We have seen our own government and other Western countries moving to exercise greater control over the Internet in recent years — reaffirming the fact that the Internet may be the single most important vehicle of free speech created by mankind. Iran, however, is not to be outdone when it comes to denying liberties. A widespread news report stated that country is about to cut off its entire population from the Internet services on the World Wide Web. Such sites are viewed as polluting the minds of Iranians with unIslamic thoughts and ideas. Now, instead of Google and Gmail, Yahoo and the like, Iranians would have Iran Mail and the “National Internet.” Iranian officials insist that citizens will now receive mail and stories on a “clean Internet” designed and maintained for good Muslims. [UPDATE: The Iranian government issued a statement today responding to the articles on the Iranian internet that specifically denies that it intends to cut off access to the worldwide web]
The man behind this government toward an Islamically correct web is all too familiar to civil libertarians: Reza Taghipour, the Iranian minister for Information and Communications Technology. Taghipour is already individually listed on European sanctions as one of the people behind the deadly crackdown on elections in Iran. The initial report stated that he announced the setting up of a national Intranet and the effective blockage of services like Google, Gmail, Google Plus, Yahoo and Hotmail, in line with Iran’s plan for a “clean Internet.” The Internet was denounced promoting “crime, disunity, unhealthy moral content, and atheism.”
As part of the government control over the Internet, the government is forcing a registration procedure to apply for procuring Iran Mail ID, which mandates authentic information pertaining to a person’s identity, including national ID, address and full name. The government must approve you for you to join the Iranian Internet.
The move shows just how scared governments — both Western and non-Western — are over the uninhibited and free forum created by the Internet. The Iranian mullahs know that their greatest threat is knowledge gained from the free world. What the government refers to as the “scourges” of the Internet is merely code for free expression and free association.
The earlier report stated that the only Iranians who will have access to the foreign sites will be citizens granted such access by being placed on a “white list” set up by the government.
UPDATE: However, the Iranians deny that the worldwide web will be cut off. Instead the Iranian server will run parallel to the worldwide web.
Source: IBT
Even with the government statement that the original story was a hoax, it is not clear how much is untrue or the source of the false story. For example, the Iranian regime is indeed establishing a “national information network” to sure as an intranet approved and monitored by the government. Taghipour said the plan would be fully implemented by March 2013. However, he never said that the Internet would be cut off. Yet, the intranet plan still reflects a desire to create an alternative to the worldwide web by the government.
I am particularly interested in the source of the widely reported story. It seems an odd hoax since it was easily denied by Iran, which even denies the quotations by the minister.
idealist:
“I’ll check in on the monks, fancy the religious conserving the pagan philosophers.”
***************
The monks were one of the few literate groups around. You get tired of reading the Book of Armagh after a while and how many times can you pen an anthropomorphic initial in the Vetus Latina without getting bored? Aristotle and Herodotus make for better use of your mind.
I’ll check in on the monks, fancy the religious conserving the pagan philosophers. Lovely place for tales, some few I’ve been in contact with.
My most astounding experience was in Grand Place in Brussels where perhaps they were brother and sister who walked by. The spitting image of the fair people of the isles. Skin, facial structure, eyes. hair, bones, the whole dream imagined. They disappeared in the crowd before my courage grew to ask them their origin. Am certain they had magic wands in their pockets, and ancient words to be spoken in need.
As for bookburning, I guess Santorum will oblige them all.
The Irish monks were not exclusive in their efforts to preserve western civilization.And I didn’t mean to slight the Muslims or the Amenians, who also played a role in preserving the great thoughts of the Greco-Roman world. All of them played an important role in tending to the West while a dogmatic theocracy attempted to put out the flame. Internet censorship is book burning with a modern face but a long history.
Air drop millions of computer satellite dishes as well as short wave radios and begin Voice of America broadcasts in Persian.
Messpo, Bron, rafflaw,
You are all wet. It was the Armenians, the people of the book, who saved the Greek philosophers, passed it on the the Arabs, who passed it on to the Jews of Toledo, who translated it to latin, there (maybe) the Irish monks came into the picture. I’ve been saving that for weeks, and now got the chance to bring up the rôle of the Armenians. They managed to save it from the hordes of Constantine. And they gave us Agassi, too. And a great singer, whose name I leave to you to puzzle over.
