Promotion of feminism was equated by Iran’s Deputy of Women’s Social and Cultural Council, with a call to murder of babies.

This week Mehrangiz Rouhafza was quoted as saying: “Those who promote feminism are advocating the cause of pro-abortion groups which in other words is a promotion of the deliberate murder of babies.”

Taraneh Alidoosti, Iranian actress who was in Caes for the screening of her film, Asghar Farhadi’s Salesman inadvertently revealed a tattoo of the feminist logo on her arm during a press conference.

The photo of Alidoosti with the revealed tattoo appeared in the media coverage of the event in Iran and amid controversy, some Idea had been circulated that the photo was tampered with to place the tattoo on Alidoosti’s arm.

Alidoosti however followed the rumours with a firm confirmation in social media that she is in fact a feminist and reposting an Instagram entry she had posted last year in relation to feminism.

While the Instagram message does not make any reference to abortion, Rouhafza coects the debate to abortion and has called on the judiciary to pursue the matter. “Those who promote inhumane and anti-religious actions should not be allowed to infiltrate our culture.”

Rouhafza claims: “This group, for which an actress has expressed support, promotes the kind of abortion that is nothing less than mass murder of babies for irresponsible mothers to engage in worldly pleasures.” She adds that abortion in Iran is only allowed if there are medical complications endangering the life of the mother or the baby.
She refers to legal and religious restrictions on abortion and goes on to say: “Abortion is detrimental to women health and causes depression.”

Rouhafza also dismisses any claims to freedom of expression for Alidoosti, saying such forms of display are more akin to propaganda rather than self expression.

“We have liberal and specialized scientific forums where individuals can make their opinions heard but this form of display is more like advertisement or propaganda. Where in the world is it acceptable for a baby to die so that the mother can attend to her pleasures?” the Women’s Social and Cultural Council representative was quoted as saying.

Women’s Social and Cultural Council was established in July of 1988 aimed at coordination of policymaking in women’s social and cultural issues in the Islamic Republic. One of the top decisions of this council was to propose the bill to allow police enforcement of Islamic dress code in public, specifically for women to cover their hair and wear loose clothing (hijab).

Independent women’s rights groups have long been challenging the compulsory hijab which the police enforces in recurrent waves of detention and arrest of women deemed to be noncompliant.

Meanwhile the appearance of Iranian actresses in inteational festivals and their media coverage often becomes controversial over issues of appearance and clothing or their interaction with men which conservative figures and groups in Iran often find in violation of Islamic values.

50 Kilos of Tart Cherries was pulled from cinemas across the country after Tabas Friday prayers Imam spoke out against the screening insisting that the film is “destroying revolutionary values”. The criticism of the senior member of the clergy resulted in the withdrawal of the film’s screening permit by the Ministry of Culture.

Fars News Agency reports that Hojatoleslam Ebrahim Mohajerian told worshippers gathered for the Friday Mass Prayers on Friday May 27 that as soon as he realized the film was screening in Tabas, he contacted the guidance ministry branch in the city to express his conces. He added that the ministry official had immediately championed the cause and stopped the film from screening starting May 26.

50 kilos of Tart Cherries is Haghighi’s sixth film. The comedy has been playing in the cinemas across the country since March and has been a box office hit. Haghighi says the authorities want to pass the film, which has so far become the most popular film of the year in Iran, through another course of censorship after having censored it scores of times before its release.

Tabas Friday Mass Imam slammed Ali Jaati the Minister of Guidance for allowing the film to screen and said: “Our officials should be stopping such films and these films need to be filtered before they hit the big screen.”

He added that the release of the film revealed that the Ministry of Guidance is not paying close attention to its duties. He went on to say through such films “the enemy is trying to diminish the force and grandeur of the Revolution and squander its values.”

The film had also drawn fire from Iran’s Hezbollah forces which led to a reaction from the Minister of Guidance Ali Jaati earlier this month who said: “50 kilos of Tart Cherries was in no way appropriate and if I had known about its content I would never have permitted its production or screening.” Later a spokesman for the ministry, Hossein Nooshabadi claimed in a press conference that the film “did not comply with certain regulations therefore the permit will be amended to allow only for home distribution.”

