Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie Appointed Iran's First Vice President

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has appointed Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie to be the country's new first vice president, AFP reports. Mashaie came under fire in Iran last year for saying the nation was a friend of Israel.

Mashaie a year ago was severely criticised by the country's hardliners and even rapped by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for saying Iran was a "friend of the Israeli people."

He returned to the theme again in August, saying he had "no hostility against the Israeli people."

Mashaie, who will replace Parviz Davoudi and previously served as one of at least seven vice presidents, also came under attack for attending a ceremony in which the Koran was insulted, Reuters reports.

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Comments

[mergina]

Iranian Militias Marry, Rape Virgin Prisoners Before Executions

Members of Iran's Basij paramilitary force on parade in Tehran. A reputed militia member said prison guards in Iran marry and rape female virgins the night before their executions.

Members of Iran's feared Basij militia forcibly marry female virgin prisoners the night before scheduled executions, raping their new "wives" and making it religiously acceptable to execute them, a self-professed member of the paramilitary group said.

The anonymous militiaman told the Jerusalem Post that at age 18 he was "given the 'honor' to temporarily marry young girls before they were sentenced to death."

In the Islamic Republic of Iran it is illegal to execute a woman if she is a virgin, the former guard told the newspaper. So the government arranges "wedding" ceremonies to be conducted the night before executions, and prisoners are forced to have sexual intercourse with a guard.

Raped by her new "husband," a female prisoner is now fit to be put to death.

"I regret that, even though the marriages were legal," said the militiaman, who told the Jerusalem Post he had just been released from prison himself after freeing two teenagers rounded up during post-election protests.

Some of the prisoners in his care were drugged with sleeping pills to make them docile, as the girls in their custody always fought back, he said, fearing the night of the rape more deeply than their executions the following day.

[evagorman]

I don't understand how HP can go from mass coverage to nothing. There was a lot of news out of Iran yesterday. Army officers arrested. The VP stepping down. And today, Karroubi and Khatami in the news, but HP has nothing at all. This is a bad time to stop coverage.

[anti-tazi]

Meet the new VP of Ahamdinejad. He is rapture ready.

This is a video of the newly appointed First Vice-President whose daughter is married to the President's son is quite illuminating. Pre and Post-Rapture condition is also discussed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ummbfuemONY&feature=player_embedded

It seems that the Hojatieh faction is out of touch with reality. Their profound distortion of reality is very disturbing. He sees his task in the state to hasten the reappearence of his Hidden Imam. In a Hojatyeh's sense, it justifies more injustice, more bloodshed, and more destruction inflicted on our people.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ummbfuemONY&feature=player_embedded

[anti-tazi]

Fighting for democracy
At this stage the issue is far beyond what the Islamic Republic could offer as an alternative
http://iranian.com/main/2009/jul/fighting-democracy

[duxguts]

President I'amadinnerjacket sounds like a very nice man.

[bluemike]

The president needs a shave, a wardrobe change and a serious attitude adjustment.

[Rob Foraker]

Iranian election was a fraud election

[Wozzeck]

As Juan Cole notes at Informed Comment, Mashaie is his son's father-in-law.

[Wozzeck]

That was poorly phrased: Mashaie is Ahmadinejad's son's father-in-law.

[larmarch5]

Hmmm the tide may be turning. Calling out fraudulent elections, a US President willing to use diplomacy, and the wonderful world wide web have consequences. Wish we had been as fervent at the Iranians when Boosh got appointed by our supreme leaders in 2000.

[unite4change]

It's amazing that some Americans complains about the election in Iran being stolen but did not complain in 2000 when the election was stolen in America.

The double standard and hypocrisy is why others dislike America, it's always do as I say, not as I do.

[mommadona]

"IRAN'S OWN GEORGE W BUSH"....

[krisgarfield]

Oddly enough, this is a very good sign that this guy is getting quite nervous.

The days of these wacko mullahs are numbered. The unrest will arise again and become stronger.

[Itofts]

we all certainly hope so

[marymansour]

I think you're right.

[Aussieposter]

With a word of caution. Israel! Israel sees very little difference between the two sides in Iranian politics. Should it launch an attack Iranians will shift there attention away from domestic politics and on to Israel and the democracy movement will take a back seat.

The rest of us can look forward to paying $15.00 a gallon for fuel as the gulf explodes

[furioustruthtopower]

The really good thing here is that the War Hawks can no longer demand an attack on Iran when the Iranian people are fighting for freedom. It's hard to argue that the Iranian Government is going to attack Israel when they barely run Iran.

It is still quite difficult for me to fathom that there are people so dense as to actually encourage another military attack in the Middle East. Particularly involving Israel attacking a Muslim Country.

Actually, all I have to due is consider Sarah Palin's support in the GOP base and it becomes clear that fools can never be underestimated.

[wereeverywhere]

This protest has humanized the Iranians to a lot of Americans- its not just the bogey man of IRI anymore. There are a legion of reasons why any Mideast attack would be awful, and the blow that would be to the reform movement would be catastrophic.

[sparky73]

Iran is not an evil country. They just want to defend their country and lets face it, Israel has nukes and can disrupt and destroy this nation at will.

Iran has done NOTHING WRONG to Israel. Its just the conservative western media that has tried to throw fuel on the fire.

Its time we start treating Iran with the same respect we show the jewish state

[JerryLevy]

How is this sparkey?

Hey Iran, go ahead, we respect your right to use your oil wealth to support terrorists in Lebanon, Israel, and Egypt. We respect your right to stone women, to hang gays, and to foment intolerance of religions outside Islam. We respect your right for the leaders of Iran to bank the country's wealth in secret Swiss bank accounts and send weapons throughout the Middle East

[CigarGod]

Ironic.
You try to demean someone's intelligence with a nick-name....and then recite like a parrot.

[anti-tazi]

Basiji militiaman: I raped virgins before their execution

http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/07/19/basiji-militiaman-i-raped-virgins/

[yankees]

What a turn if this is actually true. i hope and pray that it is.