart and only cruelty

Although I am not sure if the whole of this report is accurate (given that I had seen other reports that indicated that Neda's parents were directed to bury her in a cemetery reserved for the bodies of the protesters), the remainder of the report is totally outrageous.

It is the custom that when a person dies that neighbours, friends and family come and visit to give comfort. However, for Neda Soltan's parents they are not allowed to have visitors. On top of that, it seems that they have been driven from their home.

Here is a snippet from the newspaper report from the Guardian:

The Iranian authorities have ordered the family of Neda Agha Soltan out of their Tehran home after shocking images of her death were circulated around the world.

Neighbours said that her family no longer lives in the four-floor apartment building on Meshkini Street, in eastern Tehran, having been forced to move since she was killed. The police did not hand the body back to her family, her funeral was cancelled, she was buried without letting her family know and the government banned mourning ceremonies at mosques, the neighbours said.

"We just know that they [the family] were forced to leave their flat," a neighbour said. The Guardian was unable to contact the family directly to confirm if they had been forced to leave.

On top of this, the regime is now trying to turn the tables and blame the protesters for Neda's death. I do know that there have been confusing reports about the direction of the bullet. However, the eyewitness, the doctor who was there when Neda was murdered, indicated that the Basij who targeted Neda was standing on the roof of a nearby building and he aimed directly at Neda. Was this cowardly bastard who loves to treat women as second class citizens an Iranian? Or was he a Syrian, Lebanese, or from Gaza? One thing is for certain, the death scene was not staged. Neda died as the result of a bullet to the heart. However, the filthy Iranian regime has tried to blame an expelled British journalist for the death!!!

The government is also accusing protesters of killing Soltan, describing her as a martyr of the Basij militia. Javan, a pro-government newspaper, has gone so far as to blame the recently expelled BBC correspondent, Jon Leyne, of hiring "thugs" to shoot her so he could make a documentary film.

I mean what a ridiculous charge!! Yet there are people out there, especially those left wing people who support the present Iranian regime, who will swallow this lie whole, and will help to spread the lie about what really happened. I have been watching them in action on the various blogs that are covering the Iranian protests. These are protests of the people. It is not even about Mousavi any more. It is about freedom. No one is certain what will happen to Mousavi because he is being watched by the secret police, and it is rumoured that the regime is going to attempt to assassinate him, and then assassinate his killer on the spot.

It is true, Khamenei must be removed from the role of Supreme Leader because he is a dictator and he is setting himself up with the help of the Ahmadinejad who is an extremely dangerous person. Both of them belong to the cult that believes in the return of the 12 Imam and they are trying to do everything that they can to "hurry up the process".

Kharoubi chastises Iran state run media

Opposition candidate, Kharoubi has lashed out at the state run media over its reports concerning the protests. In his letter, Kharoubi has scolded the Iranian media for blaming the protesters for the violence, when pictures taken by eyewitnesses show plain-clothed Barij hitting the students and others as well as Basij taking aim and shooting to death in some cases the protesters. In other incidents the Basij invaded several universities beating students (to death in some cases) and arresting others.

Over the past week I have seen several very graphic videos of people being bashed by the Basij and of others being shot. I have seen very graphic pictures of people who were either killed by the Basij (such as Neda) or they looked like they were dead because of the serious nature of their injuries. A lot of the reports coming out of Iran via her citizens state that people are afraid of the Basij becuase they have started showing up in great numbers and that they are bashing people or shooting at them, or throwing tear gas at them. On top of this there are reports of people being arrested during the night and being dragged off the Evin prison.

This kind of behaviour of the Basij is exactly the same as the SS in Nazi Germany, and it is the same kind of thing that has happened in countries such as Chile and Venezuela in more recent years. We must not forget that the thug in charge of Venezuela is also prepared to kill his own people in the same manner.

All we can do is get out the word that these things are happening when people are protesting in a peaceful manner. I should point out that in several pictures I saw the soldiers just standing and watching, and I heard reports of the police and soldiers protecting the protestors from the Ahmadinejad supporters.

The people of Iran have a right to have their voice heard. They did not vote for Ahmadinejad and there is mounting evidence that he planned this coup not long after he was elected in 2005. There is also adequate evidence to conclude that Grand Poohbah Khamenei was a part of the coup plot, and that he has the desire for personal power.

