Tehran students denounce Ahmadinejad

[theist]

Tehran students denounce Ahmadinejad

 

 

AFP / Getty Images

 

An Iranian student tries to kick open a gate as riot police stand on the other side on the campus of Tehran University, where students staged a noisy protest against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

 

Chants of 'Death to the dictator!' follow Iran's president at a university appearance. His supporters also demonstrate.

By Ramin Mostaghim, Special to The Times

October 9, 2007

TEHRAN -- Dozens of students opposed to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's human rights record confronted the leader and his supporters Monday at the country's most prestigious university.

 

The students, defying a broad government crackdown on dissent, accused Ahmadinejad of corruption and discrimination, and chanted, "Death to the dictator!"

 

The president came to Tehran University to inaugurate the academic year, just two weeks after he was confronted by protests during a visit to Columbia University in New York.

 

During his appearance Monday, Ahmadinejad was flanked by the head of the university and the minister of science. Black-shirted members of the Basiji, a hard-line pro-government militia, shouted in support of Ahmadinejad. "Our president, thank you, thank you!" they said.

 

Ahmadinejad, widely criticized in the West for questioning the Holocaust and pursuing a nuclear program, cuts a divisive figure at home.

 

His government has tolerated little dissent, arresting students, purging free-thinking professors and cracking down on young men and women wearing Western-style clothing.

 

"You, Mr. Ahmadinejad, claimed at Columbia University that there is freedom of speech in Iran's universities," one student said over a megaphone. "Then why are three students still in jail?"

 

Pro-Ahmadinejad students called the protesters sellouts and beholden to the United States. "Death to the hypocrites!" they shouted.

 

Scholars awarded Ahmadinejad a citation for defending Iran during his New York visit.

 

About 50 students each from pro- and anti-Ahmadinejad camps participated in the demonstrations. Additional protesters came to complain about the university's lack of facilities, including a shortage of dormitory space and poor Internet connections.

 

"I am here out of curiosity," said Ali, a graduate student in sociology who asked that his last name not be published. "I hate politics.

 

"I think in Iran you cannot live up to your own potential, and there are no good prospects for jobs," he said.

 

"I am applying for further education in Europe or the U.S., where I can go and live in a way that I think is right."

[suchandra]

 

Tehran students denounce Ahmadinejad

 

 

AFP / Getty Images

 

An Iranian student tries to kick open a gate as riot police stand on the other side on the campus of Tehran University, where students staged a noisy protest against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

 

Chants of 'Death to the dictator!' follow Iran's president at a university appearance. His supporters also demonstrate.

By Ramin Mostaghim, Special to The Times

October 9, 2007

TEHRAN -- Dozens of students opposed to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's human rights record confronted the leader and his supporters Monday at the country's most prestigious university.

 

The students, defying a broad government crackdown on dissent, accused Ahmadinejad of corruption and discrimination, and chanted, "Death to the dictator!"

 

The president came to Tehran University to inaugurate the academic year, just two weeks after he was confronted by protests during a visit to Columbia University in New York.

 

During his appearance Monday, Ahmadinejad was flanked by the head of the university and the minister of science. Black-shirted members of the Basiji, a hard-line pro-government militia, shouted in support of Ahmadinejad. "Our president, thank you, thank you!" they said.

 

Ahmadinejad, widely criticized in the West for questioning the Holocaust and pursuing a nuclear program, cuts a divisive figure at home.

 

His government has tolerated little dissent, arresting students, purging free-thinking professors and cracking down on young men and women wearing Western-style clothing.

 

"You, Mr. Ahmadinejad, claimed at Columbia University that there is freedom of speech in Iran's universities," one student said over a megaphone. "Then why are three students still in jail?"

 

Pro-Ahmadinejad students called the protesters sellouts and beholden to the United States. "Death to the hypocrites!" they shouted.

 

Scholars awarded Ahmadinejad a citation for defending Iran during his New York visit.

 

About 50 students each from pro- and anti-Ahmadinejad camps participated in the demonstrations. Additional protesters came to complain about the university's lack of facilities, including a shortage of dormitory space and poor Internet connections.

 

"I am here out of curiosity," said Ali, a graduate student in sociology who asked that his last name not be published. "I hate politics.

 

"I think in Iran you cannot live up to your own potential, and there are no good prospects for jobs," he said.

 

"I am applying for further education in Europe or the U.S., where I can go and live in a way that I think is right."

