A strange year for Iran

2007: A strange year for Iran

Jon Leyne BBC News, Tehran

Iran's president appears to revel in the spotlight

One moment, US President George W Bush was warning of the danger of World War III because of Iran's nuclear programme.

In the next, peace was breaking out. It's been a strange year for Iran.

For much of the year the pressure was building inexorably, as Iran refused to compromise over its programme to enrich uranium - a programme the West fears could be used to produce a nuclear bomb.

New sanctions looked inevitable and war was beginning to look like a possibility.

All that changed overnight with the release early in December of a new intelligence assessment in Washington which declared that Iran was not, after all, trying to build a bomb.

War 'impossible'

"It is quite amazing for you to wake up in the morning, and then all the accusations that have been stated against your country day and night, suddenly they have been withdrawn," said Saeed Mohamed Marandi, head of North American Studies at the University of Tehran.

President Ahmadinejad has not been far from controversy of late

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was in particularly good humour when he met the media a few days after the report was released.

When one reporter asked whether there was a danger of war, the president almost laughed it off.

"What do you think?" he asked the reporter.

"Personally I don't believe it," replied the reporter.

"Well, I agree," the president joked.

Indeed, most observers believe this new intelligence assessment makes war almost impossible, even though Iran is continuing to develop centrifuges to enrich uranium.

Mr Ahmadinejad immediately declared it a great victory for Iran. But politically, it is a double-edged sword for the president.

His government faces crucial parliamentary elections in March and his critics have come out in force.

Now Iran is the only country in the world [where] the interest it is paying is higher than the interest it is receiving. So, this never happened in the world Hussein Abdoh Former head of Tehran stock exchange

Hassan Rowhani, a former nuclear negotiator who may head the anti-Ahmadinejad list for parliament, witheringly declared that the president's foreign policy was little more than "letter-writing and slogans".

He said Iran's power in the world had been reduced by financial sanctions, not increased as the president likes to claim.

The former president Mohammad Khatami attacked the government's programme of "economic justice" and also hinted at support for university students who have been imprisoned by the authorities for leading protests.

Without the threat of war, Mr Ahmadinejad's strategy of calling all opponents "traitors" does not quite have the same force.

'Mayhem at the pumps'

Even the head of the Central Bank has criticised the way the government underestimates the spiralling rate of inflation, which most people believe has now risen to at least 25%.

Iranians have been hit by rising inflation in 2007

There are certainly plenty of critics of the president's economic policies.

"Now Iran is the only country in the world [where] the interest it is paying is higher than the interest it is receiving. So, this never happened in the world," said Hussein Abdoh, former head of the Tehran stock exchange.

"In my opinion that policy is taking from the poor and giving it to the rich."

In June, there was mayhem at the pumps after the government introduced petrol rationing.

This, in the country with the world's largest combined reserves of oil and gas.

So Mr Ahmadinejad is paying the price for his own mismanagement, sanctions on the oil industry, the banking sector and years of neglect of the economy.

But don't count him out quite yet.

Crisis or controversy

Earlier in the year I visited the annual Saffron festival in eastern Iran.

The release of captured marines and sailors had an air of absurdity

They grow more than 90% of the world's saffron here.

The president has increased saffron prices and pumped money into the villages.

Local people who are enjoying having telephones and running water for the first time still like him, and his brand of religious conservatism has plenty of supporters outside Tehran.

The president himself obviously loves being on the world stage, ideally in crisis or controversy. And he has had plenty of both during 2007.

There was the capture of 15 British sailors and marines in March in the northern Gulf between Iraqi and Iranian waters.

The episode ended with an air of absurdity, after the 14 servicemen and one woman were released, flying to freedom in new suits complete with goodie bags that were "gifts" from the Iranian people.

Even stranger was the president's declaration, during his appearance at Columbia University in New York, that Iran didn't have gays like they did in the United States.

And the president had to sit through a remarkable attack by the head of the university, Lee Bollinger.

"We at this university do not shy to challenge the failures of our own government, and we won't be shy about criticising yours," declared Mr Bollinger. "You exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator."

Surprises in store

But during his speech to the UN General Assembly, Mr Ahmadinejad was able to expand on a theme that has won him much support in the Arab, Muslim and developing world.

He aspires for himself and Iran to be a leader of anti-Americanism in the world and an opponent, for want of a better word, of globalisation.