The filmmaker Mani Haghighi reacted to the recent statements by the ministry in an open letter protesting that the ministry had at several phases of the production imposed its censorship criteria.

Haghighi writes that the film has gone through 14 readings and changes and twice subjected to the review of the Council of Screening Permits which imposed another 17 changes. He adds that only after passing through all these stages it was finally chosen as the top film for screening during Norooz (Iranian New Year).

Haghighi reminds the ministry the film that was screened is the very film that was passed through repeated censorship phases by the ministry in order to obtain the permit for screening and says the ministry is trying to subject the film to another bout of censorship for home distribution.

50 Kilos of Sour Cherries in which features several top Iranian comedians such as Farhad Aish, Vishka Asayesh and Afsaneh Baygan, is the tale of a wedding ceremony that is raided by the police unfolding many comedic adventures. Haghighi`s earlier films include A Dragon Arrives!, Canaan and Men at Work.

Mohammad Sedigh Kaboodvand jailed Iranian joualist and activist is approaching 30 days on hunger strike and doctors have been trying to prevent him from going into cardiac arrest. His potassium levels dropping to dangerously low levels.

Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported on that despite the gravity of his health the judiciary has not made any attempts at addressing the protesting political prisoners’ demands.

Since winter of 2015, Kaboodvand has been repeatedly summoned to court and slapped with new charges. He has denied all the charges and since May 8, Kaboodvand begun a hunger strike in protest to the judiciary’s failure to consolidate the proceedings.

Low potassium levels due to the persistent hunger strike are causing blood cloths and putting Kaboodvand at immediate danger of cardiac arrest.

The political activist was hospitalized on the 13th day of his hunger strike when his health had already taken a tu for the worse but was retued to Evin Prison on May 22.

Mohammad Sedigh Kaboodvand was arrested in July of 2007 for “acting against national security” by ruing the Kurdistan Human Rights Organization and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was also sentenced to an additional year in jail for “propaganda against the regime”.

Kaboodvand’s publishing of Payam-e Mardom weekly magazine also eaed him another year in prison and five years ban from media activities.

New charges have now been laid against Kaboodvand in coection with publishing a booklet regarding women’s rights and the violation of these rights in Iran.

Iranian Nobel Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi issued a statement on Tuesday May 31 drawing attention to Kaboodvand’s dire situation and calling for his immediate and unconditional release.

Many Iranian political prisoners in recent years have chosen to go on hunger strike and seriously compromise their health in protest to the failure of the judiciary to address their challenges against the justice system.

Hoodfar, a professor of anthropology at Concordia University in Montreal-Canada, was arrested and detained in Iran on 6 June 2016.

This is her second arrest. She was also arrested in March and released shortly. During the first arrest her passport was taken from her and she was baed from leaving Iran. As of the second arrest, she has not yet contacted anyone in her family.

Subsequently from March to June 2016, Hoodfar was subjected to numerous lengthy interrogations all conducted by the intelligence officers of the Revolutionary Guard.

This Iranian-Canadian professor was visiting family in Iran and conducting research in the parliamentary library as of March 2016. She had temporarily left Montreal for Tehran after the death of her husband.

The first arrest occurred in March. The security forces of Iranian Revolutionary Guard raided her home in Tehran on 10 March 2016 before Hoodfar was to leave Iran for Montreal. They confiscated all her personal belongings, including her passports, research documents, and computer.

On Monday 6 June 2016 Hoodfar was arrested for the second time. The guards who took her by force did not indicate any reasons or charges for the arrest.

After the second arrest Hoodfar has been denied access to her lawyer and has not had any contacts with her family.
Furthermore, the authorities have refused Hoodfar’s prescription medications for a rare neurological illness (Myasthenia Gravis).

At age of 65, Hoodfar’s health is of great conce to her family, especially because she suffered a mild stroke last year.

Hoodfar is a renowned anthropologist and during the past four decades has been established as a feminist and scholar of the lives of women living under Muslim law.

