Feb 4 - Resources About Iran

Below is a working list of resources that might be used during Feb 4 "No Iran War!" actions and teach-ins scheduled around the U.S. and around the world.

"Yes, they're friends with each other.
They should be friends."
(Rick Steves visits Iran.)

SHORT INTRODUCTORY VIDEOS
IRAN Documentary Yesterday and Today : Rick Steves - Light travelogue and historical intro. Good for helping people get a first glimpse into the human side of Iran. (60 minutes)

Thanks to Bob Bossie for the following video suggestions:

The Folly of Attacking Iran: Lessons from History (6 minutes)

Democracy Now interview with Stephen Kinzer - Kinzer is the author of All the Shah's Men, listed in the "Books" section below. (26 minutes)

Iran: the side you don't see - Short video with Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens "Peace Train") (4 minutes)

FILM RESOURCES
Persepolis -Contemporary Iran introduced through the eyes of a little girl, based on Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel.

BOOKS
All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror by Stephen Kinzer - Contemporary history of Iran, centering on the 1953 overthrow of Iran's democratic ruler, Mossadegh, in a CIA-backed coup.

ARTICLES
Israel vs. Iran: The Truth Slips Out (Thanks to Bob Bossie for this suggestion.)

WEBSITES
Code Pink: We Need Diplomacy with Iran, Not War
Peace with Iran
Fellowship of Reconciliation: Iran
Thanks to Mary Dean at Voices for Creative Nonviolence for sharing the three websites above!

RESOLUTIONS
Charlottesville, VA, has passed a City Council resolution opposing war against Iran.

THE VOICE OF THE PRO-DEMOCRACY OPPOSITION - Thanks to Danny Postel for the following links!

In "Raising Their Voices: Iranian Civil Society Reflections on the Military Option," the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran presents the viewpoints of 35 prominent Iranian civil society and cultural figures living inside Iran. Those interviewed are people outside the ruling establishment; many have faced censorship, harassment, and imprisonment for their opinions or activities. The interviewees unanimously expressed their grave concern that a military conflict would exacerbate the human rights situation and provide a pretext for the full militarization of the Iranian state, all the while increasing civil and political repression. The report concluded that a pre-emptive attack would be ruinous for human rights and democratic change in Iran.

View interactive website

View full report (PDF)

See also the works of Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council and author of the new book A Single Roll of the Dice: Obama’s Diplomacy with Iran as well as Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States


Related posts

Women Without Men is a recent movie by the artist Shirin Neshat, based on the novel by Shahrnush Parsipur.. The first time I saw it, at the end I walked straight to the ticket window and bought another ticket and walked right back in and watched it again. The film contains haunting scene after haunting scene, and it makes it clear that Iran is a place where people are able to ask questions about patriarchy and about what it is going to take to overcome it.

(See Women Without Men as a US-Iran Cultural Bridge)

I often refer to how important the films of Iran have been in helping me open my mind to the possibilities of a peaceful relationship with that country.  I have been fortunate to be able to go see some of the best films from Iran every year at the wonderful Siskel Film Center in downtown Chicago. The will be another Festival of Films From Iran showing there in February, 2014.

(See A Force for Peace: Getting to Know Iran Through Film)








It would be good if we could present this whole collection of learning opportunities -- this "virtual antiwar university" -- in a way that captures the public's imagination. Particularly since the occupy movement has done so much to mobilize people, to wake them up, and to lead them. Is there an opportunity to elevate this into something bigger than isolated teaching events? How could we make something like this happen?

(See Virtual Antiwar University )