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...to write freely and anonymously on various topics including forbidden or taboo issues in Iran. (1) Waves of press crackdowns had galvanized many journalists into turning to alternative platforms for their opinions. Since Mohammed Khatami's election as president of the Islamic Republic in 1997, over a hundred publications have been closed down in the midst of a public confrontation between the reformist and conservative camps. (2) Likewise, ordinary people have filled websites and weblogs about their personal lives with various matters such as art, culture, music, photography and sports.
Whereas weblogs went largely unnoticed and their influence underestimated by the government for some years in their infant phase, the authorities seem to devote a good portion of their time now to the analysis and restriction of weblogs and to the intimidation of bloggers. Journalist Sina Motallebi, for instance, was arrested for "undermining national security" through cultural activities and the content of his blogs. (3) At the same time, the case of Motallebi demonstrates the massive influence of weblogs, as the Iranian "blogosphere" united to gain publicity and to collect signatures for an online petition soon after his arrest. According to journalist Mark Glaser, the blogger was released after only twenty-three days in prison. (4) Some analysts such as Glaser claim that it was at this moment that the Iranian government woke up to the movement of bloggers in Iran.
It is this cyberspace to which Nasrin Alavi addresses her book We Are Iran. For her, "the virtual meeting place" is the only realm that provides a unique environment for Iranians "to bypass many of the strict social codes imposed on them by the theocratic regime." (5) With weblogs as one of the main sources of reference, Alavi attempts to march through the dynamic and sparkling history of Iran in 365 pages, with emphasis on the last quarter of the 20th century. In eight chapters, the author engages the reader through covering issues such as the revolution,...
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More articles from Journal of International Affairs
Modern Iran: Roots and Results of Revolution.(Book review), March 22, 2007
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