Iran Election Stories From Friends and Family

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More letters from Shiraz received today:

December 7 Pearl Harbor Day!

It rained heavily in Shiraz on National Students’ Day and so the planned outdoor demonstrations for that day were cancelled as not too many people showed up. However, news cites like mowjcamp and autnews.es (from Amir Kabir University) reported that students gathered in a speakers’ hall at Shiraz University to listen to Mohsen Armin speak. He was met at the Shiraz Airport by Intelligence Ministry people and given a one-way ticket back to Tehran. Then the security personnel and Basijis descended upon the students who had gathered in the speaker’s hall and proceeded to beat them. 6 other students were arrested that day.  Of the students arrested the month before, on 13 Aban about 8 sentences have been handed down ranging from 6 months to 5 years imprisonment. One medical school professor, Dr. Haghighatju, has a suspended sentenced of 5 years imprisonment. All of these people have been charged with being anti-government and fomenting unrest among others. The other 20 or so Shiraz University students in prison have not been heard from yet.

December 11, 2009 The Weekend

A family went on a ski outing this Friday with some students. One student did not join because his good friend is among those arrested in the aftermath of the 13 Aban demonstrations and the prelude to the 16 Azar demonstrations.  He feels responsible and keeps searching for him. No one is sure if the parents have been informed yet. The student told his friends not to tell his parents unless his imprisonment took more than two weeks. The imprisoned students’ mother knows, but his father might not know as people do not want to ‘upset’ him. Ugh! The parents should be informed to give them a chance to get their kid back! This is part of the aggravating culture here. No one wants to ‘upset’ anyone else, So many times bad news is kept from the people who most need to hear it! Sometimes even deaths in the family are kept from other members of the family for fear of ‘upsetting’ them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Security personnel were present in full force at the slopes. They usually make rounds there, but do not stay. Today they stayed – semi-automatic weapons and all.  People had fun despite the thugs.  On the way home “Karroubi” graffiti was seen on some village walls.

One person at the slopes told said that a friend of his belongs to a Heyat in north Tehran. A Heyat is sort of like a Karate Do Jo in the sense that they are a group that always acts together for a purpose. A Heyat gathers together before the month of Muharram and practices the mourning chants and actions in memory of Imam Hussein’s death so that during the first ten days of the month leading to Ashura and Tassuah they have the coordination and strength to march and chant each night for ten nights straight. It is a very religious time – the most religious time for Shiite Muslims. This Tehrani said that this year their Heyat had already been denied a permit to gather and chant!!!!!!!!!! This is unheard of in Iran. “They” must be truly afraid if they don’t even allow religious people to gather for religiously sanctioned activities! We have to see what happens to other Heyats around the country.

For years people in Iran have attended these ceremonies as observers. The leaders have been complaining for the past few years that these ceremonies are NOT shows, but they are mourning ceremonies and they want mourners, not observers to attend! This year there will be mourners and protestors. It seems the day of the observer has passed.

December 12, 2009 Graffiti

On the way into Shiraz last night one saw that many billboards had been newly splashed with green paint – even the billboard next to the university student dorms was not spared. Since it is risky to get caught writing anti-government slogans on the walls, people have resorted to quickly splashing green paint on walls, doors, billboards, etc. as a sign of continued protest. A road sign by the dorms had the Jomhouri (Republic) part of the Jomhouri Islami St. road sign covered in green paint. Someone had tried repainting the Jomhouri part in its original white color. With the rains these days the Jomhouri part of the sign is dripping down (in an almost ghostly, halloweenesque design). The attempted cover-up makes it all the more obvious! People reject the government’s assertion that this country is still a Republic.

In the entrance of an apartment building just yesterday someone wrote: “Khamenei Ghateleh, Velayatash Bateleh!” in permanent green marker. This means: Khamenei is a murderer; his religious leadership is forfeited.

On another note:

Many men in and out of Iran are posting pictures of themselves wearing the hijab in solidarity with a young Iranian student leader named Majid Tavakoli who was beaten mercilessly and arrested on Students’ Day. He was then made to put on the hijab and his picture was plastered in the official newspapers to humiliate him. Many men have taken up his cause and the cause of forced hijab for women by donning the hijab in pictures on Facebook and Utube. Look it up!

Also, for those who want to know how to help – Reporters San Frontiers (www.rsf.org) is collecting donations to help Iranian journalists and bloggers who are fleeing Iran for their lives. Many leave without a penny and are destitute. They can really use your help if you’re willing! Thank you.