This Thursday: Iran and The Current Middle East Conflict
What / Who:
ISAA is co-sponsoring a very interesting Speech by Mr. Hassan Shariatmadari on Iran and The Current Middle East Conflict

Mr. Hassan Shariatmadari is one the prominent figures of the Iranian pro-democracy opposition and the son of the late Grand Ayotallah Kazem Shariatmadari.
He is currently the Secretary General of Jomhourikhahan Melli Iran and a member of the Executive Board and Political Council of Etehad Jomhourikhan Iran. Both organizations advocate secular and democratic politics based on a republican system of governance and non-violent change.
Mr. Shariatmadari has been an active and influential participant of the Iranian politics during the last three decades. During the immediate period after the
1979 Iranian revolution he played a leading role in the massive but unsuccessful opposition to the theocratic clauses of the current constitution.
Mr. Shariatmadari currently resides in Hamburg, Germany.
When: Thursday, December 07 at 6:00 PM

Where: 2101 Morgan Hall - UC Berkeley Campus (Map)

Cost : FREE

Sponsored By :
Peace and Conflict Studies Program
University Of California, Berkeley
Iranian Student Alliance in America


* This event is open to the public
To View the official flyer click here

The history of HIV/AIDS and Addiction in Iran

The history of HIV/AIDS and Addiction in Iran

What: The Global Health in MECA, formerly the Pars Curative Research Institute, is a nonprofit membership organization that was created in 2000 to identify priority HIV/AIDS problems in Iran .
Despite its strong attachment to religious values, Iran has shown remarkable openness to addressing HIV/AIDS and its relationship with drug use.
As a result of their efforts, much of the stigma associated with drug use and HIV/AIDS is being pushed aside. The program shows the successes and challenges of HIV/AIDS in Iran and the implications for the region.
BBC documentary about part of the project will be screened after the speech.
For further information please visit http://www.ghinmeca.com/

Who: Dr. Kamiar Alaei, MD, MPH
Executive Director of Pars Institute, Iran
Harvard School of Public Health, USA

Dr. Arash Alaei and Dr. Kamiar Alaei had a critical contribution to establish the first counseling and care center for HIV infected cases, Sexually Transmitted Infected cases and injecting drug users in Iran, documented by WHO as A "Best Practice model" in WHO/EMRO. They were co-authors of Iran’s National and International Strategic Plans for the Control of HIV/IDU/TB and key players in putting Iran’s Proposal to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS/TB/Malaria.
When: Monday, Nov. 27th, 2006 6 - 8 p.m.

Where: 2040 VLSB (Map)

Cost : FREE

* This event is open to the public
To View the official flyer click here

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MBA Admissions and GMAT strategy Seminar

What : During this exciting event a Kaplan expert will explore the different admissions steps that students will need to complete to ensure their successful admission into the MBA program of their choice. Some of the topics discussed will be: Personal Statements, Letters of Recommendation, Work Experience, GPA, GMAT, and Applications.
How to develop a realistic timeline will also be discussed so even if you are a Sophomore or Junior you
would really benefit from this event!

When: Tuesday , Nov 28th, 7-8:00 p.m.

Where: 20 Barrows (Map)

Cost : FREE

Cosponsored by : Iranian Student Alliance in America (ISAA) Kaplan Test Prep.

* This event is open to the public
* Seating is Limited so be sure to RSVP by sending an email to isaa.berkeley@gmail.com or by going to http://www.kaptest.com/gmat . if you would like to use the website to register, please follow the following directions :
1. Click on the "Find a Free events" link on the left menu of the site.
2. Choose "GMAT-Business" from the drop down menu, enter your zipcode and click on the GO link.
3. Click on the "View Dates / Locations" link in front of FREE Events.
4. Look for the event that has "UC Berkeley Campus" as it's location , and click on sign-up.
5. Fill in the required information and you are done.

Iranian-American Student Abused By UCLA UCPD w Tazer Gun

[From dailybruin.com]

Download this video

An incident late Tuesday night in which a UCLA student was stunned at least four times with a Taser has left the UCLA community questioning whether the university police officers' use of force was an appropriate response to the situation.

