Gozareshgaran website Hacked

The Farsi-language website, Gozareshgaran, was hacked a couple of weeks ago. It is now back online (thank whatever deity you believe in, I thank perseverance!). The website is an invaluable place for reading about the news of Islamic Republic's oppressive ways and means, and this may have had something to do with the hacking. 

Some speculated that the hacking was a response to a particular report about the participation of certain people in a friendly meeting with President Ahmadinejad, in New York City, during his visit there to attend the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assmebly. The 'certain people' included Azita Shafaa-zand (pictured with the president above), a former spokeswoman and member of the executive committee for the Conference of the (Iranian) Women's Research Foundation, (Bonyad-e Pazhooheshe Zanan; Washington, DC). No wonder then, that in this Foundation's conferences the practice of Siqeh (temporary marriage, legal in Shi'ite Islam) has been presented at times as something positive for the Iranian women!!

Equally likely, I think, is all the reports regarding the Iranian government's daily violations of human rights of women, students, workers, and just about anybody who does not go along with a theocratic dictatorial political superstructure; as well as reports of the struggles put up by students, women and workers, as well as human rights activists. 

In particular, also, I think that Hasan Da'ie, whose writings are posted on the Gozareshgaran website, could have been the cause for the hacking.  Hasan Da'ie is an indefatigable writer who has meticulously documented the growth and development of a well-organized lobbying network that the Islamic Republic has developed in the United States. 

This lobbying network is well worth studying, so if you read Farsi/Persian, or have a friend who can, here is the link to Hasan Da'ie's website (note the link to his website, Iranian Lobby, in our 'Links' sidebar); otherwise find a well-meaning Iranian friend ASAP!  

This network includes, among its various prongs, organizations setup in recent years to pose as anti-war outfits (e.g., CASMII; a great detailed account of this organization is given by Da'ie -- well worth the read!). This approach is very effective. The tactic is, basically, to align with the U.S. left, and, via them, put pressure on the U.S. government to effectively block not merely aggressive military moves (which, of course, all progressive people have been fighting against), but to block any CRITICISM directed at the Islamic Republic regime.

The tactics employed by such organizations is actually quite similar to those used by Zionist organizations. These include hyperbolic exaggerations of how people (or entities) are trying to 'wipe them off the map', as well as labeling the critics of their beloved theocracy with anything from 'hawkish' to 'neocon' to 'intolerant' to even 'not willing to listen to others' views' (this last one really gets me laughing just before it really gets me crying, right after which it gets me banging my head against sharp, metallic objects on the wall). 

More on these characters in later posts ...