tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3396867571890911392024-03-13T09:51:42.764-04:00Send My Love to IranThe story of my need to experience the Islamic Republic firsthandBriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-6091740834901264002010-02-10T22:56:00.000-05:002010-02-10T22:42:03.971-05:00Feb 11 2010 // 22 Bahman -- Iran's "Fourth of July"Tomorrow is the official anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution of Iran- and Iran's green movement is heading out in full force to protest. <br /><br />Want to follow Iran's Green Movement in real-time <br />(i.e. before CNN cuts it up into soundbites for Friday) ? <br /><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/Oxfordgirl ">http://twitter.com/Oxfordgirl </a><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/GreenQuran ">http://twitter.com/GreenQuran </a><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/lotfan ">http://twitter.com/lotfan </a><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/tehranbureau">http://twitter.com/tehranbureau</a> <br /><a href="http://twitter.com/#search?q=%2322bahman">http://twitter.com/#search?q=%2322bahman</a><br /><br /><span class="fullpost"></span>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-30993023077479028572010-02-10T22:37:00.000-05:002010-02-10T22:39:41.599-05:00Mellat Park<object width="250" height="188"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2251782&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2251782&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="250" height="188"></embed></object><br /><br /><span class="fullpost"></span>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-85344024635537131762009-07-08T21:38:00.002-04:002009-07-08T21:49:57.055-04:00Short Interview w/me on Social Networking and #iranelection(Interview Questions posed by Meena Ganesan.... I start riffing...)<br /><br />BriAnna Olson:<br /><br />Obviously social networking has taken citizen journalism to a whole new level. Why is an online medium so effective? Its really quite simple: Instant access coupled with people "just like you and me" that is, without journalism careers to consider.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Importance of Following a Controversy So Closely<br /></span><br />The Iranian election controversy, in particular, will define the course of history-- for not just 'the other side of the world', but the entirety of a world that constantly struggles with the relationship between religion and policy.<br /><br />There is a very sizable population of secular educated Iranians who have, after an ugly, bloody revolution (1979) that was hellbent on getting US/capitalist/untrustworthy interests out of their government/country, let the religious take the reins of the country-- forcing many of them out of jobs and into hejabs.<br /><br />When they saw Obama get elected, they saw a new hope-- and when they felt their election was stolen from them-- they fought back with 30 years of pent up frustration. I think we are seeing the pendulum swing on a large scale-- I only hope that, once all is said and done, the secular do not ostracize the religious-- inviting another round of push and pull.<br /><br />Mostly, I just hope we can all see & recognize the successes and failures of integrating religion with social policy.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Challenges & Benefits to Tweeting/Blogging about Iran<br /></span><br />For one, again, instant access and 'on the ground' reports- half a minute after someone in Tehran has posted, thousands of people, from Cairo to New York to Sydney, can read.<br /><br />Another benefit was the whole concept of "re-tweeting" (RT) information-- after its original post short 140 character sentences can be 're-broadcast' by recipients, reaching pocket after pocket after pocket of social network.<br /><br />With the use of hashtags, Twitter created an instant database of #iranelection musings that could be sifted and sorted.<br /><br />One of the first challenges, or primary concerns, was the reliability of information. I was fortunate enough to know the handful of legit Iranian "Tweeters" to follow on Twitter, so never had to face the issue of "true or not true". Only once did I retweet (via a stranger) without checking the source and retracted within 60 seconds after understanding the harm that the potential disinformation could have created. Several days in, according to many, government agents had infiltrated Twitter to create disinformation. Again, I had already established a relationship with other sources, so was not privy to who was who on that end.<br /><br />The other major challenge was that anyone based out of Tehran that provided information on Twitter was at risk of arrest. The natural response of the Twitter community, on request, was to change their locations to Tehran (to create far too many profiles to sift through) as well as drop the established protocol of embedding the original source in a RT (to protect identities but keep information flowing).<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Personal Connections<br /></span><br />As for personal connections, yes, there are many. Everyone I met during my trip last October is a personal connection. Whether it was a translator, cab driver, artist or gallery owner, every one of them let us know their country is ripe for change and expressed an intense want for an evolution of our diplomatic dialogue. They all knew our (then) upcoming election was a big deal-- and they promised us that if we kept McCain out of office, they'd do the same with Ahmadinejad.BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-80734601682251543132009-06-20T12:40:00.002-04:002009-06-20T12:47:34.646-04:00The Revolution Will Be Twitpic'dI am following the events of Iran's election very closely on Twitter. So closely that I haven't given a moment to consider writing about it. One thing is for certain, the path of history travels through Iran and all should watch our as our generation slowly defines itself.<br /><a href="https://twitter.com/#search?q=%23iranelection"><br />Watch the #iranelection twitter feed (in real time) here.<br /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/Sj0SctsRyAI/AAAAAAAAAKo/PibpJoq4nDg/s1600-h/12541721.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/Sj0SctsRyAI/AAAAAAAAAKo/PibpJoq4nDg/s320/12541721.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349452216896964610" /></a><br />Above image from @madyar on Twitter. <br /><br />When the dust settles, I hope to offer you, internet, my opinion and collected interviews on the subject. <br /><span class="fullpost"></span>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-67315941751156235362009-04-14T20:46:00.002-04:002009-04-14T20:49:03.343-04:00Tehran in Photographs<center><br /><br /><object width="370" height="360" align="middle"><param name="FlashVars" VALUE="ids=72157616647206599&names=Tehran&userName=briannaolson&userId=32092687@N08&source=sets&titles=on&displayNotes=on&thumbAutoHide=on&imageSize=medium&vAlign=mid&displayZoom=off&vertOffset=0&initialScale=on&bgAlpha=80"></param><param name="PictoBrowser" value="http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf"></param><param name="scale" value="noscale"></param><param name="bgcolor" value="#DDDDDD"></param><embed src="http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf" FlashVars="ids=72157616647206599&names=Tehran&userName=briannaolson&userId=32092687@N08&source=sets&titles=on&displayNotes=on&thumbAutoHide=on&imageSize=medium&vAlign=mid&displayZoom=off&vertOffset=0&initialScale=on&bgAlpha=80" loop="false" scale="noscale" bgcolor="#DDDDDD" width="370" height="360" name="PictoBrowser" align="middle"></embed></object></center>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-76418919600875101952009-01-30T09:28:00.004-05:002009-01-30T09:38:44.066-05:00"Papa'ism" @ Exhibition in ParisAttention Parisians and Globetrotters, Vahid Sharifian (see posts from our trip to Iran) will be part of a group show (all Iranian artists) at <a href="http://www.ropac.net/">Gallerie Thaddaeus Ropac </a>[7 Rue Debelleyme]. There you can see an installation of his "Hurt Stars". The curator at Ropac lauds Sharifians coined "Papa'ism" which he sees as a critique of both Dadaism and Pop Art. <br /><br />Opens Feb. 19, Closes March 27.<br /><br />Also in the show: <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SYMQkJZxxNI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/qzGjN1VWa04/s1600-h/bita_fayyazi.