Missing Iranian nuclear scientist 'resettled' in the US

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/julian-borger-global-security-blog/2010/mar/31/iran-nuclear-weapons

Chuck D of Public Enemy Celebrates 20th Anniversary of "Fear of a Black Planet" in Iowa

http://uima.uiowa.edu/artist-talk-and-panel-discussion-with-public-enemy/

Strategies for Green Outreach in Iran

by Julie Jigsawnovich

An Iranian friend asked me, "What do you think is the best method to get the Green Movement's aims across? The outreach is to get less well-off people in Iran to support the movement. If they do, we will succeed". I answered:

1. Give children's shoes to poor people. kafsh-e bachche be mardom faqir dahid.
2. Volunteer to teach people to read. mardom khaandan aamuzesh daad.
3. Volunteer in health clinics. dar darmangah ha nirooye davtalab begirid.
4. Volunteer in shelters for people at risk. dar panaahgah ha baraye mardom nirooye davtalab begirid.
Charity work matters a lot. Some mothers in Iran don't send their children to school because they don't have money to buy shoes for their children. And some mothers enroll their children in religious schools because they don't have enough money for other schools. Basij recruits are often from poor neighborhoods. There seems to be a lot of class snobbery in Iran. Maybe poor people are frustrated, and think the only way they can enjoy a reasonable standard of living is if they work for the security forces. Show them alternatives. Show how the Green Movement would improve their education, etc. for a better life--so they don't have to brutalize their fellow Iranians as their job. Another Iranian friend pointed out that, "Ahmadinejad gave poor people some foods and fruits before the election--then they submited their vote for him".

5. Show a plan for how the Green Movement would manage the resources and economy better. tarhi baraye inke chetor jonbeshe sabz betavanad eghtesad ra edare konad erae dahid.

6.Show people how they could make more money if trade sanctions were removed and normal trade relations established. be mardom neshan dahid ke agar tahrim ha bardashte shavad chegoone mitavanand poole bishtary be dast aavarand.

7. Show that Green Movement is against Israel building on East Jerusalem. That's a big selling point for the regime to attract the attention of Muslims. And they are correct on that point, anyway. It's not a radical position. Israel should not be building on Palestinian land. It's illegal and it must stop--even the chief of the United Nations said that.

8. Show Muslims and secular people working together and respecting each other. neshan dahid ke mardome secular va mardome mosalman mitavanand dar kenare ham zendegi konand va be yekdigar ehteram begzarand. Have secular Green Movement talk about the beauty of mosque architecture. Find Muslims living in secular countries who lead happy lives, do good works and practice their religion--and have them talk about what it is like for them living in a country with no Sharia laws.

9. Show people that the Green Movement is proud of Iranian history, and Eastern culture. be mardom neshan dahid ke jonbeshe sabz eftekhare tarikhe iranian va farhange shargh ast. And bring up the fact that the great Iranian leader Soroush (Cyrus) wrote the first human rights document, allowed people of different religions to practice their religions, and he freed slaves.

10. Show how laws must be reformed so that women's rights increase. neshan dahid ke chegoone ghavanin bayad dobare tadvin shavand agar hoghooghe zanaan bishtar shavad. Show which laws the Green Movement wants to reform so that women have more freedom not only in terms of what they choose to wear, but whether they want their children to live with them after a divorce, how much their testimony counts in court, whether they can be exonerated if they kill someone in self-defense, and whether they have access to abortion and to the morning after pill--at minimum in the case of rape. Address employment discrimination against women. There are more female college graduates than male, but fewer of them are hired. Plus, I've heard there are 100,000 prostitutes in Tehran, maybe more in Qom. Show them how the Green Movement could create opportunities for better jobs.

2nd UPDATE: I've received many responses to the ideas in this article, and will publish more of them soon in an upcoming article. Here's a lengthy response: http://jigsawnovich.blogspot.com/2010/04/basij-green-movement-social-justice-and.html

UPDATE: My friend Dalir said, "I'm all for the aforementioned ideas on how The Green Movement can reach Iranians. I would add: an overhaul of the judicial system, invest in education, technology (non-military), agriculture and medical related issues."

