The Iranian political standoff shifts into high gear (maybe)

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Easily the political news story of the year so far in my book, others might disagree. I keep waiting for something major to happen and perhaps this time it still might not, but the longer things go on...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 12 January 2004 01:34 (twenty-two years ago)

do you know what grounds the council has given for disqualifying so many candidates? or are they simply 'religious reasons"?
(ha ha, 'simply')
i agree ned this looks like a flashpoint, especially if there are mass protests.

― julep, Monday, 12 January 2004 02:12 (twenty-two years ago)

There's actually a good argument that there WON'T be mass protests simply because despite the reformists winning elections for years everything has been stifled at the highest levels, and that therefore apathy will be a more common reaction. Could well be the case, but the fact that the provincial governors have all threatened to resign en masse is at the very least a striking symbolic move. Early days yet, and much will probably happen away from the cameras.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 12 January 2004 02:18 (twenty-two years ago)

So Khatami is a reformist himself? (or was elected on a reformist platform?)

― julep, Monday, 12 January 2004 02:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh very much so, that was in fact the big news about his election years back, in concert with the election of an overwhelmingly reformist parliament or Majlis, to give what I think is the correct term for the body. But though he is president he is very much not the supreme leader of the country, and neither he nor the parliament are in control of the judiciary and associated bodies.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 12 January 2004 02:29 (twenty-two years ago)

so when the shiite hits the fan Khatami is ousted in favour of a more traditional (read: religious) governing body huh?
catastrophic natural disasters + war on your doorstep = prime for a return to deeply religious leadership....

― julep, Monday, 12 January 2004 02:32 (twenty-two years ago)

(I'm assuming they are presidential elections as well as local govt, please excuse my electoral ignorance when it comes to the mid.east)

― julep, Monday, 12 January 2004 02:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I wouldn't go that far with your guess for the future. In fact I would actually suspect the opposite. (The election is for the parliament, not the president.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 12 January 2004 02:34 (twenty-two years ago)

the opposite as in a more secular govt?

― julep, Monday, 12 January 2004 02:38 (twenty-two years ago)

We shall see.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 12 January 2004 02:39 (twenty-two years ago)

NED ARE YOU KHOMEINI???!

― julep, Monday, 12 January 2004 02:40 (twenty-two years ago)

BACK FROM THE DEAD TO ROCK YOUR LAME ASS.

*ner ner*

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 12 January 2004 02:40 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm only lame for my 'fashion sense' or lack thereof apparently, politically i'm more liberal-cool!
plus i busted your ayatollah-ass-meddling-from-beyond-the-grave, respect.

― julep, Monday, 12 January 2004 02:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I would call Khatami a reformist but I would not say "very much so" (unless you're saying that the most reformist thing to be is a palatable, compromising popular face of moderation)

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Monday, 12 January 2004 03:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I figure it's a matter of the place and situation you're in. I'd argue he's much more of a conscious reformer (or at least talks the talk more) than Gorbachev was, or was intending himself to be, for instance.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 12 January 2004 03:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Khatemi is a reformist but I would say far from secular. Iran is a Islamic repulic and secularism is not really a force within Iranian politics (At least not within Iran's boundaries). What the reformist's want is not a more secular government but a government where elected representatives hold the reins of power completely, where the judiciary is independent of the religious establishment. Iran is a great deal more liberal in many respects (treatment of women for example) than, for example, Sauid Arabia. There are still, however, many nasty elements of the system in Iran, Cultural and freedom of speech restrictions, support of terrorist organisations etc. mainly in the hands of the un-elected Ayatollahs.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 12 January 2004 09:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Khatemi is a reformist but I would say far from secular. Iran is a Islamic repulic and secularism is not really a force within Iranian politics (At least not within Iran's boundaries).

some years ago I read that the two main political parties in Iran were the Society of Radical Clergy and the Radical Clergy Society. So yes, secularism as such is probably not too big there.

I think it might help the situation if we threatened to invade.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Monday, 12 January 2004 13:03 (twenty-two years ago)

threatening to invade would certainly ease tension by unifying the country.

what i want to know is what happens if they make good on the threat to resign. who would replace them and wouldn't it make the situation worse¿

― dyson (dyson), Monday, 12 January 2004 18:01 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/ap/20050630/capt.vah10406300708.iran_mali_vah104.jpg http://www.sw-asia.com/People/images/IRI999b.jpg

Is it my imagination, or does Ahmadinejad slightly resemeble another unpopular world leader?

Maybe it's the ears that stick out or the beady eyes....

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 1 July 2005 21:09 (twenty years ago)

I think he looks like John Darnielle. With a beard.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Friday, 1 July 2005 21:57 (twenty years ago)

(John, you know I love you, etc.)

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Friday, 1 July 2005 21:57 (twenty years ago)

you have to admit he knows how to rock shirt/jacket/no tie

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 1 July 2005 22:00 (twenty years ago)

My god, Mike's right! How bizarre.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 1 July 2005 22:56 (twenty years ago)

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/3530/bushsmug6ps.jpg

I'm still sayin'.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Saturday, 2 July 2005 03:04 (twenty years ago)

Bearded Dubya looks like he's about to ask if you'd like him to seduce you.

― kingfish (Kingfish), Saturday, 2 July 2005 03:05 (twenty years ago)

Smoove B-2.

― Rock Hardy (Rock Hardy), Saturday, 2 July 2005 03:11 (twenty years ago)

My GIS for that picture was "bush smug" which shouldn't be too surprising.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Saturday, 2 July 2005 03:42 (twenty years ago)

If this new guy sticks to his platform, he's going to be much more concerned with internal than external affairs. I reckon he's going to use the nuclear thing to get some big fat economic concessions from the rest of the world.

― Ed (dali), Saturday, 2 July 2005 04:44 (twenty years ago)

yeah, the american media--even the good papers--have had a bit of difficulty characterizing this guy. iranian internal politics is really complex and doesn't typically meet the understanding of iran the rest of the world seems to have.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Saturday, 2 July 2005 04:49 (twenty years ago)

plus, the shit was fixed.

― g e o f f (gcannon), Saturday, 2 July 2005 05:38 (twenty years ago)

amst: this was ok: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GF27Ak01.html

― g e o f f (gcannon), Saturday, 2 July 2005 06:16 (twenty years ago)

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