Jamkaran-Moschee: Mischung aus schiitischem Islam, Geschäftemacherei und Aberglauben im Iran

Vor etwa 100 Jahren hat ein iranischer Bauer behauptet, an einer bestimmten Stelle in der Nähe der Heiligen Stadt Ghom (Qom) eine Erscheinung von Mehdi, dem vor 1200 Jahren verschwundenen 12. Imam, gesehen zu haben. Sogleich wurde an genau dieser Stelle eine Moschee errichtet. Aufgrund mangelnder Instandhaltungsarbeiten verfiel dieses Gebäude und geriet mit der Zeit in Vergessenheit. Reisende kamen nur noch selten in die Nähe der religiösen Stätte.

Doch hin und wieder machten Berichte von neuen Erscheinungen an der gleichen Stelle die Runde. Kurz nach der Islamischen Revolution erinnerte man sich an den Ort und begann damit, eine neue Moschee zu errichten.

Während der Amtszeit von Ahmadinejad flossen die Gelder reichlich und es wurde immer mehr Infrastruktur aufgebaut, um die Pilger mit Unterkünften und allem zu versorgen, was das Herz begehrt. Es wurden Hotels, Restaurants und Geschäfte gebaut. Finanziert wurde das von Geistlichen, insbesondere von Chamenei, von Anhängern Ahmadinejads und den Basaris.

Die Welt: Im Namen des Tyrannen

Der Diskuswerfer Ehsan Hadadi ist der aussichtsreichste Medaillenkandidat des Iran bei den Sommerspielen. Dafür muss er den Deutschen Robert Harting schlagen. Staatschef Ahmadinedschad hat seine Goldmission deshalb zur Chefsache erklärt

Von Klaus Schlütter und Sebastian Arlt.

Er trägt die Fratze des Grauens, ein Gesicht ohne Gewissen. Mahmud Ahmadinedschad war während des Iran-Irak-Krieges in den 80er-Jahren Ausbilder in der Basij, einer Miliz, die Kinder in den Tod schickte. Der sie für den Kampf an der Front und sogar für Selbstmordeinsätze rekrutierte. Heute ist er Irans Präsident. Als dieser schickt er seine Sportler zu den Sommerspielen nach London und auf eine fast schon heilige Mission. Olympisches Gold ist ihm in etwa so lieb wie das Uran, das er bereits besitzt und von dem westliche Geheimdienste glauben, dass er es auch benutzen wird, etwa zum Bau der Atombombe. Der aussichtsreichste Athlet, der Ahmadinedschad eine Medaille schenken kann, ist wohl der kräftige Diskuswerfer Ehsan Hadadi.

Memorial for Iranian Director Hamid Samandarian

Photos by Mohsen Rezaei and Ali Mehrabi, Mehr News Agency

The theatre community of Iranian held a gathering on Thursday afternoon in Tehran’s City Theatre complex to remember the great Iranian director Hamid Samandarian who passed away on July 12. Another gathering was held in Samandarian’s house and workshop as well.

Hamid Samandarian

Veteran Iranian director Hamid Samandarian dies at 81
Iran Book News Agency

Presstv: Veteran Iranian stage director and translator Hamid Samandarian has died at the age of 81 in the country’s capital, Tehran. Born in 1931, the renowned artist passed away on July 12, 2012 after a long battle with illness.

Samandarian learned the basics of theater under the supervision of some of Germany’s greatest masters.

Ghaliyeh Mahi, Persian stew made by TV chef and cookbook author Ariana Bundy

 

Cooking tip: you can also use pressed Tamarind blocks, pulp or fresh pods. However please make sure to remove any shells or seeds before hand.
This recipe can be found in Ariana’s latest cookbook ‘Pomegranates & Roses: my Persian family recipes’ (Simon & Schuster UK)
http://amzn.to/LZj3TT

Activists decry travel ban for young Iranian girl

Nasrin Sotoudeh

Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian Nobel Peace laureate, has written to UNICEF to describe the recenttravel ban imposed on the 13-year-old daughter of jailed lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh.

Mehraveh and Reza Khandan with court summon for Mehraveh (see high resolution)

Amnesty International has also issued an announcement to condemn the abuse and pressure imposed on Sotoudeh’s family.

Iranian authorities recently issued a sentence for her husband, Reza Khandan, and their daughter, banning them from foreign travel.

Reports: Iranian Opposition Leader Not Allowed To Attend Sister’s Funeral

Source: RFE/RL

Iranian opposition sources are reporting that opposition leader Mehdi Karrubi, who is under house arrest, was not allowed to attend the funeral of his sister, Zeinab Karrubi, on July 12.

Mehdi Karrubi in 2010

Iran put reformist cleric Karrubi and opposition leader Mir Hossein Musavi and his wife, Zahra Rahnavard, under house arrest in February 2011 after their calls for an opposition protest in solidarity with the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia attracted tens of thousands of protesters.

Since then, the opposition figures have reportedly been allowed only limited and controlled meetings with close family members.

Iranian authorities have not reacted to the reports.

Based on reporting by Sahamnews, Jaras and Iran Green Voice

Iran: End Abuse of Imprisoned Journalists

Source: Hunman Rights Watch, New York

Quash Politically Motivated Convictions and Release Them

Iranian authorities should immediately put an end to the mistreatment of two prominent imprisoned journalists and provide them with necessary medical care. Human Rights Watch again called on authorities to quash the men’s convictions, which violate their freedom of expression, and release them unconditionally.

Cartoon for imprisoned journalist Bahman Ahmadi-Amoui
by Touka Neyestani (source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran)

The Latest from Iran (14 July): Sanctions Watch

Mehr shows how Iran could block the Strait of Hormuz with its missiles — an interactive infographic has also been posted

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2049 GMT: Economy Watch. We started today with good-news stories from Fars about 5000 Iranians registering to buy the new automobile of the Iran Khodro Company and a “quality appreciation certificate” presented to Khodro by Renault (see 0600 GMT). We end today with this different perspective from AFP:

Iran’s auto production fell by more than 36 percent over the past three months, the industry ministry was quoted by ISNA news agency as saying on Saturday, citing “lack of money”.

Risks in the Revolutionary Guards’ Rhetoric

by ALEX VATANKA

Belief in their own slogans could be disastrous.

The State is a weekly column about Iranian security and diplomatic issues. Alex Vatanka is a scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C. Previously he was the managing editor of Jane’s Islamic Affairs Analyst.

Some in the ranks of the Iranian regime may be misreading the latest U.S. assessments and military buildup in the Persian Gulf. They paint it as reflecting American fears about Tehran’s ability to retaliate in the event of war. This is a mistaken and potentially dangerous reading of the situation that could aggravate tensions between the United States and Iran.

Last week, the American and Iranian media publicized the U.S. military’s decision earlier in the year to deploy additional minesweepers to the Persian Gulf. The reports pointed out that the Pentagon has doubled the number of minesweeping ships from four to eight and that Washington has speeded up efforts to introduce the so-called SeaFox underwater drones to detect and destroy any mines that Iran might choose to deposit in its southern waters. Elsewhere, a Pentagon report pointed out that the Iranians are steadily enhancing the capability of their missile arsenal. According to the report, “Iran has boosted the lethality and effectiveness of existing [missile] systems.”