Petraeus on Israel, Iran & Human Rights

Zionist hardliners 
are unhappy with Gen. Petraeus. Perhaps Islamist hardliners are too. The Statement Gen. Petraeus filed with the Senate Armed Services Committee is shockingly frank. 

"The Iranian regime’s domestic activities are also troubling, as its recent violent suppression of opposition groups and popular protests has violated the human rights of the Iranian people and fomented further instability and unrest and increased the role of the security forces in the affairs of the state." pg. 10

"...there are a number of cross-cutting issues that serve as major drivers of instability, inter-state tensions, and conflict. These factors can serve as root causes of instability or as obstacles to security. Insufficient progress toward a comprehensive Middle East peace: The enduring hostilities between Israel and some of its neighbors present distinct challenges to our ability to advance our interests in the AOR. Israeli-Palestinian tensions often flare into violence and large-scale armed confrontations. The conflict foments anti-American sentiment, due to a perception of U.S. favoritism for Israel. Arab anger over the Palestinian question limits the strength and depth of U.S. partnerships with governments and peoples in the AOR and weakens the legitimacy of moderate regimes in the Arab world. Meanwhile, al-Qaeda and other militant groups exploit that anger to mobilize support. The conflict also gives Iran influence in the Arab world through its clients, Lebanese Hizballah and Hamas." pg.12

"A credible U.S. effort on Arab-Israeli issues that provides regional governments and populations a way to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the disputes would undercut Iran’s policy of militant “resistance,” which the Iranian regime and insurgent groups have been free to exploit. Additionally, progress on the Israel-Syria peace track could disrupt Iran’s lines of support to Hamas and Hizballah." pg.33

All excerpts from STATEMENT OF GENERAL DAVID H. PETRAEUS, U.S. ARMY COMMANDER U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND BEFORE THE SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE ON THE POSTURE OF U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND 16 MAR 2010, found at: http://armed-services.senate.gov/statemnt/2010/03%20March/Petraeus%2003-16-10.pdf

Saudi Arabian Female Poet Criticizes Hardline Clerics

Saudi Arabian female poet Hissa Hilal describes the country's hardline Muslim clerics as "vicious in voice, barbaric, angry and blind." She told the BBC's World Service, " '...Arab society [is] becoming more and more kept to itself, not like before--loving and caring and sharing and open and welcoming everyone.' "Hissa Hilal is competing for the title of best poet on a reality television show called Poet of Millions, which is broadcast across the Arab world from the capital of UAE, Abu Dhabi. Hilal's poetry has sparked death threats on Arab websites, with some outraged commentators claiming she is acting shamefully. But many more have expressed support for her poems, she says. 'Most of the people loved what I said, from their hearts. They think I am very brave--and that I said what they feel in their hearts.'"

REVOLT Online Graffiti Exhibition at Dirty Pilot

by Julie Jigsawnovich

Graffiti is a felony in New York City, yet this town launched the international graffiti art movement. REVOLT is one of the founding fathers of this movement, and this show gives collectors the opportunity to snap up vibrant early works in addition to hot new REVOLT drawings and paintings. You can own a piece of history and show appreciation for a rebel artist who helped to revolutionize the urban landscape.

This fun-loving exhibition is a welcome contrast to the political hate graffiti that's been in the headlines lately.

"Born and raised in New York City, with graffiti roots in the early 70’s, REVOLT is an original member of the historic NYC subway graffiti crew, The Rolling Thunder Writers (RTW). Known for his ultra-colorful tags and elaborate pieces on the Broadway #1 line, with heavily influenced psychedelic and comic art stylings, and later, taking it “all-city”. With contributions to the seminal classic hip-hop films, “Wild Style and “Style Wars”, his participation in the 80’s East Village art gallery scene, variousmusic videos and, album covers, animation, comics, vinyl toy design, and creating the classic “YO! MTV Raps’ logo. His early 80’s tour of duty in the city of Baltimore is legendary, where he, like a “Messenger of Style”, singlehandedly kick-started a graffiti scene there that still feels his influence today." His place in the history of “graff-dom” is set.

