Iranians selectively barred from Swedish universities
Ice News
03-Aug-2009 (57 comments)

The seemingly biased measure is actually part of the 2007 EU regulation that was passed in connection with a 2006 UN resolution concerning sanctions against Iran. Sapo spokesperson Patrik Peter told TT: “It concerns not only that which is directly affected by nuclear weapons, but also aerospace technology.”

Sveriges Radio reports that Sapo, and two other government agencies, sent letters to seven Swedish universities alerting them to the threat. The letter noted that masters and PhD studies involving technology related to nuclear weaponry or the rockets that carry them could end up in the hands of the wrong people.

Patrik Peter said he was unsure if the restrictions would result in all Iranians being banned from Swedish universities. Nor does Sapo have any idea how many Iranians will be affected by the new measures. Iranians do, however, comprise the largest group of foreign students at Chalmers who are enrolled in masters programs, with 120 admitted for the autumn 2008 term alone.

>>>
Q

Thank You Sanctions Supporters!

by Q on

Great job Sanctions supporter. A generation of Iranian students will thank you formally in the near future.


Share/Save/Bookmark

 
Q

Kashani, you can blame the victim all you want

by Q on

and protect your "western policy" as you always do. Don't think people don't realize how hollow your so-called loyalties to Iranian people are.


Farhad Kashani

This is the result of

by Farhad Kashani on

This is the result of IRI’s actions which had led the world to look at a great civilized people as “viruses” and “threats”.

 

How dare do we think that’s its not the fault of IRI for portraying such a horrific image of our country and rather Sweden’s fault for not digging in between all of IRIs negative actions and images and find the truth? That’s obvious selfishness and pro IRI propaganda.

 

The IRI has turned Iranians into a virus in the eye of the world. We get harassed at airports, we get kicked out of schools, we get refused to give visas to, we are looked at as terrorists….all and all because how IRI has portrayed Iran.


Foaad Khosmood

This is terrible news.

by Foaad Khosmood on

I have friends who hoped to go to Sweden to study.


rosie is roxy is roshan

I need a break.

by rosie is roxy is roshan on


ex programmer craig

yawn

by ex programmer craig on

...


Q

Craig, Craig, Craig....

by Q on

I have heard of highly idological and/or brainwashed people not being able to see reality because of a psychological mental block, but your case takes the cake!

Not only did you miss the sarcasm, but also the clear fact that you started the name calling with "scumbag"! This is proof of your oft-repeated self serving double standard.


ex programmer craig

Q

by ex programmer craig on

What can I say, I love teaching self-righteous neofascists...

Got some proof of that accusation? :D

You've been doing that kind of name calling here for years, Q. That's why it's ridiculous for you to be playing the victim, or for you to be demanding that people provide evidence when they call you names back.

 

 


Q

Oh that's rich Craig!

by Q on

Yes, I get it. It's just "your" opinion, and you don't have to justify it to anybody. As I said before, I just want to make sure everyone knows it is an irrational one. Let's face it, no one has ever accused you of being able to compete on facts.

It is "kinda weird" isn't it. On the one hand you're saying, opinions are opinions and you dont' need any facts to justify them. On the other hand, you're accusing me of not answering questions, so that my opinions couldn't be used to "prove" something?

I guess, I now know your "opinion" on "double standards."

I "seem" to be a "scumbag" ? Haha!

What can I say, I love teaching self-righteous neofascists a painful lesson about just how little power they actually have compared to their image of themselves.

And that's my opinion!


rosie is roxy is roshan

Previous thread a lot of people here were on was...

by rosie is roxy is roshan on

draining and exhausting enough! Please try to keep the language down. No, I am not one to talk, but that is my whole point. Too draining, doesn't go anywhere, not productive...

please pull back a little...

no I am not going to flag.


ex programmer craig

Q

by ex programmer craig on

How many times have you used the words "proof" and "evidence" in this thread? I would have thought you of all people would know better than to claim people need to prove their personal opinions :p

Also, it's kinda weird for a guy who is so sleazy as to dodge every question that is asked of him to be talking about "evidence". Is that why you won't ever say what your true opinions are? You don't want anyone to ever be able to "prove" you are the scumbag you seem to be? That doesn't really work, you know? Everyone has you pretty much figured out... the questions people ask are an opportunity for you to set the record straight, if people are wrong about you. Your refusal to address the challenges put before you is all the proof anyone needs.

 


Farhad Kashani

IRI supporters get more desperate by the second!

by Farhad Kashani on

These pathetic IRI supporters are funny.

