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US have set condition to join Iran’s nuclear talks. Iran’s governmental news agency reacted first to this offer. “US offer is propaganda”. Now, the big question is whether Iran accepts the Washington’s offer or not?

I think, what US has offered to Iran is nothing. I mean it is not something new. It is not even a face-saving step to stop Iran’s nuclear program. While they have mentioned enrichment of uranium is inevitable it will be suicide for the conservative government to stop the whole nuclear activities. Iranian said that they are ready to talk on number of centrifuges but not stop the whole process. Today Keyhan, the ultra conservative paper, mentioned that as US is at the vulnerable situation is suggesting the offer to talk. “US can not ask support of Iran in the Middle East and the other issues by using this top-down tone”, said Keyhan daily today.

But at the same time, Iran is in a very bad situation. If they do not accept, it is possible to loose China and Russia’s support. Americans pretend that the ball is at Iran’s field now, however nothing has change, compare to the past.

I think the best option for the Islamic Republic is to suspend nuclear activities for such a short time and try to build trust among the International community and then follow the nuclear plan under the IAEA watchdogs. It is better to get off the isolation than enrich 1 gram uranium a month with 164 centrifuge

"Freedom is very limited in Iran …We have tried to develop the minorities rights, but the achievement has been nothing…I believe in the role of civil society. There are many best practices during the last years which are a victory for activists within the society…”, said Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel peace prize at her talk at UC Berkeley last Wednesday. The hall was full of enthusiastic audiences who were listening to a tireless women activist in Iran. Some of the people criticize her and believe that because of her international supports and protection, she could be more outspoken. But she doesn’t believe in this way. What should she say? I asked her idea on this point at the end of the talk; “This is the way I have chosen. We are following a mild process. There is no benefit at a radical way. I never choose an aggressive tone. I am going to be effective for my people within the country,” said Shirin Ebadi.

I believe in what she said. She was the attorney of our case with her colleagues and once we went together with another journalist, Roozbeh Mirebrahim, to the court to answer some questions of the judge. She came on time, asked us many questions and gave some advises. However the officials didn’t behave well with her, but at the same time she was really patient. She also coaches many other cases of political prisoners, deprived people, and women and I really admire her….I interviewed her for twice on “Women movement and Civil Society in Iran” and I was surprised by her answers which was totally straight and to the point, despite the middle eastern style which makes simple things very complicated.Shirin Ebadi talked a little bit on her book too; “Iran, Awakening, a Memoir of Revolution and Hope”. I really like to read it...

Jan 17, 2006- Multimedia- First Session, Jan 17, 2006 Tuesday -(This comment is something just to get the idea of Multimedia which I have gotten at the Multimedia class today.)

I have taken Multimedia class and attended at the first session today. During the last years we have heard a lot that the age of journalism has finished. But nowadays, it seems by using multimedia capabilities such as photo, voice, video further than the text, the news organizations can survive. Multimedia makes news and stories much more compelling and interesting. Audiences explore the affairs, some entertainment, and increase their choices. But still the core of the story is the strong narrative.

Multimedia gives more option to the audiences. Just go to some websites which are filled just by texts. Just go to the Whyfiles, science behind the news, or Telegraph or many other news website. It is hard for me to even take a look. During the last years, most print media use padcast and blog but that’s not all the web can do

News organizations seem to combine the online staff and print staff to enhance their capabilities. Then you have multimedia journalism. Although the core still is the one reporter one story. One story one reporter we needs a multi media journalists. News organizations can survive by that. NY times, still has not had the journalist have their own story, as the result the graphic design and….

Just look at the successful samples and see how this medium is very powerful and how your choice of media really affects the story. It is not just change the journalist but change the whole part of the news organizations. In multimedia the form really reflects the story.

Here just look at some examples:
Official Site if the National Football League (They capture your mind)
The nature Conservancy
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Herald Sun
Interactive Narratives
NY Times- Iraq Coverage
University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources

Dec. 29, 2005- Last night I watched Munich at the Movie. It was about the kidnapping at Munich Olympic by some Palestinians. I liked this movie very much. “The movie opens with the now famous kidnapping of the 11 Israeli Athletes at the Munich Olympic Games in Germany….In this attack; all the 11 athletes and their abductors are killed. The movie then moves to Israel, which responds by creating an unofficial assassin band of five men who are given the task of killing the 11 Palestinians who were the masterminds behind the attack. This gang traces the corners of Europe to find them and kill them with much show and fanfare grabbing headlines everywhere.”

Munich tries to describe and show the Israeli vengeance against Palestinians involved in the 1972 and a circle of violations which doesn’t let any peaceful mechanism works and how people hurt in between. However Spielberg tries to remain objective; he sometimes goes towards the Israelis. He has said somewhere his movie is “prayer for piece”. But I think “If he really wanted to make it a prayer for peace he should have listened to both sides of the story and reflected reality, rather than serving the Zionist side alone.”