Mostafa Tabatabainejad, a UCLA student, was repeatedly stunned with a Taser and then taken into custody when he did not exit the CLICC Lab in Powell Library in a timely manner. Community Service Officers had asked Tabatabainejad to leave after he failed to produce his BruinCard during a random check at around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. UCPD Assistant Chief of Police Jeff Young said the checks are a standard procedure in the library after 11 p.m. "Because of the safety of the students we limit the use after 11 to just students, staff and faculty," Young said. Young said the CSOs on duty in the library at the time went to get UCPD officers when Tabatabainejad did not immediately leave, and UCPD officers resorted to use of the Taser when Tabatabainejad did not do as he was told. A six-minute video showed Tabatabainejad audibly screaming in pain as he was stunned several times with a Taser, each time for three to five seconds. He was told repeatedly to stand up and stop fighting, and was told that if he did not do so he would "get Tased again."

Tabatabainejad was also stunned with the Taser when he was already handcuffed, said Carlos Zaragoza, a third-year English and history student who witnessed the incident. "(He was) no possible danger to any of the police," Zaragoza said. "(He was) getting shocked and Tasered as he was handcuffed." But Young said at the time the police likely had no way of knowing whether the individual was armed or that he was a student. As Tabatabainejad was being dragged through the room by two officers, he repeated in a strained scream, "I'm not fighting you" and "I said I would leave." The officers used the "drive stun" setting in the Taser, which delivers a shock to a specific part of the body with the front of the Taser, Young said.

A Taser delivers volts of low-amperage energy to the body, causing a disruption of the body's electrical energy pulses and locking the muscles, according to a report by the American Civil Liberties Union. "It's an electrical shock. ... It causes pain," Young said, adding that the drive stun would not likely demobilize a person or cause residual pain after the shock was administered. Young also said a Taser is less forceful than a baton, for example. But according to a study published in the Lancet Medical Journal in 2001, a charge of three to five seconds can result in immobilization for five to 15 minutes, which would mean that Tabatabainejad could have been physically unable to stand when the officers demanded that he do so.

"It is a real mistake to treat a Taser as some benign thing that painlessly brings people under control," said Peter Eliasberg, managing attorney at the ACLU of Southern California. "The Taser can be incredibly violent and result in death," Eliasberg said. According to an ACLU report, 148 people in the United States and Canada have died as a result of the use of Tasers since 1999. During the altercation between Tabatabainejad and the officers, bystanders can be heard in the video repeatedly asking the officers to stop and requesting their names and identification numbers. The video showed one officer responding to a student by threatening that the student would "get Tased too." At this point, the officer was still holding a Taser. Such a threat of the use of force by a law enforcement officer in response to a request for a badge number is an "illegal assault," Eliasberg said. "It is absolutely illegal to threaten anyone who asks for a badge number, that's assault," he said.

Tabatabainejad was released from custody after being given a citation for obstruction/delay of a peace officer in the performance of duty. Neither Tabatabainejad nor his family were giving interviews Wednesday. Police officers said they determined the use of Tasers was necessary when Tabatabainejad did not do as they asked. According to a UCPD press release, Tabatabainejad went limp and refused to exit as the officers attempted to escort him out. The release also stated Tabatabainejad "encouraged library patrons to join his resistance." At this point, the officers "deemed it necessary to use the Taser in a "drive stun' capacity." "He wasn't cooperative; he wouldn't identify himself. He resisted the officers," Young said.

Neither the video footage nor eyewitness accounts of the events confirmed that Tabatabainejad encouraged resistance, and he repeatedly told the officers he was not fighting and would leave. Tabatabainejad was walking with his backpack toward the door when he was approached by two UCPD officers, one of whom grabbed the student's arm. In response, Tabatabainejad yelled at the officers to "get off me." Following this demand, Tabatabainejad was stunned with a Taser. UCPD and the UCLA administration would not comment on the specifics of the incident as it is still under investigation.

In a statement released Wednesday, Interim Chancellor Norman Abrams said investigators were reviewing the situation and the officers' actions. "I can assure you that these reviews will be thorough, vigorous and fair," Abrams said. The incident, which Zaragoza described as an example of "police brutality," left many students disturbed. "I realize when looking at these kind of arrest tapes that they don't always show the full picture. ... But that six minutes that we can watch just seems like it's a ridiculous amount of force for someone being escorted because they forgot their BruinCard," said Ali Ghandour, a fourth-year anthropology student. "It certainly makes you wonder if something as small as forgetting your BruinCard can eventually lead to getting Tased several times in front of the library," he added. Edouard Tchertchian, a third-year mathematics student, said he was concerned that the student was not offered any other means of showing that he was a UCLA student.