 

They’re funny because they say that “we gonna commit the crime, but you shouldn’t be punishing us, and if you do punish us, we will call you all kind of names such as “Neo Cons”, “Zionists”, “Gharb Zadeh”, “BBC Spy….”. Hilarious!

 

They never ask themselves why do Iranians get treated like viruses in airports all around the world, and why does the Iranian passport is the least valuable passport (next to Afghani!), and why we are always labeled and harassed? The extent of their understanding doesn’t pass the dumb argument that “the world hates our glorious civilization” or “they hate us because we stand against Israel”!! They are incapable of understanding that we are paying the price of the acts and savagery of a regime that has damaged Iran’s reputation so bad, that it will take more than one generation to repair.

 

We are sanctioned because of IRI, we get harassed because of IRI, we get labeled because of IRI, we get questioned at airport because of IRI. IRI is the virus. If you want sanctions to be removed, help people remove IRI, not support it and apologize for it.

 

I was recently in an airport of a country that IRI calls “friend”!, and I saw out of all the passengers, only an Iranian (with Iranian passport) was taken for additional questioning! In the same flight, I saw Arabs and Israelis too, they didn’t have any issues. The poor guy was telling me he has spent 7 hours going back and forth with the authorities!

 

Thank you IRI supporters!


Q

Craig, you're grasping for straws

by Q on

Anonymous8 us entirely right. If as you claim (with no evidence) that the act of espionage was "helping an ally" and harmless, then why was it illegal? Everyone knows US shares massive intelligence with Israel and this could have been given legally if there was good justification. The fact that the American had to break national security laws it means he harmed US interests.

Maybe the US wanted to mislead Israel, or maybe it wanted to withhold that information in exchange for something else.

You can't say breaking the law is OK because you think it was for a good reason. There is an entire justice system that says your wrong!

Let's face it, you have a bias in favor of Israel and against Iran. You have a clear double-standard based only on personal prejudice and subjective feelings.

You say "why can't I consdier them enemies of the US without proof?" Of course you can. I can do the same to you or worse. But it would be irrational speculation. So long as you understand that, you can go ahead and do it to your heart's desire.

I think your challenge of finding Jewish-Americans who have betrayed America is really juvenile. Obviously some have, as have some Muslims and Christians. But in case you missed it our friend A8 gave you another example.
//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_and_Ethel_Rose...


capt_ayhab

Rosie Jan

by capt_ayhab on

You stated[That segwayed into the sanctions part. I think anyone would agree with
the military part. But are you saying siding with someone about
implementing harsh sanctions is also an act of treason? It's unclear
(to me...)
]

Sanction may or may not be a gray area, at least to me. Principle is I do not wish any more hardship for already hurt Iranian population. Hurt by horrible mismanagement of economy by Ahmadinajed and the ilk, Hurt by runaway inflation of close to 25%, Hurt by double digit unemployment etc etc.

To top it all off been the social misery that oppression of past 30 years has brought for the YOUNG demographic of the country, from women, to men to children to young and old alike. 

These are the social implications of the massive sanctions that are being planned.

 

To your question: Do I see an act of treason to side with a western country[USA] for harsh and massive sanction?  principally, to support any move by an Iranian that could causes hardship on the population of  Iran is act of treachery. Keep in mind that I have qualified the statement by saying that it is a gray area.

Gray Area how???? Lets look at the purpose behind these sanctions. They are being proposed to curtail any ambition by IR to acquire atomic arsenal. Who would be the beneficiary of this sanction, if they ever succeed is of another debate. But important point is that these sanctions are NOT for the support of democratic movement in Iran. Proof, the stand  Mr. Obama took on election issue, because hells bells that would have been  interference in internal affairs!!!

Iranian people are going to see right through the purpose behind sanction due to the fact how SOFT Obama was criticizing the fraudulent result. Not to mention IR's massive propaganda machine which will  turn the sanction to their full advantage.[See my prior comment]

End does NOT justify means.

 

-YT 


ex programmer craig

Anonymous8

by ex programmer craig on

what part of CONVICTED ON ESPIONAGE AGAINST THE UNITED STATES don't you understand? that's not harming the us???

 

Three question marks at the end! You must be REALLY sure that it harms us, eh? So can you explain to me how it damages the United States? Other than offending our delicate sensibilities, I mean?


you are being silly. "motivation" is not the point.

Of course, motivation is the entire point. Malice matters. At least, it matters to me. And since it's my opinion we are talking about and not a legal case, that's what you've got to prove to me.

Q? Mola Nasreedeen? Jello? You? When you try to deny that the Islamic Republic has been responsible for the deaths of Americans, the kidnapping of Americans, so on and so forth, like I've seen every one of you do in regards to Hezbollah, Iraq, and so on... that harms us. When you say that we deserved something like the hostage crisis in 1979, that not only harms us, it demonstrates malice against Americans. When you go so far as to *ridicule* us for being upset by these things, which I've seen your crew do on this website... well, what do you want me to say? Them's fighting words.

