Stories about Iran from September, 2012
Iran: Alternatives to Google and Gmail
Deputy Telecommunications Minister, Ali Hakim Javadi said to Mehrnews he hoped to launch the Fakhr search engine and Fajr e-mail as alternatives to Google and Gmail in the near future.
Iran: President Ahmadinejad's Men in Trouble
As President Ahmadinejad addressed the UN General Assembly on September 26, a foreign ministry spokesperson was attacked by protesters in New York and a government press adviser was arrested in Iran.
Iran: Eight Years of Deception
International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran has released a short video “demonstrating and highlighting systematic cover-ups accompanying the marked rise in human rights violations over the eight years of his presidency”.
Bahrain: Can Democracy and Islam Co-Exist?
Can democracy exist in Islamic societies? This was the topic of conversation between Bahraini bloggers today.
Iran Blocks Access to Google and Gmail
Iran has blocked Google and Gmail from the Internet for nearly all users, allegedly to protest against an anti-Islam film on YouTube. Others say it's part of a plan to prepare the country for a new "national Internet" that offers less access to the outside world.
Iran: New Wave of Repression Against Bloggers
Several bloggers are facing renewed attacks by government authorities, including jail time and physical attacks. Here are updates on four different bloggers whose challenges appear to keep growing.
Iran: Google and Gmail Will Be Filtered
Abdolsamad Khoramabadi, an Iranian official declared [fa] on Sunday 23rd September, Google and Gmail are going to be filtered in the next few hours.He says people asked us to take a stand against the sites insulting Islam's Prophet. Khoramabadi is one of key members of a “Commission to Determine Instances...
Iran: Bear's Torture Commemorated with Day Against Animal Cruelty
A video of a brown bear and her cubs being clubbed to death made a big impact on the Iranian public in 2011. Now animal rights activists commemorate the day they shared the video with a Day Against Animal Cruelty and the 'Brown Bear Awards'.
Iran: Government Offices Logging Off the Internet
Iran is planning [fa] to move the country's 42000 government offices away from the World Wide Web to “national internet” next week,according to the Iranian Minister of Communication and Technology, Reza Taqipour.
Iran: Jailed Activist Denied Right to Call Family
Several Iranians reported in Balatarin, a link sharing site, that Majid Tavakoli, a jailed student activist has been denied the right to call his family from prison for 20 months.
Iran: Street Stage Play
Tehran Live has published photos from a street stage play in front of Iranshahr Theater in Tehran.
Iran: Blogger Moved to Isolation Cell
Several sites are reporting that jailed Iranian blogger, Hossein Ronaghi Maleki, has been moved to an isolation cell in Tabriz prison. Nehzatsabz blog says [fa] Hossein's health condition is worsening (he has a serious kidney condition). Hossein was arrested in August 2012 after traveling to the East Azerbaijan province to...
Iran: Much Ado About Anti-Islam Movie
The Iranian government and protesters in Tehran joined in calls demanding for the US government to condemn anti-Islam movie, The Innocence of Muslims. The film has led to furious protests in several countries.
Armenia: A New Transit Route?
The Armenian Observer reports that construction has started on upgrading Armenia's highways. Effectively connecting Iran with Georgia via Armenia more efficiently, the blog notes the Armenian government's hopes that the road will make the landlocked country an important transit route between Europe and Asia.
Iran: “Civil Society” Charter for Iran
A group of Iranian intellectuals including Ramin Jahanbegloo wrote a new charter that aims to unite the Iranian people around a common human rights and civic agenda. Charter 91 has launched a Facebook page to promote its ideas.
Iran: Quake Survivors Battle Cold
Several bloggers including Tohirow say [fa] that East Azarbaijan's earthquake survivors are now battling bitterly cold weather conditions.
Iran: “Soldiers of Islam” Hack Cartoonist's Facebook Page
The Facebook page of a leading Iranian leading cartoonist, Mana Nayestani, was hacked on Tuesday, 11 September 2012, by pro-regime hackers who call themselves “Soldiers of Islam”.
Biking from Tunisia to China for Wetland Conservation
Tunisian Arafet Ben Marzou, 31, fulfilled a childhood dream when he gave up his university job and cycled from Tunisia to China, to draw attention to the conservation of wetlands along the way. Afef Abrougui checks out the highlights of the trip he shared on Facebook.
Iranian Women – Saying ‘No’ to Compulsory Hijabs Since 1979
More than 26,000 people have joined a Facebook campaign by Iranian students calling for an end to mandatory headscarves (hijabs) in Iran. Iranian women have protested for three decades, but are still subjected to harassment by security forces in public.
UAE: Iranian Translators Distort Morsi's Speech
UAE-based journalist Hassan Hassan Storfies how Iranian translators distorted Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi's speech, at the Non-Aligned Movement meeting in Tehran, replacing Syria with Bahrain and Arab Spring with Islamic Awakening.