5th ISAA Backgammon Tournament - Bond Plays, Do You?

It's a new semester, so once again, ISAA will be holding a backgammon tournament. This semester's tournament will be at noon on Sunday, October 29. Room to be announced.
There is still time to sign up. You can do so by either emailing Hormozd Gahvari at hormozd@EECS.berkeley.EDU or by signing up at the ISAA table on Sproul if you're in Berkeley.

As always, it will be a spirited event with intense competition. To reward the winners, there will be trophies for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
But it will for sure be a fun time for all involved, so we hope you don't miss it!

See you at the tournament!

ISAA's 7th Iranian Music Night

What: Take a break from the stress of life: work, exams, studying,etc., and come and relax to the musical genius of your fellow Iranians.

We encourage all people, students and non-students, who are
interested in performing to contact ISAA's music night coordinator
Pourya Khademi at violin@berkeley.edu so that we can coordinate joint performances. Please get in touch with Pourya soon.

When: Thursday, October 26th @ 7:00PM
Where: Persian Center (2029 Durant Ave., near Shattuck Ave.)
Map to Persian Center

* Refreshments will be served.

Akbar Ganji at UC Berkeley...

Election Results

Results are in!

ISAA Board of Director Elections 2006-2007

The votes have been tallied and the results are in! Ali Assareh and Jazzi Junge will be joining the ISAA's Board of Directors on June 1st for the start of the next term. And, Navid Khadem, Shahrzad Abbassirahbar and Shomays Fallah has been re-elected to the board for another term. A hearty congratulations to each of them!
This year, we will say goodbye to Arash Aramesh and Naghmeh Nikki Harirchi, who have given countless hours of their time to the ISAA over the past year. We thank Arash and Naghmeh for their dedicated service.
Below is the result of the officer appointments, sorted according to the number of votes each candidate received.

1. Navid Khadem---------------President
2. Ali Assareh-------------------Communications Director
3. Shahrzad Abbassirahbar---Finance Director
4. Shomays Fallah--------------Publicity Director
5. Jazzi Junge-------------------Resource Director

The new ISAA Board of Directors will pick maximum of 15 active members to be on 2006-2007 ISAA’s board. We will announce more information on this in our future emails.

Today, ISAA 2006-2007 officer elections

Officer Elections is Today. Help your favorite member get elected to ISAA's office
ISAA will be having its 2006-2007 officer elections Today in room 56 Barrows at 7pm.
We encourage you all to come! It'll only take around 1 hour and we will serve PIZZA and sell our world famous T-shirts and hoodies.
We look forward to seeing you all there!!!
2006-2007 Candidates:
1. Ali Assareh
2.Jazzi Junge
3.Shahrzad Abbassirahbar
4.Shomays Fallah
5.Soraya Gheissari
6.Navid Khadem

ISAA 2006-2007 Elections - May 4

ISAA will be having its 2006-2007 officer elections on May 4, 2006 (Thursday) in room 110 Barrows at 7pm.
We encourage you all to come!
If you are interested in running for any position please email Navid Khadem (ISAA's communications director : navid@berkeley.edu) for further information as to the different positions offered and what each position entails, and make sure to ask about the new positions added for the upcoming year. Please include your name, year, major and the position you are interested in running for, along with a brief statement (300 words maximum) describing your objectives in running for that position.
We encourage those who have been active members to consider running, as being an ISAA officer lets you get involved in the Iranian community and have fun. We will be here to help those in the up coming year so please do not feel intimidated. We look forward to seeing you all there!!!

You are qualified to run if you meet the conditions in ISAA's constitution which can be find here ( http://isaa.berkeley.edu/aboutISAA.htm )

Board members for the upcoming school year will be elected by these elected officers.

The deadline to submit your intention to run is April 30th.

*** Pizza and refreshments will be served.
*** If you are interested in buying the new ISAA shirts ($15) and sweatshirts ($25) we will also be selling those.

We'll send out another reminder next week.

