Ahmadi Nejad Blocks Facebook

President Ahmadi Nejad of Iran is always consistent to give us something to poke him in the eye. His government has blocked the Iranians' access to facebook since yesterday.

Apparently Mr. Ahmadi Nejad has been worry about the way his opponents were capitalising on the facebook for the purpose of the presidential-election campaign against him. Since yesterday the blockage has outraged the Iranian Young and created a backlash inside the country. They reacted angrily by posting comments all over the Internet.

One only wonders that who are the brains behind such a political blunder. The simple question is that if Mr. Ahmadi Nejad and his colleagues think they can ignore the Iranian Young, their right to use the Internet freely, deny them the right to express and sharing thoughts with their fellow citizens and the outside world; and getaway with that? It seems that Mr. Ahmadi Nejad has shot his own foot.

Iranian Young will respond at the polling booths!

The Belated Release of Roxana Saberi Is Welcomed

Common sense has prevailed and Roxana Saberi, the US-born Iranian journalist, has been freed from custody in Iran.

Since 2003, she has been living and working as a freelance journalist in Iran. However, since January this year - citing some blurry charges by the Iranian authorities - she had been imprisoned in Iran.

Although I personally am a little bit disappointed at the belated freedom of Ms Saberi, nevertheless her release was well overdue and it is welcomed.

Now that the Ms Saberi’s predicament and the political fervor surrounding it are over, we can concentrate on the most important issue for the Iranian people, the country, and the outside world, the 2009 presidential election in Iran. It is a mission which left in the hand of the Iranian people. The mission has three main objectives as follow:

1. It will send a clear message to the outside world that Iranian people are well capable of handling their national political calamity.

2. Iran is a peaceful country and its people are friendly and responsible citizens of the world.

3. They are going to offer the Iranian version of Obama with an unclench fist to shake hand with his American counterpart, President Obama.

YET ANOTHER SHAMEFUL POLITICAL BLUNDER IN IRAN

In our life we sometimes witness such an acute injustice which makes us feel hopelessly useless; that is when we left with no choice but to cry.

I had the feeling yesterday when I read the last telephone conversation Delara Darabi, the poor girl who has been hanged in Iran, had with her mother. “Mother, I can see the hangman’s roping, they are going to execute me, please save me”, said Delara. Imagining the helpless status of the poor girl against those heedless predators around her; I cried hopelessly!

She was not supposed to be hanged for at least the next two months. The head of the Islamic Republic Judiciary had ordered to hold her dead sentence, while her parents try to get the plaintiffs’ consent. In the Iranian legal system, the consent of the victim's family is the last resort to spare the convict life.

The prison authorities have acted against the order of the head of the Judiciary. They have also breached the law by not informing her lawyer at least two days prior to the execution.

Thanks to her art works, the Delara’s case had generated such international interest that the more moderates in the political establishment, through the head of the Judiciary, have successfully responded to the international community’s concern.

However, the hardliner in their attempt to sabotage this latest move by the more moderates to have a meaningful communication with the western world sacrificed the poor girl! That was yet another shameful political blunder in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

This time, they preyed upon the Delara’s frail body.

An old Farceur Who Is Not Funny AnyMore

Mr. Ahmad Jannati is the chair of the Guardian Council of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran and he has been a funny man for decades; but not anymore.

Recently he has been talking to the Friday Prayers in Tehran, and in his remarks he referred to the up-coming presidential election in Iran. He has been quoted as saying that 'Iranian presidency is not such a trivial matter which we just give it away.'

His political sense of humor has been the subject of the Iranian Young's jokes for years and now; I realise why! He, in fact, was suggesting that it is him and a bunch of his colleagues in the Guardian Council who elect president for the Iranian people and Not the Iranian people themselves! He is a farceur. Nevertheless, the only inference I can derive from the funny comment is that he might have been implying the election of the current president Ahmadi Nejad into the office almost four years ago; or for that matter, the entire presidential elections have been conducted in the life-time of the Islamic Republic in Iran!

