Six years and a life time later I'm back. Kids who were born with this blog are now going to school. A lot has changed in six years, and yet so much remains the same. A couple nights ago when I was looking back at the campaign movies of Mousavi, it felt like I was 80 and I was looking back at a movie from 20s. Yes I'm still a political junkie. There are somethings that are just engraved in ones being. It's been six years... Forgive me if my writing skills have become a bit rusty. Next time I'll try to make my absences shorter.

"When we undertook this challenge we knew the risks were great. We knew that one of scenarios was that we may lose both of them. Ladan and Laleh knew it too... We were hoping and trying to do better than the worst odds, but alas we didn't make it."
- Dr. Loo Choon Yong the chairman of Singapore's Raffles Hospital

"This is one small step for a single human, and a giant leap for man kind."
- Neil Armstrong after walking on the moon

Laleh and Ladan's death is a sad event for two human brains, and a disaster for human brain sciences.

It seems that somehow after British Foreign Minister Jack Straw's visit, Iran is calming down. Iranian reformist representatives have ended their sit-in protest to the student arrests, and US Secretary of State Colin Powell in a way apologized for Bush's premature remarks on the student protests. I hope that the July 9th ceremonies that are held annually in remembrance of the victims of the 1999 attack on student dormitories will also be held in a peaceful fashion.

As Hoder once mentioned, I don't think right now is the time for violent protests. Right now the effect of weblogs, articles, meetings, informing, and incremental reform is much stronger than any form of violence.

L. Bruce Laingen, the current President of the American Academy of Diplomacy, was was charge d'affaires at the U.S. embassy in Tehran when it was seized by Iranians who kept Americans there hostage until January, 1981. In his recent article about the pace of change in Iran he writes:
Regime change in Tehran is inevitable. But it must come from within. Iran is not Iraq. It is big; it is populous: 70 million and counting. It is overwhelmingly Shiite. Its people are culture-proud and intensely nationalistic... Change will come, but it can and should be "soft" change. Playing our cards wisely, there are ways we can encourage it...This is no time for a Mossadegh repeat. Outside involvement risks derailing the momentum for change already under way in Iran, change that could eventually force the theocracy to collapse of its own weight. As an old expression has it, patience is a bitter cup that only the strong can drink.

Regarding my June 22nd post on the biased and false reporting policies of CNN, the weblog that the CNN news report is referring to is the weblog of "Faheshe" which on 18th of June peaked with 9580 hits. On the same June 18th Gooya which is a News site had 102574 hits, Baztab another news site had 37611 hits, and etc. The CNN reported site didn't even rank 10th among the high hits.
This data is from an independent webcounter based in The Neatherlands named Nedstat:

http://www.nedstatbasic.net/s?tab=4&link=3&id=2404514&country=IR

The reason that I looked at June 18th data is that the "Fahesheh" weblog had it's peak hit on June 18th. Although the CNN-Reuters report does not specify what date they are referring to, but similar data with far greater differences than I mentioned can be seen for the entire month prior to the CNN June 16th report. The report by CNN and Reuters is nothing but fabrication of false news.

Many American conservative blogs such as Blogs of War, Andrew Sullivan, and others have been following the Iran events closely. Braindroppings has an interesting post about this issue which is worth a look.

A lot of things happened when I was in my books. The Iranian Riots happened, and have come to an end. What is really scary these days is rumors that the conservatives want to show an iron fist by executing some of the protestors!!! :( Last week after the riots the Iranian Television Network (IRIB) for two nights in a row aired a program at prime time, generating the idea that the protesters were hooligans supported by foreign media and exiled opposition. Bush's premature support of the riots has not done much help to heal this ill generated idea. This is while the influential former head of the judiciary has labeled the protestors "as Moharebs (those who fight Allah) and not as Mokhalef (those who oppose Allah)", which translates as "traitors instead of opposition". Treason is punishable by execution in Iran. I hope the reformists have the power to stop further blood shed.

Here's a list of bloggers who teach in academia. It seems I simply can't get enough of these people, can I? :)

Well yipieeeeeeeeeee :) My preliminary exam is over :) The damn thing was 6 hours long on Tuesday. Now back to blogging and life :)

Dear friend,

I write to you with dire concern regarding the reporting policies of the CNN News Agency. On June 16th, 2003 CNN has published an article in its TECH section titled:

Prostitute diary tops Iran Web hit
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/06/16/iran.blogs.reut/

This article was published based on the report by Firouz Sedarat, Reuters news agency reporter in Tehran titled:

Iran Internet Use at Risk from Conservatives
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=2943120

This clear fabrication, and manipulation of news headlines can lead to disastrous results for Iranian Internet users. Such provocative headlines are the best excuse for tougher regulations on the Internet freedom of speech, which is currently being discussed in the Iranian parliament and judiciary. Ironically this comes at a time when personal websites, and weblogs have become the most valid news source from the Iranian nations continuing struggle towards democracy.

The San Francisco Chronicle has an excellent report on the role of the media in this struggle:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/06/20/MN293330.DTL&type=printable

Iranian Internet users have organized a protest, in the form of an online petition, against this form of biased reporting from CNN. I urge you to read and consider signing this petition to protect freedom of speech in the time when it is most needed for the Iranian nation.

This petition is located at:
http://www.persianblog.com/petition.asp

Also please consider forwarding this letter to whom ever you may find interested in the issue.

The first Iranian weekly e-zine, Capuccinno, celebrates its first birthday :) Happy Birthday Cappuccino :)