BBC News | Iran arrests six for Zumba dancing BBC News Iranian officials have arrested six people accused of teaching Zumba dancing and trying to "change lifestyles", media reports say. The group of four men and two women were charged over their dancing and not adhering to the hijab dress code. Instructors ... Iranian children arrested for teaching Zumba and 'western' dance |
Here is the original post:
Iran arrests six for Zumba dancing - BBC News
Enough is enough. For decades the world has been dealing with a hostile Iranian regime committed to radical Islam, waging war against the West and sowing the seeds of destruction through sponsorship of terrorism. It is long overdue for that behavior to stop. The unelected mullahs in Tehran need to understand that Iran cannot continue to do as it pleases without any consequences. That important message was sent in recent weeks by the U.S. military, Congress and President Trump.
Iranian aggression in the Persian Gulf came close to sparking military confrontation that would have pitted the U.S. Navy against the worlds leading state sponsor of terrorism. An Iranian ship steered menacingly close to a U.S. vessel, ignoring radio warnings to change course. In the end, the American ship was forced to fire warning shots, ultimately defusing the situation.
This was actually the latest in a series of escalations at sea by Iran. In a stunning display of arrogance and antipathy toward the United States, Iran violated international law in 2016 by taking American soldiers captive and then airing video of the detained soldiers as propaganda.
These were positive steps that demonstrate President Trump and lawmakers on Capitol Hill understand the threat Iran poses to the United States and the rest of the world. Sanctioning Iran and putting Tehran on notice helps avoid an open confrontation. America does presently not seek or need a military clash with Iran.
In the meantime, Iran has found itself on the front pages of newspapers across the world for the wrong reasons and we should not let down our guard. The American public needs to be aware of what has been happening in the Middle East because of Iran and its bankrolling of terrorism and fomenting of hostilities. Keeping Iran in the spotlight is ultimately likely to prove essential for creating and maintaining stability in the Middle East and around the world.
A lot has happened worldwide since the United States agreed to the JCPOA (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), the disastrous nuclear deal that has allowed Iran to keep its illicit atomic infrastructure and continue developing its nuclear program without adequate supervision by inspectors.
Iran has also continued apace with threatening missile tests, which are particularly alarming. The development of Irans missile program has produced an arsenal with ever-expanding abilities to strike far beyond the Middle East alone. Iran already possesses the ability to launch missiles that can hit anywhere inside Israel. In 2015, Iran unveiled a new long-range missile that has the capability to detonate across large swaths of Europe.
Given Irans history of deception, there is a very real fear that Iran could violate the JCPOA or ultimately decide to abandon it altogether, moving full throttle to make the final last leap to nuclear capability. The bellicose rhetoric that is continuously broadcast by Iran demonstrates clearly its desire for confrontation with the United States and its allies.
America in recent days has sent a clear and united message to Iran, reasserting that its destructive actions will not be tolerated. The new law targets those people working to advance Irans missiles and weapons program, and it makes it more difficult for the regime to destabilize the region.
U.S. Ambassador to the United NationsNikki HaleyNimrata (Nikki) HaleyHaley praises UN for passing North Korea sanctions Haley: I am done discussing North Korea Haley: Ivanka sees herself as part of a public servant family MORE has correctly and sharply criticized the U.N. Security Council for the disproportionate amount of negative focus on Israel while ignoring the threat of Irans Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah. Haley recently reminded the U.N. Security Council that Hezbollah is the real threat to peace and security in the Middle East, not Israel, which seeks peace with its neighbors.
When it comes to Iran, America must continue to distrust and verify. The world needs to keep a close eye on Irans nuclear plants and also its hostile actions in the military arena. Congress and President Trump have shown they understand the very real threat Iran poses and must continue to be vigilant to protect the American people from enemies in Tehran who wish us harm.
Armstrong Williams (@ARightSide)served as an adviser and spokesman for Dr. Ben CarsonBenjamin (Ben) Solomon CarsonCarson: 'I'm glad that Trump is drawing all the fire' away from me Ben Carson: Give Mueller a chance on Russia probe Carson calls poverty a state of mind MORE's 2016 presidential campaign. He is manager and sole owner of Howard Stirk Holdings I & II Broadcast Television Stations and the 2016 Multicultural Media Broadcast Owner of the year. He's on Sirius XM126 Urban View nightly from 6:00-8:00pm EST.