However, no matter how funny this guy is, at this crucial time when Mr. Obama is waiting for the new Iranian president, offered by the Iranian people, to shake hand with, he does not sound funny at all.

Another implication of that suggestion, however, is that he and the rest of the old farceurs of the council can swim - in the current world-political-ocean without a life jacket; called 'Iranian People' - and not sink.

I have a simple message for them: I am much younger than all of you, and I am also a good swimmer; it is scary!

Saving Lives Is Their Business

Australian Red Cross Blood Bank(ARCBB) has several thousand regular donors, I am proudly one of them.

We will be qualified to donate almost 500ml of our blood every three months. Knowing our little gift can save lives, we donate our blood by joy and satisfaction.

Today was my turn, I went to the Parramatta's, a Sydney suburb, branch of the ARCBB and they took my little gift.

Wherever you live, you can also save lives by donating your blood. It is easy and simple. You can go to the ARCBB's website here, or call them on 13 14 95 in Australia.

Khatami Has Given Way to Mosavi

Now that Mohammad Khatami - former Iranian president - has withdrawn from the country's coming-up presidential-election; he has introduced Mr. Mir Hossein Mosavi - the first and the last Iranian prime-minister of the revolution's time as his favourite candidate.

Mr. Mosavi is - more or less - an unknown figure to the new generation Iranian voters inside the country. He has not been a public personality - at least in the Islamic Republic political-landscape - for the last 20 years. He had been the first and the last prime minister of the country in 1980s - the Islamic Republic changed its executive system of government during his term and removed the prime ministership position. He had served under Mr. Ali Khameneei's presidency - then president and the current Spiritual Leader of the Islamic Republic.

Beside of being unknown to the Iranians however, Mr. Mosavi certainly is, in comparison with Mr. Khatami, a stranger to the outside world as well.

This could somewhat justify the Mr. Khatami's action to be the first person to name him as a potential candidate - "if Mr. Mosavi is ready to run for the office then I will not come", said Mr. Khatami. It was Mr. Khatmi himself who brought him to the fore. Now that Mr. Mosavi is a candidate, Mr. Khatami is gone.

Nonetheless and regardless of who is who and who is going to compete in the coming election, it is the Iranian people who are responsible to offer their best candidate to the world. After all, the well-being of the Iranian people and the country economically, the security and national interests of the country, the Middle East peace and stability and in a broader sense the world peace are somewhat depended on the way in which the next Iranian president and his administration engage the outside world.

Former Iranian President at La Trobe University

Last Thursday Mr. Mohammad Khatami - former Iranian president who is visiting Australia - was at La Trobe University in Melbourne.

He had been invited to the University by professor Joseph Camilleri - chair of the Centre for Dialogue.

Mr. Khatami was Iran's president for two terms between 1997 to 2005. During his second term in office in 2001, he originated the theory of Dialogue Among Civilization - a response to Samuel P. Huntington's theory of Clash of Civilization . His idea thus was to facilitate a world-stage where world political rivals could sit and work-out their differences. His idea has been since well-received around the world.

The La Trobe Centre for Dialogue is one of many such centres established around the world. The Melbourne's successful experience was an example. A strong, over 2000, assembly of enthusiastic people - both of Iranian origin and the Australian - have embraced Mr. Khatami. Mr. Khatami talked about the need for peaceful dialogue through out the world. At the same time, he also touched the political issues between Tehran and the west - specifically the US. He suggested that all of the standing issues between the two could easily be addressed provided both side genuinely willing to come at the discussion table. That was a positive message for the White House.

Nevertheless, Iran will go to a presidential-election in two months time and Iranians have a burden on their shoulders - responding to their American counterparts. Iranians are expected to respond to the American people whom sent president Obama into office. A president who talks different and ready to shake hand with the Iranians chosen president.

There is light at the end of the tunnel; at least I hope.