Steve Inskeep interview with Ahmadinejad
Thursday, 25. September 2008, 18:38:36
This is Steve Inskeep from NPR interviewing Iranian president Ahmadinejad, this is the part about freedom in Iran which I'm interested in, the full interview can be found here.
The red parts are my addings. and the blueparts are the parts which I'm commenting on it.
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NPR: And my final question is this: Many visitors to Iran have remarked on an interesting trend.
Many Iranians listen to Western music, watch Western television, read Western books if they can get them, and appear to have disassociated themselves with politics. That raises a question of whether you have lost touch with many of your people.
Ahmadinejad: In fact, I'm one of the few people, one of the people who is, at all times, among the Iranian people.
I have links with everyone in Iran. The Iranian nation is a free one. And they elect freely. It's always been the case. There are no restrictions for them. Why do you think that that's a new trend? It's the same mistake that the American government makes.
haha... of course there isn't, there is just a law that if you want to publish a book you must get a licence for a music album as well this list goes on for a time ....
NPR: You say there are no —
Ahmadinejad: Just wait for three months, and on the anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution, you will see how people react on the scenes.
Last year I participated in that "anniversary" because I had to, must people have to to go this rallies or they will be disqualified from their job
NPR: Haven't the police confiscated satellite dishes?
Ahmadinejad: But that's a different discussion, no! It's a law. We are not addressing the law. The law was passed as a bill when it happened. There are other issues there. Sure, there are some problems, but it has nothing to do with the discussion.
Of course you aren't, because if you do it rapidly and continually, no one will buy dishes anymore, and you won't be able to fine them anymore! you just wait for a few months to let people buy their dishes
Again, wait for another nine months, and you'll see the vast turnover of the people in the presidential elections. Please remember that close to 98 percent of the people support the Islamic Revolution. I am in touch with people on the streets.
Let me see, it was about 30 years ago that you got the 98%!
NPR: Do you read Western —
Ahmadinejad: There's a lot of freedom in Iran. The example is our interview with you. Can you ask your own president these questions? Can you really so freely meet with him so easily? Never.
Can an Iranian interviewer ask you these questions? the few that have are in jail!
NPR: Do you —
Ahmadinejad: You cannot freely ask questions.
NPR: Do you watch any —
Ahmadinejad: But everybody asks questions from me freely.
Laugh!
NPR: Do you watch any Western television programs, Mr. President?
Ahmadinejad: Yeah, like everyone else!
NPR: What programs?
Ahmadinejad: People, after all, like movies and shows...
but they should watch the movies that you like!
NPR: What's something you've seen recently?
Ahmadinejad: Of course, very little, I mostly watch Iranian TV and listen to international news.
NPR: Any Western music that you listen to or books that you read?
Ahmadinejad: Sure, me too, like everyone else, but this isn't what matters. That's not how nations matter. People in Iran see everything, read everything, they don't restrict themselves to one outlet.
There is a list of books and movies that are banned in Iran in the end of this post
NPR: The Beatles? Led Zeppelin?
Ahmadinejad: And it doesn't basically put restrictions on itself. They use whatever they have! But that's the Iranian nation. And they know how to defend their own rights, too. They won't put up with force or with domination. Whoever, by whoever, please remember that.
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List of media banned in Iran:
Books
"The Satanic Verses"
"Da Vinci Code"
"Memories of My Melancholy Whores"
Films
...More Than 1000 Words
The Circle
Crimson Gold
Half Moon
Offside
Tcherike-ye Tara
Ten
Be Ranghe Arghavan
Santouri
Marmoulak
Time of Love
The Nights of Zayande-rood
of course this is small number of media that are banned, number of media that don't get that license is huge, for example the only foreign singer that has the license is Chris De Burgh.
But, it's unfair not to mention this that you can any movie, music that you like (with or without license) at a very cheap price. there are these laws but they simply can't be addressed.