It is a stand which has helped put pro-western governments in the Middle East under increased pressure.

Mr Ahmadinejad is enjoying his reputation as champion of the world's underdogs.

Will there be more surprises in 2008?

Could Mr Ahmadinejad be the man to lead a reconciliation with the United States some three decades after the Islamic revolution?

It certainly seems unlikely. But then Iran has shown in 2007 that it's a country that never fails to surprise.

Be a Prince in Persia

Be a prince in Persia

Jack Gleeson, The Dublin People

Being a princess is a little more difficult, but Northside People’s Jack Gleeson discovers that all visitors to Iran can expect to be treated like royalty.

Like the movie title, you could probably think of 300 reasons not to go to Iran, but you’d be depriving yourself of an experience of a lifetime. Zack Snyder’s recent epic blockbuster depicting Persians as savage war-mongers has angered an Iranian nation already suffering from decades of negative western perception.

But visitors to Iran are greeted with a warm welcome that makes our own cead mile fáilte seem almost hostile in comparison.

George Bush might have included the Islamic nation as part of his ‘axis of evil’ but as we discovered on a recent holiday to the cradle of civilization there can’t be a more friendly place on earth.

Iranian hospitality has to be experienced to be believed. Open minded visitors are fussed over, worried about and invited into the homes of curious locals, eager to promote their country.

The price to pay for this warmth and kindness is conformity. Foreigners are expected to respect the Islamic republic, so there’s no boozing and women have to adhere to Muslim dress code by wearing a headscarf in public.

Although many Iranian women wear the all-covering chador, many are pushing the style boundaries to the limit and the current fashion in Tehran consists of a thigh length, figure hugging jacket with headscarves pushed back to show off a variety of elaborate hairstyles.They also like make-up, but many haven't yet learned to differentiate between applying a little blusher and painting a barn door.
You’ll also notice many Iranian women, and quite a few men, walking about with bandaged hooters. There's more cosmetic surgery performed in Tehran than in Los Angeles and a nose job is something to brag about, so as far as locals are concerned there's no point in hiding it away until the scars heal.Iran is a huge country and visitors are often amazed at its diversity. Iranians love getting back to nature and with vast mountain ranges with snow topped peaks, miles and miles of coastline north and south, acres of green forests and enormous stretches of desert they’ve certainly plenty to choose from.

Most visitors begin their trip in the vast, congested capital of Tehran where the traffic is just mental. Motorbikes frequently mount the pavements and the few pedestrian crossings are largely ignored by motorists.Cars maneuver into whatever available space there is, muscling their way in front of each other and often avoiding a collision by a hair’s breath.Crossing the road is something of an adventure but Iranians have a developed a talent for just stepping into the maelstrom and artfully dodging their way across.We discovered you can learn this skill by closely sticking to their sides and following their every move for a couple of days until you suddenly find yourself confidently throwing yourself in front of speeding cars and somehow miraculously making it to the other side of the road.
Other than the chaos and excitement of the city’s bazaar, there’s not much to keep visitors in Tehran and Persian culture, history and hospitality is best experienced outside the capital.

Esfahan lies a few hundred kilometres to the south and is the jewel of ancient Persia. Iman Square is undoubtedly the highlight of this conservative city and is home to perhaps the most majestic collections of buildings in the Middle East, including two mosques and the stunning, six storey Ali Qapu Palace.

The vast square has changed little since it was built in 1602 and local families still enjoy walking around its splendid, atmospheric arched arcades.Further south again is another former Persian capital, Shiraz. Famed as a city of poets Shiraz is home to the Tomb of Hafez, an Iranian folk hero, but these days the city is also Iran’s pizza capital.

There mightn’t be any McDonald’s or KFC outlets but Iranians have developed a taste for fast food, which is a pity given the quality of the local cuisine.

As you’d expect, the kebabs are fantastic and Iranian rice is possibly the best in the world.

Most restaurants concentrate on kebab dishes but there’s plenty of other tasty options including some delicious vegetarian dishes.

Shiraz is also the stopping-off point for Persepolis – a vast historical site dating back to 518BC.

In its heyday the city spread over an area of 125,000 sq mt and it was here that all the people of the empire came to pay homage to the kings over the new year holiday.The ancient city was buried for centuries under mountains of sand until it was rediscovered in the 1930s. It’s now rightly revered as one of the greatest surviving masterpieces of ancient civilisation and Iranians are justifiably proud of it.