The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.
See the article here:
Trump and Congress must hold the radical mullahs of Iran accountable - The Hill (blog)
Tajikistan on August 8 accused Iran of backing high-profile killings in the wake of the Central Asian country's 1990s civil war, including the assassination of former parliament chairman Safarali Kenjaev in 1999.
In a 45-minute documentary broadcast on Tajik state television, the Interior Ministry claimed that Tehran was interested in fomenting civil war in Tajikistan and provided financial assistance to the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) and trained militants linked to the party on Iranian soil.
According to the ministry, Iranian financial support and instructions to carry out assassinations were conveyed to IRPT militants through Khoji Halim Nazarzoda, a former deputy defense minister who was one of the Islamic opposition party's commanders in the 1990s. Nazarzoda was killed in September 2015 during an anti-coup operation near the Tajik capital, Dushanbe.
A number of Tajik public figures -- Mohammad Aseemi, a professor; Yusuf Isaki, a doctor; novelist Saif Afardi; presidential political adviser Karim Yuldashev; and a former grand mufti of Tajikistan -- were killed between 1997 and 2004, as were 20 Russian officers.
In the documentary, a man who identified himself as a former Islamic opposition fighter said that he traveled to Iran in 1995 and received sabotage training along with 200 compatriots in the city of Qom. He said he returned to Tajikistan in 1997 with clear instructions to kill political and public figures.
There was no way to immediately verify the man's identity or the authenticity of his statement.
Documentaries on state TV are sometimes used in former Soviet republics to make accusations against government critics or opponents.
Iran and Russia acted as mediators in the negotiation process that ended the five-year civil war in 1997.
The documentary aired amid tensions between Tajikistan and Iran over Iranian support for the IRPT, which was represented in the Tajik parliament for 15 years after the war but was outlawed and branded a terrorist organization by the Tajik Supreme Court of in 2015.
Several IRPT leaders have been convicted and sentenced to long prison terms on charges they say are politically motivated, prompting criticism from the UN and human rights groups.
Tensions have flared between Tajikistan and Iran in the past, with Dushanbe accusing Tehran's diplomats of carrying out excessive activities in the country.
But the documentary represents the first time Dushanbe has openly accused Iran of financing and directing political killings following the civil war.
See the rest here:
Tajikistan Accuses Iran Of Involvement In Killings - RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
The Iranian authorities must halt the imminent execution of Alireza Tajiki who was arrested as a child, said Amnesty International today, after learning that he was transferred to solitary confinement this morning and is due to be executed in less than 24 hours in Shirazs Adel Abad prison.
This is an utterly shameless act by the Iranian authorities
Alireza Tajiki was just 15 at the time of his arrest and 16 when he was convicted and sentenced to death. He was transferred to solitary confinement in Adel Abad prison in Shiraz, Fars Province, on 9 August. His family were told to come to prison in order to make their final visit. The authorities did not inform his legal representatives, contrary to Irans own laws, which require lawyers to be informed of their clients scheduled execution at least 48 hours in advance.
This is an utterly shameless act by the Iranian authorities. They are keenly aware that using the death penalty against someone who was under 18 years of age at the time of crime is in flagrant breach of Irans obligations under international human rights law, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, said Magdalena Mughrabi, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.
Despite this, time and again Irans judicial authorities and lawmakers have failed to take any steps to once and for all end the use of the death penalty against juvenile offenders. The Iranian authorities must immediately halt any plans to execute Alireza Tajiki.
Alireza Tajiki, now 21 years old, was sentenced to death in April 2013 after a criminal court in Fars Province, southern Iran, convicted him of murder and lavat-e be-onf (male on male rape). The trial was grossly unfair and relied primarily on confessions which Alireza Tajiki has said where extracted through torture, including severe beatings, floggings, and suspension by arms and feet.
