The headaches of a dictator with 63% power

* * Below: (in Persian with full English translation by Planet Iran staff) Video of Ahmadinejad flanked by members of the revolutionary guards, speaking at the Military Day exhibition, on Sunday, April 18th. He said: “To the grace of God, the armed forces that consists of these common masses, and this revolution, are so empowered today, that no enemy would dare to think any evil thoughts of encroachment on the Islamic revolution. The regime in Iran and it’s people are the “big brother” of all independent and regional countries. Iran wants peace and progress for everyone. Historical experience has shown that, the best and only way for our region which is a highly sensitive and vital area for the entire world, to maintain a lasting security, is for all those governments who are of the same mind from our region to conspire with each other. Experience has shown that the source of all acrimony, vulnerabilities and threats within the region is as a result of the presence and intrusion of foreigners in our region. Of course the reason for their presence in our dominion is completely obvious. Though they justify their military expeditions and intrusion with their shameless lies and pathetic slogans, it is now clear for everyone is for them to have access to the resources, reserves, cultural supremacy, extensive brain power and intellect that thrives in this fateful region of the Middle East. The reason for the threats and danger is their evil intentions, degenerate mentality and power mongering. There is no need for alien forces to stabilize and secure the region; if they’re so masterful, they should keep to managing their own countries and maintain their own security. It’s totally clear that they must leave our region; this is neither a request, nor a plea, it is what the people of our region demand, it is their command and they order them to return to their own turf and leave running the region to those in charge of the region and their governments. The reason for the establishment of the Zionist regime in our region is also for the purpose of gaining control of our region, for the furtherance of their plots for domination and subjugation. This (Zionist) regime is the main source of calamity and conflict in our region. I call on the protectors of that regime, the founders of that regime and the supporters of that regime to desist from defending it any further so that the people of the region and the Palestinians can themselves deal with them. Of course now, it has become obvious to the world intelligentsia recognize that the designs that had been laid out for that regime and the portrayal of the role that had been conceived in the direction of smoothing the path to taking control of the region for the power mongers, has failed. Today, the price of that regime for those power mongers (who have supported it) has become much higher than its benefits. Those supporters would be better off to quit supporting that fraudulent regime; it is astonishing that those supporters insist on continuing to back that crumbling regime. They are wrong to do so. That regime is on the path of destruction. This too is neither a a request, nor a plea, it is the will of the people in the region, that after sixty something years, that the source of this germ of corruption and the main reason for instability in the region be eliminated. If there are those who makes claims of assisting in the stabilization of the region, they must first remove their military apparatus from the region, and second, they need to desist from supporting that murderous and inhumane regime. Today, to the grace of God, the people of Iran are all united, monolithic, pious and absolutely devoted to the leadership’s supremacy and the Imamate.”

* * Mullah defrocked for “propaganda” against the Iranian regime. On Sunday, April 18th, Seyyed Ahmad-Reza Ahmadpour, researcher and blogger who had been sentenced to one year suspended prison term last year, was summoned and after being defrocked, was transferred to the special clerical prison. Ahmadpour was charged with granting interviews to foreign press, propaganda against the leadership and the regime and insulting the “character” of the clergy. Though Ahmadpour rejected all charges, in protest, he accepted the sentence.

Ahmadpour is a member of the as well as the Assembly of Scholars and Researchers of the Seminary. He is the sixteenth member of the Participation Front that has so far been jailed.

* * Increase in the number of deaths in the Iranian security forces due to stress and anxiety. Commander of the Iranian Security Forces Esmaiil Ahmadi-Moghaddam announced: “Our efforts within the armed security forces is to make our personnel aware of ways to combat stress and any psychological pressure. According to statistics this is an issue that is on the rise within the ranks. Though the rates of ‘martyrdom’ (being killed during conflicts) has decreased noticeably, the death rates due to stress, psychological pressure and anxiety attacks are skyrocketing as the members of these forces are always on the job and always armed and ready for conflict with protesters.”

* * First the Mullah Kazem Sadighi made his pronouncement for the reasons behind a possible earthquake; now another Mullah back that highly scientific reasoning up. Reja News, the website belonging to the Basij and the plainclothes militia writes: “Ayatollah Khoshvaght who is among the most renowned and esteemed scholars on the subject of morality in Iran emphasized that the issue of the earthquake is quite real and called on the people of Tehran at least, to pay alms to the needy who are pious and in order to purge themselves, repent and come back en masse to Islam so that they could possibly stay out of the earthquake’s harm.” In his interview with Reja News, Khoshvaght said: “The increasing rate of sin is what increases the possibility of the earthquake.” The Ayatollah Khoshvaght quoted directly from a book entitled Vasaa’el a’Shia which gave a direct correlation between sinning and the occurrence of earthquakes and explained that the since corruption has been on the rise in Tehran especially, in recent months that the likelihood of an earthquake is also on the rise. Of course he was mindful to admit that he was not privy to the date the earthquake is to occur but he has called on a group of his peers to form “repentance squads and assemblies” in order to bring awareness to the masses.

* * A plan entitled “the plan for the establishment of academic fairness and student acceptance” was passed as a bill in the Iranian parliament (Majles) on Monday, April 19th. This plan prohibits all men from entering any women’s specialization fields, such as gynecology, obstetrics, oncology and plastic surgery.

* * Director of the Iranian poetry society conference, Mostafa Omidi, announced the removal of renowned Iranian poetess (known as the Iranian Sylvia Plath) from the book of Iranian and international poets. The Iranian poetry society is an organization run by the Ministry of Islamic Guidance and Culture.

Regarding the removal of Forough Farrokhzad Omidi claimed: “We have one culture of diplomacy (!) and one governmental diplomacy and for this reason we have eliminated Farrokhzad’s name from the list of qualified poets though we acknowledge the fact that she has dabbled in poetry but for special reasons, we felt that she should not be included in the book. This book  is the first book of Iranian and international poets and it has been thoroughly researched, with the approval of experts who have chosen carefully given their knowledge and the very specific rules and regulations.”

* * Below: A must see video documentary produced by BBC Persian, in Swedish with English subtitles, entitled Prostitution Under the Veil (running time: 51:55 mins.)

* * Below: A black and white film of the first archeological digs and research of the Persepolis. This film was produced between sixty to seventy years ago by the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. This valuable film has never been screened publicly. (running time 18 mins.)