Election 1388

Dear Friends, My piece on the one-year anniversary of last year’s controversial election in Iran is airing today. In the piece, we hear from two young Iranians who talk about their frustration with what’s happened since June 12, 2009, and from Mohammed Sadeghi, the Iranian-German behind Mousavi’s Facebook page and from Golnaz Esfandiari, the Iranian-American reporter with Radio Free Europe in Prague. It will be available on any of these stations (and their Internet streams): NYC – 3 pm Eastern…

Dear Friends, My piece on watching the 22nd of Bahman protests with Austin Heap, Roozbeh Pournader and Behrang Barzin live from Parisoma will be on today’s show. It will be available on any of these stations (and their Internet streams): NYC – 3 pm Eastern – WNYC – 820 AM – www.wnyc.org Washington, DC – 8 pm Eastern – WAMU – 88.5 FM – www.wamu.org Los Angeles – 12 pm Pacific – KPCC – 89.3 FM – www.kpcc.opg Boston –…

Iranian opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi was interviewed by reformist website Kalame earlier this week, which was translated by Khordad88, and included this notable quote that likely will be championed by the blogosphere. I’m still unconvinced as to how much long-term difference all of the reformists’ online activity will make (remember, we’re coming up on eight months of Ahmadinejad’s second term), but it’s still interesting nonetheless. The caption on the above image reads: “We will make the 22nd of Bahman, 1388…

I’m a little behind, but I just read Maziar Bahari’s account of his 118 days in an Iranian prison in Newsweek. It’s frightening to say the least, and confirms similar accounts I’ve heard by others who have had the pleasure of Evin Prison’s hospitality. Robert Mackey in The Lede blog writes: Mr. Bahari’s account of his 118 days in captivity offers a fascinating insight into the government’s attempts to understand and stifle the dissent that followed the election. It is…

My cousin and Iran analyst extraordinaire, Karim Sadjadpour, will be speaking this Thursday on the UC Berkeley campus to discuss: the impact of Iran’s elections on the balance of power within Iran and on its foreign policy. Sadjadpour will also assess the implications of recent events on US policy options. The Travers Lecture Series on US Foreign Policy is co-sponsored by the Institute of International Studies and the Institute of Governmental Studies. Throughout the 2009-2010 academic year, the IIS and…

I have the honor of speaking at the “Emerging Technologies & Media Mythologies” conference at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich. on Tuesday, October 6, 2009. I’ll be the Tuesday lunchtime speaker, where I’ll be talking about the Iranian Internet, before and after the recent election — I’ll be drawing from my forthcoming book, “The Internet of Elsewhere,” (Rutgers University Press, 2011). I’m truly flattered to be invited to take the place of Iranian journalist and human rights activist, Akbar…

Cyrus Farivar | 01 Sep 2009 On June 20, 2009, as she watched demonstrators at an Iranian reformist protest gather on Tehran’s Kargar Avenue, Neda Agha-Soltan, 27, was suddenly shot in the chest and killed, ostensibly by a nearby Basij militiaman. Had this tragic incident taken place just a few years earlier, it might have been lost to history. As it happened, however, two separate amateur videos of Neda’s shooting and subsequent death were quickly posted online, where they spread…

Thanks to all who showed up (and participated online!) at BayFF last night to talk tech, Iran and all kinds of other stuff. It was a pleasure to speak with Danny O’Brien again and meet Jacob Appelbaum of Tor for the first time. Thanks also to David Farris, Alex Farivar and Nate Cardozo for coming and supporting me. Also big ups to Sean Savage (who I’ve written about before, and first met six years ago!) and PariSoMa for organizing this…

If you can, spare a thought for former Iranian vice president Mohammad Ali Abtahi, who I had the pleasure of meeting in November 2007 here in Oakland, as seen above. The Associated Press: BEIRUT (AP) — The wife of a prominent pro-reform Iranian politician said Monday her husband was forced into confessing he helped fuel post-election riots as part of a plot to topple the government and said he appeared drugged days before the trial. The contention by Fahimeh Mousavinejad…

I just penned this for PBS’ MediaShift: by Cyrus Farivar, August 3, 2009 A couple of years ago, while browsing in a Philadelphia bookstore, I found a small red hardback book. Its worn woven cover was used, but in decent condition. The side of the book, in a matching faded red background, had a small vaguely Islamic curved label that reads in gold lettering: Mission for my Country / His Imperial Majesty Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi Shahanshah of Iran. This…