"His work has been seen in various publications and art galleries globally. Recent collaborations and conspiracies include: Roger Waters’ Live Earth show, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, VH-1, Scion Installation, Swindle Magazine, Illmatic, ChocolateBar, Kid Robot, Dickies, The Stussy World Tour, E.S.P. The Tri-CoastalGraffiti Show, Juxtapoz, Sony Music, Graffiti: Spirit of an Age @ 40 × 10, Bethel Center For New Media Arts, Le TAG au Grand Palais, The Draw Show, Definition: The Art and Design of Hip-Hop, Nimbus Vapor, Back to the Fun Gallery @ Meltdown, NYC Black Book Masters, and Zune Arts." --Dirty Pilot press release

Tetris and Zip Erase Memories

Computer game Tetris is being used by Dr. Emily Holmes to disrupt processes in the brain involved in laying down painful memories. This work is performed at Oxford University's Institute of Psychiatry.

Dr Todd Sacktor and his team at the State University of New York have been erasing the memory of a mild electric shock in rats with a drug called Zip.

"Anders Sandberg from the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University said nobody should object to efforts to help people suffering from serious psychiatric conditions like PTSD. But in the future, "we will be able to figure out which neural networks in the brain underpin certain memories, and to undermine them. That's going to cause some ethical problems," BBC News reports.

Culture of Human Rightsفرهنگ حقوق بشر

English and Persian

Original widescreen here.

Consider Sanctions Against Israel

Knesset Member Aryeh Eldad compared British to dogs.

by Julie Jigsawnovich

There's a Persian saying that 'the yellow dog is the brother of the jackal.' In other words, the yellow dog cannot be controlled--it is not loyal like other dogs.

As Britain reacts to forged British passports possibly having been used by Israeli agents, Press TV reports: "The expulsion of an Israeli 'diplomat' from Britain over the terrorist murder of a Palestinian leader in Dubai has provoked outrage in the Israeli Knesset, comparing the British to 'dogs'. "I think [the] British are behaving hypocritically and I don't want to offend dogs on this issue, since some dogs are utterly loyal,' said Aryeh Eldad, National Religious Party lawmaker in the Israeli Knesset (parliament), quoted by the Sky News." (I take Iran state media Press TV with a grain of salt--but check the link. This was reported in Sky News.)

So, is Eldad implicitly saying the US are Israel's loyal "dogs"? The US carries the burden/moniker of being 'Israel's closest ally.' US taxpayers are stuck with billions of dollars in military aid to Israel each year. Yet Israel is biting the hand that feeds them in ignoring US demands that Israeli construction in occupied territories stop.

At the same time the US searches for a solution to what it perceives as a potential nuclear threat from the (coup government) of the Islamic Republic of Iran, perhaps the US should consider not only a sharp reduction in aid, but even sanctions --against Israel, not just Iran. The Israeli mistreatment of Palestinians is a major rallying point for the minority in Iran who still support Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Khameini.

"The enduring hostilities between Israel and some of its neighbors present distinct challenges to our ability to advance our interests in the AOR. Israeli-Palestinian tensions often flare into violence and large-scale armed confrontations. The conflict foments anti-American sentiment, due to a perception of U.S. favoritism for Israel. Arab anger over the Palestinian question limits the strength and depth of U.S. partnerships with governments and peoples in the AOR and weakens the legitimacy of moderate regimes in the Arab world. Meanwhile, al-Qaeda and other militant groups exploit that anger to mobilize support. The conflict also gives Iran influence in the Arab world through its clients, Lebanese Hizbullah and Hamas."--STATEMENT OF GENERAL DAVID H. PETRAEUS, U.S. ARMY COMMANDER U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND BEFORE THE SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE ON THE POSTURE OF U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND 16 MAR 2010, pg.12 

UPDATE After I posted this article on Iranian.com, the following comment was posted there by Bavafa, "Don't impose sanction on Israel JUST because it is a rallying point for the IRI hardliners--but because it is the right thing to do. Here is a country that has been occupying their neighbors country/land, accused of a number of war crimes, has imprisoned million of people of Gaza because they have elected a government that is not to the liking of Israel, and practices apartheid regime in its own land."

Robot Toddler Learning to Draw

Paralyzed Graffiti Artist Draws With His Eyes

Geek friends are sometimes the best. "A group of artists and hackers have crafted a gadget that lets a paralyzed graffiti artist continue making art using only his eyes. And it costs about as much as an iPod shuffle." And there is video of his live digital tag here.