She has also played a role in the Global Campaign to Stop Stoning in Iran.

Professor Hoodfar holds Canadian, Iranian, and Irish citizenship. Her family and colleagues have demanded the rigorous intervention of these govements to bring about her release.

Hoodfar, a professor of anthropology at Concordia University in Montreal-Canada, was arrested and detained in Iran on 6 June 2016.

This is her second arrest. She was also arrested in March and released shortly. During the first arrest her passport was taken from her and she was baed from leaving Iran. As of the second arrest, she has not yet contacted anyone in her family.

Subsequently from March to June 2016, Hoodfar was subjected to numerous lengthy interrogations all conducted by the intelligence officers of the Revolutionary Guard.

This Iranian-Canadian professor was visiting family in Iran and conducting research in the parliamentary library as of March 2016. She had temporarily left Montreal for Tehran after the death of her husband.

The first arrest occurred in March. The security forces of Iranian Revolutionary Guard raided her home in Tehran on 10 March 2016 before Hoodfar was to leave Iran for Montreal. They confiscated all her personal belongings, including her passports, research documents, and computer.

On Monday 6 June 2016 Hoodfar was arrested for the second time. The guards who took her by force did not indicate any reasons or charges for the arrest.

After the second arrest Hoodfar has been denied access to her lawyer and has not had any contacts with her family.
Furthermore, the authorities have refused Hoodfar’s prescription medications for a rare neurological illness (Myasthenia Gravis).

At age of 65, Hoodfar’s health is of great conce to her family, especially because she suffered a mild stroke last year.

Hoodfar is a renowned anthropologist and during the past four decades has been established as a feminist and scholar of the lives of women living under Muslim law.

She has also played a role in the Global Campaign to Stop Stoning in Iran.

Professor Hoodfar holds Canadian, Iranian, and Irish citizenship. Her family and colleagues have demanded the rigorous intervention of these govements to bring about her release.

Mohammad Sedigh Kaboodvand jailed Iranian joualist and activist is approaching 30 days on hunger strike and doctors have been trying to prevent him from going into cardiac arrest. His potassium levels dropping to dangerously low levels.

Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported on that despite the gravity of his health the judiciary has not made any attempts at addressing the protesting political prisoners’ demands.

Since winter of 2015, Kaboodvand has been repeatedly summoned to court and slapped with new charges. He has denied all the charges and since May 8, Kaboodvand begun a hunger strike in protest to the judiciary’s failure to consolidate the proceedings.

Low potassium levels due to the persistent hunger strike are causing blood cloths and putting Kaboodvand at immediate danger of cardiac arrest.

The political activist was hospitalized on the 13th day of his hunger strike when his health had already taken a tu for the worse but was retued to Evin Prison on May 22.

Mohammad Sedigh Kaboodvand was arrested in July of 2007 for “acting against national security” by ruing the Kurdistan Human Rights Organization and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was also sentenced to an additional year in jail for “propaganda against the regime”.

Kaboodvand’s publishing of Payam-e Mardom weekly magazine also eaed him another year in prison and five years ban from media activities.

New charges have now been laid against Kaboodvand in coection with publishing a booklet regarding women’s rights and the violation of these rights in Iran.

Iranian Nobel Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi issued a statement on Tuesday May 31 drawing attention to Kaboodvand’s dire situation and calling for his immediate and unconditional release.

Many Iranian political prisoners in recent years have chosen to go on hunger strike and seriously compromise their health in protest to the failure of the judiciary to address their challenges against the justice system.

50 Kilos of Tart Cherries was pulled from cinemas across the country after Tabas Friday prayers Imam spoke out against the screening insisting that the film is “destroying revolutionary values”. The criticism of the senior member of the clergy resulted in the withdrawal of the film’s screening permit by the Ministry of Culture.

Fars News Agency reports that Hojatoleslam Ebrahim Mohajerian told worshippers gathered for the Friday Mass Prayers on Friday May 27 that as soon as he realized the film was screening in Tabas, he contacted the guidance ministry branch in the city to express his conces. He added that the ministry official had immediately championed the cause and stopped the film from screening starting May 26.

