back to article Iran’s ‘domestic Internet’ schedule slips

Iran’s leader Ayatollah Khamenei had best make the most of his time on Twitter and Instagram, since the country’s telecommunications minister is doggedly pressing ahead with his program to cut the country off from the Internet. In the fullness of time, as Sir Humphrey Appleby would have put it. In spite of Khamenei’s …

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  1. Earl Jones Of Potatoes
    Childcatcher

    easy pick

    just provide the link to the telegraph this way you don't have to add all those grain of salt.

    Iran is such an easy target to pick on, the mass media are doing a good job creating a boogie man out of a peaceful country. YES, more peaceful than US, UK and israel combined. After all, they haven't attacked any country in over 300 years.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: easy pick

      You're right. Iran just oppresses its own people. Entirely peacefully, I'm sure.

      Of course, Salman Rushdie might also disagree with your opinion of Iran's peaceful nature, too.

      Or perhaps any political party that isn't Islamic.

      Or anybody of the Bahá'i faith.

      But apart from that, yes. I'm sure the Grand Ayatollah is an entirely reasonable feller who would listen to criticism and respond in a most peaceful manner. Even if you drew him a nice picture of Mohammed!

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: easy pick

        Don't forget gays, they love it in Iran, what with the potential death sentence.

        Our military love the ied supplied by the Iranian military.

        Etc.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: easy pick

        Other religions are protected in the constitution... Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians - they are assured a seat in Parliament. In Tehran you can see Synagogues, Churches, Fire Temples. OK, no one is allowed to convert anyone, but they are allowed to practice their own religion.

        Iran's human rights record isn't great - particulate with regard to homosexuals and those of the Bahai faith. However, this is also the case with many of the West's allies - e.g. Saudi Arabia - and you won't see a Synagogue or a Jewish community in that country.

        The OP was accurate - Iran hasn't started wars but it's internal human rights record needs to be improved.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: easy pick

          "Iran's human rights record isn't great"

          I believe that is understatement of the decade.

          People have been put to death in Iran for converting from Islam, people have also been put to death for being accused of converting Muslims. This is rather beyond "not great".

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: easy pick

      " After all, they haven't attacked any country in over 300 years"

      Formally, perhaps not. But they've been an active 5hit stirrer in many neighbouring countries, engaging in proxy wars through the provision of training, weapons, money and people. Iran is not a peaceful country, and its leaders choose to be that way.

      Which is a pity, because the Iranians I've come across in the UK are pleasant, clever, hard working, reliable, and innovative. I suppose Iran is what happens when you let mad mullahs run any country.

      1. Fibbles
        Facepalm

        Re: easy pick

        "Formally, perhaps not. But they've been an active 5hit stirrer in many neighbouring countries, engaging in proxy wars through the provision of training, weapons, money and people."

        I'm no fan of the Iranian regime but that sentence could be just as easily applied to any western government...

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: easy pick@Fibbles

          "I'm no fan of the Iranian regime but that sentence could be just as easily applied to any western government..."

          Absolutely agree. It takes two to tango, and the proxy wars aren't one sided, but I think you'll find that there's only one Western government that really engages in proxy warfare, so to tar (for example) mainland European governments with this brush is a bit harsh. I'm not convinced the UK or anglophone Commonwealth countries have the duplicity and bad intent to do much in the way of proxy fighting these days, either, although that becomes a bit blurred when looking at failed state interventions.

      2. FrankAlphaXII

        Re: easy pick

        >>Which is a pity, because the Iranians I've come across in the UK are pleasant, clever, hard working, reliable, and innovative. I suppose Iran is what happens when you let mad mullahs run any country.

        Persians are generally good people, as are Afghans which arent trying to kill myself or my friends, but extremists, no matter what their culture or nationality tend to ruin it for everyone else of that political, religious (or non/anti-religious), cultural or national stripe.

    3. FrankAlphaXII

      Re: easy pick

      Kuwait, Iraq (though yes Saddam did in fact start the war), the UAE, the United States, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and everyone else that had tankers (including the UK and Netherlands IIRC) or Drilling Platforms that the Iranians attacked or laid mines against during the late 1980's really might beg to differ with you.

      So, are you a troll or just ignorant?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: easy pick

        If Iran had done that, the US would have initiated a war. Perhaps you'd care to link to evidence of this wide ranging attack on all those states ?

  2. Goat Jam
    Paris Hilton

    "You're right. Iran just oppresses its own people"

    What is it about western countries and their "our way of life is the only valid way of life" holier than thou attitude?

    Cultural imperialism anyone?

    How about we just leave people alone and stop judging them by our own distorted cultural standards for a change.

    Basing your culture on an obsession with cars, coca cola and vacuous celebrities is not necessarily the ideal state of human existence you know.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Western civilisation is a twat fest of epic proportions, yes. Don't think I don't want corporations like Coca Cola held accountable for things like, oh, bottling plants in drought zones, turning a blind eye to paramilitary operations in South American countries, and all the rest of it.

      Fucking saints in comparison though. When was the last time you saw a government sponsored attempt to assassinate people over funny drawings of Jeebus? What about a mildly provocative book accusing God's Zombie Son of being a bit gay? Perhaps we could call it, oh, "The Luciferian Verses", or something.

      Wonder what would happen if a certain satirist that worked hard to expose Coca Cola were an Iranian, exposing Iranian fuckwittery? You think he'd still be alive?

      This isn't a Holier Than Thou attitude. It's shooting fish in a barrel, because it's so damned easy. Wonder why that is?

      Incidentally, Belching Out The Devil is a damned good read, and he's done an hour or so long documentary on the subject if your Youtube-hunting skills are up to the task.