Show me some American Jews who behave that way. Not even Noam Chomsky is such an ass.

 


Anonymous8

another example: Jula/ethel Rosenberg

by Anonymous8 on

you wanted it, you got i! whats your excuse this time?

 


Anonymous8

Dear mr. Craig

by Anonymous8 on

what part of CONVICTED ON ESPIONAGE AGAINST THE UNITED STATES don't you understand? that's not harming the us???

you are being silly. "motivation" is not the point. you use motivation so that it could be up your decision rather than the court that already ruled. motivation has never been a reason to break a law.

so, if an Iranian is convicted, that wnt be enough proof for that either if motivation was good? how do you know what they wanted to do with the secret classified info? how do you know harming iran is in interest of the us? you don't know!

and i'm sorry. "behavior" IS a guess. i am very glad for you that you did not go to any authorities with this "behvaior" it might be you who would be locked up!


Mola Nasredeen

Programmer, you want me to name an anti American Jew?

by Mola Nasredeen on

I'm sorry Rosie I had to expose you for your socialist propaganda. You have betrayed capitalism and your country.  Programmer promise me you wont waterboard her. 


ex programmer craig

Anonymous8 + a PS

by ex programmer craig on


you say they are "enemies of the us" based on what? your guess?

No, their behavior :)

Why? Are you trying to claim I have to "prove" somebody is an enemy of the US before I can consider them so? lol.

I'm neither judge, jury nor executioner. If I think somebody is an enemy of the US then I get to say so, with or without proof. And there isn't a damn thing you can do about it.

can you show us?

Why not just ask them? If they are honest (and they MUST be, since they are such good friends of yours, right?) they will admit it. Right?

Oh wait. Q won't. Q doesn't answer any questions, just on general principals. It's not that he's embarrassed about the answers, but rather the fact that nobody on this website is worthy of being taken seriously by him.


i cant believe you don't know about this. did you call "moral" treason on this when it came out? i copy for you from wiki:

Did you totally miss the part where I asked you do to identify Jewish Americans who intended to HARM the United States? You provided me with proof of Jewish Americans meaning to harm Iran. If they are Iranian Jewish Americans, I suppose you can accuse them of being traitors to Iran, but since I'm not Iranian I have to pass on that one. 

PS-In case you still don't get it: every country engages in espionage. If the motivation is to help an ally, it's still espionage but it is not treason. If the motivation is to harm the country that is being spied on, it is both. You provided an example of the former. I asked for examples of the latter. 


Anonymous8

Dear mr. Craig

by Anonymous8 on

you say they are "enemies of the us" based on what? your guess? can you show us?

i cant believe you don't know about this. did you call "moral" treason on this when it came out? i copy for you from wiki:

"The Lawrence Franklin espionage scandal (also known as the AIPAC espionage scandal) refers to allegations that information regardingUnited States policy towards Iran was passed to Israel through Lawrence Franklin via staffers of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee(AIPAC). Franklin, a former United States Department of Defense employee, pled guilty to several espionage-related charges and was sentenced in January 2006 to nearly 13 years of prison which was later reduced to ten months house arrest. Two former AIPAC employees were also indicted, but the case was dismissed."

 


ex programmer craig

capt_ayhab

by ex programmer craig on

You would not want anyone American propagating any sort of interference by outside forces in order to fix lets say US economic problems would you?

No, but if I was engaged in a civil war in the US and my side was losing, I'd damn sure want some help. And I'd probably consider myself a patriot, too :)

I'm not going to argue with you about the sanctions and their justifications or lack thereof. I wholeheartedly support unilateral US sanctions on Iran, due to the complete breakdown of relations between teh two countries in 1979. I have mixed feelings about the International Sanctions. So I'm not really sure where I satnd on that. I was more interested in talking about the whole "treason" thing.


rosie is roxy is roshan

Treason (Cap'n again)

by rosie is roxy is roshan on

You wrote:

My stance is, anyone propagating  military attack by foreign forces to his/her homeland is a traitor. Anyone aligning with forces  who propagate attack in ones homeland is a traitor. You would not want anyone American propagating any sort of interference by outside forces in order to fix lets say US economic problems would you?

