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Archives for June 2009

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Michael Jackson, Islam and the Middle East

Michael Jackson, Islam and the Middle East

Juan Cole

Michael Jackson’s sad death at age 50 has provoked an outpouring of emotion around the whole world. Because of globalization, it is an event that affects fans in Asia and the Middle East, as well. In early 2007, his brother Jermaine, a Muslim, announced that Michael would embrace that religion. In November of 2008, just […]

Uncategorized
Mousavi Vows to Continue Efforts; Ahmad Khatami calls for Death Penalty on Protest Leaders

Mousavi Vows to Continue Efforts; Ahmad Khatami calls for Death Penalty on Protest Leaders

Juan Cole

At his Friday prayers sermon on Friday, hard line cleric Ahmad Khatami (no relation to former president and liberal Mohammad Khatami) called for capital punishment for leaders of the popular demonstrations against the outcome of the election. This call is a new and dangerous turn, since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had praised the opposition leaders […]

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Ahmadinejad Slams Obama; 70 Professors Arrested; Wednesday Protest Violently Attacked

Ahmadinejad Slams Obama; 70 Professors Arrested; Wednesday Protest Violently Attacked

Juan Cole

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who stands accused of stealing the recent election in Iran, lashed out at Barack Obama on Thursday. He demanded an apology from the White House for what he termed interference in Iranian affairs, and said Obama had started talking like George W. Bush. He said that Obama’s current stance was not […]

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70 Dead in Bombing of Shiite Area, Baghdad

70 Dead in Bombing of Shiite Area, Baghdad

Juan Cole

A massive bomb shook Shiite east Baghdad on Wednesday, killing 70 persons and wounding 135. It was unclear, Ned Parker of the LAT reports, who was behind the strike, whether Sunni radicals or Shiites involved in a faction fight. Me, I’d put my money on Sunni radicals. There has at no point been any proof […]

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Washington and the Iran Protests: Would they be Allowed in the US?

Washington and the Iran Protests: Would they be Allowed in the US?

Juan Cole

President Barack Obama had this to say about the Iran crisis on Tuesday: ‘ First, I’d like to say a few words about the situation in Iran. The United States and the international community have been appalled and outraged by the threats, the beatings and imprisonments of the last few days. I strongly condemn these […]

Uncategorized
30 Killed in Iraq Violence; Kurds: Oil Contracts ‘Unconstitutional’

30 Killed in Iraq Violence; Kurds: Oil Contracts ‘Unconstitutional’

Juan Cole

Bombings and other violence left 30 dead in Iraq on Monday, and the three-day death toll is 100. Monday’s strikes included a bombing of a mini-bus with students aboard in Shiite Sadr City. In my own view,the Shiites won the battle for Baghdad and largely ethnically cleansed the city of Sunni Arabs, who I suspect […]

Uncategorized
Guardianship Council Rules out Annulment of Election Results; Reformists Planning Strikes, Mourning

Guardianship Council Rules out Annulment of Election Results; Reformists Planning Strikes, Mourning

Juan Cole

Iran’s Guardianship Council, a sort of clerical senate on Tuesday ruled out any cancellation of the results of the recent presidential election, as called for by the opposition. The official outcome gave incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a second term. The vote tallies for Ahmadinejad have struck large numbers of Iranians as wholly unbelievable. So the Supreme […]

Uncategorized
IRGC Breaks up Demonstration in Downtown Tehran

IRGC Breaks up Demonstration in Downtown Tehran

Juan Cole

AKI is reporting that Iran’s national guard, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, with help from the popular militia, Basij, just broke up a demonstration by hundreds of Mousavi supporters in downtown Tehran. They used tear gas and beatings, characterizing the peaceful assembly as “sabotage.” The small crowd was successfully dispersed. End/ (Not Continued)

Uncategorized
Mousavi, Defiant, Calls for More Rallies

Mousavi, Defiant, Calls for More Rallies

Juan Cole

Reformist presidential aspirant Mir Hosain Mousavi called Monday morning for another round of big street protests by his supporters against the attempt of the regime to steal the election for hard liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps has replied by warning it will crush any further street protests with a “revolutionary confrontation.” FT […]

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