What has happened as a result of these personal ambitions is that the people no longer look up to the man who is supposed to be their Supreme Leader. The shouts on the rooftops each night tell the story for when they shout: Alluha Akbar meaning God is great, there is no one but God, they are telling Khamenei that he is not above God. I do not see these shouts as something to fear or as being menacing, rather I see them as a political statement.

Iran - the lull before the storm?

The latest news from Iran seems to indicate the lull before the storm. It is getting harder for the people to come out into the streets to continue the protests because of the presence of the Basij and the IRG. The stories of those who have died contine. It is not just Neda who was a bystander. Another family lost their only son and they were asked to pay $3000 bullet tax (for the bullet that killed an innocent man). 

It is hard to imagine living in a society where the government uses its armed forces to kill the citizens. It is just so very wrong.  This time I have included a video that is a tribute to the protesters and their fight for both freedom and their right to determine who will govern them.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm31kpjBiFQ

Perhaps there is a beacon on the hill. We do know that Rafsanjani has been working behind the scenes, not to seize power, like some have believed, but to come up with a reform that will see the end of the Supreme Leader. There is a plan and I hope that it will be one that is acceptable to the people of Iran. The most revered Ayatollah Sistani has sent his representative to the meetings in Qom. I sincerely hope that these meetings will be fruitful.

The Grand Poohbah has spoken

Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran gave a speech during the Friday prayers. His speech was held at Tehran University, one of the places where Basij raided the student dormitories, bashing and murdering several of them, and doing a lot of damage. There are pictures and Youtube videos that show the extent of the damage done to the university available through various Internet sites.

Perhaps it is best to hear directly from one who is on the ground in Iran via Andrew Sullivan (who is doing a great job reporting the tweeted messages). The messages show quite a bit of fear, yet a lot of determination to keep on protesting. So, it would seem that the Grand Poohbah has spoken, but he has lost so much credibility that people are prepared to ignore him, even if it means more bloodshed on the streets.

A few analysts have observed the threats contained within that speech, but none have quite managed to express my own thoughts on what it means, with the exception of Andrew Sullivan who states:

I think we find one clue to why he rigged the vote count so crudely. His argument that a majority of eleven million was too big to allow for any irregularities suggests he believed that a big lie was the only one that would work. But if you utter a big lie, you had better hope it could persuade some. It appears to have persuaded no one but a few fools at the Washington Post and the executive editor of the New York Times.

I tend to agree with Sullivan's take on this subject. That statement about the extra 11 million meaning that there was no fraud is ridiculous. What the Grand Poohbah is claiming here is that all of those extra people, who boycotted the polls in 1985 actually voted for Ahmanutjob. I think that Sullivan has summed it up the right way. The Grand Poohbah thinks that he can get away with the lie, and that people will believe him because he is supposed to be a religious moral figure who people are supposed to unquestioningly obey. I think that his speech is a miscalculation with regards to the expectations of the people.

What is more disturbing than this speech is the large number of arrests that are taking place, including arrests of members of the Revolutionary Guard - which is split over any loyalty to their own people, and these despots. It is just as disturbing as the news that the person who leaked the real poll figures, showing that Mousavi had 19 million votes has been eliminated.

What will happen next? We have to wait and see. Clearly not all of the mullahs are on the side of Khamenei and Nutjob. If they rise up against Khamenei then there is a good chance that he will be overthrown, and Rafsanjani does have the power to overthrow Khamenei. I think that this is one reason that Khamenei is running scared, and why he seems to think that a heavy handed approach is the best way for him to retain power.

What we have seen so far, is that in reality it was Mousavi who won the election. The mere fact that the protest that we have seen over the past week keeps getting bigger and stronger is evidence that people are fed up, and they do want a permanent change. Mousavi is more like the catalyst of that mood rather than anything else. We have no real idea whether he would be able to carry out widespread reform. If Khamenei remained in power then reform would be impossible, but with a change to a Supreme Leader who is more moderate then change would be possible. However, it will not be change as western people think of change, it will be something different.

I do not believe that the people will back down over this issue. I see it continuing because this is on the same scale as the 1979 revolution.

