From the monthly archives:

March 2009

Ergenekon, AKP, And Turkey’s Local Elections

by Abbas Djavadi on March 30, 2009

pm-erdogan1On August 13, 1994, a helicopter landed in the Kurdish village of Kirkagac, near the town of Cizre in southeastern Turkey. Men in camouflage fatigues stormed houses and took away six men, leaving behind their wives, children, and parents.

The abducted men were not, however, militants of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Some of them had refused to become “korucu,” or “village protectors,” the euphemism designating collaborators with the Turkish government in the fight against the PKK. Others had incurred the enmity of the “korucu” in neighboring villages as a result of either personal or interclan disputes.

The six men disappeared without a trace and their families were unable to find out what had happened to them. There was no trial or prison sentence, nor was any information released concerning their whereabouts. Soon everyone concluded that they had been summarily killed.

[click to continue…]

مطلب را به بالاترين بفرستيد: Balatarin

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For Example: Ahmad Ghassaban

by Abbas Djavadi28.03.2009
ahmad-ghassaban

It is a tragedy, a humane one, unfortunately. We get excited about things we think are very important. We write or scream. Maybe we go on the streets and protest. Soon after a few days when the news gets old and the media stop to report about that, we start to forget. And those who are [...]

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From Azerbaijan To India, Spring Festival Norouz Begins

by Abbas Djavadi20.03.2009
nowruz

By Abbas Djavadi, Bruce Pannier
Across much of the non-Arab Muslim world, people are celebrating Norouz, the festival that marks the arrival of spring and the beginning of the new year.
The pre-Islamic holiday with roots in the Zoroastrian religion of ancient Persia — perhaps the world’s first monotheistic faith — is observed in Iran, Central Asia, [...]

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Happy Nowrooz!

by Abbas Djavadi17.03.2009
nowrooz

Nowrooz is the new year holiday in Iran, Azerbaijan, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of India and among the Kurds. The word itself literally means “new day” in Persian, and the festival marks the beginning of the solar year and new year on the Iranian calendar, as well as among several other nationalities.
This year, Nowrooz [...]

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Landing In Jail for Treating Political Prisoners

by Abbas Djavadi16.03.2009
dr-firoozi-a-batebi1

Dr. Hessam Firoozi (photo, left), a physician who has treated dozens of political prisoners in Iran including Akbar Ganji, Ahmad Batebi (photo, right), and dissident Ayatollah Borujerdi, was sentenced to one year in prison and sent to jail last week.  He was accused of “providing refuge” and of “hiding” political opponents and prisoners, including Mr. [...]

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An EU-Turkish Initiative In The Middle East

by Abbas Djavadi14.03.2009
eu-tr

In the Middle East, Turkey could play a leading role in resolving political conflicts; boosting economic cooperation and investment within the region; and supporting political, economic, and social reforms. As the most democratic Muslim country in the Middle East, one with rich experience dealing with and adapting to Western institutions, Turkey is the best-suited [...]

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U.S.-Iran: Starting With Afghanistan?

by Abbas Djavadi12.03.2009
2flags

In a first-ever joint counter-narcotics operation, Iranian, Afghan, and Pakistani forces have cooperated in the arrest of suspects and the seizure of illicit drugs. The U.N.’s chief anti-drug official, Antonio Mario Costa, described the operation as “a very important political message” to drug traffickers across the region.
As so often, many problems of the region need [...]

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Roxana Saberi Still In Jail

by Abbas Djavadi10.03.2009
r-saberi

The Committe to Protect Journalists asked Iran to make public the charges against Roxana Saberi, an Iranian-American journalist who was arrested on January 31. Spokesmen of Iranian Foreign Ministry and Justice Authority had confirmed the arrest and added that the 31-old journalist’s accreditation had expired. Saberi is a freelance reporter for NPR and BBC. But [...]

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“Free Womens’ Rights Activists!”

by Abbas Djavadi09.03.2009
zanan

A month ago, Aliyeh Eqdam-Doost was arrested in her native town of Fooman and transferred to the infamous prison of Evin in Tehran. Why? Because she attended a peaceful demonstration two years ago in Tehran of all those who wanted equal rights for men and women, from divorce to inheritance.
On the occasion of March 8, [...]

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U.S.-Iran: An Iranian Perspective

by Abbas Djavadi06.03.2009
s-kharrazi

Sadegh Kharrazi, a former Iranian ambassador and now an advisor to the reformist presidential candidate and former President Mohammad Khatami has written on Financial Times on how he thinks the U.S.-Iranian relations should improve.
The present situation (in bilateral relations) “cannot secure the two sides’ interests and their national security,” he says and adds that the U.S. [...]

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U.S.-Iran Talks: First Set The Scene

by Abbas Djavadi04.03.2009
parcham

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said this week that she did not expect Iran to respond favorably to a U.S. offer of direct talks. But has there been any such offer in the first place?
U.S. President Barack Obama has frequently said he is ready for direct talks with Tehran. High-ranking Iranian officials have [...]

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