That segwayed into the sanctions part. I think anyone would agree with the military part. But are you saying siding with someone about implementing harsh sanctions is also an act of treason? It's unclear (to me...) 


rosie is roxy is roshan

Well, since no one is discussing the nuts & bolts /Cap'n, Q ps

by rosie is roxy is roshan on

of the sanctions anyway, & only a couple of voices in the wilderness seem to have any real interest in resolving even one inch any of the underlying ideological differences, only fighting, I will jump back into the fray. Several issues, but first, Captain, you wrote:

I am in total disagreement with Mr. Q's political stance,

 This really surprised me, so I would like to ask if you could be more specific and explain what you mean. Also you too, did it surprise you or not, do you see your views as completely different? Or at least could you participate after Ayhab replies, which I hope he will.

thx

r.

_________-

cross-post, retract 'vocies in the wilderness part'.


capt_ayhab

Mr. Craig

by capt_ayhab on

My stance is, anyone propagating  military attack by foreign forces to his/her homeland is a traitor. Anyone aligning with forces  who propagate attack in ones homeland is a traitor. You would not want anyone American propagating any sort of interference by outside forces in order to fix lets say US economic problems would you?

Large scale sanctions will gravely hurt the already oppressed people in Iran. It will back fire by giving the perfect excuse to the regime in blaming the whole issue on US and other countries. And in fact it will give the best opportunity to the regime in consolidating the lost power they have enjoyed for many years.

It will also give the perfect excuse for yet another round of mass executions by the regime of all dissidents. With one difference that this time they will have the perfect excuse to do it without any shame.

 

-YT 


ex programmer craig

capt_ayhab (again, sorry!)

by ex programmer craig on

I guess what I'm asking you is if you differentiate between "nation" and "government" when you think of treason. Because, if an Iranian supports sanctions againts the Iranian goovernment because they believe that will help the Iranian nation (whether you agree or not) - is that treason? It seems to me that every resistance movement in history would have to be defined as treason, then. Including the Revolutionaries in Iran during the 1970s.Which means that unless you were a monarchist back then: you are a traitor to Iran. Right? OK, I'm losing braincells here and I don't have that many to spare. For the love of God, clear this mess up for me! :p


vildemose

Q and his ilk are both a

by vildemose on

Q and his ilk are both a liability to the US and to the Iranian people and Iranian nation. The only thing they care about is the destruction of the "US Imperialism" at the expense of destroying both US and Iran.


ex programmer craig

PS anonymous8

by ex programmer craig on

WTF with the "Israel" stuff? Isn't this thread messy enough?

You show me some Jewish Americans who mean to do the US harm, and I'll be happy to call them traitors to0. I'm here to help!


ex programmer craig

Anonymous8

by ex programmer craig on

I didn't accuse anyone of treason. It was capt_ayhab who did that. I merely provided Q and Jaleho as counter examples, in order to angage him on the issue :)

But yes, I do consider Q and Jaleho to be enemies of the US. And since they are both Americans, that qualifies as treason, does it not? But it's only treason in the moral sense, not in any kind of prosecutable legal form.


Anonymous8

Dear mr. Craig

by Anonymous8 on

yes, maybe Q was cruel to you with his sarcstic answer. captain as you a good question if your going to throw arond these terms like treason, why not show us where?

you said Q was trreason against US? how? don't you think it may be a good idea for IRAN AND US not to go to war?

and whatabout all the pro israelis who have much more power. they officially spy on the usa, spend american money on israel and get nothing in return. when was th elast time yuou questioned their loyalty?


ex programmer craig

capt_ayhab

by ex programmer craig on

Yes, I saw all the comments. So you believe one person is guilty of treason for opposing the Islamic Republic a little more vigorously than others have. Do you believe opposition to the Islamic Republic is treason? Do you believe the protesters in Iran are traitors? Because, no offense, but it doesn't seem logical to say that only harmless opposition to the IRI is acceptable. Mild resistance is no threat to the regime. Do you agree that strikes would cause at least as much hardship as sanctions? Would you call Iranians who strike, traitors? It seems like you want to support the opposition because you feel it's the morally right thing to do, but at the same time you want the opposition to fail. I can't quite reconcile those apparrent contradictions in my head.

And also, there's the issue of Iranians who are US citizens who act against American interests. Where do you come down on that issue? I'm on record for saying that I understand how people can have divided loyalties under such circumstances, and I only have problems with people Q and jaleho. Because, their loyalties don't really seem "divided" to me. They simply don't have any loyalty to the US. At all.

 


Mola Nasredeen

"I have to report you for treason Hajagha"

by Mola Nasredeen on

I said to Hazrat shotor.

"Oh really, but why?" He asked.

"Because you are against sanctions" I said to him.

His facial expression changed for a moment and then he let out a loud one and went back to sleep. The stink was so strong that I had to use 2 cans of air freshner to clear the air just like when I read comments by this psycho programmer.