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 124px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SYMQkJZxxNI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/qzGjN1VWa04/s320/bita_fayyazi.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297095799903208658" /></a><br /><br />Shirin Aliabadi - Maryam Amini - Ali Banisadr - Mahmoud Bakhshi Moakhar - Ala Dehghan <br />Bita Fayyazi - Shahab Fotouhi - Ghazel - Ramin Haerizadeh - Rokni Haerizadeh - Y.Z. Kami <br />Avish Khebrehzadeh - Laleh Khorramian - Farhad Moshiri - Behrouz Rae <br /><br /><span class="fullpost"></span>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-12805498589999671892009-01-22T01:26:00.004-05:002009-01-22T01:34:11.037-05:00Presentation/Lecture @ Emerson College in BostonThis Feb. 12th, the Visual and Media Arts Department of Emerson College is sponsoring an event with Yours Truly.<br /><br />The Cabaret @ 80 Boylston St. Boston, MA.<br />Secret stories, candid answers.<br /><br />Live in Boston and want to attend? Send a note.<br /><br />::::::<br /><br />::::::<br /><span class="fullpost"></span>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-34098586882503156932009-01-14T19:03:00.002-05:002009-01-14T19:10:58.541-05:00Interview on GlobalVoicesOnline.orgI credit the interviewer with how well<a href="http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/01/14/a-project-named-send-love-to-iran/"> this</a> article came out. <br /><br /><a href="http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/01/14/a-project-named-send-love-to-iran/">Check it out</a> and definitely keep an eye on their site-- a great resource for global goings-on, straight from the voices of people who are blogging on their own time (like this one!).<br /><br /><span class="fullpost"></span>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-65418420031658724632009-01-08T15:57:00.007-05:002009-01-22T01:33:48.519-05:00Mainstreamedia // Urban Iran & End of an EraI've always had a knack for being ahead of the curve when it comes to recognizing cool from a mile away. <br /><br />Two nicknames I've collected along the way, "harbinger" and "OmniBri", are indicators of that. Social scientists probably have a number of names for how they classify my personality (Malcom Gladwell uses "cool hunter"), I think. <br /><br />A friend sent me an article today that I think signals a more mainstream recognition of Iran's urban artists. I really hope the media runs with this. Last month, NYTimes ran an article on Iranian contemporary artists (and their success at international auction houses). Meanwhile, I've literally "been there". <br /><br />This signals the beginning of the end of this project for me. Or at least a major evolution. I'm still, personally, working on over a dozen other projects and trying to incorporate "Unconditional Love is Global Security" in them as well. That phrase, too, is ahead of its time. ;)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SWZtoqJa3PI/AAAAAAAAAKI/OOO35qesfVw/s1600-h/UrbanIran_10.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SWZtoqJa3PI/AAAAAAAAAKI/OOO35qesfVw/s320/UrbanIran_10.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289035357669219570" /></a><br /><br />Click <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/art/blog/2009/01/urban-iran-helps-lift-the-veil.html">here</a> or below for the full article. <br /><span class="fullpost"><br />"What we are experiencing now is a re-emergence of art in Iran," writes photographer Sina Araghi in "Urban Iran," a collection of essays, photography, art and illustrations from Iranian artists in Tehran and abroad.<br /><br />In an interview earlier this week, writer and "Urban Iran" creative director Charlotte Noruzi agreed: "The spirit of innovation, and you could say, rebellion even revolution ... is very alive there, but it is creative, rather than destructive."<br /><br />"Urban Iran" credits the generation raised after the Iranian Revolution in 1979 with this creative spirit. After Ayatollah Khomeini led the overthrow of the Shah and declared Iran an Islamic Republic, the country shifted. The post-Revolution generation has learned to express themselves with few resources, access or media freedoms.<br /><br />"There are all these things happening sort of under the radar," said Noruzi, who was born in Tehran, but moved to America in 1977. "They're unstoppable."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/entertainment/art/charlotte_noruzi/index.html?type=flash">[Listen to Noruzi talk about "Urban Iran" in this narrated slideshow.]</a><br /><br />The stories told in the book are as diverse as they are idiosyncratic: How can Iran's political history be traced in past beard styles versus today's "renegade beardlets"? How can one car, the French-born but Iranian-copied Peugeot 206, be both a vehicle for authorities' suspicions and Iranians' dreams of a better life?<br /><br />"Urban Iran" was developed as an international collaboration with contributors from across the world, including Tehran, Europe and the United States. Noruzi contacted the Iran-based illustrators and artists featured in the book and worked closely with the book's designer, Eliane Lazzaris.<br /><br />"Urban Iran" confirms what many already know: Creative expression in Iran has long been a struggle. Despite much international acclaim, Iranian filmmakers have had to find inventive ways to skirt government authority and censorship. Jafar Panahi, an Iranian director, personally smuggled films out of Iran to play at festivals like Cannes, where they have garnered awards and accolades. But to this day many have never been shown in Iran.<br /><br />Other Iranian expatriates, like Marjane Satrapi in France, examined Iran from outside its borders. Satrapi's graphic novel about her youth and the Iranian Revolution, "Persepolis," was adapted into a film in 2007 and nominated for an Academy Award.<br /><br />Noruzi believes "Urban Iran" captures this spirit of perseverance in Iran. "Young artists are trying to give a wakeup call to their fellow countrymen saying, 'Let's look a little deeper here. ...We deserve to be known and seen and we're tired of living under the veil."<br /><br /></span>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-3513040399767828432009-01-08T15:53:00.004-05:002009-01-08T16:58:21.628-05:00The Gaming world in IranFrom friend <a href="http://segonmedia.com/">Seg</a>: <br />"Not very often that Iran and the world of video games mix, but this story is somewhat perplexing in it's misinformation. So Iran says they're making a games rating board and first says they are buddying up with the North American games rating board, ESRB. The ESRB denies this and it seems they either misspoke or changed the name of their own board to the ESRA."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=21682">Click here for the story</a>. The comments are where I found the most value. Frank Smith says: "When did they get electricity?"<br />*snickersnickerignorantsnicker*<br /> <br /><span class="fullpost"></span>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-4344790700033819152009-01-04T17:13:00.004-05:002009-01-08T15:52:40.223-05:00Mainstreamedia: Hooman Majd Strikes Again!As previously seen on The Daily Show promoting his book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ayatollah-Begs-Differ-Paradox-Modern/dp/0385523343/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214858087&sr=8-1">"The Ayatollah Begs to Differ",</a> <a href="http://www.hoomanmajd.com/">Hooman Majd</a> is becoming my favorite seasoned Iranian hyphenate. His candor is clearly relayed through his accent free, very American sounding voice. This is a guy who'll tell you about smoking opium with Muslim clerics (we've heard from a few Iranians that "they're all addicted to it") and he'll also tell you what part of Tehran you can buy weed. <br /><br />Anyway, friend Val sent me <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98931458">this short (less than 8 minutes) NPR interview</a> with him about the Iranian customs that most Westerners know nothing about. Michael and I saw "taroff" in action when every cab driver denied payment the first couple times our translator offered. <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98931458">Listen here!