50 kilos of Tart Cherries is Haghighi’s sixth film. The comedy has been playing in the cinemas across the country since March and has been a box office hit. Haghighi says the authorities want to pass the film, which has so far become the most popular film of the year in Iran, through another course of censorship after having censored it scores of times before its release.

Tabas Friday Mass Imam slammed Ali Jaati the Minister of Guidance for allowing the film to screen and said: “Our officials should be stopping such films and these films need to be filtered before they hit the big screen.”

He added that the release of the film revealed that the Ministry of Guidance is not paying close attention to its duties. He went on to say through such films “the enemy is trying to diminish the force and grandeur of the Revolution and squander its values.”

The film had also drawn fire from Iran’s Hezbollah forces which led to a reaction from the Minister of Guidance Ali Jaati earlier this month who said: “50 kilos of Tart Cherries was in no way appropriate and if I had known about its content I would never have permitted its production or screening.” Later a spokesman for the ministry, Hossein Nooshabadi claimed in a press conference that the film “did not comply with certain regulations therefore the permit will be amended to allow only for home distribution.”

The filmmaker Mani Haghighi reacted to the recent statements by the ministry in an open letter protesting that the ministry had at several phases of the production imposed its censorship criteria.

Haghighi writes that the film has gone through 14 readings and changes and twice subjected to the review of the Council of Screening Permits which imposed another 17 changes. He adds that only after passing through all these stages it was finally chosen as the top film for screening during Norooz (Iranian New Year).

Haghighi reminds the ministry the film that was screened is the very film that was passed through repeated censorship phases by the ministry in order to obtain the permit for screening and says the ministry is trying to subject the film to another bout of censorship for home distribution.

50 Kilos of Sour Cherries in which features several top Iranian comedians such as Farhad Aish, Vishka Asayesh and Afsaneh Baygan, is the tale of a wedding ceremony that is raided by the police unfolding many comedic adventures. Haghighi`s earlier films include A Dragon Arrives!, Canaan and Men at Work.

Jailed laser physicist Omid Kokabi is temporarily released on the exorbitant bail of 500 million toumans (150,000 USD) after repeated calls for his release due to health complications related to his kidney cancer.

Kokabi, was a PhD. student specializing in laser physics at the University of Texas at Austin and was being held in prison in Iran for his refusal to work on military research projects.

On 25 May 2016, Kokabi was released from hospital with a bail set at $150,000.

Kokabi who was diagnosed with kidney cancer in March 2016, has been receiving inteational support both from the human rights organizations and the scientific community.

Five weeks ago his right kidney was removed in a hospital in Tehran and the images of him on the hospital bed went viral.

In the past months, Kokabi remained in Tehran’s Sina hospital for chemotherapy and post-operational treatments. Today, he was released from his hospital room, were he was still being held a prisoner.

In April, Kokabi’s lawyer (Saeed Khalili) had told Iranian labour News Agency (ILNA) that based on article 502 of Criminal Code of Procedure for Public and Revolutionary Courts, he will try and appeal Kokabi’s sentencing one more time on the grounds of his client’s grave illness. The Iranian judiciary however did not welcome the proposal for Kokabi’s release from prison.

In 2011 Omid Kokabi, was arrested when he went home to visit his family. After arrest Kokabi was offered a position to work for the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution on their military research projects and he refused to cooperate.

Kokabi was initially charged with “assembling against national security” and was acquitted from that charge. He was later put on trial for “communicating with a hostile govement” and “illegal eaings” which were based on providing evidence of his graduate university work and research in the United States.

Kokabi and his lawyer have repeatedly denied all charges and have told media that his sentencing are based on his refusal to work with the Islamic Republic of Iran on military projects.

Omid Kokabi’s cancer is said to be four years old, and he has spent every day of those four years in jail without one single day of leave. In the five years and 4 months he has suffered from kidney pains, and tests in prison led to a diagnosis of kidney stones.

Kokabi was not allowed to have tests or treatment outside the prison until April 20, when doctors were forced to remove his right kidney. Medical neglect in while in custody has contributed to advancement of cancer in his body.