 

theist can't wait till the war against Iran starts? My informant says it will start soon, please be patient theist!

[theist]

 

theist can't wait till the war against Iran starts? My informant says it will start soon, please be patient theist!

Patient? I have been waiting over two years already.

 

But only if it is done right. Which means air war only. No boots in Iran. All nuclear facities to be bombed back into sand and then let the chips land where they may. No occupation, no nation building, let the opposition take care of the Mullahs and this kook Amadinejab in their own way and build any type of country they like after that.

[suchandra]

 

Which means air war only. No boots in Iran.

Sorry Sir, but this kind of joystick/remote control playing won't do the job.

Too easy come is followed by easy go. What can be attained in this material world without working hard?

Of course, Srila Prabhupada points out that the oil stockpile will deplete and get more scarce, and this is certainly in the back of the minds of many world leaders. Iran has lots of oil. So there will certainly be wars over these dwindling resources, especially oil. Jules Verne wrote around 1897 that the whole world was going to run on "hydrogen power," and now George Bush says that is also his plan, he is recycling Jules Verne's plan. Problem is, that it apparently takes more electrical power to extract hydrogen from water than the hydrogen itself produces, and so fossil fuels will maybe have to be used to power the hydrogen extraction process?

 

Then again, remember the hydrogen that exploded the Hindenburg? This hyrdrogen is apparently not realy a stable gas in any event? So there will be wars for resources as has occured for the past ka-zillion years? Only Srila Prabhupada's plan, "simple living and high thinking," could have prevented that but, don't hold yer breath waiting! Even many of our contemporary devotees have created huge time consuming complicated business scams that are not simple at all. When we see some of them and say, "What is happening prabhu"? They say, "Busy, very busy." That's it. So, with "petrol" running the whole Western society as is confirmed by Srila Prabhupada, this is going to be an increasing problem. He is right. We are just beginning to see some of the cracks that will evolve as this "war for control of resources" gets worse.

 

Now, as for George Bush's plan to save the citizens of the USA, that we all should go out and buy a roll of duct tape, and plastic sheeting, and make a "safe room" in our house to protect against chemical, biological or nuclear attacks, to protect our selves from war, this is again another thing Srila Prabhupada commented, the leaders are sitting in their underground bunkers while the soldiers have to fight on the battlefield and die, and worse nowadays, the citizens have to hide under a piece of plastic sheeting held together with some plastic tape? So nowadays, even the masses of public are also exposed to the "battlefield front lines" of war. As one doctor said, the plastic sheet and duct tape plan means, your whole family will all die anyway of carbon monoxide poison due to breathing in the enclosed space?

 

Formerly the king would also be on the battlefield fighting, not sitting in a bunker. At the same time, we as devotees should not be fearful of these events, as Krishna dasa Kaviraja says, "do not be swept away by the whirlpool of unfortunate events." We cannot stop the process of the material energy, it is rather relentless, rather we have to simply surrender to the creator of the material energy. "Dear Lord Sri Krishna, I do not honestly and really think that a roll of duct tape and plastic sheeting is going to be my savior. Maybe a hydrogen powered blimp might save me. But then again, maybe not. Perhaps I will have to surrender to You after all?"

 

"Any king who does not teach his citizens about their respective duties in terms of varnasrama but who simply exacts tolls and taxes from them is liable to suffer for the impious acitivities which have been performed by the citizens. In addition to such degradation, the king also loses his own fortune." (SB 4.21.24)

 

 

 

 

 

[theist]

 

Sorry Sir, but this kind of joystick/remote control playing won't do the job.

Too easy come is followed by easy go. What can be attained in this material world without working hard?

Actually it will do the job. Iraq and Saddam Husein had a nuke facility built and about to start up until the Israelis took it out one day with a brilliant air strike. Their pilots faked like they were Iraqi's when communicating with air control and so they met with no resistece and just flew in and destroy the facility in one strike and I believe only two planes.

 

It's not about working hard it is about working smart. All I want the nuclear programed stopped from this next strike. I could care not less about Iran's oil. Yoiu are right about all the oil they have. Common sense should tell us with all that oil they certainly don't need nuclear power to power their fans in their houses.

 

If there is going to be a nuclear war I just want to be off the planet before it starts. Is that too much to ask?

[suchandra]

 

Actually it will do the job. Iraq and Saddam Husein had a nuke facility built and about to start up until the Israelis took it out one day with a brilliant air strike. Their pilots faked like they were Iraqi's when communicating with air control and so they met with no resistece and just flew in and destroy the facility in one strike and I believe only two planes.