</a> <br /><br /><br />Oh, yeah, this:<br /><br /><object width="325" height="244"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eEP7F3QFPV4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eEP7F3QFPV4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="325" height="244"></embed></object><br /><br /><span class="fullpost"></span>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-82716439487043787572009-01-03T15:01:00.005-05:002009-01-04T17:13:34.924-05:00Really Great Photo Project!... that is clearly inline with this one. <br />Artists, people to people, beautiful things.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.picturesofyouiran.com/">Pictures of You: Images From Iran</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SWE0PhZUHEI/AAAAAAAAAKA/mcUnQznFjBs/s1600-h/_V2C5387.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 220px; height: 147px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SWE0PhZUHEI/AAAAAAAAAKA/mcUnQznFjBs/s320/_V2C5387.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287564878776900674" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />He was interviewed by Pars Arts <a href="http://www.parsarts.com/2008/11/29/pictures-of-you-images-from-iran/">here</a>.<br /><br />Read some of the Press! <br /><a href="http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_10328174">Here is an... unfavorable... review:</a><br /><br />"Loughlin's unbalanced view of the reality of the Iranian people undoubtedly plays directly into the hands of Iran's ruling elite, the message that Iranians are well, happy, and carefree are superficial and promote the Iranian regime's agenda to convince world leaders to use "diplomacy" and not violence as a means to deal with them.<br /><br />The Iranian regime knows all too well, and recent US diplomatic history has shown that diplomacy and its potential results of appeasement are simply a ploy to buy time and continue their expansion of suppression.<br /><br />Loughlin and those that fund his rather expensive projects have a responsibility to understand the message of their art, while attractive, only encourages Tehran's hideous and oppressive nature.<br /><br />At the very least, Loughlin has an obligation to show all sides of Iran's social structure. The truth of the matter is that Iranians, because of their serious situation in the world spotlight, are infused with politics and burning to tell the world the horrific crimes they have witnessed throughout the years. Of course, the fear in speaking out and documenting such things is ever-present. "</span>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-64214773336558303342009-01-03T14:12:00.003-05:002009-01-03T15:01:06.229-05:00Gregorian New Year and Christ's BirthTraveling to a country like Iran is an eye-opening experience for an American or Westerner. For one, American culture and media would have you believe that New Years and Christmas are universal experiences. Indeed, even Jewish children in New York go see Santa. And don't forget that Muslims do believe that Jesus was a prophet of god/allah and often Iranian politicians try to find even ground by invoking his name in formal addresses to Western worlds. But, its very clear to me, after much traveling, that my roots are in a Christian world, and that there is no 'Regular' world. That said, Christmas is my favorite holiday. The last two weeks of mine have been steeped in family, love, and celebration.<br /><br />I had a great New Year's with friends in New York City, but again, a 'date' worth researching. Irregular lengths of months, days coordinated with the sun, but not weeks. All very strange, IMHO. Check out the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar">Gregorian Calendar Wikipedia page</a>. One point of pride coming from one gallerina I'd met in Tehran, was the organic and seemingly superior calendar system of Iran. Nowruz (there are a bazillion ways to spell it) is the Iranian version of Christmas/New Years (family time and celebrations). This Iranian New Year begins on the spring equinox, the day the sun is directly over the equator. From <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_calendar">wikipedia</a>: <blockquote>"an astronomical solar calendar and one of the longest chronological records in history and is currently used in Iran and Afghanistan as the main official calendar. Beginning each year on the vernal equinox as precisely determined by astronomical observations from Tehran (or the 52.5°E meridian, which also defines IRST), this makes it more accurate than the Gregorian Calendar in being synchronized with the solar year, but harder to work out when a particular date would occur before the New Year preceding that date.</blockquote><br /><br />Iran even initiated a calendar reform (a tweak) in 1925! I can't even imagine the Western powers considering this.<br /><br />So, interestingly enough, in regards to calendars and a sense of date and time, we are two different cultures with two different concepts of timekeeping.BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-31988350616476558462008-12-16T19:36:00.007-05:002008-12-16T21:40:34.911-05:00Media in Tehran // PressTV and George Galloway<center><br />Because we don't speak Farsi/Persian and we were in a hotel (read: no satellite) we only had two English options for news. One of those options was Iranian run <a href="http://www.presstv.com/">PressTV</a>. I was super impressed by the speaking skills and level of consciousness that one particular newsman offered (though I watched him for probably less than 2 hours total). I'd never heard of him, but <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Galloway">George Galloway</a> is apparently quite famous. A member of British parliament who had many call-in fans from around the Middle East (check out his <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/George-Galloway-MP/8534485796">Facebook fan page</a> to get an idea of his fanbase) as it turns out, he was also involved in the UN Oil-for-Food scandal (YouTube testimony below) and US pundits have <a href="http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/12/george-galloway-gets-new-gig-with.html">their own opinion about him</a>. <br><br /><object width="325" height="244"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QWGhw65HkrQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QWGhw65HkrQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="325" height="244"></embed></object><br />(This wasn't a clip I saw, but the date it was uploaded is closest to when we were in Tehran.)<br /><br>(hit permalink just below for more videos) <span class="fullpost"><br /><br />Believe it or not, it <span style="font-style:italic;">did<span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span> totally surprise me to find out that some politicians in the US House of Representatives wanted to brand PressTV a <a href="http://www.democracynow.org/2008/7/25/headlines">'Specially Designated Global Terrorist' (SDGT) organizations</a> (House resolution 1308). It seems pretty out of line, considering what I was seeing. PressTV even has <a href="http://www.presstv.ir/Detail.aspx?id=64466§ionid=351020101">a story about it here.</a> <br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="325" height="244"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HrdFFCnYtbk&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HrdFFCnYtbk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="325" height="244"></embed></object><br />(This is what I found when I got back to New York and googled this guy.)<br /><br /></span></center>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-9031201710408800392008-12-16T18:24:00.006-05:002008-12-16T21:32:27.138-05:00Colors of Tehran<center><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sendlovetoiran.blogspot.com/2008/12/colors-of-tehran.html"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SUhITrsBhYI/AAAAAAAAAJo/GA98d4WlhGI/s400/chips.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280550066073994626" /></a>In case you were under the impression that the colors of Iran were dusty brown and standard-issue army green, check outs some photos that Michael took-- colooooors! (more if you click it....!)<span class="fullpost"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SUhIUEIcVuI/AAAAAAAAAJw/KTdF1hQn7O8/s1600-h/vahid.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SUhIUEIcVuI/AAAAAAAAAJw/KTdF1hQn7O8/s400/vahid.