      I still wonder whether Mark Thomas would be alive if he were an Iranian in the same line of work. In fact no, I don't wonder at all. I think you and I both know he'd be in a box by now.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @AC 03:18

        I have seen the west assasinate foreigners on their own soil based on weak assumptions though...

        (You don't need to look any further than the drone "war" in Pakistan)

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Well

      Iran is mostly our fault.

      The massive popular support of the Theocracy was a response to the Dictator the US and the UK put in there, when we paid for the overthrow of Iranian Democracy in 1954, and paid to keep the Shah in power for years.

      Back then of course, we didnt make any pretense of it being for anything other than the oil.

      Unsurprisingly there not our biggest fans, and are unlikely to be so any time soon.

      1. kiwimuso
        FAIL

        Re: Well

        Of course it's "our fault" Everything that's wrong in the world is "our fault".

        On the other hand, to whom are you referring when you say "our".

        Hey, if you're not an Islamist or "native" of a country and you're white then it's always "our" fault.

        Sheesh!

        1. FrankAlphaXII

          Re: Well

          >>Hey, if you're not an Islamist or "native" of a country and you're white then it's always "our" fault.

          You also forgot to add if you're not gay, atheist or liberal its the exact same way.

    3. Steven Roper
      FAIL

      @Goat Jam

      Do you consider armed thugs kicking your door in and dragging you off to be executed for uttering the words, "I don't believe in Allah anymore", to be a valid way of life?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: @Goat Jam @Stephen Roper

        Do you consider armed thugs kicking your door in and dragging you off and imprisoning you because you provisioned a less lethal alternative to alcohol and tobacco to be a valid way of life?

        1. kiwimuso
          WTF?

          Re: @Goat Jam @Stephen Roper

          Eh! WTF are you on about?

          1. Ken Hagan Gold badge

            Re: WTF is he on about?

            I took it to be a reference to drug laws. Yes, there are "ways of life" that will get you into trouble even in the freedom loving wonderful west. But the original comment was referring to "ways of thought", so it was a pretty silly remark.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: WTF is he on about?

              I took it to be a reference to drug laws. Yes, there are "ways of life" that will get you into trouble even in the freedom loving wonderful west. But the original comment was referring to "ways of thought", so it was a pretty silly remark.

              Announcing that you're a practising Rastafari in many western countries is likely to get your door kicked in by the local police just as renouncing Islam in Iran would. Obviously the penalties in Iran are far harsher but it shows that western cultures are not quite as tolerant of 'ways of thought' outside the mainstream as some here seem to believe.

              1. Anonymous Coward
                Anonymous Coward

                Re: WTF is he on about?

                "Announcing that you're a practising Rastafari in many western countries is likely to get your door kicked in by the local police"

                That's a lovely strawman you have there; did you make it yourself?

                It's also hideously untrue, depending on what you mean by "many western countries". If anyone were to pay attention to the "Rastafari" comment, at worst I'd imagine the police in the UK visiting the house and looking for unusual heat signatures before seeking a warrant.

                The truth is that *most* countries don't care about cannabis unless (a) you're growing/selling amounts over a reasonable personal use, or (b) you're being stupidly obvious about your recreational habits in front of others.

                1. Anonymous Coward
                  Anonymous Coward

                  Re: WTF is he on about?

                  It may sound like strawman but if you'd lived for any amount of time in an area mainly populated by the Afro-Caribbean community you'd think differently. The police in the UK are target driven, including the amount of grow houses they have to raid per year. Lots of Rastafari grow a couple of plants for personal use because in their religion it's considered a sacrament. Police figures don't distinguish between a guy with one or two plants and a huge commercial grow house so raiding these guys is an easy way to push up the statistics. What's more, if these guys get raided once they'll often get raided at regular intervals thereafter. The reason for this is that the police know the Rastafari will start growing again regardless of being arrested and because if you can demonstrate to a judge that somebody has grown in the past it becomes much easier to get a warrant.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: @Goat Jam @Stephen Roper

          Do you consider armed thugs kicking your door in and dragging you off and imprisoning you because you provisioned a less lethal alternative to alcohol and tobacco to be a valid way of life?

          Not really, but that's more likely to change here than it's likely for, say, gays to stop being persecuted in Iran. 18 US states so far, isn't it? It's happening, slowly but surely the damage done by that twunt Nixon and his insane treaty is being undone. It'll come to the UK, I can see it happening.

          Plus, you know, we can actually criticize and say that the government has its head up its own arse with regards drug policy.

          As above, I don't deny that so-called "western civilisation" seems to be run by a bunch of bell ends. Fortunately there's too much cultural inertia behind the ideals of free speech and expression for our Dear Leaders to do anything about me calling them giant penis hats.

          1. Fibbles

            Re: @Goat Jam @Stephen Roper

            "As above, I don't deny that so-called "western civilisation" seems to be run by a bunch of bell ends. Fortunately there's too much cultural inertia behind the ideals of free speech and expression for our Dear Leaders to do anything about me calling them giant penis hats."

            I live in the UK where we have a lot of exceptions when it comes to freedom of expression. I've often suspected that the only reason we're still allowed to mock politicians and other public figures is because humour is a great stress reliever. The less stressed and restless your population is, the less likely they are to revolt.

    4. Ian Yates
      Trollface

      Quite right. I've suddenly realised how foolish of me it is to expect that every person on this planet has basic rights that should be protected by those in power.

      Certainly most are just pointless: education, health care, not being detained without reason, freedom of thought... why should we demand that everyone have access to these?! They are clearly "Western" ideologies with no place in countries such as Iran.

      Power to the few!

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