 

It's not about working hard it is about working smart. All I want the nuclear programed stopped from this next strike. I could care not less about Iran's oil. Yoiu are right about all the oil they have. Common sense should tell us with all that oil they certainly don't need nuclear power to power their fans in their houses.

 

If there is going to be a nuclear war I just want to be off the planet before it starts. Is that too much to ask?

In this regard I tend to delegate such rather complex issues to the nerds - those who have all the details right on the desk and say:

 

War on terror has been a 'disaster'

 

 

Press Association – October 8, 2007

 

 

The so-called War on Terror has been a "disaster" and British military policy in Iraq and Afghanistan must be fundamentally changed if al Qaida is to be defeated, a new report states.

 

The report, by the Oxford Research Group think tank, calls for major changes in foreign policy and warns of the dangers of military action against Iran.

 

Iraq has become a training ground for violent jihadists and British and US forces should withdraw from the country immediately, it adds.

 

Prime Minister Gordon Brown is due to update MPs in the House of Commons following his visit to Iraq last week when he announced that 1,000 British troops would be back in the UK by Christmas.

 

The report claims the present fight against international terrorism has failed and has instead played into the hands of al Qaida.

 

The dismantling of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan in 2001-02 was of "direct value" to al Qaida and the extraordinary rendition and detention of terror suspects is a "constant source of propaganda", it adds.

 

 

 

 

 

October 2007: Afghan opium crop at high record guarded with great care by US soldiers and sent to Europe's children

 

The report, Towards Sustainable Security - Alternatives to the War on Terror, calls for a complete withdrawal from Iraq, a scaling down of military operations in Afghanistan and the ending of extraordinary rendition and detention without trial.

 

Report author Paul Rogers said: "Every aspect of the War on Terror has been counterproductive in Iraq and Afghanistan, from the loss of civilian life through to mass detentions without trial. In short, it has been a disaster. Western countries simply have to face up to the dangerous mistakes of the past six years and recognise the need for new policies."

 

And he warned: "Going to war with Iran will make matters far worse, playing directly into the hands of extreme elements and adding greatly to the violence across the region.

 

"Whatever the problems with Iran, war should be avoided at all costs - the mistakes already made will be completely overshadowed by the consequences of a war with Iran

http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5i0L2UeM8IQLNjTNCGaC9wh5bWiEQ

[suchandra]

This looks like preparing for war - "The base is designed to enhance the combat readiness of our Armed Forces in standing up to possible aggression against our country," Gen. Ahmad Migani, Air Force commander, said at the base's opening ceremony.

 

 

 

Iran builds air base near Afghan border

 

 

RIA Novosti – October 9, 2007

 

 

Iran has built an air base not far from its border with Afghanistan, Iranian television reported Tuesday.

 

"The base is designed to enhance the combat readiness of our Armed Forces in standing up to possible aggression against our country," Gen. Ahmad Migani, Air Force commander, said at the base's opening ceremony.

 

The new base, named Gayem al-Mohammad, is located near the city of Birjand, the administrative center of the southern province of South Khorasan. Gen. Migani said Iranian fighters and a modern radar system will be deployed at the base.

 

"Our enemies must know that if they attempt to attack our country, we will teach them a lesson they will never forget," he said.

 

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said in mid-September: "We do not consider an attack on Iran to have any sense, but if it takes place, the aggressors will receive a painful lesson, and their actions will cause harm to the entire region," he said.

 

Larijani, in reference to U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, went on to say: "Experience has shown us that they (the U.S.) can start things, but not finish them."

 

The official also warned the U.S. against building a new military base in Iraq, close to Iran's borders.

 

"The Americans will suffer from coming closer to Iranian borders, but the Iraqi government's approach is important here, and they openly told us they would not have them (the U.S.) build a military base in Iraq," Larijani said.

 

U.S. military authorities in Iraq said earlier they had plans to build a military base close to the border with Iran, in the Wasit province of southern Iraq. U.S. military representatives say the base would prevent both weapons and fighters from crossing into Iraq from Iran.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20071009/83198933.html

[Murali_Mohan_das]

Hmmmm...no chance these protestors are paid agents of the US, eh, just like back in the 50's when Kermit (Roosevelt) bought himself a coup in Iran?

 

In any case, the fact that such protests are being allowed is indicative of just how "oppressive" the Iranian regime is, no?

[theist]

You are a funny guy Murali.