Category Archives: Islam and Democracy

13May/08

Iran: Long Live the Reformers

Iran, Islam and Democracy, Middle East, , ,

 

2/2/2004                                                                                                                                                                                          

By Nir Boms and Reza Bulorchi

Defying conventional wisdom, fresh voices of freedom appear to be coming from the Middle East as of late. Bashar Assad of Syria delivers his plans for democratization directly to the New York Times. Muammar Gaddafi of Libya delivers his to Newsweek as he claims to be an ally in the “war against terrorism” and invites the world to review his nuclear arsenal. Mohammad Khatami of Iran, the “moderate” president, threatens to resign due to an election crisis resulting from the Guardians Council’s decision to disqualify more than 3,000 candidates from the ballot of his country’s upcoming February 20 elections. Continue reading →

13May/08

Iranian Justice

Iran, Islam and Democracy, , , ,

August 4, 2004

By Nir Boms and Reza Bulorchi

It is not often that legal rulings in other countries make headlines in the United States. But two recent verdicts in Iran have made activists in the U.S. and around the world take notice.

Last week, Hashem Aghajari, who was previously sentenced to death by the Iranian Supreme Court, received a five-year prison sentence following appeals and a rare intervention that came directly from Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Continue reading →

13May/08

Facing the Iranian Elections

Iran, Islam and Democracy, ,

By Nir Boms and Elliot Chodoff
June 16, 2005

While Iran continues to play an ongoing nuclear ping-pong match with the European Union, risking the nuclear stability of the Middle East and a possible showdown with the West, it is also eagerly preparing for its upcoming elections Friday. Carrying the flag of Islamic democracy, the “rule of law,” progress and change, Iran is attempting to compete in two worlds simultaneously as it hopes to emerge victorious in both.

Continue reading →

12May/08

Viva la Reformers!

Iran, Islam and Democracy, Middle East, , ,

January 28, 2004
By Reza Bulorchi and Nir Boms

Defying conventional wisdom, fresh voices of freedom appear to be coming from the Middle East as of late. Assad of Syria delivers his plans for democratization directly to the New York Times. Khaddafi of Libya delivers his to Newsweek, as he claims to be an ally in the war against terrorism and invites the world to review his nuclear arsenal. Khatami of Iran, the “moderate” President, threatens to resign due to an election crisis resulting from the Guardian Council’s decision to disqualify more than 3,000 candidates from the ballot of his country’s upcoming February 20 elections. Among the disqualified candidates were 80 incumbent Parliament deputies – including two deputy speakers. The banning of candidates, of course, is never a positive step. But the political crisis brewing in Iran must clearly show that voices of freedom are indeed making headway there – right?

Continue reading →