Category: News
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Horror in Paradise
Here is a must sign Avaaz petition on the Maldives: A 15-year-old rape survivor has been sentenced to be whipped 100 times in public! Let’s put an end to this lunacy by hitting the Maldives government where it hurts: the tourism industry. The girl’s stepfather is accused of raping her for years and murdering the baby…
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FEMEN Tunisia’s Facebook Page Hacked
Islamist hackers have taken control of FEMEN-Tunisia’s Facebook fanpage. This follows a death threat against 19 year old Amina who posted topless photos of herself. The hackers say: “Thanks to God we have hacked this immoral page and the best is to come” and add: “The page has been hacked and if God willing, these…
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Who else but you and I?
Here’s one of Iran’s most famous revolutionary songs, which is as relevant today as it was in the fight against the Shah. Listen to this beautiful song with English subtitles and with the start of the Nowruz remember: Who else but you and I? (Thanks to Mohamed for Tweeting this.)
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Happy Nowruz!
It’s Nowruz today. Nowruz marks the first day of spring and is celebrated amongst Iranians, Afghans, Kurds and others. Below is my take on the Nowruz table, which needs to have 7 things beginning with S (Haft Sin). Mine is basically made up of anything I could get my hands on. There’s a wooden fish…
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Amina represents me
An Islamist preacher says 19 year old Tunisian Amina (FEMEN Tunisia) who posted a topless photo of herself bearing the slogan “my body belongs to me, and is not the source of anyone’s honour” deserves to be stoned to death. A lawyer has said she may face up to 2 years’ imprisonment and fines as a…
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I could have told you that
You must have seen the Muslim Brotherhood statement against a UN Commission declaration against violence against women? The Brotherhood outlines a very, very long list of objections, including what it says is the granting of “girls their complete sexual freedom, as well as the freedom to choose their sex and the freedom to choose their…
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A life free from fear
Today is the one year anniversary of a sit-in of Iranian asylum seekers in Wurtzburg, Germany which turned into a sort of tent city after the tragic suicide of Iranian asylum seeker Mohammad Rahsepar. That protest kick-started the refugee tent movement in Germany which has helped to highlight the horrendous plight of asylum seekers. In Germany and…
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Iran: Six worker activists arrested; Families stage protests for their release
In the past ten days, six worker activists have been arrested in the city of Sanandaj in the west of Iran, according to reports by the Free Union of Iranian Workers. The six jailed workers are: • Vafa Ghaderi • Seyed Khaled Hosseini • Ali Azadi • Behzad Farajollahi • Hamed Mahmoud Nejad • Sharif…
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Appeal to the authorities of Kurdistan to reverse the death penalty for Kouistane Sediq
Kouistane Sediq is at danger of being hanged in Iraq after being sentenced to death by the court of Kalar for murdering her husband. She is imprisoned in the jail of Salam in Sulaymaniyah and shares a cell with six other women also sentenced to death. Kouistane, a mother of four, has not been allowed…
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A few words on the new pope
Talking about similarities, there are clearly many between those who take on leadership positions in the church as in Islam. It seems the more your hands are soaked in blood, the more likely you are to get a leading position. It’s definitely like that in the Islamic regime of Iran. As it is in the…
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Yes I dare: On the EDL
Leslie Seavor has emailed me saying: How dare you insult the EDL on Twitter! You know nothing about it or its members. I’m a member. I’m not far right… Just keep your moronic prejudice to yourself. Well yes, I dare. There is ample evidence that the English Defence League (EDL) is a far-Right racist organisation. Even…
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A few calls for help
Protest executions in Iran Kamil Alboshoka, a human geography student at Kingston University has asked that I publicise his campaign to defend 5 Ahwazi Arabs facing execution in Iran, including members of his family and friends. Mohammad Ali Amouri, Sayed Jaber Alboshoka and his brother Sayed Mokhtar Alboshoka, and teachers Hashem Sha’bani Amouri, and Hadi Rashidi (or Rashedi) are charged with “enmity…