Evidence that Hamas has been brought in to slaughter Iranians

Word on the street in Tehran is that the people who are doing the vicious beating of the protesters are not Iranians but members of Hamas and Hezbollah that have been brought in for the purpose of crushing dissent. You might ask: what is your evidence for this accusation? First of all, there is comment on the street - that these people speak Arabic and not Farsi. The Iranians who are using Twitter and other sources keep mentioning the Arabs and the Palestinians. There are many blogs keeping up to date on the action and one of them is Gateway Pundit.

Gateway Pundit has a photograph of some of the Basij thugs and there is comment that these people are Hamas. Of course there are some who are skeptical over the matter, and they want proof that these people are Palestinians. Well, the obvious way to find the proof is to look at their facial features and see how they differ from the typical Iranian. Another source for the comment is the Jerusalem Post for the protesters have been active in reaching out to world-wide media. Thus we have the comment in the JP :

"The most important thing that I believe people outside of Iran should be aware of," the young man went on, "is the participation of Palestinian forces in these riots."

Another protester, who spoke as he carried a kitchen knife in one hand and a stone in the other, also cited the presence of Hamas in Teheran.

On Monday, he said, "my brother had his ribs beaten in by those Palestinian animals. Taking our people's money is not enough, they are thirsty for our blood too."

It was ironic, this man said, that the victorious Ahmadinejad "tells us to pray for the young Palestinians, suffering at the hands of Israel." His hope, he added, was that Israel would "come to its senses" and ruthlessly deal with the Palestinians.

When asked if these militia fighters could have been mistaken for Lebanese Shi'ites, sent by Hizbullah, he rejected the idea. "Ask anyone, they will tell you the same thing. They [Palestinian extremists] are out beating Iranians in the streets… The more we gave this arrogant race, the more they want… [But] we will not let them push us around in our own country."

The people of Iran need our support, and the best way that our governments can give support to the people is to not recognize the illegitimate government of Ahmadinejad. He has managed to stage a coup to ensure his own power, but the people are fighting back. They need our prayers and our support in their fight against this injustice.

Something big is going down - has there been a coup?

The Iranian people went to the polls last Friday, and there was a very big turnout - an increase of about 30% over 2005. In the last few weeks of the Presidential election race there was a huge swing of support to Mir Hossein Mousavi. The evidence indicates that Mousavi had strong support, especially within the university population. Initially, it has been rumoured that someone from the Ministry of the Interior informed Mousavi that he was the winner but he was told to wait before saying anything. A few hours later Ahmadinejad was declared as the victor with a massive landslide. To be honest, that news was very surprising, especially after learning about the massive turnout of voters. These are the people who had been boycotting the elections, and it is really doubtful that they would have given their vote to a madman like Ahmadinejad.

There are some indicators that this result was in fact a coup by Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Khamenei:

• First of all, even before the polls had closed SMS and other means of communication were being blocked. The Basiji were being mobilized, and it has been rumoured that members of Hamas and Hezbollah from Syria, Gaza and Lebanon were brought in to deal with any "uprising" or protest. There was talk of crushing any "velvet revolution". In other words Amadinejad was preparing to lose the Presidential race by staging a coup that would see him announced as the winner.
  

• Second, the size of the landslide could easily be disputed based upon figures from 2005.
  

• Third, the reaction of the people when they heard the announcement was to go into the streets and start demanding: WHERE'S MY VOTE? This is what is so important to the protestors. They voted against Ahmadinejad.

• Fourth, the manner in which Khamenei was so quick to announce the winner when it is not normal procedure.

• Fifth, the manner in which the vote count or lack thereof was handled. As one commentator has remarked, it is as if the numbers were plucked out of the air.
  

• Sixth, a less important indicator, but certainly one that sustains the fact that Amadinejad has staged a coup is the suspicious car accident that killed a member of the Ministry of the Interior - this person allegedly was the one that leaked the correct figures relating to the poll result.
  

I am dedicating what I write on this blog to the brave Iranians who have taken to the streets to protest the injustice that has been dealt to them. They are so right to feel that they have been robbed. There is a lot of material available on the Internet, and I hope to be able to link to many good blog posts, and analysis of what is happening inside Iran.