http://www.insideiran.org insideIRAN Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:40:42 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Arash Aramesh According to IRNA, the Islamic Republic’s News Agency, the Iranian justice system has filed cases against Faezeh and Mehdi Hashemi, two children of Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani. In an interview with IRNA March 10, Alireza Avaie, the highest ranking judicial official in the province of Tehran, announced that cases have ... http://www.insideiran.org/media-analysis/iran%e2%80%99s-hardliners-pressure-rafsanjani-children-charged-with-organizing-protests/ Mohammad Khiabani Tabriz, Iran—Iranian politicians are always quick to praise Tabriz’s revolutionary credentials. During a November 2009 visit to the city, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recalled, “the people [of Tabriz and Iranian Azerbaijan] are pioneers of the pro-constitution movement, repelling the aggressors and acts of mischief and defending the supreme ideals of ... http://www.insideiran.org/featured/taking-the-temperature-in-tabriz/ Mr. Mousavi Khoeini is a former member of the Iranian parliament and a visiting scholar at Stanford University. He spoke with insideIRAN.org from Washington, D.C.. Q: How do you interpret Supreme Leader Khamenei’s recent statements? Do you think he is welcoming moderate conservatives back into the fold? What do you think ... http://www.insideiran.org/news/qa-ali-akbar-mousavi-khoeini-khamenei-seeks-return-of-moderate-conservatives-to-preserve-islamic-republic/ Arash Aramesh Major General Yahya Rahim-Safavi, the former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, said yesterday, “Universities are not in a good condition. The presence of those who care for the revolution, the elites loyal to Imam Khomeini, the Supreme Leader, and the constitution is missing [in universities].” In an ... http://www.insideiran.org/media-analysis/irgc-joins-move-towards-cultural-revolution/ Arash Aramesh Since coming into office in the summer of 2005, the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has implemented a number of measures restricting the activities of critical student organizations and professors. Ahmadinejad government’s tense relationship with members of academia in Iran has gotten worse in recent years. Many professors have been ... http://www.insideiran.org/media-analysis/iran-intensifies-crackdown-on-academia/ Riccardo Redaelli COMO, Italy—If proper “timing and tuning” are essential during negotiations, over the past decade, neither Washington nor Tehran has managed to tune their political mood into the same wavelength. When the Islamic Republic was ready to enter into negotiations, the White House was not, and vice-versa. For years, I criticized ... http://www.insideiran.org/news/obama%e2%80%99s-one-year-anniversary-of-outreach-to-iran-shows-need-for-realpolitik/ Babak TEHRAN --The comprehensive elections bill will be discussed in detail on the floor of the Expediency Council in the next two weeks. The discussion about reforming election laws in Iran is not a new one. In the past, and in particular during the years of reform, efforts were made to ... http://www.insideiran.org/news/national-elections-commission-are-moderate-conservatives-making-a-comeback/ Shayan Ghajar Events the past few weeks in Turkey indicate that a sea change is occurring in the nation’s domestic politics. Prime Minister Erdogan’s maneuvering against the traditionally untouchable military marks a new phase in Turkey’s history. This shift in Turkey’s domestic politics follows a more gradual but no less ... http://www.insideiran.org/critical-comments/turkey%e2%80%99s-domestic-controversy-unfolds-amidst-increasing-ties-with-iran/ Arash Aramesh High-ranking Iranian officials and a number of foreign diplomats met with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei March 4 in a ceremony held to celebrate the birth of Prophet Mohammad. For the first time since the disputed June 12 election, both Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, the chairman of the Expediency Council, and ... http://www.insideiran.org/media-analysis/rafsanjani-makes-first-public-appearance-with-ahmadinejad-to-demonstrate-renewed-political-power/ Arash Aramesh In an interview on his website Kaleme, Mir Hossein Moussavi, the leader of Iran’s opposition, criticized the government’s “engineered demonstrations” on February 11, when Iranians commemorated the thirty-first anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, and asked the government to allow for a free demonstration for the supporters of the Green ... http://www.insideiran.org/media-analysis/moussavi-state-should-respect-constitutional-right-of-assembly/