UCB Senate Elections April 25-27
ISAA is endorsing Ali Ansary #51 for Senate for the2006-2007 school year.
We encourage all of you to vote and show your support.
The following is Ali's platform:
I, Ali Ansary, am running for ASUC Senate for the upcoming school year, and with your personal and ISAA collective support, hope to begin the Fall semester as an ASUC Senator advocating for you. As a first generation Afghan-American and, I feel the views and platform upon which I am running coincide with many of the shared values of ISAA and the Iranian community.
To give you a little background on me, I am a junior from Orange County, majoring in Nutritional Science with a minor in Peace and Conflict Studies.I would work to foster inter-group relationships among organizations to leverage the support and creative projects that we hold individually, particularly among ISAA, ISCO, MSA, INDUS, PAKSA and other like minded groups. I would also like to pursue tangible projects on campus, including improving recycling and sustainability efforts in university buildings, and increased campus safety efforts by working directly with the UCPD. I ask you for any support you and your organization can offer me, however the most important thing, is ensuring each one of you votes. I would love the opportunity to meet with you personally on sproul over the next two weeks should you have any questions or suggestions for me. I thank you in advance for your support, and look forward to working with you in the coming school year.

** Ali Ansary #51
** Ride the 51 to Success: Vote Ali Ansary for ASUC Senate

Voting Locations and TimesThe ASUC Elections voting period occurs on the following three days:
Tuesday, April 25
Wednesday, April 26
Thursday, April 27

VOTE ONLINE!

Voting online is available during the following times at http://election.asuc.org :
· 9:00 am to 7:00 pm Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) (Votes MUST be submitted online by 7:00pm)

Voting online is not allowed from the following connections and locations:
· Airbears
· ASUC- and Graduate Assembly-controlled properties: Anthony Hall, Eshleman Hall, and the MLK Student Union OR, VOTE AT POLLING STATIONS!
Voting from polling stations is available at the following times and locations:(Students may vote from polling stations as long as they are IN LINE by the time the station closes)

Campus Polls Open 9:00am to 4:10pm
1. Upper Sproul Plaza
2. Dwinelle Plaza
3. Wurster Hall, West Entrance
4. Evans Hall, East Entrance
5. Plaza/Walkway between Soda and Etcheverry, south side
6. Genetics and Plant Biology Building, South Plaza
7. Lower Campanile Plaza
8. Boalt Hall, Courtyard
9. Haas School of Business, Lower Bank of America Forum
Extended Hour Polls Open 9:00am to 10:00pm
1. Moffitt Undergraduate Library, South Entrance
2. Recreational Sports Facility
Residence Hall Polls
1. Crossroads Dining Facility (Open 4:50pm to 8:30pm)
2. Unit 3 Residence Hall Dining Commons (Open 4:50pm to 9:30pm)
3. Clark Kerr Campus Residence Hall Dining Commons (Open 5:00 to 8:30pm)
4. Foothill Residence Hall Dining Commons (Open 4:50pm to 8:30pm)
5. International House (Open 5:00pm to 8:00pm)

Eligibility
All registered UC Berkeley students, including graduate students, are eligible to vote. Voters may cast only one ballot.

Voters will receive discount coupons for the Cal Student Store and the Gelateria Naia Lounge (Naia coupon available only at the polls).

Seyyed Ebrahim Nabavi : Stand Up Comedy at Cal

ISAA Proudly Presents:


Seyyed Ebrahim Nabavi :
Stand Up Comedy at Cal


Location: 2050 VLSB(Valley Life Science Building) , UC Berkeley

Time: Sunday April 9th at 6pm ( Limited Tickets. First come , first served)

Tickets will be sold at the doors.

Price : 30 dollars
UC Berkeley Students are given half priced tickets.
Must provide
student ID at the door.

here is a map of the campus.

http://www.berkeley.edu/map/

Seyyed Ebrahim Nabavi ( in Persian سید ابراهیم نبوی) is an exiled Iranian satirist and journalist. As of 2005, he is the most widely known and active Iranian satirist, currently living in Belgium. He currently writes in the news website Gooya and the online newspaper Rooz.

Nabavi became famous after he started his daily column sotūn-e panjom (Fifth Column) in the newspaper Jame'eh, which he continued in several newspapers after they were banned one after another. He has also written several books of satire, interviews, prison diaries, and research on the history of Iranian satire. As of July 2005, he also works for the online newspaper Rooz and the BBC News in Persian.