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280550072635643618" /></a> (above: Vahid Sharifian piece)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SUhITXgmMEI/AAAAAAAAAJg/SCcli-EJiMs/s1600-h/plumbers2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SUhITXgmMEI/AAAAAAAAAJg/SCcli-EJiMs/s400/plumbers2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280550060657356866" /></a> (above: Iranian toilet cleaner!) <br><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SUhITE6fSiI/AAAAAAAAAJY/PkukSivQx5c/s1600-h/plumbers.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SUhITE6fSiI/AAAAAAAAAJY/PkukSivQx5c/s400/plumbers.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280550055665682978" /></a> (above: Standard practice of Iranian plumbers, ad stickers on doors-- locksmiths in Brooklyn do something like this) <br><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SUhIS4nqGLI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/a_nrwK6Hd00/s1600-h/tmoca.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SUhIS4nqGLI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/a_nrwK6Hd00/s400/tmoca.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280550052365473970" /></a> (above: exhibition at the Tehran MOCA) <br><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SUhHuOVCgSI/AAAAAAAAAJI/cmQ44kDsbCM/s1600-h/foodie.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SUhHuOVCgSI/AAAAAAAAAJI/cmQ44kDsbCM/s400/foodie.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280549422537802018" /></a>(above: big windowed bodega)</center></span>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-54770086349470597232008-12-10T19:41:00.006-05:002008-12-11T00:32:38.703-05:00Tehran Avenue One-Shot Film Festival // Watch & Vote<center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SUBh7WnvoFI/AAAAAAAAAJA/IZ7VNPO_V3o/s1600-h/07.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 211px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SUBh7WnvoFI/AAAAAAAAAJA/IZ7VNPO_V3o/s320/07.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278326435590676562" /></a><br /><br />From the <a href="http://taff.tehran360.com/">website</a>:<br /><br />"TehranAvenue <span style="font-weight:bold;">One-Shot</span> Film Festival (TAFF) is a practical suggestion: To speak in a visual language that doesn't appeal to technological crutches and digital wizardry. This approach to the "image" attaches itself to simplicity. It doesn't need an editing table. The prerequisite is for the image-makers to acknowledge that image is just another form of inscription, like writing, which was once the domain of the learned. Many today have access to recording equipments, which have become the pen and paper of our world. The movie theater is no longer the only place where images circulate. As a friend put it, the number of recorded images far exceeds the number of bricks used in buildings. Another words, our world is an alloy of images. The power to make them is in the hands of a majority and yet those that dominate our visual field are made by a few advertising firms, which are control freaks, which leave nothing to accident, which only want to sell. Our public space is pockmarked by manufactured images that, much like billboards, are becoming more luminous by the day. They tell us what and how to be. We must break the monopoly of fashioned images, otherwise we wouldn't know what Saddam said and what his executioners said before the noose tightened. TAFF is a practical suggestion."<br /><br /><a href="http://taff.tehran360.com/">Signup</a> to download the videos and vote for the winners.<br />Quicktime users will need to download the <a href="http://www.xvid.org/Software.83.0.html">xvid codec</a>, then install in Library/Quicktime/ folder. (Follow the readme file, I had to create the Quicktime folder) Also! Mac users! Use Safari, not Firefox... for some reason the download doesn't work with Firefox.</center>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-53869174973437441982008-12-10T19:01:00.005-05:002008-12-10T19:10:55.308-05:00Deviant Artists // Online<center> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SUBZcIoApII/AAAAAAAAAI4/1CPoagMxzmA/s1600-h/Cinema_In_IRAN_by_samoshaver.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 224px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/SUBZcIoApII/AAAAAAAAAI4/1CPoagMxzmA/s320/Cinema_In_IRAN_by_samoshaver.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278317103164728450" /></a><br>Above, <a href="http://samoshaver.deviantart.com/art/Cinema-In-IRAN-85390020">Cinema in Iran</a> by <a href="http://samoshaver.deviantart.com/">samoshaver</a><br><br />I just did an interview with Global Voices (!) and was mentioning how an interesting side-effect of government control (as it pertains to exhibition spaces and galleries) is that it has forced Iranian artists to take their voices onto a global platform (the internets).<br /><br />Head on over to <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/#order=9&q=iran">deviant art</a> to see an example of Iranian artists participating in an international social network. </center>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-48615621126385121562008-12-09T22:44:00.005-05:002008-12-10T12:28:47.941-05:00Unconditional Love on The Daily Show<center>Matthew Alexander puts "Unconditional Love is Global Security" to work when interrogating terrorists and combatants in Iraq, and insists its the most effective at getting answers. Establishing a rapport? Making jokes? Being human? Hmmhmm. <br>His book is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Break-Terrorist-Interrogators-Brutality/dp/1416573151">"How to Break a Terrorist"</a>. <br /><br /><style type='text/css'>.cc_box a:hover .cc_home{background:url('http://www.comedycentral.com/comedycentral/video/assets/syndicated-logo-over.png') !important;}.cc_links a{color:#b9b9b9;text-decoration:none;}.cc_show a{color:#707070;text-decoration:none;}.cc_title a{color:#868686;text-decoration:none;}.cc_links a:hover{color:#67bee2;text-decoration:underline;}</style><div class='cc_box' style='position:relative'><a href='http://www.comedycentral.com' target='_blank' style='display:inline; float:left; width:60px; height:31px;'><div class='cc_home' style='float:left; border:solid 1px #cfcfcf; border-width:1px 0px 0px 1px; width:60px; height:31px; background:url("http://www.comedycentral.com/comedycentral/video/assets/syndicated-logo-out.png");'></div></a><div style='font:bold 10px Arial,Helvetica,Verdana,sans-serif; float:left; width:299px; height:31px; border:solid 1px #cfcfcf; border-width:1px 1px 0px 0px; overflow:hidden; color:#707070;'><div class='cc_show' style='position:relative; background-color:#e5e5e5;padding-left:3px; height:14px; padding-top:2px; overflow:hidden;'><a href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/' target='_blank'>The Daily Show With Jon Stewart</a><span style='position:absolute; top:2px; right:3px;'>M - Th 11p / 10c</span></div><div class='cc_title' style='font-size:11px; color:#868686; background-color:#f5f5f5; padding:3px; padding-top:1px; line-height:14px; height:21px; overflow:hidden;'><a href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=212890&title=matthew-alexander' target='_blank'>Matthew Alexander</a></div></div><embed style='float:left; clear:left;' src='http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:212890' width='360' height='301' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' wmode='window' allowFullscreen='true' allowscriptaccess='always' allownetworking='all' flashvars='autoPlay=false' bgcolor='#000000'></embed><div class='cc_links' style='float:left; clear:left; width:358px; border:solid 1px #cfcfcf; border-top:0px; font:10px Arial,Helvetica,Verdana,sans-serif; color:#b9b9b9; background-color:#f5f5f5;'><div style='width:177px; float:left; padding-left:3px;'><a target='_blank' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=166515&title=Barack-Obama-Pt.-1'>Barack Obama Interview</a><br /><a target='_blank' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=167938&title=John-McCain-Pt.-1'>John McCain Interview</a></div><div style='width:177px; float:left;'><a target='_blank' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?searchterm=Sarah+Palin&searchtype=site&x=0&y=0'>Sarah Palin Video</a><br /><a target='_blank' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?searchterm=indecision+2008&searchtype=site&x=0&y=0'>Funny Election Video</a></div><div style='clear:both'></div></div><div style='clear:both'></div></div><br /></center>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-25927974592386419272008-12-08T21:04:00.005-05:002008-12-10T12:28:47.941-05:00Scholar Day in Iran - تجمع روز دانشجو در دانشگاه تهران<center><span style="font-weight:bold;">Iranian Students Protest Dictatorship and Gender Apartheid</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/ST3TtaJMDDI/AAAAAAAAAIw/vUvdIShO-SM/s1600-h/iran_protest.