Word: tehran
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Piquant truths about consumerism or the human condition, and inspiration drawn from ancient iconography or found objects, unite the displays. Iranian artist Nazgol Ansarinia inscribes sofreh (traditional tablecloths) with the fluctuating prices of daily foodstuffs sold by Tehran street peddlers, making a trenchant comment about Iran's punishing inflation. Egyptian artist Huda Lutfi applies images of Egyptian pop divas to a triptych of female torsos, reminiscent of Gaultier perfume bottles, raising issues of gender politics and societal roles. "Being trapped in certain roles is a universal cultural phenomenon," she says. But how wonderful to have it expressed in such fresh...
...Sunday's strike appeared to have been aimed, in keeping with Jundullah's agenda, at escalating hostilities between the government in Tehran, dominated by Shi'ite Persians, and the Baluchi minority. The attack involved a suicide bomber entering a mosque in the city of Pisheen during a meeting between local Sunni and Shi'ite leaders that was organized by the Revolutionary Guards to improve dialogue between the two communities. A second bomber struck a vehicle containing several Guards officers. The dead included the lieutenant commander of the Guards' ground forces in all of Iran as well as the Guards commander...
...Despite the long-standing tensions between Tehran and the Baluchis - as well as other minorities that, together, make up almost half of Iran's population - the authorities were quick to blame the attack on outsiders. Besides condemning alleged Western support for Jundullah, the Iranian government sharply criticized Pakistan, from whose territory the bombers were said to have entered Iran, and demanded that Islamabad act against the group...
...clear whether the covert program was ever suspended. Former Bush National Security Council officials Flynt Leverett and Hilary Mann Leverett wrote recently in the New York Times of their conversations with Iranian leaders, saying "President Obama has had several opportunities to send ... signals [of good intent] to Tehran - such as ending Bush-era covert programs against Iran - but has punted." Iran has long suspected that groups such as Jundullah are supported as part of the covert campaign, and in 2007, ABC News alleged that Jundullah had secretly received advice and encouragement from U.S. intelligence officials...
...rods is unlikely to be affected. But in future talks with the Western powers and Russia and China, Iran could take the bombings as a pretext to change the subject from its nuclear program, putting its own security concerns and accusations against the U.S. on the agenda. Back in Tehran, the attacks may fuel the arguments of hard-liners for a more uncompromising response to Western demands and reinforce the narrative of Iran being under external attack, which President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Revolutionary Guards have used to justify the harsh crackdown on political-opposition activities...