Both the lower court in Fars Province and the Supreme Court relied on state forensic opinions stating that Alireza Tajiki was mature at the age of 15 and thus eligible to receive the death penalty. In a subsequent response to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in October 2016, the representatives of Iran reiterated their outrageous position that Alireza Tajiki had sound intellect and understanding about unlawfulness of the committed acts and their punishment at the time of the crime when he was 15 years old and therefore could be punished with the death penalty.
The Iranian authorities must immediately halt any plans to execute Alireza Tajiki
Alireza Tajiki was first arrested in May 2012 and placed in solitary confinement for 15 days, without access to his family. He was denied access to a lawyer throughout the entire investigation process. He has said that during this period he was subjected to torture and other ill-treatment to confess to the crime. He later retracted the confessions both before the prosecution authorities and during his trial, and has since maintained his innocence consistently. However, despite this, his confession was admitted as evidence during proceedings against him.
The Iranian authorities are demonstrating once again their callous disregard for childrens rights as well as fair trial standards. This is now the third time since May 2016 that the authorities have scheduled Alireza Tajikis execution. Rather than repeatedly tormenting Alireza Tajiki with execution dates, the authorities must once and for all cancel all plans to execute him, and grant him a fair retrial in accordance with the principles of juvenile justice and without recourse to death penalty.
Iran is one of the last few countries in the world that still executes juvenile offenders. In January 2016, Amnesty International published a report which found that despite piecemeal reforms introduced by the Iranian authorities in 2013 to deflect criticism of their appalling record on executions of juvenile offenders, they have continued to condemn dozens of young people to death for crimes committed when they were below 18, in violation of their international human rights obligations.
As of August 2017, Amnesty International had identified the names of at least 89 individuals on death row who were under the age of 18 when the crime was committed.
Excerpt from:
Iran: Man arrested at just 15 is hours away from execution - Amnesty International
In most democracies, a resounding win at the ballot box would put a president in a strong position to deliver promised changes. But Iran is only partly a democracy.
President Hassan Rouhani, who was officially sworn in for a second term Saturday, must contend with mounting opposition from religious hard-liners who keep losing elections but control key centers of power in the Islamic Republic.
The question is whether Rouhani can use his mandate to push through political reforms and social freedoms sought by his many young supporters or whether he will need to appease conservative clerics and security commanders who are the custodians of Irans theocracy.
History suggests that Rouhani has cause to be wary. His three immediate predecessors were reduced to the status of lame ducks in their second terms after clashing with the hard-line establishment, led by Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
There are clearly almost Soprano family-style moves to make him recognize how vulnerable he is, said Abbas Milani, a Tehran-born academic who directs the Iranian studies program at Stanford University, referring to the mob-themed U.S. television series.
Last month, Rouhanis brother, Hossein Fereydoun, was detained on charges of financial impropriety in what some experts describe as a shot across the bow by the conservative judiciary. Fereydoun was reportedly taken to a hospital the next day after appearing unwell at a court appearance and released on bail.
At his inauguration before parliament Saturday, Rouhani underscored the need for national cooperation and constructive relations with the world, familiar themes from his first term. Gone was the fiery rhetoric about freedom and civil rights that galvanized more reform-minded voters to his side during the election campaign.
We want to be a moderate government, Rouhani said before lawmakers, government insiders and foreign dignitaries, both in domestic and foreign policy.
Some of those who helped Rouhani increase his mandate by 5 million votes are now worried that the president wont fulfill campaign pledges to include women and reformist politicians in his 18-member Cabinet.
Tradition dictates that the president should consult the supreme leader about key appointments, such as the ministers of foreign affairs and intelligence. But Rouhani is said to also be running names for less sensitive posts by Khamenei.
One woman minister isnt a big deal. Why doesnt he try it? complained Siavash Ramesh, a 30-year-old political activist who until last week was an enthusiastic supporter of the president. We wanted more when we voted for him. Were unhappy, but what option did we have?"
The presidents defenders say Rouhani has been consulting with the supreme leader about his Cabinet picks more than is customary so hard-liners wont mount a challenge when he presents the list to parliament for a confidence vote.
