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May 30, 2011
May 30, 2011
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A ‘Halal’ Internet

The Wall Street Journal and other sources are reporting on the government of Iran's plans to create its own internet. The regime already controls the speed of its internet, keeping it artificially low. Since 2005, they have also been planning to create a closed internet, a la China and other repressive governments, with content controlled by various ministries and with separate e-commerce access.Current head of economic affairs in Iran, Ali Aghamohammadi says:“We can describe it as a genuinely ‘halal’ network aimed at Muslims on a ethical and moral level.”Read the full post.
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May 30, 2011
May 30, 2011
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Amnesty at 50

From BBC World Service, we hear the story of Maria Gillespie, whose torture and imprisonment in Uruguay were ended after an Amnesty letter-writing campaign resulted in tens of thousands of letters sent to the prison.
"I don't think that if I say 'thank you' it will be enough," Mrs Gillespie says of the Amnesty activists around the world who campaigned on her behalf."I think that I do owe them my life."Amnesty was founded 12 years before she was jailed.
Read more here or download the mp3 here.
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May 28, 2011
May 28, 2011
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Iranian Women’s Conference to be Held in the Netherlands

by Halleh GhorashiFor years, the Iranian women’s movement has been the subject of my research. During the 1979 revolution, Iranian women flocked to the streets to make their voices heard. It wasn’t too long after the success of the demonstrations that women were asked to go back to the house and play the role of the “good wife.” In spite of this, women in Iran used every possibility to make their demands heard and to create a place for themselves in society. In the 1980s, the ubiquitous oppression meant that their efforts were largely invisible. It wasn’t until the mid-90s that the significance of their efforts became clear: the tireless dedication of women had cleared a path for civil society and dissent.
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May 28, 2011
May 28, 2011
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Interview: Kurds in Syria

Alliance for Kurdish Rights has an interview with a Syrian-Kurd (KurdishFreeMan on Twitter), who discusses participation in the demonstrations and citizenship rights.
Syrian citizenship was taken from “foreign” Kurds in 1962 while they had it back then. Assad’s decree doesn’t “give back” Syrian citizenship to stateless Kurds, it “endows” it to them as if they were really foreigners not from Syria... Kurds are a victim of Sykes-Picot agreement which divided Kurdistan into four parts, we are not intruders. Kurds in Syria aren’t allowed to have schools to teach Kurdish, Kurds don’t have cultural, social or political rights in Syria.
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May 27, 2011
May 27, 2011
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Break Silence about Sexual Crimes

Justice for Iran is calling for all victims of sexual crimes in Iran to come forward in order to ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable. The call is on their site in English and Persian.
In Breaking Silence about Sexual Crimes We Will Ensure that Such Violations Will Be PunishedJustice for Iran asks of everyone who themselves or their loved ones were victims of sexual crimes or for whatever reason have information about such crimes to contact us and aid us in shedding light on the truth about the circumstances surrounding such crimes as well as hold the actors and perpetrators accountable for their violations. Indeed this is a necessary step in stopping sexual torture and aiding in the healing of the wounds of those victimized by it.
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May 24, 2011
May 24, 2011
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Baha’i Targeted

Baha'i educational programme targeted in raids 22 May 2011GENEVA — A coordinated series of raids have been carried out on the homes of several Iranian Baha'is, active in a community initiative to provide a higher education programme for young members who are barred from university.Reports indicate that raids took place on Saturday 21 May on as many as 30 homes in Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan, and Shiraz. It is now understood that some 14 Baha’is have been arrested."All of the targets were homes of individuals closely involved with the operations of the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education," said Diane Ala'i, representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva.
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May 18, 2011
May 18, 2011
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Urgent action: Stop the Execution of Iranian-Kurdish Student

United4Iran is calling on people to send letters to protest the planned execution of the Iranian-Kurdish student Habibah Latifi. Click here to participate in the campaign.
Habibollah Latifi is a 29-year-old university student from Kurdistan who has been sentenced to death on charge of Moharebeh (enmity with God). He is currently imprisoned at the Sanandaj Prison. Several sources have reported that Latifi has suffered from various illnesses, including an intestinal infection, heart problems, and kidney failure. The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran has also noted that it believes the same intelligence-security forces are moving towards large scale politically motivated executions. Another young Kurdish man, Shirkoo Moarefi, also faces the risk of execution. In the past week, some 18 people have been executed. The frequency and number of executions in Iran has become increasingly of grave concern for activists.
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May 16, 2011
May 16, 2011
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As Strong as Our Signal

This week's featured post from the Civil Society Zine is Mana Mostatabi's As Strong as Our Signal, which looks at the clicktivism phenomenon. Online petitions and letter writing campaigns make it easier for more people to take action in support of a cause, but what's next? The author asks us all to think of ways of transforming clicktivists to sticktivists. Social movements can last lifetimes no matter how clear the justice of a particular cause may be. How do we do what it takes to sustain movements?
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