Nabavi was arrested and jailed two times for his political satires, where he wrote sālon-e šomāre-ye šeš (سالن شماره ۶; Corridor No 6), translated to French as Couloir n° 6 : Carnets de prison (ISBN 2742751610).

He is an ethnic Azerbaijani, and his friends call him Davar.

Awards and honors

• Prince Claus Award (2005)

Saale No Mobarak! Happy New Year!

Today, No Ruz is new year's days for millions of people from Afghans and Tajiks to Azeris (Rep. of Azerbaijan) and Iranians. The year is now 1385.


ISAA wishes you all a wonderful, healthy, happy, and successful new year.

March in March

ISAA's 5th Tenet (also see ISAA mission statement):

"V. We are not promoting any specific form of political government in Iran, and we believe the fate of Iran is solely in the hands of the Iranian people. We do, however,promote Iranian involvement in the American political arena."

Thus, March 18th: Global protests (240 planned) against Iraq invasion & potential attack on Iran

ISAA's 4th Backgammon Tournament Results

Earlier today ISAA held it's 4th Backgammon Tournament. It was a competitive affair with 9 contenders who gave it their all. When the dust settled, the top 3 were:

1st place: Hamid Assadi

2nd place: Babak Amirebrahimi

3rd place: Omid Etesami

Thanks to everyone who took part and made the event a great time. Pictures are now available online. There are full-size and small (640x480) versions available.

Enjoy!

Hormozd

ISAA Spring Calendar of Events!

Enjoy another great semester with ISAA as we work actively to serve the campus community. For more information about the upcoming events be sure to check back with the ISAA Blog and to read your weekley ISAA emails.

1. First ISAA Meeting of the Spring Semester (1.30)
2. Student Lecture: "Rumi's Family, Status of His Father & Migration" (1.31)
3. Documentary Screening: "The CIA and Coup of 1953 in Iran" (2.06)
4. Student Lecture: "What is Mathnavi & Brief Mention of Rumi's Works" (2.07)
5. ABC Documentary: "Evolution of Revolution: Live From Tehran" (2.13)
6. Documentary Screening: "Mystical Iran" (2.14)
7. Student Lecture: "Shams-e-Tabriz & Life Before Meeting Rumi" (2.21)
8. 4th Annual ISAA Backgammon Tournament (2.25)
9. BBC Documentary: "Iran: A Revolution Betrayed" (2.27)
10. Student Lecture: "Sugar Market & Hallaj Mansour" (2.28)
11. Student Lecture: "Iran-Iraq War: Causes, Repercussions & Outcomes" (3.06)
12. Student Lecture: "The 'Meeting' Continued" (3.07)
13. 7th ISAA Iranian Music Night (3.09)
14. Student Lecture: "Structure of the Islamic Republic & Reform Movement" (3.13)
15. Student Lecture: "The Beginning of Mathnavi & 'Attar and 'Sanaie'" (3.14)
16. Guest Lecture: Dr. Dariush Zahedi. Topic: "TBA" (3.20)
17. Student Lecture: "Pluralism & the story of 'Moses and the Shepard'" (3.21)
18. Student Lecture: "Women in Iran" & Doc: "Iran Behind Closed Cha-Dors" (4.03)
19. Student Lecture: "Different Kinds of Faith" (4.04)
20. Student Lecture: “Social Epidemics” (4.10)
21. Student Lecture: "Rumi and Ghazali" (4.11)
22. 13th ISAA-ISCO Joint Poetry Night (4.13)
23. Iranian Movie Night: “Hidden Half" (4.17)
24. Student Lecture: "Rumi's Pain and Suffering After Shams's Departure" (4.18)
25. Lecture: "Iran's Nuclear Standoff with the West" (4.24)
26. Student Lecture: "Rumi, Islamic Reformation & Dr. Abdolkarim Soroush" (4.25)
27. 6th Graduate Mini Lecture Series (5.01)
28. Student Lecture: "'Accidental' and 'Essential'" (5.02)
29. Student Lecture: "Where is Iran Headed Now?" (5.08)
30. Final ISAA Meeting of the Spring Semester (5.08)

Greetings!

ISAA hopes you are all enjoying your winter break and had a nice and warm holiday season. We look forward to seeing you back on campus for the Spring semester!

For a look back at the fall semester, click on the link to look at ISAA's online album of event pictures.