He already faces accusations of selling off the country to colonizing interests after the announcement of a multibillion-dollar deal with French oil giant Total and the China National Petroleum Corp. to develop part of a massive natural gas field.
And new sanctions imposed by the Trump administration are providing grist for the mill of opposition to the nuclear deal with the United States and other world powers, Rouhanis signature achievement.
Although many of the most crippling economic penalties imposed on Iran have been lifted since the Islamic Republic agreed to curb its nuclear activities in 2015, the country has not experienced as robust a recovery as officials had hoped.
Foreign banks and businesses are worried about the Trump administrations more aggressive approach to Iran and dont want to run afoul of sanctions imposed by the U.S. for other alleged transgressions. These include Irans ballistic missile program, support for U.S.-designated terrorist groups and human rights abuses.
Iranian officials accuse Trump of acting in bad faith and have threatened to take proportional retaliatory measures.
"Iran will not be the first to pull out of the nuclear deal, but it will not remain silent about Americas repeated violations," Rouhani said.
The supreme leader, who gave his official endorsement Thursday for Rouhanis second term, said he supports extensive interaction with the world. But he advised Rouhani to be mindful of the plots of Irans enemies and reiterated the need for a resistance economy, or one that is not vulnerable to sanctions.
The cost of surrendering to aggressive powers is far greater than the cost of standing up to them, Khamenei was quoted as saying Thursday by the official Islamic Republic News Agency.
The supreme leader has been increasingly critical of Rouhani for policies that Khamenei says fail to protect the dignity of the Islamic system against Westernizing influences.
Such remarks have emboldened hard-liners who surrounded Rouhani at a rally in June and shouted slogans likening the president to one of his predecessors who was forced into exile after falling out of favor with the Islamic Republics revolutionary founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Embarrassing video of Rouhani being whisked away by his bodyguards was broadcast widely in Iran, including by state-run news outlets. Some saw this as payback for a bruising election campaign, in which Rouhani lashed out at conservative rivals for repressing dissent, accused the judiciary of breaking the law and demanded that the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard stay out of politics.
In office, however, the president has a reputation as a moderate pragmatist and consensus builder.
Rouhani hasnt gone rogue, said Reza Marashi, research director for the National Iranian American Council, which advocates for better U.S.-Iran relations. He hasnt approved a single thing without getting Khameneis approval.
Analysts expect Rouhani to focus on reviving Irans economy in his second term. Its an issue where he has a greater chance of avoiding real gridlock within the system itself, said Suzanne Maloney, an Iran expert at the Washington-based Brookings Institution. Its not nearly as dangerous as taking on issues of political prisoners or trying to open up the political space to those who feel marginalized.
Some experts believe Rouhani is trying to avoid a showdown with Khamenei in part because he is angling to succeed the 78-year-old supreme leader. If so, Milani said, the president could squander his political capital from the election and hurt his future prospects.
If he decides that the way for him to survive and win in the long run is to be more confrontational and rely on the power of the mandate, it will be a rough ride, but Im not sure he will lose, Milani added.
The presidents supporters have been pressing for the release of three opposition Green Movement leaders who have been under house arrest since 2011. But they arent optimistic.
There is a gap between what people voted for and what President Rouhani really can do, said Hossein Qayoumi, a reform-minded cleric and high-ranking member of Irans Democracy Party.
He thinks Rouhani might get some of the countrys rigid social and cultural restrictions eased. Satellite dishes that allow Iranians to watch foreign TV broadcasts have already become a common sight in Irans cities and towns, and the dress code for women has been somewhat relaxed.
But Qayoumi expects hard-liners to keep up the pressure on Rouhani.
For the countrys conservative clerics and Islamic Revolutionary Guard commanders, he said, its a fight for political survival: They know that if the winds of change blow, nothing can keep them in power.
Special correspondent Mostaghim reported from Tehran and Times staff writers Zavis and Etehad from Los Angeles.
Twitter: @alexzavis
Twitter: @melissaetehad
Link:
Iran's president Hassan Rouhani begins his second term in the ...