Post of the Week

February 4, 2013

Iran: No News is Bad News, Crackdown on Journalists

In the wake of a crackdown on journalists in Iran combined with the harassment of their family and friends, no news is bad news. The Ministry of Intelligence promises there won't be an end to the arrests until the entire network is revealed, claiming that those arrested are being arrested for collaborating with foreign forces rather than working as journalists. Exiled journalist Masih Alinejad bitterly jokes of babies begging their mothers not to give birth so that they can avoid detention. Saghi Laghaie warns people to not share any details about those arrested that could be used against them. "Avoid writing about your shared memories or dialogues as they might be used against them…"
December 24, 2012

Facebook: Halal? Makruh? Haram?

So Facebook is Halal all of a sudden? Despite condemnation of social media, it appears that Ayatollah Khamenei now has his own Facebook page. Censorship is as active on Facebook as any other media in Iran -- critical comments come down as fast as they go up. Read more to find out what kind of response there has been to the Supreme Leader's new Facebook presence,