On 18 May the Committee of Conceed Scientists joined with Amnesty Inteational in calling for a letter-writing campaign in support of Omid Kokabi’s release; the letter asked the Iranian authorities to unconditionally release the young physicist.

Read More:

Judiciary insists ailing physicist’s sentence for espionage is final

Omid Kokabi’s Right Kidney Removed Successfully!

Physicist jailed for refusing military work diagnosed with cancer

Mother of jailed nuclear scholar appeals to Leader

After six years of silence in Iran, music of kamencheh master Keyhan Kalhor blared out in Vahdat Concert Hall once more. On Saturday night, May 21, Kalhor and his ensemble performed to a full hall of ardent fans in Tehran.

Kalhor last played in Vahdat Hall with Turkish Bağlama player Erdal Erzincan in 2010. This time he was accompanied by Navid Afghah on Tombak, Ali Bahramifard on Santur and Hadi Azarpira on Tar.

The concert began with a piece by Ali Bahrami entitled Sarmast and proceeded with Parishan by Hadi Azarpira, work based on Kurmanji melody and finally the performance of Taragheh which Kalhor first recorded in his Night, Silence, Desert album in 2000.

In his earlier albums Kalhor played Taragheh on Setar while in his latest concert, he rendered a Kamancheh performance of the piece.

Keyhan Kalhor is the only Iranian musician to have won the Grammy awards four times. Prominent Iranian composer Hossein Alizadeh has referred to Kalhor as “Iran’s most universal musician”.

Kalhor in his most recent concert tour in Iran was supposed to also be playing at the city of Neyshapur for two nights on Tuesday 17 and 18 May. Although the promoter of the program had secured all the necessary permits from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, the Neyshapur concerts were cancelled at the eleventh hour by the city’s prosecutor.

In recent years, over twenty concerts in various cities across Iran have been cancelled or baed by city authorities even though Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has issued permits for their performance.

The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance oversees cultural affairs including the publishing of media, books, music and the public displays of art and culture including concerts. This ministry works as an apparatus of the president of Iran that is Hassan Rouhani’s govement. Local authorities in other cities however, might not agree with the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance’s politics and if hardliners are among these local authorities, they might just enforce their own rule of law.

Ali Moradkhani, deputy head Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance’s Arts Department said earlier at every level of govement a group is taking decision to cancel concerts based on their own taste and discretion. He stressed that it is vital to have a central decision making process based on the govement policies for the performance of concerts in Tehran and all other cities.

The Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Ali Jaati, has also said that he has made every effort possible to prevent the cancellation of concerts to no avail. He added that concerts are vital for battling the rising level of depression in the country.

Meanwhile women musicians are being prevented from performing in many cities and their presence is being used as an excuse to cancel concerts.

Shahram Nazeri, another prominent Iranian musician performed a concert in Isfahan on Friday 20 May. In the opening of the concert Nazeri said: “The female members of our orchestra are missing today and it is not fair to prevent someone from expressing their art because of their gender.”

Shahram Nazeri’s concert in Neyshapur was cancelled like that of Kalhor’s and Ali Zand Vakili’s concert in Mashhad’s Shandiz village was also cancelled.

Hossein Noushabasi a spokesman for the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance aounced on Friday that a “coordinated effort” is trying to shut down all concerts in the country. Noushabadi appears to be refering to the ultra-conservative backlash taking shape across the country since the reformist govement of Hassan Rohani took power in 2013.

The conservative efforts appear to be geared toward discrediting Rohani by preventing his govement from providing some relative social liberties to the public as promised in his campaign.

Last June, Keyhan Kalhor’s concert with Brooklyn Rider in Milad Tower was cancelled by security forces again discrediting the Ministry of Guidance which has issued the concert permit. Despite his disappointment and earlier decisions not to perform in Iran again, Kalhor finally managed to perform in Tehran on Friday night but the fate of his following performances scheduled in Yazd, Kermanshah and Khorramabad with all necessary permits remains to be seen.

