21.6.09

Iran

For the last few days I have been reporting from various sources on the situation inside Tehran.
Some of these reports can be found at the following links.
I even ventured into enemy territory (Fox News) yesterday to try and highlight the stories of these amazing people without punditry. Not being Iranian, I was extremely reluctant to go but also realized that all I really needed to do was report back what I knew.
We need to tell the news broadcasters to stop being arrogant about the unfiltered reports from the streets, which I prefer any day to pontificating stand-ups from reporters.
I urge everyone to also exercise extreme caution in what you post about the situation. Remember that all of us have friends there. Remember that it is very hard for them to send us information. And remember that lives are at risk here.
"Eyewitness Account: My Brother was Beaten" Daily Beast

Memo from the Streets of Tehran: Arash Aryan, Part 1, Daily Beast
Memo from the Streets of Tehran: Part 2, Daily Beast
Memo from the Streets of Iran: Part 3, Daily Beast

On the Huffington Post you will find reportage and some opinion (based on real conversations and not punditry) at the following links.

There will be Blood: Huffington Post
A Report from Inside as Tehran Twitters: Huffington Post

The Basij will face retribution: Exiled by regime Mohsen Kadivar gives his own sermon: Huffington Post
Tehelka in Tehran: Huffington Post

If I am not responding to your many emails on facebook, on my personal email and here-it is beacuse I am likely talking to someone there or tracking reliable information to put out there. Reliable is the key word. This is not the time for hysteria or factionalism.
I have not been a reporter for some nine years, but circumstances, dear friends and the messages I could no longer ignore-have made me one in some way, for the time being.

Finally I leave you with the Surah Fatiha, the first Surah in the Quran, the translation of which may give you some insight on how those fighting the custodians of religion in Tehran are not without faith themselves. Their Allahuakbars (God is Great!) resound louder from the roooftops of Tehran every night.

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيم
الْحَمْدُ للّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِين
الرَّحْمـنِ الرَّحِيم
مَـالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّين
إِيَّاك نَعْبُدُ وإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِين
اهدِنَــــا الصِّرَاطَ المُستَقِيمَ
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِمْ غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّين

2 comments:

Unknown said...

you have disappeared. Where to? nothing else on Huffington Post. Now word on 377 being overturned?
thought you were going to be at the Engendered Seminar in NYC?

DK in NYC

Anonymous said...

hello... hapi blogging... have a nice day! just visiting here....

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