That’s a story of a young man who is recruited by Mossad to kill the Arab guys who were involved in this operation, and he kills some Arabs one by one. In between, We, as the audiences observe that how hate create hate and how the Palestinians feel discriminated and for them there is no way except fighting. That’s why makes for them Entefaze a way to take the Israelis behind the negotiation desks. That’s what is not understandable for the people in the west who are under the western media propaganda. There are some short dialogue about the roots and cores. But very little and that’s the point makes the movie something just to justify some crazy policies. In my opinions, that’s the rights of two nations to live peacefully and no one can ignore one side. However normally Western World sympathizes with Israel over the Palestinians, But there are some points to think how both sides are affected by the violence. We can ignore none of them. I suggest you to watch this movie.

The battle of 'Munich'-CNN

Mixed reaction to Spielberg's Munich: Terrorists outraged, Mossad ... What is the Word

Spielberg defends Munich ... but is the "controversy" for real? Cinematical

Arab Will Hate Munich, opinion.

Letter: Spielberg, 'Munich' undermines IsraelDover-Sherborn Press, MA 

Dec. 27, 2005: This is my story about the Iranian perspective of US for Limes magazine in Italy. That’s available in Farsi at Roozonline daily. I wish I could write it in English for you here, perhaps in the coming future I do. That’s an exclusive issue about the Iranian society and ongoing changes. Some of the Iranian writers and journalists have contributed to this issue. Recently, I have got three copies of this magazine. I wish I could read all of the articles and stories. Elena and Francesca, the first my classmate and the second my friend at the campus, are going to bring Limes for me after the holiday. Now they are spending their vacation in Italy.

Dec. 9 2005 

Here is my Op-ED in the San Francisco Chronicle  today. This is my first piece in American papers. I hope to have more chance to make more stories and comments.

Here is the first two paragraph of this Op-Ed:

"The Bush administration claims it is promoting democracy and human right across the Middle East. But for those of us in Iran who are fighting for these basic freedoms, the White House's policy is doing more harm than good.

When President Bush labeled Iran as part of "the axis of evil" in his 2002 State of the Union Address, his comment caused shock as well as outrage in Iran. Understandably, we found it insulting for our country of nearly 70 million people to be considered evil en masse..."

 Dec.

7 2005,

Is sanction against Iran one of the causes of the last plan crash in Tehran Tuesday? Some of the Iranians bloggers have mentioned that US is responsible for the plane crash in Tehran and some of the others believe that’s the Tehran officials who don’t care about the health of the people in different ways. Like always BBC tries to have a mediator role, but to say, that’s the Americans are at fault, softly.

I think both are true. There is no doubt about that Iranian government does not care about the health of the citizen. Tehran has been for two days off because of the air pollution. Is it the American sanction effects? Many people die during the year time because of the air pollution. Iran has the most died number of the road accidents in the world as the statistics indicate. Are Americans involved in that?

So, mismanagement and bad governance which is all over the country affected the people widely.

At the same time, we can consider the role of the sanctions in our country. The Americans have established the sanctions to limit the Islamic government political and economical maneuver. But what is the result? They have just caused decreasing the safety of the aviator systems and ultimately affect the ordinary people. Recently the Islamic regime has bought a luxury plane for the officials. So they will never hurt by useless sanctions since they have billions of dollars oil money

My friends, we can blame the Americans because of the stupid kind of sanctions, but don’t forget to blame the government who don’t care about the health of the people. Just don’t forget that the number pf people who died at the Bam earthquake in 2003, more than 26000, were more than all the killings between Israel and Palestinians since 1967. What does it mean?

Dec 6, 2005

Many of journalists, reporters, photojournalists, TV journalists died in a plane crash today. I am sad, so sad. The most unbelievable day since I remember. I knew some of them. Mohammad sadegh Nili was one of them. I just talked with him at the end of March at a press conference in Tehran. For more than two hours. I am so sad, he will not come back home tonight. He was just 26 years old. The C-130 was under the American sanction. It was old and worn out. One of my friends called me from Tehran. “How politics is dirty sometimes”, he said. I am so sad, while my friends are sorrow-stricken, i can not share my condolence with them..., with Nili's family and the others. Ah......

Iran plane crash kills 115 Washington Times
All 94 people on crashed Iran plane feared dead Reuters
Plane hits tower block and leaves 116 dead, Telegraph, UK

Nov 10, 2005
Little by little pressure on the Media by the new government is increasing. However most of the independent papers and magazine have been closed or try not to make sensitive the new government. The media atmosphere now is on the stand-by position. Journalists and social activists are waiting for the new gesture of the intelligence service about print media. But there is not any optimistic perspective. Some of the journalists have changed the sections they used to cover. Some of them have changed their job and now they prefer to wait for the future. The future that seems now is becoming more unpredictable.