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/ST3TtaJMDDI/AAAAAAAAAIw/vUvdIShO-SM/s320/iran_protest.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277607115413523506" /></a><br /><br /><br />Two days ago, Sat. December 6, was the 55th anniversary of the killing of 3 students at University of Tehran.<br /><br />In honor of the anniversary, between 3000-4000 students (according to <a href="http://www.photoblog.com/zohrepix/2008/12/07/scholar-day-in-iran--------.html">this blogger</a>) rallied to protest dictatorship and demand equal rights for both men and women. Oh, snap. <br /><br /><br />Read more at <a href="http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/12/08/iran-students-protest-dictatorship-and-gender-apartheid/">Global Voices.</a> <br /><br /><br /><object width="325" height="244"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8JkJhl4kDqo&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8JkJhl4kDqo&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="325" height="244"></embed></object></center>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-34721843001821495302008-12-08T20:43:00.001-05:002008-12-10T12:28:47.941-05:00Zionism // Part... oh, jez, again?It's official. I've decided that one can't discuss the 'Islamic Republic of Iran'... that is, Modern Iran, without giving equal attention to Israel. Iran, a Muslim country, was a collective response to the founding of Israel... a Jewish country.<br /><br /><a href="http://whtt.org/index.php?news=2&id=2724">This article</a> came across my desktop today, and it was hard to ignore. <br /><br />This post makes a great companion piece to <a href="http://sendlovetoiran.blogspot.com/2008/12/huffington-post-sponsor-of-this-video.html">this one</a> I did a couple days ago. <br /><br />-----<br /><br />The Roots of Christian Zionism Part I, The Cause of the Conflict<br />Charles E. Carlson Dec 08, 2008<br /><br />America’s war based economy depends on Christians’ support <br />Christian Zionists, by whatever name, are the primary public enablers of serial wars upon Islamic states. Why? Because they have been conditioned to think of Islam as an anathema to them, much as many of us were trained to consider communists our ideological enemies a generation ago. Most Christian celebrity media leaders have allowed themselves to be used as propagandists against Islamic states with independent governments, including Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, Somalia, Bosnia, and in the future, Islamic states of Iran and Sudan. Our purpose is to examine why and how this has been done, why it is wrong and what can be done to correct it.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><br />The Christian Right’s world war on Islam was observed as early as 1983, and became official in 1991 with the first destruction on Iraq. Only Christian Zionists (known by many names) believe war is an inevitable part of their religion, so they do little to resist it. Due to this un-Christ like error, they have become the primary cause of our conflict, a conflict that has become perpetual. <br /><br />Christian Zionists, by whatever name, are the only remaining faction of any size that supports the war in Iraq. Therefore, they are largely responsible for the economic and social disaster, and due to the distortion of their own faith, they are the seeds of their own destruction. We find them among our friends, families and associates. This is a problem because we can not just turn our back on Christian Zionists, despise them, and call them fools; they are among our best friends, bosses, even our wife or children, so we need to learn to deal with them. In their formidable numbers we find them our best hope for the positive change from the warmaking state.<br /><br />Endless wars always have, and always will result in the destruction of both the morality and the currency of the aggressor and are historically destructive to religious freedom. High priced gasoline and food can be accurately laid at the feet of those few industrialists and politicians who see war in their own interest. They deceive Christian Zionists, making them enablers, believing that war is necessary to their faith. Judeo-Christians can be easily swayed to support conflict, so long as a Muslim is on the receiving end of our bombs and bullets, and so long as the state of Israel is perceived to benefit from it.<br /><br />I am in no way excusing cowardly Congressmen for knuckling under to the war lobby. We know some few gain a lot financially from war, and work for it. But these professional Warmakers are far too mercenary to believe that a God controls their eternal destiny. I also do not dismiss the influence of Jewish Zionists, who consider war in the Middle East in their national interest. But for every Jewish Zionist in America there are ten or twenty Christian Zionists doing the work of the former.<br /><br />It is my belief, as a follower of Jesus Christ, that Christians who turn from Jesus’ words, “Blessed are the peacemakers, and love your brother…even your enemies, as you love yourself”…these “Christians” deserve the hottest places in hell, as Dante put it. For if those who claim they follow Christ fail to stand for justice and protection of the innocent, who will?<br /><br />Change can only come from understanding the Roots of Christian Zionism. To this end it is urgent that all Americans of all religions understand why Christian Zionists believe what they do. Those who try to follow Christ need to rescue decent souls to more orthodox Christianity, one by one.<br /><br />Most Christian Zionists don’t know they are Zionists and might deny it. They usually describe themselves as Evangelicals, Dispensationalists, pre-Millennialists, or a “Born Again Christian.” Very few are comfortable with the radical elements of Christian Zionism if they stop to think about it, but they do not. Their church is to most, a comfortable social outlet, especially for their families, and a society that they desire. Their societal links are much better defined than the theological ones which most do not understand and can not recite.<br /><br />Restoring the walk to Jesus’ Way can save America.<br /><br />If Christian Zionism can be correctly exposed as a warring religion, America may be restored to peace, justice, and at least to some of the prosperity which we have lost. Many of us are all beginning to suffer economic distress as a result of the very wars Christian Zionists have supported, supposedly because these wars please God and are necessary for Jesus’ return to earth.<br /><br />At the apex of the Christian Zionist sect (which is only 100 years old) are leaders who include media personalities such as John Hagee, Rod Parsley, Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, and hundreds more. Each has openly expressed the view that war upon Islamic states is necessary and welcome. Currently, most of these call for America’s next planned serial war against Iran. Sudan is also on the war agenda.<br /><br />Dispensational bible students can be found in almost any church of any denomination because of the effectiveness of radio churches and giant international bible studies in homes and churches that transcends denominational descriptions. For instance, some Roman Catholics, Episcopalians and Lutherans are Christian Zionists because of their outside Bible studies and are ignoring the contradictions to orthodox Christianity espoused by their own church. In this sense, Christian Zionism is a disease or a parasite upon orthodox or traditional Christianity.<br /><br />The sixty-four dollar question is how do you identify a Christian Zionist, and how do you know if you are one? We have developed a 10 word litmus test that is non-invasive and usually welcome, so you can ask any churchgoer without hurting his feelings or starting an argument: <span style="font-weight:bold;">"Do you believe the state of Israel is the fulfillment of biblical prophesy?"</span> <br /><br />Tens of millions of Americans need to face this question, for if they believe Israel is the fulfillment of biblical prophesies, then where does Jesus fit in? Simply stated, either Jesus or Israel is the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament, but there is not room in Christianity for both. If you have been taught that political Israel is in any way involved in your spiritual life, you are infected!