In a world rapidly succumbing to globalisation a visit to Iran is a breath of fresh air.

It’s a country of contradictions.

While women are expected to dress and behave in ways unacceptable to most westerners, they are also provided with equal opportunities and are treated with a respect not found western culture. Foreign women can safely travel alone and suffer none of the harassment often experienced in other Middle Eastern countries.

There are areas of poverty in Iran, but it’s not a poor country and while much of the nation appears to be stuck in a time warp, modern facilities aren’t hard to find.

As long as you’re prepared to leave western values behind, a trip to Iran will provide a holiday that will leave you breathless and wanting more.

Iranian actor in sex video scandal

Iranian actor in sex video scandal says ex-fiance faked footage

· Former boyfriend faces prison after extradition
· 100,000 copies circulating amid cultural clean-up
Robert Tait in Tehran
Thursday November 23, 2006
Guardian
An Iranian actor at the centre of a video sex scandal has spoken for the first time publicly to deny being a collaborator in the now notorious home-made film.
Zahra Amir Ebrahimi, one of Iran's best known television performers, is facing social ostracism, a wrecked career and a possible lashing after police seized copies of the footage, which appears to show her having sex.
The film, which has been distributed in street markets and posted on websites, has caused profound shock at a time when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Islamist government is trying to banish the "corrupting" effects of western culture.
It has been given added impact by Ebrahimi's reputation for playing religious, morally upstanding characters in Iranian state TV soaps. One highly successful series, Narges, was watched by an estimated 68% of the population.
Police interrogated Ebrahimi at length after being alerted to the film's existence. She has not been charged but investigations are continuing.
However, in an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Ebrahimi, 25, denied being the woman in the film. She dismissed it as a fake made by a vengeful former fiance who used studio techniques to form a montage of incriminating images designed to destroy her career.
"I watched the film after I heard about the fuss from colleagues and the girl in it is not me," Ebrahimi said.
"I admit there are some similarities to the character I played in Narges. It is possible to use studio make-up to have a person look like me. I have some knowledge of montage techniques and I know you can create a new face by distorting the features of another person."
Legal experts say Ebrahimi's denial may be sufficient to avoid punishment. Under Iranian law, video footage must be corroborated by supporting evidence or a confession. According to the legal code, sex between two unmarried people carries punishment of up to 99 lashes.
Ebrahimi's ex-fiance, an assistant film producer who has been referred to publicly only as Mr X, is in custody after being extradited from Armenia. He faces up to three years in jail and a £6,000 fine if found guilty of making and distributing the film, which contravenes Iran's strict indecency laws.
He admits taking part but claims that Ebrahimi suggested the film, which he says was shot in her home, and then distributed it herself. However, in a 45-minute interview, Ebrahimi - wearing a hijab and a long woollen coat - said her former fiance threatened revenge after she ended their relationship a year ago because of his infidelity. "He had a lot of affairs and our relationship ended in a very immoral way," she said. "He said he would do something that would mean I would be unable to hold my head up and would prevent me ever working again in Iran. I think this film is him trying to put his threats into action."
An estimated 100,000 copies have been circulating in the last two months. The accompanying publicity has prompted some parents to voice concern that their children have asked to see the film, which has been dubbed Narges II.
Private films showing sex scenes are not uncommon in Iran. However, Ebrahimi's high profile and the ongoing cultural clean-up campaign have prompted a sensitive reaction from the authorities. Tehran's chief prosecutor, Saeed Mortazavi, has ordered police to conduct a special investigation and wants death sentences for those convicted of circulating such productions.
Ebrahimi acknowledged that she had been emotionally upset but denied reports that the affair had driven her to attempt suicide. Her acting career is in jeopardy amid reports that her employers are considering dropping her.
But Ebrahimi, who comes from a religious family, said the heaviest burden came from being accused of immorality in a religious society. "According to the moral norms of Iranian society, it is very damaging for this film to be distributed under my name," she said. "If you look at my professional resume, you will see that I have taken part in mainly spiritual or religious films and programmes.
"My parents and I thought we were living in a society with common sense. Instead, we find that 90% of people are following this thing and taking it seriously. If people have a chance, they are curious about indecent and vulgar things."