 |
Wednesday, August 9, 2006
Iran: Global spotlight
Iran's fundamentalist government likes to pretend to be less repressive than it is. The playacting can be particularly effective with world audiences, which don't have to live with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's fanaticism.
In a particularly cynical maneuver, his conservative Islamic government has used the distraction caused by the Israeli-Lebanese war to target a human rights group run by Iran's most prominent activist, Shirin Ebadi. Last week, the government said the Center for Defense of Human Rights was an illegal organization.
In an e-mail message to supporters, Ebadi, winner of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize, said the group intends to keep operating, but "there is a high possibility that they will arrest us."
Sarah Leah Whitson of Human Rights Watch said, "If Ebadi is threatened for defending human rights, then no one who works for human rights can feel safe from government prosecution." But the world isn't supposed to notice.
On the Net: A P-I interview with Ebadi can be found at www.seattlepi.com/opinion under the Opinion Leaders section.
Tell us what's on your mind.
My web site
My Yahoo!
Google
· King County Charter: Looking for clarity
· Burke-Gilman Trail: Filling a gap
· The Tax-Cut Frame: Both sides pander
· Government crackdowns on journalists threaten democracy
· Palin's speech an unqualified success
· Stereotypes hurt the mentally ill
· Sarah Palin has plenty to say
· 'Stand Up to Cancer' responds to government's failure
· Palin talks the talk but can she walk the walk?
· Questions about Palin's resume are legit
· The unity on display in Denver
· If you're going to throw God at teens, also toss some condoms their way
more· Weekend VEB: Republicans will win; Take on convention, plus reader comments, Burke-Gilman and Sarah Palin
· David Horsey on GOP; Burke-Gilman, Charter Amendment, "Tax frame" plus reader comments on buses and viaduct
· David Horsey on GOP; Morning preview: Burke-Gilman, Port recall plus reader comments on buses and viaduct
101 Elliott Ave. W.
Seattle, WA 98119
(206) 448-8000
Home Delivery: (206) 464-2121 or (800) 542-0820
seattlepi.com serves about 1.7 million unique visitors
and 30 million page views each month.
Send comments to newmedia@seattlepi.com
Send investigative tips to iteam@seattlepi.com
©1996-2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Terms of Use/Privacy Policy