<br /><br />Orthodox or traditional Christians have always believed that Jesus, not Israel is the correct answer. Only Christian Zionism (by definition) assumes that political Israel is in God’s plan for the future, and that in spite of its intolerance, racism, and constant wars, political Israel is the chosen people of God.<br /><br />Today about one-third of the 210 million American adults who identity themselves in polls and census as Christians, are influenced by Christian Zionism. That is about 70 million, most of whom vote, making Christian Zionists the most powerful and coveted voting block in the world, as can be clearly seen during an election year, translating into some 26 million votes! This means they are much coveted by every political candidate.<br /><br />The most obvious example was John McCain’s reckless pursuit of Christian Right support that had led him to gross embarrassment at the pulpit of both maniacal Zionists, John Hagee and Rod Parsley, both of whom call for nuclear destruction of Iran.<br /><br />The teachings of Jesus Christ inescapably demand peace and love of one’s neighbors. This has been America’s one badge of righteousness. In the mid-19th Century, America’s churches led the cry for peace in a world where wars were all too common. It was later, at the turn of the 20th Century that Christian Zionism first took root.<br /><br />The French author Alexis deTocqueville wrote of churches while he traveled here in the first third of the 19th Century. He sang the praises of America’s invulnerable strength and spirit which he attributed to our citizens sense of morality, and even to the abundant church attendance he observed in America, which of course he would not find in his native France.<br /><br />DeTocqueville wrote: “America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.” He could not know that the churches he saw as the source of conscience were under a moral attack aimed at the very sense of justice he observed within them. <br /><br />War seeds immorality<br />The first attack on the churches came with the War Between the States in 1861-65, which scarred the sense of justice and morality and diminished and divided churches as only a brutal war can. The terrible slaughter called the War Between the States taught moral Christian men about mass killing. But it did not change their New Testament Bible; it simply allowed men to ignore it.<br /><br />The most powerful theological attack on Christianity came from Oxford University Press in England, which in 1908 published a false and intentionally misleading reference Bible called the Scofield Reference Bible aimed at creating a new religion, with the future state of Israel a semi-God in it. The term “dispensationalism” was taken from Scofield’s book, and is an assault on orthodox Christianity. Oxford did not just publish the book; it promoted it into the key places of study in America where opinion could be molded to cloud the peacemaking tradition of Christianity.<br /><br />Most pastors and teachers were unaware of any danger. A few foresaw the consequences of the heresy that to most seemed foolish, outlandish, and embarrassing. Few guessed it would come to dominate American Christianity when in 1948 the State of Israel came into existence.<br /><br />This new religion that chose the friendly pseudonym “evangelicalism” is the topic of our discussion. Religion scholars on both sides often identified it as “Dispensationalism” or “Pre-millennialism,” and “Judeo-Christianity” which are popular synonyms. We will presently explain some of these changes in detail, but first I want to show you how world-Zionism sold its stepchild to Christians.<br /><br />The World Zionist movement was in full charge toward occupying Arab Palestine by 1913. It was given a huge financial and promotional boost through Oxford University Press in England, which to the amazement of Biblical scholars published a new bible of Christian Zionism in 1908 called the Scofield Reference Bible. This book would be used as the launching pad for a methodical and spiritually deceptive growth of the new sect. Its leading was to be subtly used to help lure America into two unnecessary world wars.<br /><br />Not all mainline Christians were asleep.<br /><br />One of the few who saw the warmaking and heretical danger of the new sect, and actually called it “Zionism” was a well-known attorney, Phillip Mauro, turned scholar, who wrote a brilliant critique of the new cult in his 1927 book, Gospel of the Kingdom. Mauro wrote:<br /><br />“Through a recent occurrence I was made aware of the extent- far greater than I had imagined – to which the modern system of dispensationalism has found acceptance amongst orthodox Christians; and also the extent- correspondingly great- to which the recently published “Scofield Bible” (which is the main vehicle of the new system of doctrine referred to) has usurped the place of authority that belongs to God’s Bible alone.”<br /><br />Mauro went on:<br />“Let it be understood at the outset that my controversy is solely with the doctrine itself and not at all with those who hold and teach it, or any of them. Indeed I was myself of their number for so long a time that I can but feel a tender consideration and a profound sympathy likewise, for all such.”<br /><br />Phillip Mauro has been an encouragement to your writer, and to all those who support We Hold These Truths. He was a dedicated scholar with an engineer’s logic, and a lawyer’s tenacity that allowed him to foresee errors in 1927, that many like myself took five decades to recognize. <br /><br />This writer must admit and echo Mauro’s confession; for I, too, was “of their number” and like Mauro, I share “profound sympathy” for those caught up in dispensationalism. As his words suggest, we are not fighting Christian Zionists; we are trying to reclaim them.<br /><br />Dr. F. Furman Kearley was another who saw the path to war in the errors of dispensationalism. He was head of graduate studies at Adeline Christian University in 1983 when he wrote of Christian Zionism’s evil fruit of perpetual war in the Middle East. His short book, The Middle East Crisis in Biblical Perspective, takes sharp issue with those he calls Israel First Millennialists. He names radical prophet Hal Lindsay, and the late Jerry Falwell, whom he said would lead us into endless war with Islamic states.<br /><br />Kearley noted: “When the concept of Armageddon, as in Revelation 16:16 is raised, those who believe in a literal war at Armageddon often feel that Christians should work to start this war, and should vigorously participate in it. Those in particular who view this present situation as Armageddon…believe that Christians should support Israel with vigor and urge our government to take an active part in the conflict in the Middle East.”<br /><br />Kearley saw Christian Zionist’s support of Israel’s brutal occupation of Palestine as a precursor to more war in the Middle East. He concludes:<br /> “One needs to be absolutely certain that the doctrine he follows is God’s and not of men before he advocates a doctrine that would put the blood of other men on our hands.” <br /><br />Dr. F. Furman Kearley explains the neo-Christians’ love affair with war as a religious fixation, correctly stating: “Christians must (as a matter faith) pray for peace in the Middle East. Premillenialists must pray and work for World War III, so Armageddon will come. They cannot pray for peace.” <br /><br />If a follower of Christian Zionism would only examine the simple teaching of Jesus in the New Testament he will find not a single passage or phrase that would give a follower of Christ cause to take the life of another man, or another man’s child. Certainly we must not kill a man’s wife in a far away country. No such permission exists.-End Part I<br /> <br /><br />In Part II: We examine the bitter fruit of Christian Zionist's error...how followers of Christ were detoured to accept a false and anti-Jesus doctrine of Christian Zionism that leads to the death of millions in the name of Christianity.