Pope, Cultural Revolution, Airplane Crash and Kofi Annan · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Many people in the Muslim world got angry and protested against the Pope's speech where he quoted  Emperor Manuel II Paleologos of the Orthodox Christian Byzantine Empire. Stressing that they were not his own words, he quoted the emperor saying: “Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.” The Pope recently said he was sorry but some protests go on. Although it was not a hot issue in Iran, several bloggers reflected their thoughts about this event in their blogs.
Fundementalists loved this speech
Mohammad Ali Abtahi, former Iranian vice president & blogger says the method of the Pope to denigrate other religions is the same that Islamist fundementalists use, looking to mobolize the world against the Christian west. Religious and political extremists, in these recent times, have taken control of power centers and despite their ideological hositlity, back each other [Fa]. The blogger adds the fact that the Pope regretted his speech is a good sign.
Jomhour, an Iran based blogger writes attacking embassies is not a way to react to this kind of issue (the Pope's speech). Non-political and non-governmental Muslim leaders should put into practice forgiveness and love rather than just talking about them [Fa].
My Babbling Brain  writes that the Iranian Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, considers the Pope’s words as the newest link in a conspiracy to launch a crusade against Muslims. The blogger adds that the Iranian Leader does not say what Muslim leaders’ position is on a bigger conspiracy against human beings. The blogger says in the last five years Ayatollah Khamenei did not really bother Ben Laden because despite all irreconcilable differences, both follow the same strategy [Fa].
According to the media, Iran's President Ahmadinejad urged students to push for a purge of liberal and secular university teachers, another sign of his determination to strengthen Islamic fundamentalism in the country. Iranian bloggers shared their ideas and concerns about this policy with words and image.
Another Cultural Revolution!
Nikahang, a leading cartoonist and blogger, published an interesting cartoon in his blog and in Rooz online  about what many call the second Cultural Revolution.
Azarmehr, a UK based blogger says such a second cultural revolution will be another disaster. He adds:
The Islamic Republic after one “cultural revolution” and 27 years of Islamification of the Iranian education system, has failed to produce all Islamic, devoted revolutionary graduates. So the clerics ruling Iran are attempting a second “cultural revolution”. The outcome will be another tragedy and disaster for the country. We must fight on all fronts to stop this.
The blogger adds that Iranian academics throughout the world must be at the forefront of this resistance backed by their colleagues and associates.
Airplane Crash, Sanctions and Authorities
A “cultural revolution” is not the only thing to make bloggers worry and universities are not the only unsafe place in the country. A new airplane accident has attracted the attention of Iranian bloggers to the safety problem of Iranian aviation. In the media we read that an Iranian passenger plane caught fire after its tyre burst on landing at an airport in Iran, killing at least 30. A generation of international isolation has undermined safety standards within Iran's civil and military aviation fleet, experts say, increasing the likelihood of major air disasters. Let's see what bloggers say about it.
In Pouyashome we are reminded that if the Iranian authorities manage nuclear power plants as they manage airplanes, the outcome will be a real disaster. He adds you (the authorities) can make news about airplane crash appear in journals as unimportant event but when a nuclear disaster happens it is impossible to treat it in the same way.
Alpar talks about sanctions, being prevented from buying new airplanes or pieces of airplanes and the responsibility of the authorities towards Iranians.The blogger writes with some irony:
Mr.Behi says these kinds of sanctions are killing Iranian passengers and the USA should find another kind of sanctions. He writes:
Even a person with no clue about aviation can tell by one look how old these planes are. US wants to keep sanctions on Iran? Fine! But is there anyone there to realize that sanction on selling passenger airplanes in killing Iranian people year by year?
SOS Messages to Kofi Annan
When we read some blogs we realize that there are other people who are in more danger than  Iranian passengers in airplanes: Mr Annan is in Iran for talks on strengthening the UN-sponsored truce which halted 34 days of conflict. This visit gave an opportunity to some Iranians to write Annan and asking his support for political prisoners.
We can read a letter by the wife of jailed student activist Ahmad Batebi,addressed to Kofi Annan in Sos-Batebi blog. She writes:
I have honor to want you as a high-ranking for human rights in the world for helping us, in your traveling to Iran to form a human rights committee to consider  my husband's situation and so all political prisoners that they have basic human rights and can live in freedom.
Ghomar Asheghane has written another letter to Annan [Fa]:
Say to them, all of prisoners are human and they have human rights. Say to them regarding their rights and do not overhearing our phone calls, do not stop our meetings, do not punish women in meetings. Say to them to let us have funeral ceremonies for our ones that passed away. Say to them let us to continue our education and pay attention to our social rights.