The red parts are my addings. and the blueparts are the parts which I'm commenting on it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
....
NPR: And my final question is this: Many visitors to Iran have remarked on an interesting trend.
Many Iranians listen to Western music, watch Western television, read Western books if they can get them, and appear to have disassociated themselves with politics. That raises a question of whether you have lost touch with many of your people.
Ahmadinejad: In fact, I'm one of the few people, one of the people who is, at all times, among the Iranian people.
I have links with everyone in Iran. The Iranian nation is a free one. And they elect freely. It's always been the case. There are no restrictions for them. Why do you think that that's a new trend? It's the same mistake that the American government makes.
haha... of course there isn't, there is just a law that if you want to publish a book you must get a licence for a music album as well this list goes on for a time ....
NPR: You say there are no —
Ahmadinejad: Just wait for three months, and on the anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution, you will see how people react on the scenes.
Last year I participated in that "anniversary" because I had to, must people have to to go this rallies or they will be disqualified from their job
NPR: Haven't the police confiscated satellite dishes?
Ahmadinejad: But that's a different discussion, no! It's a law. We are not addressing the law. The law was passed as a bill when it happened. There are other issues there. Sure, there are some problems, but it has nothing to do with the discussion.
Of course you aren't, because if you do it rapidly and continually, no one will buy dishes anymore, and you won't be able to fine them anymore! you just wait for a few months to let people buy their dishes
Again, wait for another nine months, and you'll see the vast turnover of the people in the presidential elections. Please remember that close to 98 percent of the people support the Islamic Revolution. I am in touch with people on the streets.
Let me see, it was about 30 years ago that you got the 98%!
NPR: Do you read Western —
Ahmadinejad: There's a lot of freedom in Iran. The example is our interview with you. Can you ask your own president these questions? Can you really so freely meet with him so easily? Never.
Can an Iranian interviewer ask you these questions? the few that have are in jail!
NPR: Do you —
Ahmadinejad: You cannot freely ask questions.
NPR: Do you watch any —
Ahmadinejad: But everybody asks questions from me freely.
Laugh!
NPR: Do you watch any Western television programs, Mr. President?
Ahmadinejad: Yeah, like everyone else!
NPR: What programs?
Ahmadinejad: People, after all, like movies and shows...
but they should watch the movies that you like!
NPR: What's something you've seen recently?
Ahmadinejad: Of course, very little, I mostly watch Iranian TV and listen to international news.
NPR: Any Western music that you listen to or books that you read?
Ahmadinejad: Sure, me too, like everyone else, but this isn't what matters. That's not how nations matter. People in Iran see everything, read everything, they don't restrict themselves to one outlet.
There is a list of books and movies that are banned in Iran in the end of this post
NPR: The Beatles? Led Zeppelin?
Ahmadinejad: And it doesn't basically put restrictions on itself. They use whatever they have! But that's the Iranian nation. And they know how to defend their own rights, too. They won't put up with force or with domination. Whoever, by whoever, please remember that.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
List of media banned in Iran:
Books
"The Satanic Verses"
"Da Vinci Code"
"Memories of My Melancholy Whores"
Films
...More Than 1000 Words
The Circle
Crimson Gold
Half Moon
Offside
Tcherike-ye Tara
Ten
Be Ranghe Arghavan
Santouri
Marmoulak
Time of Love
The Nights of Zayande-rood
of course this is small number of media that are banned, number of media that don't get that license is huge, for example the only foreign singer that has the license is Chris De Burgh.
But, it's unfair not to mention this that you can any movie, music that you like (with or without license) at a very cheap price. there are these laws but they simply can't be addressed.
( I haven’t still figured out why ?! ) and with diplomatic solution with the guard not working( 
) we decided to go to a traditional café, but on the way to the café me and someone else who I just knew his name got lost, and that was good, because I found him a very interesting person and I got his phone number!
WIDGETIZE