<br /><br />The Roots of Christian Zionism DVD (this is the beginning of the audio part) is a documented and sometimes dramatic one hour movie written by Chuck Carlson and edited by Tom Compton. It can be purchased from We Hold These Truths website Bookstore, and is ideal to be shown to concerned audiences of all faiths. http://eshop.cp.whtt.org/eshop.php?id=22</span>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-7388460273172928862008-12-07T17:00:00.004-05:002008-12-10T12:28:47.942-05:00Iranians' = Pro-AmericanWhen Michael and I introduced ourselves as Americans in Iran (which was <span style="font-style:italic;">always</span>, by the way, we never even considered claiming we were Canadian), we were always embraced with a sincere love and admiration. We were taken a back... in fact, we started to go out of our way to let people know we were from New York because we knew that people would light up and open up far faster than if we were from, say, Australia. "We love Americans", we'd hear often. Way different than traveling through the Czech Republic, where it was almost impossible to avoid being lectured on the incompetence of George Bush. <br /><br />......<br /><br />The following was lifted straight from <a href="http://www.bibijon.org/iranimage/">here, check out bibijon's page on Iran's Image</a>:<br /><br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><br />Middle East is dotted with anti-American populations led by unstable but friendly governments. The exception is Iran, with a pro-American population governed by a stable regime openly critical of American self-defeating policies in the region. Although, on cooperating with U.S. efforts against al-Qaida, there was little daylight between Iranians and their government.<br /><br />Based on <a href="http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/brmiddleeastnafricara/527.php">surveys</a> taken in Iran in early 2008 by <a href="http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/about.php?nid=&id=">WorldPublicOpinion.org</a> and <a href="http://terrorfreetomorrow.org/template.php?section=AU">Terror Free Tomorrow:</a><br /><br /> “While Iranians, like many other Muslim populations, have negative opinions of the U.S. government and U.S. foreign policy, they have a mildly positive image of the American people, and believe "common ground" can be found between the two societies. Most Iranians desire closer ties with the U.S., including more trade, investment and tourism.”<br /><br />The jaundiced opinion of U.S. policies, however, is not an affliction exclusive to 'Muslim populations'. For example, as Cathy Young, the contributing editor of the Reason magazine, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/opinion/21young.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink">puts it</a>: “A staggering 43 percent of Russians agreed in a poll last year that “one of the goals of the foreign policy of the United States is the total destruction of Russia.””<br /><br />-----<br /> <br /><a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A07E7DE163CF931A25755C0A9649C8B63">The New York Times: The Best of Enemies</a>? By Thomas L. Friedman, Jun 12, 2002<br /><br />Quick quiz: Which Muslim Middle East country held spontaneous candlelight vigils in sympathy with Americans after Sept. 11? Kuwait? No. Saudi Arabia? No. Iran? Yes. You got it! You win a free trip to Iran. And if you come you'll discover not only a Muslim country where many people were sincerely sympathetic to America after Sept. 11, but a country where so many people on the street are now talking about -- and hoping for -- a reopening of relations with America that the ruling hard-liners had to take the unprecedented step two weeks ago of making it illegal for anyone to speak about it in public.<br /><br />----<br /><br /><a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/11/asia/iran.php">International Herald Tribune: Many in Iran bear the U.S. no ill will</a> by Michael Slackman, Feb 11, 2008<br /><br /> America’s image in the Middle East is arguably as low as it has ever been. From the occupation of Iraq to the Israeli bombing of Lebanon to the prisons of Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, the United States has been cited in polls as the gravest threat to peace in the region. But Iran is different, even the Iran of bearded fundamentalists … <br /><br /> Generally speaking, Iranians like Americans, not just American products, which remain very popular, but Americans. While that is not entirely new - Iranians on an individual level have long expressed desires to restore relations between the two countries - the sentiment seems much more out in the open now. </span>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-13537234941869158512008-12-05T19:24:00.001-05:002008-12-10T12:28:47.942-05:00Huffington Post, the sponsor of this video, is banned in Iran.<center><object width="400" height="233"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=251385&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=251385&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="233"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/251385">Rapture Ready: The Unauthorized Christians United for Israel Tour</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user226360">huffpost</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.<br /><br />Read the full article <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/rapture-ready-the-unauth_b_57826.html">here</a>. <br /><br />From the video @ 4:45 "The one who forces Israel into a peace treaty with the Arabs is the one who is.. you've got to watch out for." The interviewers says "is the Beast" and they agree.<br /><br />And @ 6:24 “Another reason that we support Israel is that we have a common enemy, the Muslims. We are fighting what is behind the Muslim people, which is Satan. Satan is actually the one who is trying to destroy the human race.” </center>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-82962715511202842632008-12-05T19:22:00.001-05:002008-12-10T12:26:13.665-05:00Mainstreamedia // CNNFrom CNN:<br /><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/12/05/quranet.website/index.html">Israeli Web site advises using wisdom of Quran</a><br /><br />Quranet is <a href="http://www.quranet.net/">here</a>.BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-30933457841084467032008-12-05T19:20:00.008-05:002008-12-10T12:28:47.942-05:00Israel/US article by Robert WeitzelThe US relationship with Israel is fundamental in understanding the US relationship with Iran.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/STnHcAH45zI/AAAAAAAAAIo/zHbZrCjqwQo/s1600-h/israel_iran.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_IYngQOGxnn8/STnHcAH45zI/AAAAAAAAAIo/zHbZrCjqwQo/s320/israel_iran.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276467722324600626" /></a><br /><br />The foundations of modern Iran (1979) were built upon self-identification- Muslims standing up for Muslims, an opponent to recently established Jewish Israel (1948) and its lifeline, the United States of America. The rallying cry of Khomeini was in support of Arab Muslims, Palestinians, who were, in his words: "...oppressed by the Israelites". <br /><br /><a href="http://mwcnews.net/content/view/26909/42/" target="_blank">Israel’s Settlement on Capital Hill</a><br /><a href="http://mwcnews.net/Robert-Weitzel">by Robert Weitzel</a><br /><br />Soon after the sand settled following the Six Day War in 1967, Jewish settlements began dotting the hills in the occupied territories. These settlements are typically located on the high ground to better control the surrounding landscape. Today there are 127 Jewish settlements with a population exceeding 468,000 in the West Bank, the Golan Heights and in the suburbs of East Jerusalem—the last of nearly 8,000 settlers were removed from the Gaza Strip in 2005.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><br />According to a recent <a href="http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE15/029/2008/en/55336154-59a1-11dd-bc96-55b5ceea4018/mde150292008eng.html">Amnesty International</a> report, “In the first six months of 2008 Israel has expanded settlements in the West Bank/East Jerusalem at a faster rate than in the previous seven years.”<br /><br />Unbeknownst to most Americans, Israel’s westernmost settlement is not located in Palestine-Israel, but is 6000 miles away on the high ground overlooking Foggy Bottom in Washington D.C.<br /><br />This Capital Hill settlement of pro-Israel lobbies and think tanks strategically controls the high ground overlooking the United States’ Middle East policy landscape by having made kibbutzniks of most members of the executive and legislative branches of the government—including President-elect Obama, Vice President-elect Biden (a wannabe Zionist), and future Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel (a born Zionist).