Pissed? Hope not, In all good fun was the intention.
Jonathan Hughes,
Nice stuff. Don’t see any charity in your own comments.
In fairness quote from the Koran next time.
Or do you think, like so many that you have all the facts?
I can believe disinformation, and less than inquisitive, even biased, western press. A quick googling around shows a mixed picture regarding what is going on, and the intent. I can see how an authoritarian Iran is both interested in protecting their own cyber network, and in controlling information available. Clearly, anything that limits access to information smells bad.
To the extent that information is sought to be controlled, one would think the geeks are already hard at workarounds. Of course, that could be dangerous.
Note how access to information provided by Wikileaks is treated here in the “civilized” west.
There is probably as much politics behind the reporting of this development as technology.
To claim to have love, and then seek your own like the Iranians want to do means whoever does not have love. Love gives many good things. That is why it is called charity
1 Corinthians 13:4 ;
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King James Version
1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Don’t have love,and have the things God hates
<Pro 6;16These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. Rom 1:28) KJV, A reviler speaks froward words, unmerciful, maliciousness, without understanding or natural affection, proud, boastful, implacable, having a cold heart KJV, Matthew 24;9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
The Love of the Iranians is waxing cold, and thus pulling away from those that are around them in the world.
Oh fer chrissakes, is it too much to ask that you actually CHECK a story before running your mouth off about repressive regimes etc.? This story has been DENIED by the ACTUAL government of Iran. The Iranians ARE making a domestic network which runs PARALLEL to the internet, as a way to have a secure domestic communications system for banks etc. Lets remember that it was the US National Science Foundation that tried to cut off Iran’s access to the internet in Aug 1996 pursuant to US sanctions law at the time.
rafflaw:
thanks, and all this time I thought it was Arab/Islamic scholars. I guess both had a hand in saving Western Civilization.
Bron,
Here is one citation to what Mespo was talking about: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_the_Irish_Saved_Civilization
Remember your history. Repressive evil regimes always attempt to prevent their citizenry from learning. Best to feed them manure, keep them in the dark, and chop their heads off when they pop up. Think USSR, Cuba, Nazi Germany. The list, unfortunately, is long and limitless.
Jeff Metz
http://www.mostly-right.com
Mespo:
what band of Irish monks and when? Are you talking about all of the ancient Greek and Roman works the Muslims preserved and commented on in Spain which were then used by Catholic Scholars over the next 300-400 years to bring about the enlightenment and the reformation?
Thomas Aquinas, Peter Abelard, William of Ockham, etc. Those guys?
in 1985 I had an Iranian TA for soil mechanics, he once told me that his brother, a major in the Iranian army, was taking delivery on American weapons in Norfolk, VA. American sailors were loading boxes of weapons and ammunition on to Iranian freighters and writing “death to America” on the boxes. I thought he was high until I saw Oliver North testifying in 1986.
Those Iranians are a shrewd bunch of people.
Religion is a funny thing, Rick. In its purest form it can be a social good inspiring all manner of beneficial charities and even learning. You might recall it was a small band of Irish monks who saved the flame of Western Enlightenment from the Dark Ages. When mixed with politics however, it becomes an unmitigated evil as power combines with dogma to oppress and suppress the non-believer. Proof once again of the sagacity of the musings of the Sage of Monticello to the Danbury Baptists. Any wonder those trying to tear down the Wall between Church and State clothe themselves in religious garb as they seek power. Wolves always use lamb’s clothing.
Religion poisons everything.
Wow…. Stupidity knows no bounds…..
This seems more of a threat than a nuclear weapons program. I imagine the CIA, NSA and other nominal protectors of our liberties (snark) will be taking notes
I’m sure the Vatican is following thiis move by Iran closely. Something for our parishioners? Who knows, the Iranians probably bought the technology from a CIA front (shades of Iran-Contra affair) or a legit (?) firm.
Saudi has probably had theirs in place for some time now.
Of course some evangelical churchs had previously volunteered for pilot testing on the condition they got to keep it. So it goesn our world needing scape goats to ease starting the next war. For there will guaranteed be one.