By: Omid Montazeri

Covering an area of about 52 hectares in its glory days, Bazangan or “Kol Bibi” Lake is located east of the very wealthy city of Mashhad and is the largest natural lake in north east of Iran. The local and federal authorities never even started a “save lake Bazangan” initiative, no govemental or inteational aid was made available and the Iranian Department of the Environment did absolutely nothing.

The once almost dead Barzegan only came to life for one reason: when the unexpected rainstorms started, the villagers residing around the lake all came together, building water chaels and leading the rain falling on dry ground to the streams feeding the lake.

The residents of four villages, “Ab Deraz”, “Ghorghore”, “Bazangan” and “Kalateh” – those whose lives and livelihoods depended on the environment of the lake for centuries – came together for action. They build chaels with shovels and mechanical tools to lead the very rare rainfall to the stream and springs that feed the lake.

For the past 10 years, Lake Bazangan was facing the same fate as Lakes Urmia and Hamun: it was drying up. This is mostly because of drought, water evaporation, rivers drying and most importantly the pumping of groundwater from the area surrounding the lake to provide water to the uncontrolled residential and tourist site expansions.

Corruption and Public Land Speculation

Years of drought after drought and Lake Bazangan is shrinking. Today it only covers 35 hectares of water surface area. Water levels in the lake have also fallen from a peak of 12 meters in its glory days to 2 meters.

The local authorities have confirmed that in addition to the drought, the lack of proper infrastructures for flood and surface water management, the vacation house developments around the lake (without considering the environmental impacts) have contributed to Barzegan’s slow and painful decline.

Ali Nasirian, the district chief of the local govement of Marzdaran (the district the lake is located in), has pointed fingers to land privatization. According to Nasirian allotment of lakefront land to private owners in the northe borders of Lake Barzegan has drastically reduced the flow of water from steams and springs that are in the northe formations surrounding the lake.

A few years ago when lake Bazangan was officially aounced as an “tourist area,” vacationers flooded the area. Shortly land prices around the lake went up and the processes of allocating land to private owners began.

In whatever way, buying of the land around the lake trespassed into the borders of public national lands. Before long, the land around the lake Barzangan shared the fate of many natural and national resources in Iran: land speculation.

Mohammad Javad Alipur, the former head of the Department of Environment of City of Sarakhs (the first city near Lake Bazangan) aounced in March 2015 that in the past years corrupt individuals affiliates with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources have abused power and were linked to the current state of public land speculation and environmental damages around the lake.

In relation to the legal cases related to Lake Bazangan however, no names of govement officials or institutions are exclusively noted with seizing of the lakefront lands. However, Iran’s Department of the Environmental over the years 2014 an 2015, was trying to pursue a “Comprehensive Plan and Management Project of the Natural Heritage Lake of Bazangan,” a plan that is yet to be established.

The Power of Bazangan People

Following the rainfalls of mid-May 2016, the local residents around the lake could no longer wait. Many pools of water were accumulating on the formations surrounding the lake. The villagers with the help of the village councils and the district chiefs started building chaels to direct the flood water into the lake.

At the same time campaigns started on the social media and the number of volunteers increased; people who cared for the environment drove to the area to help revive the lake.

The local farmers brought all their mechanical tools, mechanical shovels, tractors, water pumps, etc… In seven days, the volunteers were able to direct more than seven thousand cubic meters of water into the lake. In some areas they used water pumps to physically pump the water into the lake from an elaborate piping system they had set up that in some areas went as far away as 800 meters.

The farmers so selflessly, helped the volunteers so that at different times of the day, the surplus agricultural water could be transported into the lake.

The district chief of Marzdaran now says that one third of the lost water level has been restored and the water level has reached a 7 meter depth.

Until last winter, shallow waters and the salinity concentration of Lake Bazangan threatened the aquatic life and the migratory birds that came to the lake. Now, there is more confidence that the Bazangan ecosystem might survive after all: a lake full of carp and trout with ducks and other migratory birds around.

Bazangan Lake revival in May 2016 is a story that perhaps the local will tell for Years. A story that might get quoted to the many tourists that come to the area and a story that might increase the awareness of the general population in Iran and their care for the environment.