<br /> <br />While Israel’s hilltop settlements in the occupied territories—violating over 30 UN Security Council resolutions since 1968—are “facts on the ground” that make the two state peace solution unlikely, their hilltop settlement in the center of the world’s only superpower makes it equally unlikely that Israel’s right-wing government will feel compelled to end their “self defensive” brutalization of the Palestinian people, which has been condemned by the international community (UN, EU) as crimes against humanity.<br /> <br />John Holmes, UN Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, said that Israel’s blockade of vital supplies to the Gaza Strip in retaliation for rocket attacks “amounts to collective punishment and is contrary to international humanitarian law.” <br /> <br />Collective punishment is forbidden by Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which states, “No protected person may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed.” A “protected person” is someone who is under the control of an “Occupying Power of which they are not nationals.” Only the most ideologically blinkered individual would fail to recognize the Gaza Strip as occupied territory.<br /> <br />Israel’s current blockade of Gaza, which began on November 4, is resulting in what the UN Relief and Works Agency is calling a humanitarian catastrophe. Before the blockade, 1000 truckloads of food, fuel and essential supplies per day were necessary to sustain the 1.5 million Palestinians imprisoned behind the concrete and barbed wire of the 25-mile long border. Eighty percent of Gazans live on two dollars a day and depend on international aid to survive. Since the border crossings were sealed, less than 100 truckloads have been permitted through.<br /> <br />The imprisoned Palestinians—50 percent of whom are younger than 15—are slowly starving. They lack the fuel to generate electricity for lighting, water purification, and sewage treatment. The erratic, intermittent electrical power puts the lives of patients in intensive care wards and those who are connected to live-sustaining equipment in grave peril. The lack of basic medicines such as antibiotics and insulin pose an equally fatal threat.<br /> <br />Twenty human rights organizations and all Israeli and international journalists have been barred from entering the Gaza Strip since the blockade began. A letter of protest signed by most major news organizations was sent to Prime Minister Olmert. Israeli Defense Ministry spokesman Shlomo Dror responded to the letter by saying that Israel was afraid journalists would inflate the Palestinians’ suffering. No one is allow to speak out on behalf of this beleaguered population.<br /> <br />President-elect Obama has been speaking out “swiftly and boldly” about the economic catastrophe threatening our 401Ks, but his silence regarding the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe threatening the lives of Palestinians is both deafening and telling of the price he’s willing to pay to maintain his status as kibbutznik-in-good-standing in Israel’s westernmost hilltop settlement.<br /> <br />Obama’s unconditional support for Israel’s policy of “self defense,” preemptive attacks, and repressive occupations is not one iota different from that of George W. Bush, an internationally recognized war criminal. This is not an encouraging beginning for a man whose battle cry was “change we can believe in.” <br /> <br />By any rational, humanitarian standard, Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians amounts to collective punishment and crimes against humanity. Perpetrators of such crimes, whether they are individuals or governments or willing allies, are criminals who should one day sit in the dock of the International Court of Justice in The Hague—just as defendants sat in a Nuremberg court 60 years ago—and be held accountable for their crimes.<br /> <br />Until Israel’s hilltop settlement in our nation’s capital is dismantled, allowing for the possibility of a just and lasting peace in Palestine-Israel, its influence on both branches of our government and its insidious affect on US Middle East policy will continue to make willing—or unwitting—kibbutzniks of all Americans. We will be held as complicit, and as culpable, as the citizens of the country whose leaders sat in the dock at Nuremberg. <br /> <br />The world will ask, “Why didn’t you do something to stop it?” The majority of us will reply, “We didn’t know!”<br /><br />-------------------<br /><br /><a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3740797934091220239&ei=Fsk5ScW0JpOwrALVi9muCQ&q=the+people+and+the+land">People and the Land:</a><br /><embed id="VideoPlayback" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-3740797934091220239&hl=en&fs=true" style="width:400px;height:326px" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"> </embed></span>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339686757189091139.post-34890279534429205162008-12-05T17:12:00.003-05:002008-12-10T12:28:47.942-05:00U.S. Protest Group points to Media Seeding<a href="http://www.worldcantwait.org/">World Can't Wait</a>, an aggressive U.S. protest organization (that focuses largely on George Bush and his administration), has sent out a bulletin encouraging readers to contact editors of various U.S. newspapers in response to their assertions that Iran <span style="font-style:italic;">already has</span> a nuclear weapons program. (In the article, they are explicitly referring to a 'weapons' program, rather than an energy program). Theisen compares this to drumming up support for the Iraq War by seeding papers with implications of Iraq WMD's.<br /><br />From the bulletin:<br /><br />Challenge the Renewed Bush Regime Lies About Iran! Follow Ken Theisen's example:<br />12-05-08 From Ken Theisen, World Can't Wait Steering Committee:<br /> <br /><a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/12/04/MN3A14FHAN.DTL">This article in yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle</a> which originated with the Baltimore Sun. It appears it was in many papers across the country under different titles but with the same content. The article asserts as fact that Iran has a nuclear weapons program and goes on to detail how Obama may deal with it. I think we need to counter this article and others like it. I am relatively sure this story was planted by the Bush regime. It is similar to the propaganda put out prior to the Iraq invasion. It reminds me of the Judy Miller stories in the NY TIMES. <br /><br /> <span class="fullpost"><br /> <br />I have written the letter below to the Chronicle in the hope that they print it. (It is 199 words long.) I am also going to write a letter to their ombudsman to raise the same point and hopefully get him to do a piece on it. If people in other cities that have papers that printed this article want, they can use my letter as a sample to write their own letters. Ken Theisen<br /> <br />Dear Editor:<br /> <br />Please consider publishing this letter to the editor.<br /> <br />"There is no credible evidence that Iran currently has a nuclear weapons program. Despite this, the article "A Visit to White House can't even hint of enormity of job" (12/04/08) basically assert that Iran has such a program. The article states that Obama intends to halt Iran's nuclear weapon program. The author further says Iran is "rushing headlong toward building" a nuclear arsenal. He also refers to Iran's race to build a nuclear arsenal." Where did the author obtain these "facts?"<br /> <br />Both the Bush regime's own National Intelligence Estimate and numerous reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency contradict the above assertions. The "news" article makes no mention of these facts.<br /> <br />Prior to the Iraq invasion, numerous media stories appeared with propaganda from the Bush regime about the weapons of mass destruction in the hands of Saddam. Judy Miller of the New York Times often scooped other reporters with the "details" of Iran's [Ed. He may mean "Iraq's"] non-existent weapons programs. It turned out that her scoops were based on leaks from the Bush administration in it attempts to mislead the public. Is this happening again, but now with Iran the intended target? If so, why is the media going along with this deception?"<br /></span>BriAnna Olsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13134186809218863052noreply@blogger.com0