November 24, 2003

Iranian vice-president blogs

Mohammad Ali Abtahi is the first Iranian politician who has a weblog (Unfortunately only in Persian). Surprisingly, he doesn't discuss much about politics in his weblog. But he takes secret photos from Eduard Shevardnadze, he tells the story of how he was among thousands of Iranians who welcomed Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize winner, in Tehran Airport, and he writes about personal and unreported conversations with prominent politicians such as Mehdi Karrubi, the parliament speaker.

Aside from his weblog in Persian and the photos he takes occasionally with his cell phone, Abtahi's website includes his biography, press mentions, picture gallery, and interviews; plus a guest book which is not active yet. the English and Arabic versions of the website are not yet working either.

"In this website, I'm just Mohammad Ali Abtahi; without my political and legal responsibilities," he writes on his website. He also adds that he's been reading and enjoying a lot of Persian weblogs in the past 2 years, and hopes he can have some other officials to blog as guests or answer readers' questions.

I guess he intends to run for parliament in the upcoming elections in Winter 2004.

Posted by hoder at November 24, 2003 3:32 PM

Comments
I wish to know thes site better
- By: amalsaleh on December 14, 2003
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I also wish I could read farsi so I could see what he is writing. For those who can and are reading it, what do you think so far?
- By: sanam on November 29, 2003
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That is so cool!...i wish i could read the blog. there's no content in the section called "english" ?
- By: Madame Blotsky on November 27, 2003
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I agree with Javadee. Nobody is going to vote, so it doesn't matter.
- By: American Guy on November 27, 2003
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well, Khodadad for some reasons I disagree. First, not much of Iranian will vote next election, second out of thoes who will vote, not many have Internet ( usually traditional people will go and vote) then out of thoes who will vote and have internet few are really bloggers or interested in blogging and the last is oot of those who will vote, have internet and do blogging, they may not be interested in him.
- By: Javadee Nekonam on November 25, 2003
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Good observation Hoder jaan! I think he is pulling a "Howard Dean" here by trying to tap into the internet voters! We will see how it works. I don't mind him, I think he might make a good public servant, although in Iran that seems to have a different meaning than the rest of the world!!!
- By: Khodadad on November 25, 2003
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