Ahmadinejad’s Letter & Tehran Book Fair  · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's letter to his US counterpart, George Bush, has attracted a lot of attention in international media. Several leading journals such as Washington Post or Le Monde, in France, published letter and tried to analyze that. This 18 pages letter has been a hot topic among Iranian bloggers who discussed it during last week and shared their opinions about it. As usual, ideas are very different, one from another. We look at some key topics concerning this letter, in Iranian blogosphere.
Breaking Taboo
Koroush Alyani, an Iran based blogger, talks about how taboo words have been used in this letter. He says, Mr.Bush was called by Iranian President, Excellency and Israel was called state. Blogger adds several times his own articles were sent back from his journal’s editor (Persian), because he has written Israel instead of regime which is occupying Quds. According to blogger, Ahmadinejad has started to use these words which he avoided until now.
Abtahi, reformist politician & blogger, wrote about taboos too. He says:
“The President as the highest executive power of Iran has written a letter to US directly and has removed the taboo of direct relationship between Iranian and American authorities. Mostly about the sagacity mission and moral regeneration of the world that Mr. Ahmadinejad holds himself responsible for; Invitation to Godly, spiritual and Islamic values. This kind of correspondence probably inspired by   the Prophet's letters to the heads of the old world, today in a period obviously different from what the Prophet was standing in and in a completely different world, neither results in the salvation and deliverance of Mr. Bush nor helps the country out of the global dangerous problems it is facing currently especially now that the Islamic Republic of Iran has lost the last resisting card for any direct negotiations with the US.”
Khanoum Hana, based in Japan, says that  she does not understand why everybody makes fun of Ahmadinajad’s letter  (Persian).  Blogger asks do you really think, he wrote this letter without informing high ranked people in government. Blogger adds that Ahmadinjead has removed the taboo of direct contact with USA after 27 years. Finally she says think twice when you say that this government does not understand politics!
Reformist Khatami, USA & letter
Fardaye Roshan, Iran based blogger, criticized Iranian President and conservatives. Blogger says we can imagine what could be happened if the letter was written by Khatami, former reformist President. Blogger says many would say Islam is in danger because of Khatami’s letter and thousands were able to march against reformist President. Blogger adds we had eight years to negotiate with United States and we did not do anything. Blogger considers, Ahmadinjead’s letter in this context is useless and will not solve anything. According to blogger one thing he (President) mentioned in letter is any government must try to establish peace…we see how much his government tries to be tolerate with the world! He & his advisers can not manage country (Persian)!
Haj Reza has completely opposite idea about Iranian President, reformists & letter. This blogger admires Ahmadinejad and considers letter a masterpiece of wisdom and diplomacy (Persian). He says:
“Thank you Mr.President. By writing this letter you showed whole world what our revolution is about. People who talked about dialogue between civilisations (it was Khatami's slogan) did not dare to do one thousandth of what you have done with this letter.”
Letter, Gunatanamo & Bloggers
Blue Future in his/her blog, refers to Ahmadnejad's questions, in the letter to George Bush, concerning Guatanamo and other human rights issues. Blogger says why Ahmadinejad does not ask same questions for himself. For example why he does not ask what is happening to political prisoners in Iran (Persian)?
Mr. Behi shares Blue Future’s opinion on this letter. He says:
“If you transform the words “United States government” and “world” in his letter to “Iranian government” and “Iran”, then the letter is a better match to our situation here and somebody should read that to Ahmadinejad himself. All his arguments about “captivity of people in Guantanamo without trial”, “spending a lot of money for useless stuff”, “Putting people in situation of instability and fear” are also our own problems with Iranian government! Look inside Mr.President!”
Jomhour says this letter wants to accomplish two objectives (Persian): First objective is giving hope to Iranian public that by improving Iran-US relation, economic situation will be improved. In reality, letter’s content does not follow this objective. Second in international scene letter tries to represent many different anti war groups, when it talks about Gunatanamo.
Master Piece or Useless letter? That is the Question!
Telephonchi says Condoleezza Rice called Ahmadinejad’s letter, a philosophical & religious essay or writing. Blogger adds whatever Rice said, is not far from reality. Blogger adds Iranian President has not realised that he writes the letter as President of country (Persian)!
Nagofteha, a pro government blogger, says this letter was sent to people and  not to governments. He says Ahmadinejad’s audiences are not governments and political parties. In this letter he (Iranian President) shows again that he talks with people. Blogger writes that some people's idea that, China & Russia have encouraged Iran to write this letter is baseless. If this letter can bring out Iran from crisis, then Iran can become a regional power and challenge Chinese & Russian ideology. Blogger adds  as foreign journals mentioned, this letter is a diplomatic master piece of his and his advisors (Persian).
In Yavaran, a blog which covers news about Iranian President, we read that Ahmadinejad in an interview in Indonesia has said “We mentioned important issues in letter and we are waiting for reactions from them (Americans) (Persian).
Another top issue, in Iranian blogosphere, has been Tehran International Book Fair. We see not only reports about Book fair but how bloggers have actively been present in fair. One of  bloggers has published on his/her blog first hand unexpected photos.
Bloggers, Photos & Book Fair
In Café Naseri we can see unexpected photos from outside of Book Fair where boys & girls think about something else than books and some are kissing each other ( you can be punished for that in Iran).
On the other hand, Arash has published a few photos concerning Supreme Leader's (Khamenei) visit from book fair. Blogger says:
“Ayatollah (Khamenei) has to see men in short sleeves, something assumed to be not very decent in the Islamic Republic eyes. He also meets a sense of the other side of the Iranian society.”
Bloggers Talk about Fair
Aknoun talks about war against words or censorship (Persian). He says  several books written by famous Iranian poets and writers have been collected by Ministry of  Culture & Islamic Guidance agents. Blogger considers it as a war against words. He adds we can not find a poet or writer who has not faced censorship in Iran.
Hazaro ye rozaneh says this year there are a lot of religious books in fair (Persian). Blogger also informs us that several bloggers, from different provinces, fixed an appointment with him/her, in book fair to meet each other.
Pasdar, a member of Moslem Bloggers Committee, talks about his surprise meeting with Ali Mazroi, a reformist politician & blogger, in Book Fair. Pasdar says he asked reformist blogger why he does not answer his questions on his blog (Persian). According to Pasdar, Mazroi answers that blog is a place to talk about what he has in heart and not to  answer questions or to be involved with discussions.